Dancing Robot Is A Chaotic Itinerant

Japanese company ZMP have developed a dancing robot prototype that makes up its own moves. The Miuro robot looks like a cross between a Space Odyssey pod and a dumb-bell, and is fourteen inches long. When fed with some music, Miuro responds spontaneously to the beats with an intricate dance based on complex mathematics.

Unlike previous dancing robots, its movements are not pre-programmed. The software behind the dance is based on a principle scientists refer to as “chaotic itinerancy” – similar to the patterns observed in bees moving from flower to flower. This allows Miuro to respond spontaneously and unpredictably to auditory stimuli. ZMP president Hisashi Taniguchi believes they will one day create “a new form of life that moves freely…in ways human beings can’t predict. We’re hoping to turn Miuro into the ultimate virtual pet.”