For robots, artificial intelligence gets physical

To work with humans, machines need to sense the world around them

image of robot hand touching human hand

ROBOT AWAKENING  By giving robots physical intelligence, researchers hope to build machines that can work alongside humans.

Human: cherezoff/shutterstock; Robot: Willyam Bradberry/shutterstock

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In a high-ceilinged laboratory at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C.,