It is a long-held dream of humans to create a robot with human characteristics that offers humans benefits. Some of these ideas have been bizarre. Others have failed, and still others bore witness to great pioneering spirit and progress. The story begins in the 18th century with a mechanical robot duck – an interesting attempt.

But how do machines learn to think, plan and see like human beings? And how can you teach them to walk and grasp objects? Play chess against a robot? We’ve done that for a long time! Social robots in the children’s room? No, thanks! There is much to talk about.