This Cute Robot is Self-Aware and Absolutely Adorable (VIDEO)

A robot may have passed a self-awareness test. Scientists have given three Nao robots and updated version of the classic "wise men puzzle" self-awareness test and one of them managed to pass.

The test was actually simplified and adapted to robotics. The robots were made aware of something called a "dumbing pill," which was a button on top of their head which silenced them. The tester then tapped the heads of the robot-though only two were really "given" the pill. Each of the robots were then asked which pill they received.

Two of the robots couldn't speak due to the pill. The third robot, though, said "I don't know." It then paused and changed its answer to "Sorry, I know now. I was able to prove that I was not given the dumbing pill."

What's truly interesting is that none of these answers, except for the simple knowledge about the dumbing pill, were preprogrammed. The NAO robots were both able to understand the question and also able to recognize their own voice.

"There are myriad additional steps that need to ultimately be taken," write the researchers in their paper. "But one step at a time is the only way forward."

The new findings pave the way toward creating a truly sentient robot. With that said, this particular result may take quite some time before it can fully come to fruition.

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