How do you teach robots to navigate new places? Study toddlers.

IBM, for instance, is researching AI methods that simulate raising a baby to understand what “common sense” knowledge a child gains, which can be applied to robotics. Last year, Google published a framework for wheeled robots to move through “unforeseen environments.” Boston Dynamics, a pioneer in agile, mobile robots, has a system on its Spot robots so they can “feel” the ground beneath them to try to avoid falling in low visibility.