Learning to walk

World's Fastest Robot -- Computational Neuroscientists And Engineers Build Robot That Teaches Itself To Walk Up And Down Hills: "December 1, 2007 — Computational neuroscientists designed a robot that teaches itself how to walk on differing terrain. The RunBot uses an infrared eye to detect slopes, and adjusts its gait for the smoothest walk. From repeated attempts it matches the degree of slope to the appropriate length of step and movement of joints. Essentially, the robot learns to walk on uneven ground in the same way as a child."