One Per Cent: Artificial retinas help robot balance a pencil

One Per Cent: Artificial retinas help robot balance a pencil: "These previous robots were hindered by their video-camera vision, which required them to process a full frame of video to identify changes in their environment. The new robot uses a pair of silicon retinas that only react to sudden changes in illumination, transmitting a simple 'on' or 'off' response that reduces the need for complex data processing - an approach that mimics biological vision."