Robots get web-based brain. Called Rapyuta, the online “brain” describes objects robots encounter and can also carry out complicated computation on behalf of a robot. The Rapyuta database is part of the European Robo Earth project that began in 2011 with the hope of standardizing the way robots perceive the human world. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21714191 The system could be particularly useful for drones, self-driving cars or other mobile robots who have to do a lot of number crunching just to get round. Without access to such a database, roboticists fear machines will be restricted to working in very tightly controlled environments such as production lines and never live easily alongside humans.