<p>January is a time when many of us seek to better ourselves. We want to learn a new skill or improve an existing one. A network designed especially for robots, RoboEarth, is being tested in the Netherlands to help them with their attempts at self-improvement. Soon our mechanical friends will be able to swap tips on how to best care for us and learn about their worlds.</p><p>As demonstrated by Google's recent purchase of robotics companies and Amazon's automated warehouses, intelligent, autonomous service robots are starting to look commercially viable.</p><p>Service robots are machines which can perform tasks with or for humans in normal environments (rather than in controlled factory settings). Intelligent, autonomous service robots have some freedom about how they complete tasks and need to make decisions about how to act based on what they know and can sense.</p><p>There are robots that can make sandwiches, find objects in your home, do your washing and even assemble Ikea furniture.</p><p><a href="http://phys.org/news/2014-01-robot-helper-friends.html">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/news/RoboEarth+aims+accelerate+robot+development/9403812/story.html">&#039;RoboEarth&#039; aims to accelerate robot development</a> (Vancouver Sun)</p><p><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/30011590/europe-launches-wikipedia-for-robots">&#039;Wikipedia for Robots&#039;</a> (Stuff.co.nz)</p><p><a href="http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/europe-launches-roboearth-wikipedia-robots-216495.html">Europe launches RoboEarth: &#039;Wikipedia for Robots&#039;</a> (Firstpost)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dZmlj60bhb68sTM2sL00wV9B5UseM&authuser=0&ned=us">10 additional articles.</a></p>