Robot dolls. Technician making adjustments to a Robota robot doll. The dolls have motors that allow them to move their limbs and heads. Sensors allow them to react to touch, sound and movement, as well as computer and joystick commands. They are controlled by an artificial neural network (ANN), enabling them, for example, to link mimicked movements to melodies to produce a dance response to music. They can also learn simple sentences in about 15 minutes. It is hoped that Robota dolls will be used as educational toys, and also in the study of learning and autism. They were created by Dr Aude Billard from the Robotics Lab of the University of Southern California, USA.