Russian OS Teaches Robots to Talk Like Humans

A new operating system developed in Skolkovo enables robots to communicate using natural language—making it easier for people to understand what machines are discussing.

Scientists at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology have built a breakthrough operating system for robots. Known as CognitiveOS, the platform transforms robot-to-robot communication from code into spoken language, according to Inc Russia.

Until now, intelligent machines relied exclusively on machine language to coordinate actions, leaving developers in the dark about how decisions were made. CognitiveOS changes that, allowing operators to monitor and understand inter-robot dialogue.

The modular architecture of the system allows it to be installed on various android robots. Developers can also mix and match software modules to tailor the OS for specific applications.

Early tests have been successful. In one demo, a person asks a robotic dog for a drink. The dog verbally relays the request to a robotic manipulator, which then locates the correct bottle, pours a glass, and hands it off to a robotic bartender.

The system’s potential expands further when combined with brain-computer interface technology. Developed in Russia in 2025, this system reads neural signals via an EEG headset and transmits them over Wi-Fi to a memristor-based processor. The processor converts thoughts into robotic commands.

Such thought-based control has major implications for assistive tech. Patients could more intuitively manage wheelchairs, prosthetics, and exoskeletons—opening new frontiers for medical robotics.