Japanese Develop "Robocop" T-34

This post was entered here accidentally. It has been moved to The Cyberculturalist.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Self-Replicating Robot

I am not sure what to make of this one, so I am just leaving you the link so you can decide for yourself.

It is certainly neat, but I'm not sure what practical use one could find for it. Of course, the article notes that you make your computer build you your own printer, but I think it would be easier to buy one - pre-built - and certainly faster. Of course, if I understand the basics, once it made one, it could make several others, so you could develop a nice, little side-job, making printers for the neighborhood.

I don't know, but check it out and let me know what you think.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Mr. Roboto Conducts Symphony

If you haven't seen this, you really have to! Click on through to see the video of this little robot conducting an American symphony.

Honestly, I was skeptical of it at first because the little guy is so lifelike! He hunches over and shuffles on his tiptoes to the front of the orchestra, then waves at the musicians. His movements are deliberate, but so fluid as to be bizarrely natural.

I don't really know what practical application this exercise has, so I'm assuming it was simply for fun. I mean, I guess an orchestra needs a conductor, but are they really in such high demand that a manufacturing line is necessary?

A line of robotic cops - now that's something to think about!

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Rise of the Robocops

Remember the ending of Aliens, where Sigourney Weaver dons the exoskeleton and fights the queen? So do the engineers at Sarcos, the robotics firm which created XOS, an exoskeleton for use by US troops.

With the exoskeleton, soldiers can lift and maneuver weights far exceeding their own. The hope is that it will speed construction and similar operations. But later models are already being designed with greater things in mind - such as flight and combat.

I decided to include the link to the original BBC article, as it contains several video clips you will find interesting.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Bum-Bot Draws Ire of Atlanta Ne'er-Do-Wells, Hippies

Bum-Bot

Rufus Terrill, nearing both his 60^th birthday and retirement, recently purchased a pub in a run-down section of the crime-infested Atlanta, GA.  Due to vagrancy, break-ins, drug use, and overall fear engendered by the ne'er-do-wells in the area, Terrill resorted to his own measures to curb problems:

Utilizing his skill at engineering, he collected ordinary bits and pieces of machinery to create The Bum-Bot.  Hand-controlled (like a video game) by Terrill himself, the Bot sneaks up on people and alerts them that they are trespassing and have seconds to vacate the premises.

The 300+-lb., box-shaped robot is equipped with glowing red eyes, along with a bright spotlight, and a high-powered water cannon.  The neighborhood surrounding it is a renowned druggie haven, replete with spent needles littering the area.  It also happens to be home to a playground and child care facility.

While gangbangers activists say the Bum-Bot is nothing more than a marketing and political ploy for Atlanta's Rufus Terrill, others say they feel safer by the Bum-Bot's presence.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Rise of the Machines

UK-based researchers are upset over a report which alluded to "robot rights" and claimed that one day, robots might demand the same rights as human workers -- such as housing and "robot health care."  Robotics engineers and other scientists called it "sensationalistic," where some in government roles say the reports were specifically commissioned to spark debate.

As autonomous, "decision-making" robots are increasingly used in ever more capacities, scientists warn about their militaristic and health care uses.  Already, a robotic sentry with a machinegun patrols the border between North and South Korea, and autonomous, robotic machines are used to monitor elderly patients' blood pressure and other vital signs.  Autonomous robots are already in use in homes, as well, with vacuum cleaners that decide on their own whether to clean a room or back to a base to recharge.

As one scientist put forth: Right now, we would blame the creator of a robot if it killed someone, but as the use of this technology increases and the manufacture of such machines becomes more and more automated in its own right (mass production), where will the responsibility lay in the future? 

And how far away is that future?