Fujitsu Releases Specs For Hackable Robot

S. Allen writes: "According to this article, Fujitsu will release the specifications to their RT-Linux based humanoid robot next week to encourage development and research. The article states, 'The software used to program Hoap-1 will run on RT-Linux -- a version of the open-source operating system that is designed for robotic applications, as well as data acquisition and systems control functions. Simulation software will let users test their code before letting it loose on Hoap-1'"

Comments

Crash messages

[oingoboingo]

So instead of a bluescreen or a kernel panic message, this thing will just flail its arms about yelling "Danger Will Robinson"?

ikkle

[superpeach]

48cm?! How am I going to get it to reach the stuff at the top of the fridge? Does it come with go-go-gadget legs/arms?

Robot work force?

[BLAG-blast]

28K(ukp/stirling) sounds a lot at first, compared to the market value of robot dogs these days it's well on the pricy side for a toy. But once it starts doing some thing useful it will start to take away low end jobs, cleaning the rest rooms, making shoes for Nike and other things that children could be doing and earning the princely sum of 50cents a month.

Of course we know that childern provide a better value work force than robots, but what about those pesky adults, in the western world it won't be hard to cut expences....

I used to love the idea of making a bipod robot when I was younger, now I they seem scarey... are we making suicide bombers for the west? I'm going to stop now...

Is This Really a Good Idea?

[none2222]

Let me get this straight--they admit that their robot is hackable PLUS they're releasing the specs? I don't get. Won't the specs just make it easier to hack? Personally, I favor security, even if it happens to be security through obscurity.

I don't know that I'd want to buy a robot if I knew hackers could take control of it. The consequences of hackers infiltrating a robot could range from the merely annoying to the catastrophic (especially if the robot in question is equipped with a rotary saw, a la BattleBots).

As well, has anybody assessed the national security risks associated with hackable robots, in light of the recent terror attacks?

Way off topic.

[fr2asbury]

Quick!
Go to Freshmeat
Read the names of the first two projects. What are the odds?
Maybe it'll be a little further down, but you'll know the ones I mean.
Jonathan