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Immobile Robots

Posted by michael on from the what-you-get-when-the-servos-break-down dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "Wade Roush wrote a long and well-documented article for the Technology Review about this new concept, the immobot, short for "immobile robot." He gives different industrial examples, from NASA to the water utility in Porto Alegre, and from Toyota cars to some new Xerox photocopiers. And he looks at the programming model behind the immobots. No "heuristic" programs here, but model-based programs instead. Check this column for details." The original article has more information.

10 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. I have an immobile robot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's called my computer. While it isn't very useful for getting me things, I'm not afraid I'll wake up one night to find it holding a knife at my throat.

  2. huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    about 8 or so years ago i had a photocopier which was able to diagnose its own problems.

    isn't this the same thing?

  3. Slasdhotters are immobots? by YahoKa · · Score: 4, Funny

    Imobile robots ... sounds alot like some of the computer obsessed people i know. Doesn't thinkgeek have a fridge for your desk now? I mean, we don't even have to get up to get beer anymore...

  4. Wait a second... by ActiveSX · · Score: 5, Funny

    Using its engineering knowledge, the robot tried to repair the switch by toggling it on and off.

    Isn't this like saying "Using my engineering knowledge, I tried to repair the toilet by jiggling the handle." I'd hardly call brute-force "engineering knowledge."

    1. Re:Wait a second... by tincho_uy · · Score: 2, Funny

      Problem is, the robot has a MSCE degree, and turning the darn thing off and on surely seemed utterly logical, and engineer-like to him :)

  5. Immobile Robot = Cowboy Neal Exercising by Bouncings · · Score: 2, Funny
    Or any cybernetic geek exercising for that matter.

    IMMOBILE.

    --
    -- Ken Kinder ken@_nospam_kenkinder.com http://kenkinder.com/
  6. Do you hear me? by KristsInferno · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unlock the pod bay doors, HAL. HAL? Unlock the pod bay doors.

  7. That's right... by altaic · · Score: 1, Funny

    Follow the link. The kid with his balls in a vice is the one on the lower left at the top of the page.

  8. Immobile robots have been around for a while... by Bowie+J.+Poag · · Score: 2, Funny



    I'd imagine Al Gore has been around for at least 50 years now.

    Cheers,

    --
    Bowie J. Poag

  9. ob: office space by zrodney · · Score: 3, Funny

    PC LOAD LETTER ??