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Robodex 2003 Shows Robots Ready for Work & Play
Roland Piquepaille writes "Robodex 2003 was held last week in Yokohama, Japan. At this show 38 companies, colleges and other organizations introduced more than 90 different types of robot. Many were designed to handle tasks too dangerous for humans and assist people in their daily lives. In this column, you'll find a selection of articles and short quotes about this trade show which attracted about 70,000 visitors. I also built my own Robodex 2003 Fashion Show (the whole page weighs 172KB). You'll find there pictures of many new robots, including Banryu, developed by Tmsuk, Inc., which will control your home while you're away, Doki, the world's first gender-aware robot, built by Intelligent Earth, from Scotland, or the Comet III, a one ton mine-clearance robot from Chiba University. There are also pictures of new machines from Sony, Mitsubishi or Fujitsu among others."
Many were designed to handle tasks too dangerous for humans and assist people in their daily lives.
Call me when they make one that will fetch my beer
I would expect such blatant racism on Fark, but on Slashdot? Mods please ban this asshole.
I just keep thinking of the robot pulling a 'crocodile dundee': walking up to someone and grabing their crotch to determine their gender.
I do security
Situations too dangerous for humans - robots should be used:
*Manufacturing
*Handling dangerous waste
*Computer programming - robots can't be sued for violating patents
Situations where robots would be too dangerous (to their manufacturers)
*Surgery - the programmers of the robot would be sued.
*Driving a car - endless lawsuits
New generation hackers, break into the robot while someone is away and have him unlock all the doors and the safes in the house
Call me a skeptic, but I don't like robots doing too many tasks, let's not forget human's make robots, and some humans are crooked, so who knows when you will end up with an influence robot?
Posting useless rant since 2003.
Some of these guys are tethered, but for those that aren't I'd really love to know what they're using for power, and how long these robots can continue to run. I can't seem to find much (except for Asimo, which uses NiMh batts). Anybody else find some more solid specs?
Roving Web-Teleoperated Robot
hey, man, don't look now, but that robot is checking out your package
The World's Worst Webcomic!
How important is it for robots that are around the house to look human. I mena I can understand that people will most likely be more accpeting of them but are they the best design for whatever job they are doing? Or are they really just showing what we can?
I know that walking is a huge problem for robots especially going up and down stairs
Rus
Cheap UK and US VPS
Old Glory Insurance
There's a Mercedes gap too. I want one and can't afford one, but it's not government's job to do anything about it.
MS-Robot EULA
*The robot is not your property. MS owns and controls it except where you are given permission by MS to control it. Controlling it except as permitted by MS is illegal under the DMCA. Everything the robot does is your responsibility, no matter if you controlled it or if MS did. You are criminally responsible for anything your robot does. You will not sue MS or defame MS in any way. You will acknoledge that you solely controlled the robot to do everything it does, even though you didn't. The robot's parts are warrented for 30 days. We cannot be responsible for damage related to operation of the robot, however. The function of the robot is not warrented in any way. You may not replace any major parts of the robot without buying another license. If a major part is replaced, it will be considered, at MS's sole determination, a new robot. If MS considers it a new robot, you agree to pay $500 to continue using it. Making your robot interact with other robots requires RALs. (robot access licenses) Allowing robots to interact in any way without the proper number of RALs is illegal, and you will be prosecuted.
Mind.Forth AI is a free, open-source artificial intelligence for robots.
The JavaScript AI Tutorial version runs on the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
"Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised."
-Marilyn Manson
I did apologize for the double-post. I'm glad you feel powerful, but it doesn't make your penis any bigger or more functional.
I'm sure most of you herehave heard of Asimov's three laws of robotics.
The Three Laws of Robotics are:
1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
My question is: when do robots become capable enough that we start worrying about them having ethics programmed into them? We already have robots that can walk around and watch the house. When do we start to worry that they're dangerous? Do we wait until they've hurt someone?
Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master. -Commissioner Lal
Does sex with geeks come under "tasks too dangerous for humans"?
--- Ban humanity.
here i am. brain the size of a planet and they ask me to go and fetch their beer. i wont enjoy it you know. oh im so depressed...
this sig steers like a cow. and i can prove it
I can understand robots for work purposes, but for play???
What's next? Some company with a marketing division that will be defined as a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first against the wall and shot when the revolution comes thinking up new marketing slogans for robots, such as:
"You're plactic pal who's fun to be with.."
It's just too much. Somebody send me back to the 19th century before they make robots with the GPP (Genuine People Personality) feature.
I don't think I can stand meeting robot with a pain in all the diodes down its left side.
I had the same thought. When they can mix the robots with one of these then they will have something.
I guess it's because I just saw the first Animatrix episode.
Shop as usual. And avoid panic buying.
So, what exactly is that last robot's expression supposed to be (the one being shown the green block of tofu)? I'd expect "disgust," but it's more "intrigue." Chalk that up as a bug in the software?
Newsfollow.com
This story reminded me a movie I once saw. A long time ago, late at night, HBO aired a flick which featured a guy with a robot "wife" and his journey to find another when the first one broke. (As for how it broke, don't ask) The movie was called Cherry 2000. Think of it as a poor man's Blade Runner...without...you know..."Blades."
Ready for the mind-blowing synop?
When Sam Treadwell breaks his Cherry 2000, a robot wife/sex toy, he hires E Johnson, to guide him across a dangerous apocalyptic wasteland to an abandoned manufacturing plant where he hopes to find a duplicate model Cherry 2000 to replace it with.
My point is that all of these companies are ultimately aiming for "Robot Mate" status, so that the geeks in the world can get some tang too.
Unfortunately it would really go "Tang!" when you slapped its...uh...metal caboose.
Yet another technology moving ahead quickly with the lucrative and powerful boost of porn.
Maybe my perspective is slanted on this issue because i don't bring in six figures, but most of these robots seem completely useless. I mean $16k for a robot that guards your house? You can get a mean dog for much cheeper and he will do a better job. A gender aware Bot? Man i would hate to think how much that would cost when i could go down the block and pick up a girl that was a professional at "being gender" aware for much cheeper. Don't think i am some anti technology idiot, but it just seems we got that human thing down pretty good and pretty cheep, so maybe we should have robots that act like something unique or fill a valid market. And secondly, how do you think these robots will feel when you realize they are useless and toss them away. Then there might be a market for robot psychologists. Maybe that was their plan all along!
An appropriate story on Tetsuwan Atomu's birthday.
(In 1952, the story was written that he was born April 7th, 2003.)
It's already the 7th here in Japan...
Maybe another 20 years and such a robot is feasable? 10???
Cheers,
Jim
-- My Weblog.
There's a prototype gardening robot that "eats" slugs. Currently runs on batteries, but the developers would like to modify it so that it converts their slimy decomposing bodies into a power source (my guess is methane-based).
A BBC article on this robot
Mmmmmm... slugs. *drool*
-- Bander
What we need more of is science!
I'm not getting one of those! I ain't no robosexual!
What happens when the robot starts dreaming about killing all humans?
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
Where are the BuffyBots?
I'd settle for a Cherry 2000, but that model is outdated already.
You can't take the sky from me...
The "guest of honor" at Robodex 2003 was Astroboy, 1960s Japanese anime icon, who according to the storyline was "born" TODAY on April 7, 2003. Check out lots of fun links on this sidebar story here.
That run on methane or alcohol.
Then just train the robot to store kitchen scraps in its 'stomach' until gas forms.
Other times you could let it drink up a bottle of gin when it needed a boost.
Not sure what benefit smoking cigars might have, but it sure would be cool, especially if you named it Bender...
Cheers,
Jim
-- My Weblog.
I once attened a lecture by Minsky (from MIT AI Labs) who said the biggest harm to AI research is comming from people spending time in Robotics.
...
... why would a robot have 2 arms and 2 legs ... they are seem to be toys for grown up nerds ...
... i would love to see a 4 legged robot with 5 arms and 2 eyes in each spartial direction ... that looks like a appendaged box ... that does something useful than just awe people how human like these robots are
And I see now why!
There is so much emphasis on give a robot a superficial 'human-like appearance and behaviour'
Is a robot useful if can mime facial expression
even term like robotic arm all try to imitate real human arm
I was looking through my Home owners Insurance policy and found out that I have $500 coverage for damage done by a "robotic servant"!
In case anybody noticed, almost none of these robots have HANDS. The only ones that do are Asimo and HOAP, as far as I can see, and they're not yet in the price range where actual people can afford to buy one.
The 'bots in the more rational price ranges have what, little rubber thingies that look vaguely like hands but have no moving parts? What's up with that? Why bother with arms if the hands on the ends of the arms DON'T DO ANYTHING?
Until these bots have at very least opposable thumbs as a rule, they're more toys than useful tools. And I say this as a man who desperately wants a household robot that can actually do something. Get me a 'bot that costs less than half what my car costs that can actually do something useful, like fold laundry and put it away, and I'll be an early adopter.
Yeah, well I'm gonna have my own robot show!
With blackjack, aaaaaaannnd hookers!
Actually, forget the robot show, and the blackjack.
Ahhhh forget the whole thing!
I'll wait for Robotron 2084, where we'll have robots ready to kill you on sight.
Where's Marvin?
Suncoast Linux - Sarasota, FL
Dear Cyberdyne Systems,
I would like to pre-order a May type maid Robot, deliverable as soon as they become available. I would like to order one with full care for humans programming and pneumatic b00b13z.
Please make sure that the Robot is packaged properly because the last one i got had its' power charger damaged and i had to make a new one out of USB cable.
Thank You.
Suchetha
<Please make sure you send me the HUMAN FRIENDLY version. The last time i gave an order like this, it went to another Cyberdyne Corporation and i ended up getting chased around my neighbourhood by a robot modeled after a large caucasian male, who insisted he wished to terminate me.. my girlfriend had to drop a metal press on it to stop it..>
learn from yesterday, plan for tomorrow, party tonight
or one out of three ain't bad
I have been reading /. for its cool people who had something intelligent to say. All the comments in reponse to this article, and many more previous articles have disillusioned me. /. is in control of mindless idiots and the comments here are no different from a anonymous chat room. I still love the original posts, links and topics but please do something about the comments. Can't you see the stark difference over time? Please..
Thanks,
N
Oh good! Now we can all be protected from the Terrible Secret of Space! Just watch out near staircases.
Omnes arx vestrum sunt adiuncta nobis.
Despite the fact that none of these robots does anything useful (with the exception of the mine clearing one) that couldn't be done better and cheaper without the robot, I still love them. Whenever I see new, advanced robots - especially humanoid ones - I'm just overwhelmed with awe. These things are so cool. They're dazzling.
If I had the means to buy one of those very expensive new robots, I would do it without hesitation. I would consider it a reasonable decision. "But they don't serve any practical purpose!", you think. News flash: the practical matters in my life are pretty much taken care of. I could work part-time at McDonald's and have more than enough money to feed myself and have a place to live. All activities and expenses beyond that are impractical. Basic survival takes almost zero effort in modern society. The question is "What do you do with the rest of your life?". I know my answer. I want robots.
One more thought: you know how in Civilization III cities of one civilization can spontaneously switch their allegiance to another when they are consumed by the other civilization's "culture" (artistic and technological achievements, attitudes, etc.)? That's how I feel. There is a part of me that wants to permanently move to Japan because of their wonderful appreciation for robots and technology in general. I don't plan to, because there are a lot of things I like about the US too, but I would like to visit Japan some day.
The three laws are simple and straightforward and meant to be foolproof. However most of Asimovs Robot stories revolved around technicalites allowing the robots to violate the three laws.
For example the short story 'Reason' from I, Robot, the machines were actually hostile to the human characters at some points.
The scenario is Earth gets power beamed to them by giant solar collecters in space that are manned by robots. One of the collecters goes offline for some reason and two repairmen are sent.
The robots do not obey the repaimen for the robots have determined,
Robots were created by humans.
Humans = creator.
However the catch is is the spark of life comes from the stations reactor when the robots are first powered up. Thus the reactor gives the robots a soul.
Station's Reactor = human.
The point is even Asimov in his stories states that the three laws of robotics are not enough.
>
if you mean keanu might lose his job, just say keanu might lose his job... LOL
rhy
I hold very few opinions. I hold information based on observation and fact. If you wish to disagree, please use facts.
As usual, this being a 1.3.x release, I haven't even compiled this
kernel yet. So if it works, you should be doubly impressed.
-- Linus Torvalds, announcing kernel 1.3.3
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