Hacking the RoboSapien

unassimilatible writes "The RoboSapien is a cool humanoid robot toy with pretty decent dexterity and 67 pre-programmed instructions. But the folks at The University of Freiberg have made the RoboSapien autonomous by installing a Pocket PC to its head. The Pocket PC is equipped with a camera and communicates via infrared to the robot, and the whole monstrosity can be programmed with Visual C++. The full API is available for download. I, for one, welcome..."

Comments

67 Pre-programmed instructions

[thedogcow]

Well that is cool, but no robots will need more than 640 pre-programmed instructions anyway.

Re:67 Pre-programmed instructions

[Hobadee]

I only need my robot to understand a few commands.

1. Beer me.
2. Get TV remote.
3. Get rid of annoying girlfriend.

O wait - I'm a slashdotter, I don't have a girlfriend! Scratch that last command.

Re:67 Pre-programmed instructions

[jamesh]

You wouldn't want it have too much intelligence. The last thing you want is for it to tell you "Get your own fscking beer", and then go and hump your girlfriend behind your back.

re #2, any decent robot would have an inbuilt remote which works by voice anyway.

Re:67 Pre-programmed instructions

[Gentlewhisper]

"You wouldn't want it have too much intelligence. The last thing you want is for it to tell you "Get your own fscking beer", and then go and hump your girlfriend behind your back."

Jeez, that does remind me of another robot!
http://www.fantastic.nu/bender/

Re:67 Pre-programmed instructions

[KCRWreck]

I'm not sure that humans need more than that.

And yes, I do get the reference.

Fight!!

[alatesystems]

Qrio could totally that things windows-running ass.

It looks like Johnny 5, but a cool project none the less. Perhaps they could install Pocket Skype on the PPC and have the robot follow you around as a mobile speakerphone.

Chris

as long as they don't turn evil

[Anonymous Coward]

Evil spider robots with fangs... they've got teeth!

Tux

[Anonymous Coward]

So when do we get an autonomous tux?

pretty decent dexterity

[Anonymous Coward]

Sure, but how are its other stats?

Wow, that's messed up.

[MedHead]

Wow, 2XL has been taking some steroids!

hmmmm

[Anonymous Coward]

Robosapien

dexterity: 16
strength: 8 (very small)
constitution: varies on battery pack
charisma: 14 (drops to 12 after 2 months of gismo newness)
intelligence: varies with loaded program
wisdom: ditto

movement: 5
Hit points: 20
Attacks: swinging arm
Damage: 1d2 of temporary damage

My Dog

dexterity: 14
strength: 14
constitution: 16
charisma: 16 (drops to 14 after christmas)
intelligence: 10
wisdom: 6

movement: 14
Hitpoints: 30
attacks: vicious bite
Damage: 1d6 in initial bite, 1d4 of gnawing damage each round afterwards.

Robosapien: hundreds of dollars
Dog: free
Watching my dog steal your robosapien and destroy it in around 4 rounds with gnawing damage: priceless

Re:hmmmm

[Bloodlent]

I may use those in my next campaign... Now I'll have to find some wacky way to fit Robosapien into Forgotten Realms.

Biomorphic robot indeed!

[ManyLostPackets]

BioMorphic robot indeed! DO NOT go in there!!

It's not for normal people!

[tftp]

I checked out the manual, and the remote controller for the robot is probably more complex and has more keys than the one in Heavy Gear II. Note: HG2 uses all the keys on your keyboard, and then some :-)

Also, a bunch of D-size batteries is not enough for any serious use. I shall wait until they upgrade it to some low-end fusion power unit.

Quickly!

[BitwizeGHC]

How many of you saw this thing and immediately thought of MEGAS XLR?

*raises hand*

Mod article as unfair!

[koi88]

"I, for one, welcome..."

You deliberately limit the possibility of a funny-moderated comment.
Now I want to have a Beowolf cluster of these...

Who cares

[commodoresloat]

I just want a humanoid robot that will squash those damn robot cockroaches.

What about

[aussie_a]

3. Find keys? 4. ???? 5. Profit

maybe if....

[rubberbando]

maybe if you crossed it with a RealDoll, you might be onto something. ;-)

Re:obligatory MTG reference

[Quobobo]

And where does one get the Food from? We need another card.. unless the expansion sets have gone even further downhill since I stopped keeping track of them.

Why did they choose that name?

[dat00ket]

Why did they choose the name Robo Sapien? It's not really a thinking robot, just one that kinda looks human. It would make more sense if they had gone with HomoRo..

oh..

right..

never mind.

Re:Be careful with these suckers

[robfoo]

Hey! That happens to my head too - I always thought maybe I needed a chiropractor, or just better posture.

Turns out I just needed to read my FAQ!

Dear God No. Dear Jesus No.

[Gannoc]

But the folks at The University of Freiberg have made the RoboSapien autonomous by installing a Pocket PC to its head.

I think we of the slashdot community know these three indisputable facts:

Microsoft is evil.
Microsoft has a plan to "Put Windows on Every Desktop"
Microsoft will crush other companies and break laws to attain its goals.

And now they've put Microsoft into a robot? Gentlemen. I think we all know what this means:

Evil Robots
Evil Robots that want to take over the world.
Evil Robots that want to take over the world... BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

Oppenheimer, upon seeing the world's first atomic explosion, quoted: "I'm sure at the end of the world... the last man will see something very familar to what we've seen today."

We know now he is wrong. The last thing that the last man will see, will be an evil robot's arm, raised above its head in triumph. I imagine it will be something like the basement scene in the movie "Signs", except the robot will be able to tear apart the wooden door like paper, and Mel Gibson will never find his faith again,

I'm heading down to my bomb shelter now with my family to try and ride this out. I leave you with mankind's one hope: They're using PocketPCs. This means that while they may be DESIGNED for a continuous rampage, we all know that after about 90 minutes of practical use, they'll need to head back to their cradles for a 3 hour recharge.

I beg you, find those cradles and destroy them!

God bless and good luck.

This is slashdot 210256, signing off.

Gives a whole new meaning

[overshoot]

to "blue screen of death."

Or was that "blue scream of death?"

Re:obligatory MTG reference

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

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Read it as "putting a PocketPC..."

[drinkypoo]

Made sense to me. When you put a gun to someone's head you're threatening to put a bullet in them, right? If you put a PocketPC to a robot's head, your'e threatening to install WinCE on them... That would sure as hell make me get up and run away.