Company Denies Its Robots Feed On the Dead

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Company Denies Its Robots Feed On the Dead

Posted by samzenpus on Monday July 20, 2009 @03:55AM from the meat-is-murder dept.

Back in January we covered the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot, or EATR. The EATR gets its energy by "engaging in biologically-inspired, organism-like energy-harvesting behavior which is the equivalent of eating. It can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment ..." So many news outlets picked up the story and ran it with titles alluding to the robot "eating flesh" or even "eating corpses" that a company spokesperson put out a press release saying, "This robot is strictly vegetarian." The statement says in part, "RTI's patent pending robotic system will be able to find, ingest and extract energy from biomass in the environment. Despite the far-reaching reports that this includes 'human bodies,' the public can be assured that the engine Cyclone has developed to power the EATR runs on fuel no scarier than twigs, grass clippings and wood chips — small, plant-based items for which RTI's robotic technology is designed to forage. Desecration of the dead is a war crime under Article 15 of the Geneva Conventions, and is certainly not something sanctioned by DARPA, Cyclone or RTI."

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Wording by Norsefire · 2009-07-20 03:58 · Score: 5, Funny

Desecration of the dead is a war crime under Article 15 of the Geneva Conventions, and is certainly not something sanctioned by DARPA, Cyclone or RTI
Doesn't say anything about dead "enemy combatants" though, does it?
1. Re:Wording by cthulu_mt · 2009-07-20 04:17 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  The machines will enforce the conventions.
  
  Vote for ED-209!
  
  --
  Virginia is for lovers. EVE is for griefers.
2. Re:Wording by mabhatter654 · 2009-07-20 04:20 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Those laws only apply to the Human Species.. not to our new robot overlord species. The creators are assuming they'll always be in control of what the robots choose to eat... they made a movie about that I think? heck we can't even control police dogs and they're "man's best friend". Forget robots being as smart as people.. when they get as smart as dogs we'll start having problems.
  correction:
  It also doesn't say who exactly is LEFT to ENFORCE the conventions if SOMETHING EATS them.
3. Re:Wording by Mr2cents · 2009-07-20 05:16 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I can certainly see the appeal here.. Surely our flesh-eating robot overlords would have a vested interest in making sure that we are all healthy and nutritious. Disease and famine would become a thing of the past! Not to mention the forced breeding programs!
  
  --
  "It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
what if it's desperate? by martas · 2009-07-20 03:59 · Score: 2, Funny

this robot wouldn't be the first one to succumb to man-eating under extreme circumstances. the only way to be sure is to starve it, and lock it in a room with McCain.

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weinersmith
Article 15... by kevinNCSU · 2009-07-20 04:00 · Score: 2, Funny

As such the robot will seek out enemy combatants who are not *quite* dead yet and feed on them...
soooo what you are saying... by gandhi_2 · 2009-07-20 04:01 · Score: 5, Funny

...is that I can still get the patent for corpse-eating robot?

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THL phish sticks
1. Re:soooo what you are saying... by Anonymous Coward · 2009-07-20 05:52 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  Perhaps it could clean up the Ganges River
Re:This is too bad by Krneki · 2009-07-20 04:07 · Score: 5, Funny

Maybe he can be allowed to eat the dead only for recreational purpose. :)

--
Love many, trust a few, do harm to none.
Re:Clarification by cthulu_mt · 2009-07-20 04:20 · Score: 4, Funny

That's what I tried to tell the police.

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Virginia is for lovers. EVE is for griefers.
What a waist of time... by mcfatboy93 · 2009-07-20 04:23 · Score: 5, Funny

I spent all my time working on my emergency Zombie plan but now what i need is an Emergency robot plan.

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Its not my fault, someone put a wall in my way.
1. Re:What a waist of time... by jdgeorge · 2009-07-20 04:28 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  I made a belt buckle out of a wristwatch so I could waist time.
2. Re:What a waist of time... by prockcore · 2009-07-20 06:51 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  I believe the creators of this robot have perfected their emergency zombie plan...
Food preference = Fatties over Skinnies by Anonymous Coward · 2009-07-20 04:25 · Score: 2, Funny

Fat generates more heat, which means more energy. The time to lose weight is now!
Perhaps not dead, but... by fahrbot-bot · 2009-07-20 04:51 · Score: 2, Funny

... tired and all shagged out from a long walk would be fair game.
[My apologies to Monty Python.]

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It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
Grass clippings? by Adrian+Lopez · 2009-07-20 05:09 · Score: 4, Funny

You damn robots! Stay off my lawn!

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"In prison you just have to shut your eyes and take it. Here you have to shut your eyes and give it."
I relieved... by KiwiCanuck · 2009-07-20 05:22 · Score: 3, Funny

the robot only eats vegetarians. Pfew! That was a close one.
Well what's the bloody point then? by wiredog · 2009-07-20 05:31 · Score: 4, Funny

If it can't eat them after it kills them then why bother? It'll just leave a messy battlefield behind it, won't it?

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