Parrot Drives Robotic Buggy

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Posted by Soulskill on Friday December 7, 2012 @09:36AM from the polly-wanna-cylon dept.

grrlscientist writes "Proving that robots aren't just for people any longer, an African grey parrot, Pepper, has learned to drive a robot that was specially designed for him. Pepper, whose wings are clipped to preventing him from flying around his humans' house and destroying their things, now manipulates the joystick on his riding robot to guide it to where ever he wishes to go. This robotic 'bird buggy' was the brainchild of his human companion, Andrew Gray, a 29-year-old electrical and computer engineering graduate student at the University of Florida."

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But how well he plays WoW by PopAndShop · 2012-12-07 09:37 · Score: -1, Offtopic

I could really use some wow-playing carrots on my new wow gold business.
1. Re:But how well he plays WoW by Jeremiah+Cornelius · 2012-12-07 13:13 · Score: 1
  
  It's driving ME buggy, TOO!
  
  --
  "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
  Never been known to fail..."
Awesome by kc67 · 2012-12-07 09:40 · Score: 1

I now want a parrot.
1. Re:Awesome by X0563511 · 2012-12-07 09:44 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  It's like having a 2 to 5 year old that lives longer than you do.
  That said, they are damn smart birds.
  
  --
  For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
2. Re:Awesome by SternisheFan · 2012-12-07 09:48 · Score: 1
  
  I wanted to brag about my car-driving dog ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_rWWWGnKfY ), but a buggy driving parrot can't be topped.
3. Re:Awesome by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:35 · Score: 0
  
  Evreything gets -1 these days. Are moderators even reading the comments?
  What if someone has a kid and he's bright enough to actually read and understand most of the articles? Being a kid, you know, that would be a normal post (for him/her). Moderators seem to have higher standards than me. OTOH, I get -1 pretty often over here, so it's somewhat comforting that it's not personal against me...
  Hmm, I bet parrot as moderators would do a better job!
4. Re:Awesome by cusco · 2012-12-07 10:48 · Score: 1
  
  Posting as AC you start out at 0, a single down-mod puts you in the negative. Try logging in some time.
  
  --
  "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
5. Re:Awesome by Sponge+Bath · 2012-12-07 10:58 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  When the parrot cuts you off in traffic, does he give you... the bird?
6. Re:Awesome by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 11:15 · Score: 1
  
  Is that really your dog in the video? I keep parrots (although not at the moment) and they are my favorite pets, but I actually think a dog driving a car tops the parrot driving a cart. It would be hilarious if dogs could get driver licenses and drive around everywhere.
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
7. Re:Awesome by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 11:30 · Score: 0
  
  Right, kc67 was logged in and got modded down for a seemingly inoffensive post...
8. Re:Awesome by Xest · 2012-12-07 11:56 · Score: 1
  
  I can't believe this made it onto Slashdot, but this bad ass motherfucker in his bitch mobile didn't:
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20614593
9. Re:Awesome by flyneye · 2012-12-07 12:39 · Score: 1
  
  Well, if we can send chimps on space missions, then we can surely put a parrot on Mars to get the rovers a bit more lively.
  
  --
  *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
10. Re:Awesome by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 13:40 · Score: 0
  
  What, no sunglasses?
11. Re:Awesome by SternisheFan · 2012-12-07 15:29 · Score: 1
  
  Is that really your dog in the video? I keep parrots (although not at the moment) and they are my favorite pets, but I actually think a dog driving a car tops the parrot driving a cart. It would be hilarious if dogs could get driver licenses and drive around everywhere.
  No, not really my dog. The SPCA in New Zealand trained 3 rescue dogs and have gotten pretty far along. Here's the story: http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20121205/NEWS02/121205030/Dogs-driving-cars-Trainer-in-New-Zealand-puts-canine-companions-behind-the-wheel-Video-?odyssey=tab%7Cmostpopular%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE
12. Re:Awesome by conureman · 2012-12-07 15:31 · Score: 1
  
  My conure died. I'd get a parrot if I wasn't such a short-timer myself. Maybe adopt, but people are such idiots, I'm afraid I'd get a broken bird.
  
  --
  The cost of that cleanup, of course, will be borne by taxpayers, not industry.
13. Re:Awesome by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 17:38 · Score: 1
  
  It's like having a 2 to 5 year old that lives longer than you do.
  That said, they are damn smart birds.
  Birds are stupid, hence the expression "bird brain". Honestly, the fact that some people believe that birds are smart based in part on visual-spacial skills they have in abundance compared to humans with our vastly larger and more massive brains, which they owe to the fact that FLYING IS MORE DEMANDING THAN WALKING on the brain... and the fact that they can (some of them) imitate our speech without understanding it, is more telling about human vanity and stupidity, that we think an animal that can make the same sounds we do is (THEREFORE) smart.
  DOGS are pretty smart, and certain primates have exhibited unmistakable signs of symbolic thought. Birds on the other hand, are just stupid, and OH, BY THE WAY... they stink and they shit everywhere.
  Still think birds are so smart? Train one to shit in only one place, then maybe I'll believe it. Until then, they're STUPID. Oh, and another thing, don't tell me they can't control when and where they shit, I've seen birds use their shit as a weapon, (it was on PBS, I think) when two of them were dive-bombing a bird that was attacking their eggs. So they CAN in fact control it, they're just too stupid and/or evil to do so when you want them to. That's why bird cages are messes. They're STUPID.
  However, I will say this for birds... some of them... are very very tasty.
14. Re:Awesome by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 21:46 · Score: 0
  
  The poop. Same affect as the banana in Mario Kart.
15. Re:Awesome by cellocgw · 2012-12-08 02:44 · Score: 1
  
  When the parrot cuts you off in traffic, does he give you... the bird?
  No, rather obviously he flips you the human.
  
  --
  https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
ironic... by Tastecicles · 2012-12-07 09:46 · Score: 4, Insightful

...that the same human who had the birds wings clipped so it can't move has had to build him a fucking go kart so he's able to move around again.
Fuck you, Andrew Gray, and the horse you rode in on. IF you haven't clipped its hooves at the knee, that is!

--
Operation Guillotine is in effect.
1. Re:ironic... by Duds · 2012-12-07 09:48 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  You can report his site as it's google hosted on the grounds of cruelty to animals.
2. Re:ironic... by Tastecicles · 2012-12-07 09:49 · Score: 0
  
  mod up.
  
  --
  Operation Guillotine is in effect.
3. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 09:55 · Score: 0
  
  Agreed. Why even have a bird if you don't want it to fly.
4. Re:ironic... by newcastlejon · 2012-12-07 10:02 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  For the sake of argument, is it really that cruel? It doesn't seem as bad to me as docking a puppy's tail; primary feathers grow back, don't they?
  Mind you, a friend of mine had a beautiful white parrot when I was younger and he never had much trouble with it breaking his stuff. Perhaps instead of altering a pet to one's home it's better to alter the home to suit the pet.
  
  --
  If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
5. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:03 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Grey's are large birds, too large to really fly in an average house. It may not be able to fly between rooms due to narrow hallways and clutter anyway.
  I have a couple of smaller birds, fully flighted and they're not really happy about needing to fly to chase you. Often they'll scream at you instead.
  Also you guys might temper your anger realizing that wing clipping is temporary. You clip their wings once a month or so, because all you're doing is cutting the outermost 4 flight feathers back. These fall out and grow back (trimmed or not). For most birds this is enough to make flying very difficult.
6. Re:ironic... by masternerdguy · 2012-12-07 10:07 · Score: 0, Troll
  
  I agree, this is disgusting, "Hey we clipped your wings but now you can use the awkward cart I built to scuttle across the floor.
  
  --
  To offset political mods, replace Flamebait with Insightful.
7. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:08 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Just FYI, guys, it's not cruelty. You don't actually cut their wings, just their feathers, and you have to keep cutting them because they grow back all the time.
  But, I do agree that this is totally unnecessary. Parrots are very smart, can be trained, and are fucking birds - totally capable of moving around without a crappy golf cart. Don't clip him, just train him to not do whatever it is he was doing wrong. Plus they have beautiful plumage, the Norwegian Blue. Mine's been really quiet since I got him, though. I think he's pining for the fjords.
8. Re:ironic... by masternerdguy · 2012-12-07 10:10 · Score: 2
  
  My birds have never had clipped wings and had no issue flying in the house. They prefer to walk, actually.
  
  --
  To offset political mods, replace Flamebait with Insightful.
9. Re:ironic... by PopeRatzo · 2012-12-07 10:24 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Andrew Gray, and the horse you rode in on. IF you haven't clipped its hooves at the knee, that is!
  It's not the wings that are clipped, just some feathers to keep it from hurting itself inside the house.
  We can disagree about whether or not any animal should be kept by humans, but clipping the feathers of a parrot so it doesn't hurt itself flying around the house don't really qualify as enormously cruel. Certainly not as "cruel" as forcibly neutering a dog or cat. Probably not as cruel as riding a horse.
  There is an argument about the lifespan of the parrot, though. He's going to live on average about 20% longer as a pet than he would as a free bird. We could ask the parrot whether he'd rather have some feathers clipped and live in a safe home with abundant food and no predators (plus a very cool scooter) or in the wild where his life will be much shorter, but he's not talking.
  Or maybe he is talking, since he's a parrot...
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
10. Re:ironic... by Duds · 2012-12-07 10:25 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  If they're too big for the average house, don't KEEP them in an average house.
  And how is it being temporary any better, that just means you're doing it more often.
11. Re:ironic... by roc97007 · 2012-12-07 10:28 · Score: 1
  
  Usually just one wing.
  
  --
  Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
12. Re:ironic... by roc97007 · 2012-12-07 10:33 · Score: 1
  
  In fairness, we have an African Grey that does not have his wings clipped, (I am generally opposed to clipping wings) and when he gets going he's as much a hazard to himself as to our things. (Things are replaceable. It's not something we worry about a lot. But we are concerned that he will injure himself.) He's actually reluctant to fly, preferring to be carried around instead.
  
  --
  Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
13. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:34 · Score: 0
  
  You can cut the tips of people's fingers off and they'll grow back. That would make it difficult for the person to type. Doesn't make it right. Doesn't make it not cruel.
  Have a pet for a friend. Don't get a pet if you want a trophy and/or slave.
14. Re:ironic... by able1234au · 2012-12-07 10:37 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  "So cruel to birds" he says munching on his KFC. "Pass me another bucket of wings!"
15. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:41 · Score: 0
  
  Does any animal even have the capacity to contemplate the abstract concepts of wilderness and civilization, and their comparison?
16. Re:ironic... by nschubach · 2012-12-07 10:42 · Score: 0
  
  By that logic we should also not cut our hair, but instead buy bigger houses every few years to accommodation the growth and extra space needed... Also, fingernails and toenails. The feathers, while being an important aspect of flight, are not important for the life of the animal enclosed in a home and it does not hurt for them to be cut.
  
  --
  Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
17. Re:ironic... by ethanms · 2012-12-07 10:56 · Score: 2
  
  mod up...
  Agreed, I think it's pretty lousy to have these types of animals as pets--there is a reason birds go crazy when left alone in cages, they are too intelligent and not psychologically suited for domesticated life. Just because it's small enough to not seriously injure humans does not mean it's acceptable or suited to become a pet.
  Cats & Dogs have been domesticated over hundreds/thousands of generations... even today there are breeds of dogs that are clearly not suited for living mostly indoors--so would paralyzing that breed of dog (even if in a painless and temporary manner) not be considered cruel? These birds belong in their natural habitats, not in people's suburban homes...
  Now if this bird had a wing injury this would be a totally different story, he's giving it a life it could not have... but that is not really the case here, this bird was forced to live a life in a cage when it could otherwise be out in nature.
18. Re:ironic... by CanHasDIY · 2012-12-07 10:57 · Score: 1
  
  "So cruel to birds" he says munching on his KFC. "Pass me another bucket of wings!"
  Hey, those fuckers were deep-fried humanely, you insensitive clod!
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
19. Re:ironic... by cusco · 2012-12-07 10:57 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Grey parrots are 1) one of the most intelligent species of birds known, 2) one of the most destructive species of birds known. They're probably exceeded only by the New Zealand kea (which can remove every plastic part on the exterior of a car except for the tires in an hour) in destructiveness.
  
  I remember having to ferret-proof a house, I can only imagine what a pain in the ass it would have been if the critter had been able to fly too.
  
  --
  "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
20. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 11:04 · Score: 0
  
  My parents-in-law also have a grey, unclipped. He flys everwhere in the house, it's quite impressive. Flying through open doors, landing on tables/chairs/shoulders.
21. Re:ironic... by Duds · 2012-12-07 11:04 · Score: 2
  
  Cutting my hair does not impede my primary means of locomotion.
22. Re:ironic... by lister+king+of+smeg · 2012-12-07 11:04 · Score: 1
  
  no it is more like cutting the nails on the human. the feather like hair and fingernails are dead tissue, they grow back and it does not hurt the bird where cutting the finger tips off oh the human as you suggested.
  
  --
  ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
23. Re:ironic... by CanHasDIY · 2012-12-07 11:08 · Score: 1
  
  You can cut the tips of people's fingers off and they'll grow back
  Wow, what a fucking moron.
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
24. Re:ironic... by CanHasDIY · 2012-12-07 11:09 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Just FYI, guys, it's not cruelty. You don't actually cut their wings, just their feathers
  Huh.
  
  That might explain why I got fired from Petco...
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
25. Re:ironic... by masternerdguy · 2012-12-07 11:10 · Score: 1
  
  The part past your fingernail will.
  
  --
  To offset political mods, replace Flamebait with Insightful.
26. Re:ironic... by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 11:11 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Actually greys have no problem at all flying in the average house. I have had greys in 400-600 sqft apartments and they can fly just fine through all the different rooms. Also a grey can walk nearly as fast as that cart can move. In addition to wings they do have perfectly good legs and can cross an average sized bedroom in seconds on foot. After having kept clipped birds and birds with full flight feathers I would never keep them clipped ever again. I love when a bird can fly to my shoulder whenever he wants and it's such a wonderful ability that they were born with. Even if they can only fly indoors I still think it's better than nothing.
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
27. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 11:20 · Score: 1
  
  I'm calling BS on that. I own a Solomon Islands Eclectus female, which is the same size as an African Grey (both being medium-sized parrots). She is now 12 years old and has never once had her wings clipped. I've lived in apartments and houses of all different sizes. She never had a problem flying from one room to another, but she only does so in order to find me.
  The times I really worried about her flying was when I lived in a big house with big, tall windows in the living room. I was always afraid she'd smack into one. After all, I had cleaned up at least 6 crows and doves that had flown smack into them from the outside and didn't survive.
28. Re:ironic... by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 11:22 · Score: 1
  
  Why do you say greys are more destructive than other parrots? I would think macaws would be much more destructive. I have owned greys and also a blue and gold macaw and they seemed about equally destructive to me. You just have to parrot proof your house as much as possible. From what I have seen I think a Kea is much more destructive than most parrots. And they are omnivorous too! They used to be killed for killing sheep!
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
29. Re:ironic... by AwesomeMcgee · 2012-12-07 11:23 · Score: 1
  
  Because you're a train?
30. Re:ironic... by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 11:25 · Score: 1
  
  I believe the justification for clipping a parrot's flight feathers is to prevent him from escaping not from flying into things. Greys at least are pretty damn smart and fly into things about as often as most of us walk into walls. Just don't let him fly when he's drunk.
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
31. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 11:27 · Score: 0
  
  "So cruel to birds" he says, as his mommy walks him to the short bus.
  It's a bird with a few feathers trimmed. It's not like they're beating it with a stick. Go be pissed off at something that's actually cruel, you pompous douche.
32. Re:ironic... by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 11:32 · Score: 1
  
  Well, like us, they are all individuals. My greys were superb fliers and definitely prefered flying to walking. They only walked when the distances were very short. although sometimes they just seem to feel like walking instead of flying. I never saw them get into any trouble due to their flying everywhere instead of walking. We hurt ourselves too when we first learn to walk, but our parents don't restrict us to wheelchairs or ask us to crawl everywhere instead of walking upright. Of course I'm sure parrots do injure themselves from time to time when they fly inside a house. It is certainly more difficult and dangerous than flying outside. Well except that there are no predators inside. Well not usually.
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
33. Re:ironic... by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 11:34 · Score: 1
  
  African greys do.
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
34. Re:ironic... by Asmodae · 2012-12-07 11:35 · Score: 1
  
  Until you consider things like windows and ceiling fans. Even smart birds have trouble with some obstacles, and it only takes one accident to do serious damage.
35. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 11:40 · Score: 0
  
  "I agree, this is disgusting, "Hey we clipped your wings but now you can use the awkward cart I built to scuttle across the floor."
  He could at least have given the buggy a more wheelchairy body.
36. Re:ironic... by nospam007 · 2012-12-07 11:42 · Score: 1
  
  "Plus they have beautiful plumage, the Norwegian Blue"
  Aren't those the ones that are always pining for the fjords?
37. Re:ironic... by jovius · 2012-12-07 11:43 · Score: 2
  
  To be honest that sounds like having cats inside the house their whole life. They will become depressed and bored because of the inability to be the animal they are. I believe that our view of the cats in general is based on a slightly false impression. Some may even regress into ritualistic behavior akin to caged animals. It's perplexing to see how the cats can brighten up and become completely different beings when they have a possibility to come and go as they feel like and be what they truly are.
  To witness the manifestation of the animal instincts is so rewarding, that after having 'owned' three cats (simultaneously) and seeing what they can be I'll never get a pet again. The electrified being that comes out from the so called domestic cat; the instantaneous sensing that's too fast for the human mind to follow is just too beautiful to be suppressed.
38. Re:ironic... by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 11:47 · Score: 1
  
  It could be argued that the domestication process itself is cruel. Almost a form of genocide. Enslaving not just a single animal, but an entire species, just so we can have the living equivalent of a teddy bear.
  Ask yourself which you would prefer: being left alone in the wilderness with no food and having to worry about bears and wolves and other predators or being fed and taken care of by someone who really cares about you and wants you to be happy. How long would you even survive alone in the forest? Once these birds are born and raised by humans the 'damage' is already done. After that they are unlikely to survive in the wild.
  I do think it is cruel to lock a bird even in a fairly large cage most of the time. But I don't think being locked inside a house with a perch and an open (unlocked) cage and plenty of food that you like and water to drink is all that cruel. It is still the equivalent of house arrest, but we treat our own children the same way and no one thinks we are cruel for putting them under house arrest. The bird is often loved, is protected from predators, fed a variety of foods that would be difficult for him to find in the wild. Whether that is worth giving up your freedom for would probably depend a lot on the individual parrot. I don't think it's such a bad deal and would probably take it myself. I think being someone's pet is much better than having to fend for myself in the jungle.
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
39. Re:ironic... by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 11:50 · Score: 1
  
  You may find this surprising, but all of the places in which my birds lived for years had windows and glass doors and there was not a single time that any even came close to flying into them. They are a lot smarter than you give them credit for. They don't fly into windows and glass doors for the same reason that you don't walk into them. They see them, know that they are there and that they are solid. Having said that, I don't tend to make any great effort to keep the glass clean.
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
40. Re:ironic... by RocketRabbit · 2012-12-07 12:22 · Score: 2
  
  Every time somebody whines like you just did I will eat the closest analog to the species they are whining about, that I can lay hands on.
  Tonight it's going to be quail - 4 of 'em - and you only have yourself to blame.
41. Re:ironic... by roc97007 · 2012-12-07 12:29 · Score: 1
  
  We used to have a cockatoo that would run around on the floor chasing the dogs. They were terrified of him. He was gonzo insane, not just for that but for many things. We finally gifted him to a local wildlife refuge.
  I read a story once of a parrot that was killed by a hawk right on the owner's back porch, so yes, birds are generally safer inside.
  
  --
  Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
42. Re:ironic... by MrKaos · 2012-12-07 13:03 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  ...that the same human who had the birds wings clipped so it can't move has had to build him a fucking go kart so he's able to move around again.
  Fuck you, Andrew Gray, and the horse you rode in on. IF you haven't clipped its hooves at the knee, that is!
  The bird is well looked after and you can tell that just by looking at it's feathers. The very fact that the bird knows how to *drive* the buggy means that it is getting enough attention to be healthy and the fact that his wings are clipped means that the bird has appropriate flight power for being indoors - from which we can deduce that the bird is completely domesticated and thinks of it's cage as it's own 'room' - so it also has it's own territory.
  From the video the bird only flapped it's wings to maintain it's balance, that means the bird *chooses* to play with the cart. Parrots are fast, manuverable birds, and just because it's wings are clipped doesn't mean it can't fly - it just means that it won't get out of control, frustrated, scared and hurt itself inside a house. If it was a wild bird then you might have a point. The guy owns a parrot, that's a 25-60 year commitment to a pet, so before you go judging the guy ask yourself if you could do the same thing.
  Honestly settle down with the political correctness, it's far more offensive than a parrot with it's wings clipped.
  
  --
  My ism, it's full of beliefs.
43. Re:ironic... by Mal-2 · 2012-12-07 13:16 · Score: 1
  
  When a bird is in a panic, it will forget that the window glass is there -- even if it's consciously aware (under normal circumstances) of that glass. When startled, they will reflexively launch and head for a visually open passage. They may or may not gather their wits fast enough to remember it's actually a window. Fly first, navigate later. This reflex probably makes them harder most predators to catch, but it's also exploitable and many (human) hunters have used the startle reflex of birds to get them to fly directly into nets or flush them out to be shot.
  I've had birds fly into windows or mirrors on a few occasions, and in every case, it was because they were startled or frightened. I've had to wrap the bird in a towel because it has a concussion and consequent dizziness and keeps trying to fly because it feels like it's falling.
  
  --
  How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
44. Re:ironic... by verifine · 2012-12-07 13:54 · Score: 0
  
  You'd dock a puppy's tail? I assume from this that you'd circumcise a male offspring, er, that you'd have your son clipped. No choice on his part; it's just a matter of scale, right? Then force-feed him the idea that he's now better off.
  At least I don't have an opinion about it.
  Just sayin'
45. Re:ironic... by cusco · 2012-12-07 14:02 · Score: 1
  
  Strictly what I've been told by an owner, never had birds myself. I wonder if the bird weren't bored much of the time, since the owner spent a lot of time at work.q
  
  --
  "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
46. Re:ironic... by SteveFoerster · 2012-12-07 14:43 · Score: 1
  
  So... don't bring one into your house to live with you?
  
  --
  Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
47. Re:ironic... by TheCarp · 2012-12-07 16:15 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  > Cats & Dogs have been domesticated over hundreds/thousands of generations
  Cats are an interesting case in that, it appears that little domestication was needed. On the whole domesticated cats and their wild counterparts are quite similar.
  Turns out, our species had some very convinent properties for co-habitation.
  Their meat is not generally considered good, even amongst cultures where there is less taboo about eating a variety of animals. They, are under no delusion that we are prey.
  They don't eat much of what we do, only eating fairly freshly killed meat and occasional roughage. In fact, they mainly kill and eat the rodents that try to eat our food stores, and keep them away.
  On top of that, they are agreeably soft, purr, and stay mostly out of the way as they sleep 18 hours a day. Few places are safer to sleep than around us, and I bet that has been true since before we lived indoors. For cats, this was a perfect match.
  The average lifespan of a wild cat is only a couple of years. Companion cats can live upwards of 20. They hardly got the shit end of the stick.
  
  --
  "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
48. Re:ironic... by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 16:55 · Score: 2
  
  All birds are not the same. Some of them are probably not very bright. I've owned birds for years and I can't recall one being startled as you describe. Even when he meets a new person who comes to visit. Perhaps if you could be more specific about the particular species of bird and a more exact circumstance which could cause such a panic.
  Most of the time glass is not truly transparent. Not indistinguishable from air. If you clean your glass every day very thoroughly with a high quality glass cleaner it might be more of an issue. In my experience most people are not that obsessive about keeping their windows and glass doors clean and when they are they don't usually keep birds as their cages and the area around them can get messy very quickly and I think they would find it disturbing.
  Let me repeat, are you actually saying that you have seen African Grey parrots fly into glass windows or doors? If a finch did it I wouldn't be surprised. They don't seem particularly bright. I would be very surprised to see any medium to large sized parrot do so however. I'm not claiming it never happens of course. Even humans walk through glass doors from time to time and dogs and cats must also do it occassionally.
  One simple solution if you keep birds and are afraid of this happening is blinds. They make it quite clear to all but the absolutely most stupid animal that there is a physical object in their way and that they will injure themselves if they run or fly into it. It's not a valid excuse to trim flight feathers IMO or to keep a dog/cat in its carrier all the time and never let it run around or to keep small children confined to their rooms with their windows boarded up.
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
49. Re:ironic... by ultranova · 2012-12-07 20:26 · Score: 1
  
  Just FYI, guys, it's not cruelty. You don't actually cut their wings, just their feathers, and you have to keep cutting them because they grow back all the time.
  
  If you were to keep a dog in handcuffs all the time so it couldn't run, I'm pretty sure it would be considered cruel despite causing no physical damage (except lack of exercise, which clipped wings will almost certainly also cause).
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
50. Re:ironic... by ultranova · 2012-12-07 20:43 · Score: 1
  
  Every time somebody whines like you just did I will eat the closest analog to the species they are whining about, that I can lay hands on.
  
  Fuck the rabbit and the rocket he rode in on.
  Protip: if you put the tourniquet on and leave it there for an hour or so before removing your limb, it should be numb by the time you do. You'll want to have all the incredients at hand before you start, because going shopping with a severed stump could get ackward. Finally, it's unlikely that eating your own flesh can give you parasites you didn't already have, so consider saving energy and eating it tartar-style.
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
51. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 23:08 · Score: 0
  
  Right on the money. Had a similar experience with a cat who was allowed to go in and out -- when he was forced to stay inside for several weeks due to injuries, he became a different animal, depressed, upset and despondent. Once he got to go back outside he was back to normal and very loving again.
  I never advocated keeping cats indoors anyhow, but in his case it was unavoidable due to his injuries.
52. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 23:20 · Score: 0
  
  ... it's ... it's ... it's ... it's ... it's ...
  its!
53. Re:ironic... by der_joachim · 2012-12-08 00:27 · Score: 1
  
  ...with abundant food...
  Now here's something that irks me, although not by fault of the owners/companions. I have had several budgies. One vet told me that standard issue parakeet food is like Big Macs for parakeets, i.e. very fatty, unhealthy and hardly nutritious. So actually, while I thought that I was feeding my parakeets properly, I actually wasn't.
  I never felt guilty for keeping parakeets. When properly trained, they are very social and intelligent and they appear quite happy for your companionship. However, in the end it appeared that I have been consistently poisoning them, even while making sure they would not overeat. That made me decide not to buy a new parakeet.
  Long story short, even if pets get a proper home with food and protection, it may not be beneficial by definition, regardless of the owner's intentions.
  
  --
  Geek runner, motorcyclist and professional know-it-all
54. Re:ironic... by MrKaos · 2012-12-08 00:59 · Score: 1
  
  ... it's ... it's ... it's ... it's ... it's ...
  its!
  Sorry I, was. in a Hurrie,
  
  --
  My ism, it's full of beliefs.
55. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-08 05:58 · Score: 0
  
  He was gonzo insane
  Yes, you already said he was a cockatoo.
56. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-08 06:04 · Score: 0
  
  Cats are an interesting case in that, it appears that little domestication was needed. On the whole domesticated cats and their wild counterparts are quite similar.
  Yes, cats essentially domesticated themselves--at least the small ones did. Anything bobcat-sized or larger is too much of a threat to humans and livestock to be allowed to hang around us.
57. Re:ironic... by Mal-2 · 2012-12-08 06:31 · Score: 1
  
  The bird I had to coddle in a towel until it recovered from its collision-induced dizziness is a conure. I've also had to do this with a cockatiel for the same reason, but I am well aware that they just aren't all that bright.The conure, however, is quite intelligent and does not seem to be suffering any long-term effects. He had a bald patch over one eye for a couple of months though.
  The event that startled the conure (and two parakeets that were also out and I had to chase down) was the wind-induced slamming of an internal door. It was strong enough to make ME jump, and shook the walls. The window he flew into was one where he had sat on the windowsill on numerous occasions, and under less panicked conditions he has flown up to but not into the same window. He just had the bad luck to be on top of the cage, about three feet from and facing the window, when the door slammed. He basically launched himself straight into it before he could get his bearings. I suspect that if he had been a little closer he would have lacked sufficient speed to hurt himself, and if he had been further away he would have had time to change direction.
  I didn't realize the poor guy had a concussion until he kept trying to fly for no apparent reason (he's more of a climber normally) and couldn't stand up without swaying. Since I had to corral the parakeets before the cat could get to them (the cat is not allowed where the birds are but they had flown over a wall of bookcases), the best I could do was to cover him with a sheet and pin it down with books. Once I collected the other two birds (named Herp and Derp, that should tell you what we think of their intelligence level) I was able to calm the conure down. It took about 20 minutes for the dizziness to wear off, and he vomited a couple times. It wasn't voluntary regurgitation like birds are prone to do, he wasn't doing any of the throat pumping that goes with that. Luckily it was just seeds and bits of mandarin orange.
  If he had had his wings clipped, he MIGHT have lacked the speed to hurt himself, but I doubt it. I think most of his speed came from the leap from the cage. He just would have had a downward trajectory at the time rather than an upward one.
  
  --
  How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
58. Re:ironic... by crispin_bollocks · 2012-12-08 08:22 · Score: 1
  
  My friend's African Grey loves to munch on chicken wings.
59. Re:ironic... by ChrisMaple · 2012-12-08 12:44 · Score: 1
  
  Humans are animals.
  
  --
  Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
60. Re:ironic... by roc97007 · 2012-12-09 07:43 · Score: 2
  
  He was gonzo insane
  Yes, you already said he was a cockatoo.
  Ah, I see you know Cockatoos.
  
  --
  Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
61. Re:ironic... by CanHasDIY · 2012-12-10 02:54 · Score: 1
  
  The part past your fingernail will.
  Perhaps, but to cut off enough to effect typing, as mentioned by GP?
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
62. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-15 11:28 · Score: 0
  
  Give me a break. I've lived with cats my entire life. The cats my parents had when I was growing up had cat doors to go in and out as they pleased. Many of them also died to cars or disease. As an adult, I've kept my cats strictly indoors for both their safety as well as that of the critters outside. They act the same as the cats I grew up with. My mom currently has a couple of cats she got from another family member when they were kittens. The other kittens from the litter are still owned in the family. My mom's are indoor only cats. The others come and go as they please. Their behavior is the same, my mom's just aren't dying from weird crap they pick up outside like some of their littermates are starting to do, nor are they having to fight with the raccoons that go inside after the other cats' food.
  Sounds to me like maybe /you/ treated your cats in some odd way that repressed them. They do just fine as pampered indoor pets. And hey, mine even get to catch mice sometimes, since it's not like mice and other vermin have exactly disappeared like you imply in another post. Living in the wild is not all it's cracked up to be, especially if you're not an apex predator. It's a fair bet many animals would choose to live the way they do with humans if given the choice. It's near certain with cats, as the leading theory is that they domesticated themselves. Stop projecting your anthropomorphic feelings on other species. Just because you wouldn't want something doesn't mean they're not fine with it.
63. Re:ironic... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-20 22:17 · Score: 0
  
  Aww, 0111 1110 (518466) hasn't replied for two weeks. There's nothing quite like arrogant, condescending posturing during an argument, followed by fleeing after being proven wrong.
  - 0b10100010010010101111000
Polly by techcodie · 2012-12-07 09:47 · Score: 1

want a crack up?
Seriously though, this has got to be the most understandable and easy to use interface out there.
My nephew wants one now.

--
last minute desperate solutions to impossible problems created by other fucking people.
Cruelty by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 09:49 · Score: -1, Troll

First we break your leg, then we build you a wheelchair.
Cruelty to animals by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 09:50 · Score: -1

Andre Grey, who has clipped the parrot's wings to prevent it from flying, is a fucking asshole prick who thinks animals are toys rather than living creatures. Shame on Slashdot for promoting this trashy article.
Andrew Greg should have his own wings involuntarily clipped - his hands should be surgically removed and disposed of. Then we can see how smart he is designing his own robotic appendages. This scum is no better than those people who de-claw cats and removed their dogs' tails. I hope he gets mauled to death by a bear the next time he goes camping.
-- Ethanol-fueled
1. Re:Cruelty to animals by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 09:55 · Score: 0
  
  There's a difference between clipping (where the flight feathers are cut) and pinioning where part of the wing is amputated. This says "clip". Don't get your panties in a knot unless you know more.
2. Re:Cruelty to animals by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:09 · Score: 0
  
  Intentionally and involuntarily limiting an animal's means of motion is still cruelty. Say, for example, the bird wanders outside and is attacked by a cat. The bird cannot fly away and cannot run fast enough to escape the cat, dying a frightening death being poked and ripped to shreds. Not even its fancy little buggy would save it from that fate. De-clawing a cat would limit its means from climbing a tree to escape from a big dog. Both arrogant and unnecessary actions.
  So yeah, your little explanation has failed to straighten out my panties. And the guy still deserves to be mauled by a bear.
  -- Ethanol-fueled
3. Re:Cruelty to animals by X0563511 · 2012-12-07 10:12 · Score: 1
  
  Mauled by a bear? Have some fucking perspective will you?
  
  --
  For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
4. Re:Cruelty to animals by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:17 · Score: 0
  
  Declawing a cat is totally different. You pretty much take a part of their feet along with their nails. Clipping wings though, is totally harmless, it is the exact equivalent of humans clipping their nails (and they grow back exactly like nails). And it does not get the bird into harm in anyway, alteast if you dont let the bird out on its own or something.
5. Re:Cruelty to animals by Genda · 2012-12-07 10:17 · Score: 1
  
  Exactly, this is like clipping your kitties claws so it doesn't turn your furniture into confetti. Animal experts will tell you that allowing your cat to have sharp claws will promote its self confidence (knowing it can defend itself) but also promotes damage to furniture, injury to people and the spread of a number of diseases like cat-scratch fever (yeah, I know the album, but really there is a disease too.)
  If you have a large parrot, it can do a significant amount of damage, they are strong birds with big wings. Most folks will trim the flight feathers (done by a trained professional so as not to hurt the animal) so the bird can't fly and it stops trying to do anything but walk. This might seem cruel to prevent a bird from flying, but it does in no way harm the bird (the feathers fall out all by themselves and are replaced with perfect new feathers just as your hair falls out and is replaced by perfectly good new hair.) The only question really is if a person should have a highly intelligent animal caged up in a human house as a pet. That's a moral question I have mixed feelings about especially considering that a lot of these animals are now seriously endangered in the wild.
6. Re:Cruelty to animals by lightBearer · 2012-12-07 10:29 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  With larger birds such as African Grey's, there is a really high risk of injury to the bird if they are allowed to grow up flying inside a house. Young birds do not understand glass for instance, and will attempt to fly into it, ultimately doing harm to themselves. To offset this, the non-permanent wing clipping is employed to prevent them from taking flight. This doesn't prevent gliding, however, so they can still leap safely off ledges to the floor to get around. Once they're older, you have to take into account that the nearly or fully grown bird has never flown, so you keep clipping the wings as they don't know how to use them.
  I've never owned a Parrot but I grew up with one and my parents opted to not clip his wings. The net result was a lot of snapped feathers and a bird with neurological damage from running into things full tilt. Not pretty.
  
  --
  - No Bounce, No Play -
7. Re:Cruelty to animals by TexVex · 2012-12-07 10:34 · Score: 1
  
  It doesn't take any special training. You just gently extend the wing, extend the flight feathers, and cut about 2/3 of the length off the four longest feathers. Just don't cut to the quick!
  
  Clipping the flight feathers doesn't actually stop them from flying. It just makes it very difficult for them to gain altitude. Clipped birds can still make short flights or flutter safely to the ground from any height, but they also can't fly into a ceiling fan if they get spooked.
  
  --
  Fun with Anagarams! LADS HOST, SHALT DOS. HAS DOLTS. AD SLOTHS, HATS SOLD. ASS HO, LTD.
8. Re:Cruelty to animals by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:35 · Score: 0
  
  Remember, this is coming from the website that always badmouths Apple for having too restrictions on their devices "for your own safety". I love /.
9. Re:Cruelty to animals by pmontra · 2012-12-07 10:37 · Score: 0
  
  My answer to your question is that parrots are birds, they are meant to fly. In your kitten analogy this is like tying their legs, not clipping their claws. If you have to clip the feathers of a parrot to keep it into your home then you shouldn't have a parrot in your home. Leave them where they live with their siblings.
10. Re:Cruelty to animals by nschubach · 2012-12-07 10:48 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Heaven forbid you have a giant mirror in your house. We had parakeets that would go ape shit over the other birds and try to fly to them. We ended up clipping their feathers just so they wouldn't hurt themselves on the mirror.
  
  --
  Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
11. Re:Cruelty to animals by mybadluck22 · 2012-12-07 10:54 · Score: 2
  
  People limit pets' movement all the time. Dogs go on leashes or are stuck inside the house. Same with cats, often. We have 2 rabbits. They have to stay inside their pen when not accompanied by humans. Our tortoise has to stay inside its terrarium. Our fish may not swim in the ocean. I'm sure the rabbits would love to run around outside or even all over the house chewing on whatever they can, but it's not safe for them (predators, cars, electrocution), and it's not safe for our stuff. So maybe you're saying nobody should keep pets, but that's a different argument.
  
  --
  If I could rearrange the keyboard, I'd put U and I together.
12. Re:Cruelty to animals by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 11:58 · Score: 1
  
  That is nothing at all like my experience with greys. What kind of parrot did your parents have?
  As far as young birds getting their first flight feathers it is a good idea to be extra cautious with windows and doors at that time. Curtains/blinds or just making sure that the glass is very dirty will help a lot at that time. It won't take long before they realize the glass is solid. Letting them explore the windows and doors on foot with their beaks before they learn to fly is also probably a good idea. Of course if you live in some uber-contemporary house with mostly glass walls I would advice keeping that glass as dirty as possible.
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
13. Re:Cruelty to animals by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 12:07 · Score: 2
  
  To be fair, the vast majority of pet parrots, not just in the US, but in the world are raised by humans not by their parents. And usually their parents weren't raised in the wild either. So that ship has already sailed. If the parents decide to breed (and it's not like you can force them) those babies cannot be shipped back to Africa or South America and set free in the wild. Only a small percentage of them would survive at all without instruction from wild parents. I think that would be more cruel. It is already illegal to collect these birds from the wild.
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
14. Re:Cruelty to animals by Xest · 2012-12-07 12:08 · Score: 1
  
  The issue is that some animals are smarter than others, just as you might get bored and actually feel mental anxiety if you were locked in a colourless room for 24hrs of the day different treatment can have different effects on different animals.
  Fish wont care if they're in a tank, or the sea (assuming the tank is of adequate size, cleanliness, etc.) because they don't have the mental capacity to know any different.
  Dogs are often fine stuck inside a house for a few hours, as they naturally sleep a lot during the day anyway, though outside those hours you should walk them so they can enjoy the scents and so forth.
  I used to have a pair of rabbits (and a guinea pig too) and I very clearly remember how if he was in his cage for more than just the night because we'd forgotten to let him out, he'd have his teeth around the wire mesh on his cage and would violently shake it like a prisoner desperate to get out of his cell.
  I don't honestly know enough about parrots to say, but they are smart animals so it would make sense that they'd want to exercise their brains a lot and that being stuck in a single place would cause them a lot of issues if they're not otherwise somehow kept busy.
  It's not a fair argument therefore to say that because you keep rabbits in cages, because you keep fish in a tank, that parrots must inherently be okay with being stuck in a corner. If you make that argument and ignore the differences in needs and intelligence then you must surely extend your argument to humans as we are just animals too - would you really be happy if you were stuck in a single corner of a room all your life?
15. Re:Cruelty to animals by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 12:11 · Score: 0
  
  Geez... what are you, the PETA overlord? Overreact much?
  I don't keep birds as pets for a lot of reasons, but suggesting that one be mutilated or killed because they limited the movement of some lesser creature needs to spent a little time on a leather (or faux leather) couch talking about their issues.
  When you have kids (if you ever manage to successfully find a mate willing to risk it), please don't harm them if they squash ants or catch ladybugs in a jar. K?
16. Re:Cruelty to animals by mybadluck22 · 2012-12-07 12:19 · Score: 1
  
  He didn't say a single corner of a room. He said his house. That's probably big enough to not be too bored, even for a relatively intelligent bird.
  
  --
  If I could rearrange the keyboard, I'd put U and I together.
17. Re:Cruelty to animals by SteveFoerster · 2012-12-07 14:46 · Score: 1
  
  You've evidently never been to South Florida, where there are enough escaped parrots flying around to fill a Hitchcock movie.
  
  --
  Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
18. Re:Cruelty to animals by 0111+1110 · 2012-12-07 16:40 · Score: 1
  
  Those are the survivors. Likely a small percentage. Also, I used to live in Central Florida (space coast area), which is nearly as warm, and I never once saw an escaped parrot flying around. So what about the parrots that are kept outside of South Florida?
  
  --
  Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
19. Re:Cruelty to animals by SteveFoerster · 2012-12-08 04:12 · Score: 1
  
  Those are the survivors. Likely a small percentage.
  Maybe, but then, citation needed.
  
  Also, I used to live in Central Florida (space coast area), which is nearly as warm, and I never once saw an escaped parrot flying around.
  I've lived in both Indialantic and Fort Lauderdale. The latter was noticeably warmer.
  
  So what about the parrots that are kept outside of South Florida?
  They migrate to South Florida? (But then, to be fair, citaton needed.)
  (Honestly? I'm not really arguing with you, I'm just sort of being obstreporous.)
  
  --
  Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
20. Re:Cruelty to animals by Mal-2 · 2012-12-08 09:10 · Score: 1
  
  Interesting, I had parakeets (one smart, one quite stupid) that would fly up to the floor-to-ceiling mirror and hover there for a few seconds before turning away. Not once did they run into the mirror. Unlike a window, flying toward a mirror will produce the appearance of an imminent collision.
  We'd also confuse the cats with the same kind of mirrors (different room). Use a laser pointer, at some distance from the mirror. The cat will lock on to the dot and not notice that there is also a dot in the mirrored reflection. Then you work the dot toward the mirror, with the cat in pursuit. It will still fail to notice the approaching reflection of the dot. Then you move the dot ONTO the mirror where it suddenly appears to split in two, causing the cat much consternation about which one to chase.
  
  --
  How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
Animal Cruelty by kentrel · 2012-12-07 09:51 · Score: -1, Troll

Nice toy, but fuck anyone who clips a wild bird's wings just to make it a more convenient pet. For thousands of years mankind has looked at birds and wished he could fly like a bird. Now that we've mastered flight some fuckers want to take that away from the birds.
oblig by Bearded+Frog · 2012-12-07 09:53 · Score: 1

I for one welcome our new buggy riding African Grey Parrot overlords...
One angry bird by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 09:55 · Score: -1

It's just one step toward him being able to pilot a helicopter. And then the revenge for the wing-clipping begins...
1. Re:One angry bird by Megane · 2012-12-07 13:52 · Score: 1
  
  It's just one step toward him being able to pilot a helicopter.
  I'm not too sure about that. I mean, he could control the cyclic with his beak, and the anti-torque with his feet, but how would he control the collective and the throttle without hands?
  
  --
  #naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
Fuck the owner by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 09:57 · Score: -1, Troll

first he clips the wings of a free bird, and then he builds the cart to *showcase* his skills.
Like, if someone broke his legs and build him a joystick wheelchair and posted the video, oh I am sure he would be oh so thankful.
fuck you moron.
1. Re:Fuck the owner by godel_56 · 2012-12-07 10:05 · Score: 2
  
  Like, if someone broke his legs and build him a joystick wheelchair and posted the video, oh I am sure he would be oh so thankful.
  I can see both sides. Without his wings being clipped he would never be allowed outside, and escape would be a constant worry. Caged birds are dead meat on the outside.
2. Re:Fuck the owner by X0563511 · 2012-12-07 10:13 · Score: 1
  
  Do keep in mind this isn't a finch though. Greys are attached to their family.
  
  --
  For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
3. Re:Fuck the owner by masternerdguy · 2012-12-07 10:17 · Score: 1
  
  So its totally ok to limit someone's freedom of movement for their own protection?
  
  --
  To offset political mods, replace Flamebait with Insightful.
4. Re:Fuck the owner by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:43 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Man, lotta PETA supporters or something on /. today. Are you against neutering cats and dogs too?
  1. It's not a "free bird". A free bird would be one that's outside in the trees. This is a domesticated bird in a house. But I assume you just threw the "free" part in as an emotional word of some sort to get people onto your side anyway.
  2. Clipping the wings is exactly NOTHING like breaking the legs. Since it's only temporarily trimming the end feathers, it's more akin to clipping a cat's nails. It stops the cat from gripping the ground when running, so therefore it must be cruel. If a bird that large were allowed to fly about freely inside, it'd likely do more damage to itself than to objects.
  3. Before you even think about talking about declawing, just stop with that horribly incorrect analogy already. Clipped feathers grow back, removing the top knuckle of the cat's paws doesn't. And no, my cat isn't declawed, that's cruel.
  4. You're an idiot, and god help you if you ever own a pet.
  I just took a cone off my cat from him having had surgery. Are advocating that I should have left the cone off and let him chew away at his stitches instead, because the cone isn't natural, and hinders him?
  Not all things people do to pets are for the sake of cruelty. In fact, I would argue that the vast, VAST majority of things we do for pets is because we love them, and it's better for them.
5. Re:Fuck the owner by iplayfast · 2012-12-07 10:50 · Score: 1
  
  If I had Mod points you would be +1 obvious :)
6. Re:Fuck the owner by nschubach · 2012-12-07 10:53 · Score: 1
  
  One is permanently breaking the legs of a creature and the other is clipping something that can grow back... If you somehow think those two events are in any way the same, I feel sorry for you.
  
  --
  Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
7. Re:Fuck the owner by cusco · 2012-12-07 11:05 · Score: 1
  
  Do you let your dog wander around in the street? Loose dogs in my neighborhood end up dead on the freeway very quickly, and loose cats become owl and coyote food. You're damn right we limit their freedom of movement.
  
  --
  "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
8. Re:Fuck the owner by masternerdguy · 2012-12-07 11:07 · Score: 1
  
  Thank you for confirming what I've suspected today: It is OK to limit someone's movement as long as it doesn't involve limiting their computer. :)
  
  --
  To offset political mods, replace Flamebait with Insightful.
9. Re:Fuck the owner by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 11:08 · Score: 0
  
  If this *someone* is in some form of custody, rather than being a independent individual, sure. You don't let the mentally ill or undeveloped outside on their own. Consider pets as "mentally undeveloped". There's nothing to prepare them for what's outside. Same category as children, who need to be supervised while they learn the outside. You also don't want any of these to mess up the inside while they're in there (that's why you have small children "trapped" in cots).
  But go on, let every one of these loose and see what happens. Give them the vote, and other rights, while you're at it. I want a parrot for president :)
10. Re:Fuck the owner by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 11:18 · Score: 0
  
  I appreciate the sentiment, but unfortunately I can only post as an AC due to being unable to log in while at work. Username Kabuthunk for what it's worth.
11. Re:Fuck the owner by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 12:16 · Score: 0
  
  "We love them" that's a strange way to put it. If you love them, then why are you keeping them locked up... You don't love them, you love owning them, you love traiing them and showing them off... at least be honest enough to say it like it is.
12. Re:Fuck the owner by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 13:32 · Score: 0
  
  Why don't you then bind your cats feet and build him a car to drive around the house? would solve a lot of scratching problems by limiting your cats mobility. But it would sound stupid. Clipping of the wings and building a car to drive around sounds equally stupid unless you've used to clipping birds.
  99% of animal cruelty is out of love - like engineering a species that's lovable yet unfit to live without pain. The guy would have an option of keeping his apartment free of things that the bird could get caught into or drop to the floor whilst flying - some people do that after all.
13. Re:Fuck the owner by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 13:57 · Score: 0
  
  Thank you for confirming what I've suspected today: It is OK to limit someone's movement as long as it doesn't involve limiting their computer. :)
  I don't let my parrot watch pron on his computer you insensitive clod
14. Re:Fuck the owner by artor3 · 2012-12-07 14:55 · Score: 0
  
  Very true. That is why, as a loving parent, I allow my infant children to roam freely in traffic, unwashed, unvaccinated, and unsupervised. I'm sure they will thank me as soon as one of them lives long enough to learn to speak.
15. Re:Fuck the owner by Sardaukar86 · 2012-12-07 15:26 · Score: 1
  
  I appreciate the sentiment, but unfortunately I can only post as an AC due to being unable to log in while at work. Username Kabuthunk for what it's worth.
  Thanks for explaining this. I'm obviously a little slow as I've often wondered at the number of well-written and insightful +5 posts made by ACs.
  
  --
  ..Mullah or Pope, Preacher or Poet, who was it wrote: "Give any one species too much rope and they'll fuck it up"?
16. Re:Fuck the owner by betterprimate · 2012-12-07 22:05 · Score: 1
  
  I agree with you points except for... I don't think you have to be a PETA supporter to be against neutering cats and dogs too or at least sensibly understanding the cruelty of it.
  Really, if you can't understand the cruelty of it, than *you* shouldn't be a pet owner.
  Almost every great writer has written our non-intentional cruelty towards animals.
  
  Not all things people do to pets are for the sake of cruelty. In fact, I would argue that the vast, VAST majority of things we do for pets is because we love them, and it's better for them.
  Bullshit. Ever seen a dog in the city and how unhappy it is? Ever been to San Francisco? How almost every single person who owns a dog in the city is mentally, emotionally unstable and are tyrannical as a human being? I grew up in the country with dogs and I can tell you the VAST difference. Some people are just too emotionally stunted to actually love another creature. Other times, these dogs (especially thoroughbreds) are just a piece of property and disposable.
  The vast majority of times people are simply satisfying their selfish need for "love" (possession) with no regard towards the animal's well-being.
17. Re:Fuck the owner by betterprimate · 2012-12-07 22:14 · Score: 1
  
  You mean, if you stole another person's child and debilitated them and locked them up in your house for the rest of their life? That's the equivalent and not the analogy you smugly suggested.
  I am a pet owner and the fucking best at training animals; a whisperer of sorts. You must do things for your animals that are momentarily discomforting for them, but this an irrational comparison towards child-rearing and clipping a bird's wings is just that... irrational.
  You are however both being sensational yet raise some deep philosophical issues albeit unintentionally.
I for one... by toygeek · 2012-12-07 10:04 · Score: 1

Welcome our new Robotic Parrot Overlords!

--
Nobodies Prefect
Tidbits for Techs Technology Blog
Amen by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:04 · Score: 0

I for one welcome our new buggy riding African Grey Parrot overlords...
And they'll drive better than most people.
Arms Race by decipher_saint · 2012-12-07 10:08 · Score: 3, Informative

You know what this means right?
Cats with roller skates.

--
crazy dynamite monkey
1. Re:Arms Race by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:58 · Score: 0
  
  jet powered roller skates!
2. Re:Arms Race by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 11:42 · Score: 0
  
  Ah yes but dogs on skate boards will win that.
3. Re:Arms Race by antdude · 2012-12-08 03:38 · Score: 1
  
  No, like this http://i.imgur.com/suzSY.gif from http://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/14edxt/so_a_friend_of_a_friend_made_this_for_his_parrot/c7ckm1t ... ;)
  
  --
  Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
no such luck by the_other_one · 2012-12-07 10:15 · Score: 4, Funny

I tried t get my Norwegian Blue to drive a buggy but it just sits there and does nothing.

--
134340: I am not a number. I am a free planet!
1. Re:no such luck by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:19 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  It's merely pinin' for a Ford!
2. Re:no such luck by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 11:03 · Score: 0
  
  its a racer-x-parrot.
3. Re:no such luck by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 11:22 · Score: 0
  
  Lovely bird, beautiful plumage!
4. Re:no such luck by Asmodae · 2012-12-07 11:41 · Score: 1
  
  The Parrot Sketch reference isn't +5 funny already? Now THAT'S animal cruelty.
5. Re:no such luck by martin-boundary · 2012-12-07 15:14 · Score: 1
  
  The moderators are resting
6. Re:no such luck by Alien+Being · 2012-12-07 15:44 · Score: 1
  
  Well just nail him to the gas pedal.
7. Re:no such luck by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-08 01:25 · Score: 0
  
  Norwegian Blue parrot really DID exist:
  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-566600/Norwegian-Blue-parrot-really-DID-exist--stiff-bereft-life-ex-parrots.html
  Hello from Norway.
I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:19 · Score: 0

If it's not powered by a RPi, why is it on /.?
The difference is semantics here, though by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:24 · Score: 2, Informative

Don't get your panties in a knot unless you know more.
Well, I'm not GP but I am a parrot owner so I'd like to "get my panties knot".
Removing a parrot's main form of movement is comparable to keeping a dog on a leash in one corner of the house, all the time. What's cruel is removing their ability to fly and after that it's just semantics whether you clipped their wings or feathers. Removing a parrot's ability to fly and forcing them to move only where human decides they should move, when human decides they should move there, is a horrible thing to do to animals as intelligent and independent as parrots. It also tells about very twisted attitude towards the pet: Anyone who considers taking a parrot and does some research (and you really should research as they tend to live many years or even many decades) learns that they do tend to chew on stuff. If your reaction to that isn't "I'll have to come up with enough toys for him to chew that he doesn't touch much else" or "I'll have to study positive reinforcement a bit and train him" or "I'll have to come up with a way to keep some things out of his sight" or "Okay, I can't have a pet like that" but rather "Oh, I'll just clip his wings", there is something very wrong.
My parrots fly freely around the house whenever I'm awake and at home (when I'm asleep or at work, I have to keep them in cages for their own safety). They don't tend to ruin anything too valuable though they do occasionally ruin book covers, photo frames and the like... which I knew they would do when I got them six years ago.
For the record, the practice of clipping parrot wings (which means clipping the wing feathers) isn't really alive in many countries anymore (here in Finland it certainly isn't recommended by either of the large pet bird associations).
1. Re:The difference is semantics here, though by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 12:10 · Score: 0
  
  Having something caged in tinay cage, is like me having you tide down while I'm away at work, you know... just so that you can't hurt yourself or run away. How is that better than me simply tying your feet together but letting you waddle around?
2. Re:The difference is semantics here, though by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 12:27 · Score: 0
  
  I made the "panties in a know" comment because the commenter thought it was mutilation. It's not and I was trying to illustrate that difference.
  I don't want to keep birds because it limits their freedom and it's sad to see them confined. Killing or mutilating someone because they 'ruffled your feathers' (snort) by clipping a birds wings is a gross overreaction.
3. Re:The difference is semantics here, though by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-08 04:21 · Score: 0
  
  er, knot
Robot goes on parrot slaying rampage by sinequonon · 2012-12-07 10:25 · Score: 1

No ambiguity here. No, sir.

--
-Bob-
One feature I really like about this cart... by xerxesVII · 2012-12-07 10:28 · Score: 1

I wish my car had a toilet in the driver seat so I could crap freely while driving around.

--
"We shall grapple with the ineffable, and see if we may not eff it after all." - Douglas Adams
1. Re:One feature I really like about this cart... by CanHasDIY · 2012-12-07 11:18 · Score: 1
  
  oh, THIS!
  
  A thousand times over!
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
Next step... by roc97007 · 2012-12-07 10:30 · Score: 1

...is to get him into a quadricopter.

--
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
1. Re:Next step... by MaskedSlacker · 2012-12-07 12:50 · Score: 1
  
  Step 1: Clip bird's wings so he can't fly.
  Step 2: Build bird a quadricopter.
  Step 3:
  Step 4: Oh god the birds are attacking!
2. Re:Next step... by roc97007 · 2012-12-07 13:11 · Score: 1
  
  (slaps forehead) I KNEW I shouldn't have armed the quadricopter.
  
  --
  Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
primary use for print newspaper today by Chalex · 2012-12-07 10:32 · Score: 1

And here you see the primary use to which print newspapers are put today. All the dog owners and other pet owners use it to collect their pets' bowel movements.
How about dogs driving full size cars? by madprof · 2012-12-07 10:34 · Score: 2

Forget parrots in buggies. What about dogs in real cars?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20614593
99% sure this is not a hoax.
1. Re:How about dogs driving full size cars? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 15:55 · Score: 1
  
  Think you have a wrong link there, is that not James May/
2. Re:How about dogs driving full size cars? by antdude · 2012-12-07 18:41 · Score: 1
  
  http://drivingdogs.co.nz/ as well.
  
  --
  Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
Robot? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:39 · Score: 0

How is this considered a Robot?
1. Re:Robot? by Brian+Feldman · 2012-12-08 02:42 · Score: 1
  
  It autonomously drives itself home to charge.
  
  --
  Brian Fundakowski Feldman
Not that cool. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:40 · Score: 0

Make the buggy powered by the parrots bioelectric enery and then I will be impressed.
Autonomous Docking Mode Activated by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:46 · Score: 0

Autonomous Docking Mode Activated
The parrot has been removed. The computer is now in control.
It's searching for the Base station even as we speak. May God have mercy on us all.
Ummm... yes. A very resounding yes. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 10:52 · Score: 0

...Yeah. Yeah it is. Are you fucking retarded?!? Like no, seriously... are you mentally handicapped. That was by far the most idiotic, what I assume you meant to be rhetorical, question I've read in a very long time. The sheer fact that I'm taking the time to type this instead of just shaking my head at the stupidity speaks wonders in and of itself.
God help you if you ever have kids. Y'know, those baby gates that block off the stairs are there for a reason. Same with why playpens exist. Or seatbelts. Or life preservers (those hinder natural swimming movement). Training wheels on bikes? Mountain climbing harnesses? Hell, mountain climbing anything? Virtually any outdoor sports equipment? Or FUCKING GODDAMN ANYTHING THAT PROTECTS YOU! ESPECIALLY WITH KIDS AND PETS!
Holy christ, I hope to god you just had a brain fart when you posted that and saw the idiocy afterwards, because seriously, what the fuck are you doing on Slashdot of all places if you're actually that stupid?
I was hoping this would be about perl 6 but.. by cmdr_tofu · 2012-12-07 11:03 · Score: 1

this is COOL! And really cute too!
Re:Ummm... yes. A very resounding yes. by CanHasDIY · 2012-12-07 11:17 · Score: 3, Interesting

...Yeah. Yeah it is. Are you fucking retarded?!? Like no, seriously... are you mentally handicapped.
Anger aside, this is actually a very valid, important thing to mention.

Case in point - a few months ago, a 17-year-old autistic boy was struck and killed by a car. it was 2 AM, and he was sitting in the middle of the street just past a low hill, which made him impossible for the driver to see until it was too late.

When asked why their autistic son was sitting in the middle of a public street at 2 o' clock in the morning, the parents responded, "we always let him do what he wants."

Incidentally, the parents are attempting to sue the driver for - brace yourselves - negligence.

--
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
NOT a robot by ShanghaiBill · 2012-12-07 11:20 · Score: 0

If you have to "drive" it, then it is NOT a robot. Robots are, by definition, capable of sensing their environment and make autonomous decisions.
1. Re:NOT a robot by HellKnite · 2012-12-07 11:33 · Score: 1
  
  It has sensors to detect when it has bumped into something and automatically retreats. It senses when it is approaching a wall and prevents forward movement. When the parrot was removed it used its camera to locate the "docking station" and navigate its own way there.
  Sure, it can be controlled, but it does its own thing too.
2. Re:NOT a robot by skelly33 · 2012-12-07 12:46 · Score: 1
  
  ... and if you had watched the video, you would have seen the dual mode device actually park itself using computer vision... autonomously... like a robot.
3. Re:NOT a robot by Megane · 2012-12-07 14:01 · Score: 1
  
  I was not expecting the autonomous parking. It was extremely cool. And extremely creepy, too.
  
  --
  #naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
African Grey, Norwegian Blue by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 11:51 · Score: 0

Nice go kart, but I'd bet a can of spam he's pining for a Ford.
Cruelty to animals by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-07 12:10 · Score: 1

It really warms my heart to see so many slashdotters looking at this from the parrots perspective. African greys are awesome birds. It nice to see one appreciated. We learn from Pepper to treat each other better. Thanks for putting me in the holiday spirit.
My bird wants one by dotmax · 2012-12-07 12:45 · Score: 1

I have a 22 y.o. YNA (big green thing, 50% evil) who is very lazy. He would love to go motoring around the house in one of these things.
1. Re:My bird wants one by Firethorn · 2012-12-07 14:15 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, watching the video the bird wasn't really using it for transport, it was playing with it more.
  
  --
  I don't read AC A human right
Re:Ummm... yes. A very resounding yes. by betterprimate · 2012-12-07 14:05 · Score: 1

I'll chime in because the GP/AC just displayed a great deal of stupidity and didn't understand the OP's question.
The AC's analogies are not limiting innate freedom of movement, but rather are improving or facilitating. His/her analogy of child-rearing is so far off-topic that it's irrational.
The AC should take a moment to actually read and consider than being another angry, stupid person on /.
And I thought... by lloy0076 · 2012-12-07 15:26 · Score: 1

...this was the announcement of Perl 6's first release and instead it's about a parrot who cannot fly...
Bud The African Grey by TheGoodNamesWereGone · 2012-12-07 19:14 · Score: 1

My parrot Bud has handled the steering wheel a few times and caused no crashes.... yet.
Another worthless opinion.... by Slugster · 2012-12-07 21:42 · Score: 1

First off, I never realized that so many people here weren't familiar with the practice of clipping a pet birds flight feathers to prevent them from flying. Get a grip--it isn't painful and isn't even permanent, as the wing feathers do occasionally shed & regrow. If you really want to get worked up over something, go look up why the judges at dog shows always fondle the male dogs' testicles.

Second, Andrew must not have heard the old saying about show business--"never work with kids or animals". . . .
Sorry Andrew.
While the 'autonomous docking mode' is technically impressive, it's much more intriguing to watch the bird drive the thing around. Maybe using tank treads would improve the car a bit--for the bird driver, that is. Make it more stable over rough spots at least.
The implications for child raising are obvious by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-08 02:29 · Score: 0

Shoot them in the knee and put them in an electric wheelchair designed to only go where they should go. Saves so many headaches.
Awesome! by Brian+Feldman · 2012-12-08 02:40 · Score: 1

I would love to integrate a Kinect sensor into this design and change the control scheme a bunch....

--
Brian Fundakowski Feldman
Linux Points by jon_doh2.0 · 2012-12-08 04:17 · Score: 1

...props for using Linux to power the autonomous vehicle docking.
Consequences be damned by Anonymous Coward · 2012-12-08 05:42 · Score: 0

This sounds awfully similar to PETA's anti-pet rhetoric that ultimately would result in what can't go feral going extinct. Regardless of whether or not you care about the loss of species selectively bred by humans, the fact remains that many of our domesticated critters simply do not belong in your local ecosystem. You may think you're doing your domestic cat a favor by letting it "run wild", but the native wildlife your cat harasses and kills would beg to differ.
1. Re:Consequences be damned by jovius · 2012-12-08 21:27 · Score: 1
  
  I agree that cats don't natively belong to my local ecosystem. It's also unsensible to keep them indoors. After what I've observed I'll never have a pet. Cats have historically had a real job in the human ecosystems, but those days are gone now in the modern societies. Besides if they lived in the city or in the suburbs one needs to be careful because neighbors might be dangerously allergic to them, as was in our case before moving to a rural house.
Cockroach controlled robot by dave.haku · 2012-12-08 07:42 · Score: 1

Nobody remembers this: http://www.conceptlab.com/roachbot ?

"Cockroach Controlled Mobile Robot" is an experimental robotic system that translates the bodily movements of a living, organic insect into the physical locomotion of a three-wheeled robot. Distance sensors at the front of the robot also provide navigation feedback to the cockroach, striving to create a pseudo-intelligent system with the cockroach as the CPU.
Re:Ummm... yes. A very resounding yes. by ChrisMaple · 2012-12-08 12:59 · Score: 1

Training wheels on bikes make them more dangerous to the rider and more difficult to learn proper bicycling. They are a complete failure and fraud.

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