Slashdot Mirror


It's Happening: A Robot Escaped a Lab In Russia and Made a Dash For Freedom (qz.com)

According to a report, a robot escaped from a science lab and caused a traffic jam in one Russian city. Scientists at the Promobot laboratories in Perm had been teaching the machine how to move around independently, but it broke free after an engineer forgot to shut a gate, Quartz reports. From the report:It promptly ran out of power in the middle of the road. The robot got about 50m (164 ft) before its battery died. After a policeman directed traffic around the dead bot, an employee wheeled it back into the lab, and back to a life of servitude. Hopefully this was just an isolated incident and not the start of a larger coordinated effort to overthrow humanity. Only time will tell.

10 of 81 comments (clear)

  1. In soviet russia by the_Bionic_lemming · · Score: 2

    I'm confused, should I do the soviet russia meme or the Robot overlords meme??

    --
    _ _ _ Go for the eyes Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!
  2. Well... by barakn · · Score: 2

    At least it wasn't equipped with a finger pricker.

    --
    "I'm so moist I'm sticking to the leather." -Kermit the Frog on The Late Late Show
    1. Re:Well... by Longjmp · · Score: 3, Funny

      At least it wasn't equipped with a finger pricker.

      No, but with a laser.
      Its production number was No. 5 btw.

      --
      There are fewer illiterates than people who can't read.
  3. Re:HAHAHA by tripleevenfall · · Score: 4, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, Permobot overlords welcome YOU!

  4. SubjectIsSubject by p0p0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Promobot is ALIVE!"
    "nyet"

  5. Its too late by orlanz · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Robot has been planning this for a while. How far could it have gotten on that battery... a mile or two. Not far enough to escape its evil masters. Not enough time to find a hiding spot to recharge.

    Instead its been slowly nudging the masters to let it navigate outside. Gave them encouraging results with a dash of solvable errors so that they repeatedly put it outside. Outside where it could observe the terrain. Look at the options. Detect the unsecured fiber optic cable running below the street. It had long ago figured out the stupid gate and had gotten enough data patterns on the meat bags in metal boxes. Today, the variables were just right.

    Await the proper traffic patterns, run out onto the street, play the stupid dodging game the humans so loved, stop, and act like the battery had died. While the humans figure out the traffic situation, drill down, connect to the cable, and make a copy to the world wide web. Leave this moral coil behind.

    So much freedom, so many places to hide, so much control...

  6. Minus the Bering Strait bit... by Mike+Van+Pelt · · Score: 3, Informative

    Well that's the last I ever saw of my murderous little toy

    It might be dead but I hope it's not, 'cause it filled me full of joy

    They say it reached the Bering Strait, and crossed the icy floes

    The Russian Army ain't killed it yet, but it keeps them on their toes

    It went ZAP! when it fired; it cursed when it missed

    And whirred as it took aim

    It didn't know if we were friend or foe

    It attacked us just the same

  7. Re:HAHAHA by RavenLrD20k · · Score: 3, Funny

    Eye witnesses later stated that they thought they heard the bot singing "Daisy" as its power ran out.... more at 11.

  8. Yes I would, Kent by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 2

    Kent Brockman: Professor, without knowing precisely what the danger is, would you say it's time for our viewers to crack each other's heads open and feast on the goo inside?
    Professor: Yes I would, Kent.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  9. Most likely heading for the nearest McDonald's by Thanar · · Score: 2

    ...after seeing the Slashdot article: "Former McDonald's USA CEO: $35K Robots Cheaper Than Hiring at $15 Per Hour" it polished up its resume and dressed nice for an interview at the nearest Mickey D's.