June 22, 2008

Checked again - no robots on my lawn.

But I've seen some fun and somehow scary stuff lately.

Saw some stuff recently of Asimo jogging around a gymnasium. That's looking pretty spooky. I couldn't help but imagine 'him' carrying an AK47 and it gave me some shivers for a minute. But that's silly. Everyone knows the automatic weapon would be built in and he wouldn't have to carry it!

Also, youtube has some interesting video of more natural gait on a pair of robot legs from the University of Delft

But most amazing is this stuff (with Darpa funding I might add) In Boston the Big Dog

A couple of interesting things here. First, when it has trouble on the ice, one can't help but feel human pity and want-to-help emotions. It's hard to imagine that it is an unsentient machine.

What laws do we have to protect us when it's a humanoid looking robot that is being beaten and dismembered for some person's twisted enjoyment? We'll need something there - you know it will happen.

There are some disturbing things to come in our lifetimes.

I thought about the BigDog going over rubble to find and help survivors in an earthquake zone. I just hoped we wouldn't see them hunting down survivors for other treatment.