danielhwilson - Gizmodo

posts about #danielhwilson more →
Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
Dancing Keepon Robot Teaches Author How To Love

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

In reply to Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
The biggest hurdle of all is batteries. No matter how elaborate you make a machine, it will always be limited by its power source.
Reply

Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

RoboBagins
05/20/09

In reply to Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
what about spider tanks? I want autonomous robot insect tanks! And tank killing autonomous robot wasps! And Giant CRAB BATTLE!
Reply

RoboBagins was starred RoboBagins was unstarred

Pessimippopotamus
05/20/09

@Robotic Bilbo Bagins has no use for fleshy ones: Why stop there?

Giant Crab that transforms into a tank transforms into a robot!

Reply

Pessimippopotamus was starred

OmniZero
05/20/09

In reply to Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
Yeah Johnny 5 from Short Circuit!

Robots have no chance of revolting as long as there is no A.I. As soon as you implement that, you're done for. They'll slowly realize they are superior and kill us all merely because it can.

Or we can install a morality core. That'll prevent them from flooding the enrichment center with a deadly neurotoxin.
Reply

OmniZero was starred OmniZero was unstarred

Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

@OmniZero: Unless of course, you simply don't install the system that actually stores and distributes the deadly neurotoxin.
Reply

Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

OmniZero
05/20/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Well with A.I., they might install it themselves...
Reply

OmniZero was starred OmniZero was unstarred

Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

@OmniZero: I can just imagine the clerk at the Aperture Science Center looking through invoices, and coming across a huge sum spent on a massive supply of neurotoxin, and a contracting invoice to have a large gas piping system installed in the GLaDOS control room.
Reply

Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

In reply to Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
So basically, we're talking about animatronic avatars of the modern soldier? Sounds nifty, but sounds goofifyingly expensive. Why bother with robo-avatars when you can send a dozen stealthy aerial kill drones and barrel through the streets with remote control tanks? Why use complicated designs, like elaborate mimicry of the human form, when you can use simpler machines, like wheels and wings and engines, that can travel several times faster?
Reply

Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

Pessimippopotamus
05/20/09

@Kaiser-Machead: If we wanted to plain flatten cities and ignore collateral damages, then yes. In fact, that kind of warfare would make the army and the marines completely pointless.
Reply

Pessimippopotamus was starred

Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

@Pessimipposaurus: Just the same, the inherent complications of a humanoid robot design goes largely ignored in science fiction for the sake of fiction. A good example is the ASIMO. We've still got a long way before a humanoid robot can even run up and down the stairs, let alone have enough portable power to even do so. As cool as this technology sounds, once you strip away the fantasy element, humanoid robot soldiers will probably never replace real soldiers, because speed and efficiency just isn't possible in a robot of identical physiological makeup (yet).
Reply

Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

Pessimippopotamus
05/20/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Yes. But what can you do? If you want to get something done, you'd better start somewhere, even if it takes forever.
Reply

Pessimippopotamus was starred

Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

@Pessimipposaurus: Perhaps. Maybe I'm just bitter because we'll get humanoid killbots before I get a humanoid robot slave. Is it so wrong to want a [robotic] slave? Aren't I entitled to a [robotic] slave?
Reply

Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

Je_suis_un_revolutionnaire
05/20/09

@Kaiser-Machead:

True- but what about cloning humans with a computer in their head instead of a brain? No ethical problem no brain= not human and perhaps they could be cheapily mass produced. Its total SF of course.
Reply

Pessimippopotamus
05/20/09

@Je_suis_un_revolutionnaire: Isn't it much easier to have simian servants as they already do in Japan?
Reply

Pessimippopotamus was starred

kagekiri
05/20/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Yeah, all told, humans are not the most deadly or agile creatures in the physical makeup department. We can hardly fend off poisonous insects unarmed, let alone fight off wolves, tigers, bears, etc. Our way of movement is decent for super-long distance (or so marathon runners have said), but we're super slow in sprint speed and low on jump height.

We'd be better off with cat robots: fast, agile, climbs many surfaces, survives large drops...and very unfriendly to people it doesn't like. Mount a gun on it's back, and you've got a killing machine.
Reply

kagekiri was starred kagekiri was unstarred

Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

@kagekiri: And despite all of our most apparent frailties, human beings have managed to spread across the earth and flourish in all sorts of hazardous conditions.
Reply

Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

Pessimippopotamus
05/20/09

In reply to Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
As long as there will be a Summer Glau bot on the way, it's all good.
Reply

Pessimippopotamus was starred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

#danielhwilson

Gizmodo

Gizmodo Team

SUBSCRIBE TO Gizmodo

Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars

Dancing Keepon Robot Teaches Author How To Love

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment