| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| John Connor, Call Your Office: Smart Robot Can Forage for Its Own "Food" |
| 2009-01-30 |
| H/T Slashdot by way of Instapundit Ok, maybe this is getting a little too close to bringing Terminator-like robots to life. For starters, eco-friendly engine builder Cyclone Power this week inked a contract from Robotic Technologies, Inc. (RTI) to develop what it calls a beta biomass engine system that will be the heart of RTI's Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR). The purpose of EATR is to develop and demonstrate an autonomous robotic platform able to perform long-range, long-endurance missions without the need for manual or conventional re-fueling - in other words it needs to "eat." According to researchers, the EATR system gets its energy by foraging, or what the firms describe as "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 as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable." I can see it now: One day you walk out to start you car only to find this robot sucking your tank dry. "Sorry, I was hungry," it says." Allowances will definitely be made if the robot looks anything like this. |
| Posted by:Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) |
| #6 Ahhh, the CYCLON BABES of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - CLOSER AND MORE REAL THAN AMERIKA KNOWS!? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-01-30 21:58 |
| #5 "Why do I feel somewhat disturbed about this news?" I dunno, Nguard - are you an un-cooperative human target? ;-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-01-30 19:14 |
| #4 Okay, I'll bite, ISN'T THIS HOW C3PO [Star Wars] GOT CAPTURED BY THE JAWAS??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-01-30 19:07 |
| #3 iirc, there was not too long ago another article about a darpa program to "Find and track an un-cooperative human target". Why do I feel somewhat disturbed about this news? |
| Posted by: N guard 2009-01-30 14:08 |
| #2 "It can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment" It may also find that 'fresh meat' actually works better as a fuel, dispelling the 'Vegetarian Meme'. Keep an eye on your cats and kids. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2009-01-30 11:43 |
| #1 I for one welcome our new robot overlords. |
| Posted by: Mike 2009-01-30 11:11 |