Big Dog, Blah blah Boston Dynamics Etc etc Little Dog, DARPA d3ThB0t, etc etc, BTDT.

But none of that makes up for how freakin’ eerie this thing is.

I swear to god I thought of this years ago. But my dogs don’t chase balls, so I never got around to building one.

Anyway, for those people too lazy to even throw a ball for their dog… I give you:

Or rather it would be, if Chassis were not a lover, but a fighter.

Dallas Native Designs Fetching Robot

Charlie Kemp, a transplanted Dallasite and current director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Healthcare Robotics, recently unveiled a new robot he designed that retrieves an object after you’ve highlighted it with a green laser pointer.

Sound boring?

Then think of it this way: the beer fetcher.

Granted, Kemp and his team are talking about the health care applications of their automaton, dubbed El-E, but we all know this is about getting your Duff without getting off your duff (Duffman says, can’t get enough of that wonderful Duff. Oh, yeah!). . .

. . .Of course, if El-E does get into the bartender game, he’ll (she’ll? it’ll?) have to compete with the less cutting-edge but more aesthetically pleasing Chassis the beer-pouring robot.

[Via The Dallas Morning News Technology Blog]

Finally, here is a little snippet of video of Chassis being put through his beer-serving paces. Notice the Head Rotor operating in the background, and Al Honig adjusting my grip on the robot’s. . . um. . .appendage.

Congrats to Al and The Rotor, Chassis is a heck of a guy. And shiny!

In the “See “More” but after the video ends, there is lots and lots of coverage of RoboGames 2007! Lots of which was uploaded by Lem Fugitt! Thanks Robots Dreams!

So maybe androids don’t dream of electric sheep, but thanks to a new project by artists Brendan Burns and Fernando Orellana, they can dance about the electric sheep *you* dream of:

Using recorded brainwave activity and eye movements during REM sleep to determine robot behaviors and head positioning, “Sleep Waking” acts as a way to “play-back” dreams. Through this piece we hope to investigate one of the possible human-robot relationships.

We Make Money Not Art has a nice interview with both the artists about thier piece and what it means for human-machine interaction and robot world peace.

Therefore in honor of Valentine’s day, here are some robot pole dancers:

They were at The Big Day Out this year down under.

[Thanks sharp-eyed commenter Wiml, via JWZ]

FiGHT!

[Thanks SeanBonner!]

The brilliant conglomerate down at Evil Mad Scientist Labs (well actually this one was Lenore’s) has exceeded my wildest expectations.

Okay, maybe the expectations were not wild per se. Maybe I just have an unruly fondness for snails.

And zinfandel. Right now anyway. Ahem. Moving on.

Lenore calls it the Escargobot. Get it? Get it? ‘Cause it’s a robot and it’s a snail and. . .never mind.

Here is another confession: I have two goldfish bowls filled with baby snails in my kitchen right now. It was an accident (the condom broke) but they are just the CUTEST lil things. . .if anyone wants a baby Mystery snail, lemme know before Mr. Robotics breaks out the garlic and butter.

I am presently subsumed by huge convulsions of want. The Take-A-Seat by Jelte Van Geeste records your rfid/laser scanned membership card and follows you around until you leave whatever public place you are frequenting.

[via FreshCreation via Core77]

Really, they are. Please everyone, come on down to the Robots Are Art Show, Contest, Weenie Roast and Singalong!

The show runs from December 13th to January 13th with a fun and exciting Gala on Saturday December 15th, from 6pm until midnight:

Robots will serve you Beer, paint paintings and even a disgruntled homeless robot will be on display. A presentation on the history of robotics by Frank Garvey will be shown at 6pm, along with raffle prizes and free robotic magazines.

This event will encompass a diverse group of robotic artists including mixed media, painters and kinetic artists. The contest will be 100% violence free*, and will focus on form, function, and fun. Prizes will be given for categories such as overall artistic aesthetics, unusual functionality, robots as a reflection of society, and incorporation of unusual objects to name a few.

This art show features the exciting premiere of Chassis, a beer robot created by The Head Rotor and illustrious kinetic artist Al Honig.

Mr. Robotics will also be judging the contest, along with Monty and Trevor Blackwell from Anybots.

Come on down for cookies and juice and nifty robot projects!

*(Because one-legged men in asskicking contests are not violent)

It’s also a crushing debate, a hitting debate, a debate that is hung by its tail, a debate that squeals and wiggles with irritation and pathetic helplessness.

We are of course, speaking of the recent video of Pleo being abused in a variety of exciting different ways.

Faithful Reader Daneel mentioned the post from Le Boing, and asked “What kind of ethical questions does it raise about the way we treat robots with AI?”

Well Daneel, that is a long, convoluted, and heated discussion fraught with dogma and subjective interpretation of the nature of life and intelligence itself. Meaning, there should be beer on hand before we even think about discussing this in any meaningful way.

On the other hand, you are asking exactly the wrong person, because I must say that torturing Pleos is one of secret guilty pleasures that I do in public all the time, mostly at robot shows, and mostly to show off Pleo’s lifelike response to real-world situations.

Also, Mr. Robotics is the director of partner development for Pleo. He got a Pleo and sent out a bunch to various roboticists and software people. Most of these people had a very strong urge to skin pleo to see all the goings-on and workings underneath.

I guess what I am saying is, people who work with robots all the time tend not to anthropomorphize them, except under very special circumstances. Most robot people are more interested in taking the thing apart and seeing how it goes together, and technology and theory that goes behind how the robot does what it does. They are engineers, not philosophers or science fiction authors.

At this point in time, AI is just that - artificial. There is no real underlying personality or real wants and needs associated with a robot that makes mewling noises, just a sound chip and some lines of code. It’s a representation of life. Eliza doesn’t care if you interrupt her or call her names. Your Aibo won’t care if you leave it off for a long time. Of course in the most telling example, a combat robot doesn’t give a good god damn if its parts are sprayed out all over the arena in a bloody display of crowd-driven blood lust (and the people cheer! you see all the levels going on here?). And yes, combat robots have lots and lots of programming behind them. They are not just R/C cars.

A robot that tugs at the heartstrings and engenders feelings of protectiveness and adoration is really just extremely good coding and product design. But it’s just one step removed from a marionette. With the marionette, you see the puppeteer. With a robot, the puppeteer wrote some code and put it on a chip. You don’t see the programmer like you do the puppeteer, but the robot has no more real feelings than the wooden marionette. If you burn a marionette, no one complains that you’re killing a living thing (sure, you might be destroying a great piece of art, but it’s not a life form.) Robots like Pleo shift the materials from wood and string to silicon and plastic, but beyond that, they’re the same. Which is in no way to say that they’re not valuable as human companions, or that you shouldn’t get them. We at SuicideBots love marionettes. We love puppet shows. We love robots. We just don’t think that when they act hurt, should we as humans respond as though they actually are hurt.

It’s only an illusion of life, a fantasy made real by the puppeteer and his audience. Two steps removed from an actor playing Hamlet on stage (he’s not really dead at the end.) The software engineers behind robots trick you into empathy just as would Sir Laurence Olivier on stage or the way David Copperfield tricks you into believing that the Statue of Liberty disappeared (it didn’t.)

As an adult, you see a teddy bear for what it is - a cute bundle of cotton and paint. Lifeless. Cute, but without soul or feelings. But try telling that to a three year old. To them, it’s just as alive as a Pleo is to you. And if I smack the Teddy Bear, little Suzy will cry - but Teddy won’t. Her feelings were hurt, but Teddy’s weren’t (because Teddy has none). So when Pleo is tortured, some feelings may get hurt, but they aren’t Pleo’s. Again, everyone should do buy one. They’re incredibly cool (again, disclosure - Mr. Robotics consults for them.) But “cool” does not equal “sentient.”

Of course all of this is written with the caveat that if Johnny 5 comes up to us tomorrow and says “No disassemble!” we’re not going to laugh and fire a shotgun into his face. That would be rude. Our technology, however, is not there yet.

As I said tis debate is fraught with nuance and the human condition, so I am sure this will piss someone off somewhere.

Comments?

For those who want robots for Christmas - and really, who doesn’t - here are Mr. Robotics’ picks for tasty robots from Trossen Robotics:

Bioloid . Now, if you want to make lots and lots of robots, but don’t want lots of and lots of robot kits, Bioloid is the way to go. It’s like Mindstorms on steroids. Instead of two motors, you get up to 18 servos. Humanoids, dogs, spiders - whatever you want. All with sensors and full programability. I am old and jaded and very hard to impress, but Bioloid is the best kit out there. Why settle for one robot when you can have 26?

Don’t wanna spend a lot, but want to compete anyway? Get a full sumo kit. For $200, you get not one but two sumo robots, and sumo arena. One robot for you and one for your kid. One for each kid. One for your wife and one for spiteful, hate-fill mother-in-law. One on one competition, and you might learn something.

For all you hackers, security nuts, and body-modders, try an RFID kit. Make a kitty-door that only opens for your kitty, not the snackoons. Learn to read what’s on RFID’s from the store. Make a cocktail mixer with RFID tags in the glasses…

If papa really wants a humanoid, well, there are lots to choose from - Tall ones, small ones, cheap ones, pricey ones.

If you’re looking to make your own robot, that the Stinger robot is a phenomenal platform to start with. Then add some motor controllers and a few sensors, and you’ve got your own robot!

Or go crazy with the Linux based SRV-1 and all it’s parts.

Well, it’s coming up on the flu holiday season, and we thought we would imitate all the cool kids and their Gift Guides. And the angel said unto them: Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is given this day the Suicide Bots Holiday Gift Guide. And the angel said unto the cheapskates, rejoice; for most of the stuff here is like less than five bucks!!!

We at Suicide Bots highly approve of flamethrowers. What, after all, is not improved with the addition of a little fire? Consider the following item, which is so… so conceptually awesome that it lives in a class of its own. What is it? A cigarette lighter. But not your ordinary Zippo. Better. Much, much better: it’s the Innocent Boy Butane Lighter. From the same place is a whole beakerful of inexpensive gadgets. Just the thing for the person with a jones for fake mustaches or LED ice cubes.

Well, the season is almost upon us. Flu season, that is. Be smart and stylish in this full-body biohazard suit from American Science and Surplus. (This may also protect you from cooties under the mistletoe, if you get that far, which is not likely in that getup — although there is precious little accounting for taste in these parts.)

Speaking of American Science and Surplus, they are a standby for all your holiday necessities from duct tape to gelatinous brains. Good times!

Fact: Guys like strippers. And some girls, too. Here’s a hot one, and relatively inexpensive, too!

For working girls and others stuck on the metaphorical hamster wheel, consider a USB Hamster Wheel that revolves as you type. A poignant commentary on the modern condition, eh? But perhaps you want a little more furry action, in which case Gupi the Robot Guinea Pig is the bot for you!

Or pimp up the geekmobile with these 20-sided fuzzy dice from jinx.com. And don’t forget the “robots need hugs” bumper sticker to go with your Suicide Bots robot sticker.

Well, campers, that’s all for tonight, but the Rotor will be keeping an optical sensor out for more holiday goodies! OK, but seriously, if you really need some gifts, send some love to our sponsors over there on the right panel, mmkay?

Li’l Missy here, working through the obstacle of spotty-ass wifi in the hotel room to get you up to date on what the heck we’ve been doing since we vanquished the forces of entropy and got to Tokyo intact.

We’re here for the International Robot Expo, the largest robot exhibition in Japan. While there are many booths that feature the same old industrial robots and bolt sorting machines and etc, there’s also a ton of stuff that really fails to suck. We’ve been meeting interwebs people in person for the first time, and are having a ball doing it.

Here are a few pics detailing what we are seeing.

This is Tokyo Big Site, a massive convention center where IREX is being held. It’s big. Real big. No, bigger. There are five or six huge conventions going on, as well as lots of interstitial restaurants and vending machines. None of the vending machines contain beer or schoolgirls’ panties, but we will keep looking, don’t you fret.

AIIIEE!!! Teeny winky shuffle bots with the tiny, tiny feets! Teh ky00t! It burns!

These little robots had no wheels, only little vibrating feet that got them hither and thither. they seemed to be directionally controlled, although I could not tell if it was autonomous and human. They also seem to be light-sensitive for light and dark areas underneath them.

Three words: Robo-One Laser Tag. This guy is playing Terminator-style in a cloud of talcum powder, click on the thumbnail to get the full on end-of-the-world-disaster feeling. A bunch of them played against each other for all the glory and the loser bought the next round of beers. It was awesome, and by awesome, I mean totally sweet. Better than ninjas. And nothing is better than ninjas, except for maybe more ninjas.

Creepy? Yes. Highly amusing to watch sober-suited Japanese industrialists squirm as they handle a fussy robot? HELLS yes. The Real Care Baby is a doll that simulates a real child for use in daily life and to find out which reprobate highschooler would do well to never. ever procreate. They cry, they fuss, they do the things babies do. They are all identical. It’s weird in an oddly compelling way.

More in a bit, as our wifi is funky here.