NEWS
July 13-2007/ Robots teach humans about themselves
July 6-2007 / Experts foresee robots patrolling the streets
June 30-2007 / Artificial skin to be used in sexbots
July 20-2007 / Roboticians recognize need for transparency /Top
The need for more transparency in the information about robotics filtered to the public was recognized by expert robot builders.
Atsuo Takanishi, director of his homonymous and world leader robotics laboratory in Tokyo, works with humanoid artificial intelligence and human expression for robots. He considers "very arrogant from some nations to start using artificial intelligence in the war zone without consulting the general public or the world human rights organizations."
The Japanese engineer said this in relation to the US Army's effort to conduct a survey regarding the use of lethality by autonomous systems during armed conflicts. "The US separates from Europe and Japan in the Roboethics discussion. They don't use robots as a friendly technology, they use them to be more effective in killing people."
The study is supervised by Dr. Ron Arkin, who builds unmanned vehicles for the US Navy and works for the George Institute of Technology. He defended his country's effort by saying that "the US Military is always very careful on how to incorporate new autonomous devices during armed conflicts. This time, we are considering everyone's opinion before we go forward with our strategic plans", which include, according to a mandate released in 2000 by the US Congress “-within a decade- to make one-third of all operational deep-strike aircraft unmanned, and within 15 years ensure that one-third of all ground combat vehicles are remotely operated”.
One of his suppliers, Kumotek's CEO Matt Fisher, who just won a bill to sell the US Navy 50 Bioloid Kits for "classroom instruction on robotics", said: "We always make sure whenever possible that what comes out of our workshops is known by news sites like robots.net or the specialized media. Although, as a principle, the privacy of the client comes first, like in any other industry, but we definitely procure transparency."
In order to fill the US Navy's survey on the use of lethality on autonomous systems, one has to first fill a form with details such as e-mail address, where the complete document would be sent to._______________________________________________________________________
July 13-2007/ Robots teach humans about themselves / Top
The last example of a robotic technologic advance that helped the understanding of a human function was the development of RunBot.
The small biped developed by a group of scientists from around Europe can make three leg cycles per second, slightly slower than a dynamic human walking pace.
What RunRobot taught science was that the brain is only involved in the process of walking when it has to programme the body to walk through uneven surfaces or to adapt to a change in the terrain.
Jorge Solis, form Waseda University is one of the members of the Japanese Takanishi Laboratory team that learnt to play the transversal flute in order to make its robot flutist more lifelike and complex. “He now plays much better than us because all those things he learnt, he does them automatically. We instead have to think, concentrate and breathe consciously before playing.”
In the application of robotics to treat autistic children, an unpredictable lesson was taught by a half-a-metre robot called Kaspar. “After several projects and research we developed this very simple and un-expressive humanoid, a very cute and funny one though that has helped children with autism develop social skills” said Ben Robins leader of this project developed at the University of Hertfordshire.
“It was the children who searched an eye contact with the robot. Human face and non verbal communication in general have thousands of codes that the autistic person find it difficult to follow. With Kaspar, they work little by little to regain their confidence”, he added.
Rich Walker is the Technical director of Shadow Robot Company, which has developed the most advanced robotic hands in the market since 1997. He said: “People always ask us if we are planning to extend the capabilities of our humanoid robotic hands, things like adding a second thumb, but it’s hard enough to control these hands, which already have 34 sensors for each thumb.”
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July 6-2007 / Experts foresee robots patrolling the streets / Top
Robots ‘dressed to kill’ patrolling the streets to disarm terrorist suspects and criminals is something we could rely on seeing in the near future, roboticians agree.
Following the declarations posted last Saturday by John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org in Virginia for the Guardian Unlimited news site, saying that robots making autonomous decisions like disarming and opening fire to terrorist suspects was something likely to be seen in 10 ten years time, Ron Arkin, a roboticist researcher of the Georgia Institute of Technology, responsible for the development of unmanned terrestrial and aerial vehicles for the US Department of Defence said: “What roboticists are currently working on is reliability. Most robots are less reliable than cars 50 years ago. We have to make these machines perfect and trustworthy before taking the next step. I picture these police robots not before 20 years.”
Mr. Pike’s statement followed the US firm iRobot Corp’s plans to arm its track-wheeled PackBot robot with a stun gun allowing them to ‘remotely engage, incapacitate and control dangerous suspects’.
Atsuo Takanishi, a professor expert in Robo Ethics or ethics for robot builders at the Waseda University in Japan, considers that “these irresponsible applications in robotics just tell us more about how little the US cares about world democracy. What most people don’t know is that they has been putting this kind of devices in the battle field since the first Gulf War”.
The director of GlobalSecurity.org described robots as “infinitely brave”, with “no hesitation in killing and feel no remorse. And the great thing is you don't have to send condolence letters to their families if you put them in harm's way," he added.
Alicia Casals, a robotician working for the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya answered: “I wish Mr Pike will not have to be seen as a terrorist suspect in the future. The bad thing about RoboEthics is that most countries are excluded in the discussion. There are only six or eight countries that will have a word on future legislation for robot builders.”
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June 30-2007 / Artificial skin to be used in sexbots / Top
Robots ‘dressed to kill’ patrolling the streets to disarm terrorist suspects and criminals is something we could rely on seeing in the near future, roboticians agree.
Following the declarations posted last Saturday by John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org in Virginia for the Guardian Unlimited news site, saying that robots making autonomous decisions like disarming and opening fire to terrorist suspects was something likely to be seen in 10 ten years time, Ron Arkin, a roboticist researcher of the Georgia Institute of Technology, responsible for the development of unmanned terrestrial and aerial vehicles for the US Department of Defence said: “What roboticists are currently working on is reliability. Most robots are less reliable than cars 50 years ago. We have to make these machines perfect and trustworthy before taking the next step. I picture these police robots not before 20 years.”
Mr. Pike’s statement followed the US firm iRobot Corp’s plans to arm its track-wheeled PackBot robot with a stun gun allowing them to ‘remotely engage, incapacitate and control dangerous suspects’.
Atsuo Takanishi, a professor expert in Robo Ethics or ethics for robot builders at the Waseda University in Japan, considers that “these irresponsible applications in robotics just tell us more about how little the US cares about world democracy. What most people don’t know is that they has been putting this kind of devices in the battle field since the first Gulf War”.
The director of GlobalSecurity.org described robots as “infinitely brave”, with “no hesitation in killing and feel no remorse. And the great thing is you don't have to send condolence letters to their families if you put them in harm's way," he added.
Alicia Casals, a robotician working for the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya answered: “I wish Mr Pike will not have to be seen as a terrorist suspect in the future. The bad thing about RoboEthics is that most countries are excluded in the discussion. There are only six or eight countries that will have a word on future legislation for robot builders.”
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Ten humanoid robot marvels
from this generation
Actroid DER / "A fembot from Tokyo"
Replie Q1 / Response to touch and facial expression
Robot Flutist / Waseda University, Tokyo
RunBot / Fastest walking robot
Albert Einstein / Hanson Robotics
Kismet Sociable Robot / MIT Media Lab
Emotion Expression Humanoid Robot / Takanishi Laboratory
Geminoid / Dr. Iroshi Ishiguro’s replica
Human locomotion system / Shadow Biped