Are We Ready for Robophobia?

Posted 21 Mar 2005 at 20:34 UTC by steve

In a Tech Central Station article author Gregory Schoblete writes, "I pictured QRIO's green eyes darkening, before suddenly leaping off the stage onto the throat of the closest onlooker. Before the stunned crowd could react, QRIO revealed its other tricks: concealed tasers and pepper spray guns. The blinded and electrified onlookers proved no match for the relentless QRIO as it cut a swath of destruction toward the exit. When the authorities finally gunned QRIO down (inside a Best Buy trying to liberate the DVD players), it had left dozens dead and hundreds wounded in its wake." From the earliest science fiction accounts of robots run amok to fears of modern religious conservatives, Schoblete covers the ever-present robophobia in our society.

Robots Ready for Anthropophobia?, posted 21 Mar 2005 at 20:57 UTC by AI4U » (Observer)

Although pop culture portrays wild scenarios of machine take- over, a Friendly AI like Mind.Forth for Robots has just as much to fear from the Cesspool of the Internet, and from wicked human beings, as we humans have to fear from robots. - Arthur (mentifex)

whatever, change the record, posted 22 Mar 2005 at 13:21 UTC by c6jones720 » (Master)

How many stories like this have we heard about going robots going crazy, killing people and taking over the world - Its such a tedious cliche'. I'll start caring about this sort of thing when it happens.

Yeah, but have you see the robot?, posted 22 Mar 2005 at 19:00 UTC by The Swirling Brain » (Master)

QRIO Ahhhh.

It's cute and cuddley. What a great ruse for a deadly robot.

So would you rather have cute and cuddley evil robot or an ugly terminator head likeMorgui to do your demise.

East/West divide, posted 23 Mar 2005 at 08:02 UTC by motters » (Master)

This is really the difference between east and west. In the west robots tend to be depicted in popular culture as demonic machines hell-bent on destruction and mayhem, whereas in Japan they are seen in a more positive light as useful, helpful or just fun.

looks can be deceiving , posted 23 Mar 2005 at 13:39 UTC by c6jones720 » (Master)

Have any of you actually met Kevin Warrick? I have, I dont want to put him down because he's done an awful lot of good things for cybernetics, but he is a bit a self publicist. That article about the robot Skull is just publicity. That robot is no more complicated or evil or dangerous as any other, it just looks menacing. This sort of issue always bugs me when people see my robots and make silly comments

Mr Cyborg is human too., posted 23 Mar 2005 at 13:45 UTC by The Swirling Brain » (Master)

Yep, I'm sure he didn't expect the reaction he got from his scull head robot, but it was probably a lesson well learned. It was ironic that the head was meant to measure people's perception of robots, tho, which I guess it did but probably not in the way he intended. :-) People will always make comments about your robot. When they stop, that's when you should worry. :-)

Captain Cyborg..., posted 23 Mar 2005 at 17:03 UTC by dogsbody_d » (Master)

WRT Kevin "Captain Cyborg" Warwick... I think you'll find that he's an arsehole. Over and over again he brings our whole field into disrepute with his ill-thought out and preposterous claims. To see him on TV you would think that he was the only person at Reading University.

He makes me so angry!!!! e.g. <http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/17469.html>

Ship ahoy with the Captain, posted 23 Mar 2005 at 20:26 UTC by motters » (Master)

Although I don't agree with a lot of Captain Cyborg's opinions I like his style. I met him at an exhibition in Glasgow in 1996, largely before he became famous (or infamous). I didn't rate his early books at all, but I enjoyed reading "I, Cyborg".

I shouldnt keep on but , posted 24 Mar 2005 at 13:21 UTC by c6jones720 » (Master)

I remeber a funny lecture I had when I was doing my robotics degree. Our lecturer told us that proffessor Kevin Warrick was demonstrating the 7 dwarfs somewhere and he was there too. One of the robots was behaving sluggishly and the others were swarming around it. Allegedly Kevin Warrick said it was emergent behaviour happening due to limit cycles and what have you. My lecturer told us that it was because actually the batteries on one of the robots was flat. - That made my whole class laugh when we were told that :-D

Back on topic..., posted 10 Apr 2005 at 16:02 UTC by Cannon Fury » (Journeyer)

I think that human-robot interaction should be encouraged by simple emmersion. Robots should be given public jobs like reception work, etc. I personally would love to see a Walmart greeter made of metal, wouldn't you?

The problem is that most people don't know any robots, once people got to know them, they'd find out that they're not all that bad of guys.

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