Killer Robots

I just watched a video of a robot doing Tae Kwon Do. We’re so screwed.

A Swedish robot nearly killed a man, but won’t be prosecuted.

The near-fatal incident took place at a factory north of Stockholm in June 2007. A worker was about to fix a broken rock-lifting robot. He’d shut the power off, but the machine suddenly woke up and grabbed the man by the head… "But the robot suddenly came to life and grabbed a tight hold of the victim’s head. The man succeeded in defending himself but not before suffering serious injuries."

This week, Johansson decided not to prosecute either the company that owned the factory or its robot. Instead, the company will have to pay a $3,000 fine.

Time to start buying that robot insurance people.

It starts with robots being used for exacting, and repetitive work, and then move to assisting humans in completing tasks. Next thing you know, they’re signing you up for cerebral port to connect you to the network.

… had gone to see a team of Japanese engineers from the company proudly showing off their new mobility technology — a pair of wearable robotic “Walking Assist Devices.” Strapping the powered gadgets to our legs felt silly, but after taking them off, the sensation of being cast back among unaugmented humans, forced to walk completely under our own primitive power, was a distinct comedown.

Thought you were going to survive the Robocalypse by going Capt. Nemo and living below the ocean’s surface?
Good luck.
Not with these little guys swimming around.