I especially like the SGR-A1 model made by Samsung. It moves it's head 180° including its sensors and the weapons. It can be armed with different kinds of machine guns, it can recognize humans, animals or vehicles within a range of 2km at daytimes and 1k radius at night. It can then distinguish between friend and foe and will shoot autonomously after warning you first. For security reasons it has a password that it will understand up to a distance of 10 meters, given you make it so far. This is newest technology from Korea and I am not sure if non-korean passwords will work too. They didn't mention that detail. I also hope that the loudspeakers to blast out the warning (a nice femail voice btw) are capable enough before these robots enter combat mode. I can imagine that when they finished equipping the Korean border with a line of SGR-A1s that things will be quite noisy. So a femail voice warning you first before shooting might be missed, right? I just try to picture these things in real life. Oh, yea these robots can be driven using a joystick and/or a touch screen. But you don't have to. That's the whole point.

Well, it seems so as if lots of other things might not follow the same plot as being faced with a human guard. There might be an interesting market for silly counter actions against autonomous robots as there are no rules like in robo-cup.

Are you interested in getting one to protect your front garden? Maybe you'd like to watch a movie first and then decide. The soundtrack is available separately. And yes, some computer games need to catch up.

Some links:

• Kampfroboter zum Schutz von Grenzen, Flughäfen oder Pipelines
• Samsung SGR-A1 Security System
• Video
• Biz/Tech: Korea Develops Armed Security Guard Robot
• College of Science and Technology, Korea University: Brining theory to life
• College of Engineering, Korea University: Building a better world
  … reply

Yes, even if it had web-2.0 features and even if it had a webcam so that you can log in remote and have a chat with your grandparents lying down in bed. There is so much research about robots and every now and then I get to read something like this:

In particular, robots that could serve as personal assistants for people -- especially those who are elderly or physically challenged -- are moving from fantasy to the realm of the possible. The rapid progress in computing and the growing body of knowledge in robotics are leading us toward a goal which could have many benefits for society. (link)

As much as I admire the success in this area, like this ball bot, that balances on a ball to move in all directions, I must say: Did anybody ever ask any grandmom or granddad if he would appreciate having one at home? I guess this has not happened because the answer would be deflating.

So why are researchers saying so all the time that mobile robots will have ``may benefits for society''? I seriously doubt that. Have you ever read any science fiction story where those kind of robots did not end up being a nightmare. Hello this is earth calling. Please fix Internet Explorer first and admit that 3D desktops and all this other stuff really does not work out. And I am talking about today, not about any horror fantasy escaping from imagination to reality.

Research is not client-driven but driven by interests ... well and project funding. At any time there is a certain round dance in project lyrics where you have to trigger a set of buzz words meeting the hype. But this ``elderly people being served by mobile robots'' stanza is disgusting. Repeating it does not improve it.

While industrial robots have their place in automation to avoid human interactions, this is no valid criterion for geriatrics or parenting. That's where more human interaction is needed, even if it is difficult to stand balky grannies.

Seriously, if it is trying to protect itself from overheating then that's its own fault, not mine. I want hot coffee and I want it to stay hot. Don't tell me to put it into thermos flask (you are right maybe). I just want it to stay on the heating surface for a couple of minutes until I finished up my first mug and take the rest with the second one. But now this extra intelligent piece of technology comes along and plays its extra features on me. Hell, I don't appreciate that. Thanks, no. Where can I switch off the switch-off.

And no micro wave in sight.