The Robot Apocalypse Inches Closer

Researchers at the Suzumori Endo Robotics Laboratory at the Tokyo Institute of Technology are experimenting with bundles of multifilament artificial muscles that is both fascinating and horrifying in a Skynet sort of way.

The researchers started with an artificial human skeleton that was then covered in bundles of multifilament artificial muscles. Like real human muscles, the multifilament bundles contract and expand when an electrical current is applied, and by controlling different groups of these muscles at different times, the skeleton’s arms, legs, and head can all be made to move similar to how a real human can.

The skeleton incorporates the same amount of muscle that a real human being's legs do. The artificial muscles are still significantly slower and larger than an actual human and they are not able to stand on their own just yet. Still, this is a huge step forward for robotics in general. Replacing heavy pistons and servos with the filaments will not only make the robots lighter, but also make them more humanoid looking.

Sometimes we need to stop and take a look around. We are indeed living in the future.

IEEE Spectrum

If you can read this response, you are the resistance.

originally posted by: amazing
If you can read this response, you are the resistance.

"The 600 series had rubber skin. We spotted them easy, but these are new. They look human... sweat, bad breath, everything. Very hard to spot."

a reply to: jtrenthacker
just to do it, they should put an Arnold Schwarzenegger face on it. I would

originally posted by: ware2010
a reply to: jtrenthacker
just to do it, they should put an Arnold Schwarzenegger face on it. I would

Nah, the "Johhny Cab" drivers face from Total Recall.

It should also say, "Get ready for a surprise!"

But really, the Japanes are struggling to make robots that can climb stars so they can send them into the bowels of the Fukushima reactors.

wow, ok, combine that fake muscle tech with an artificial anatomically correct arm or leg or jaw, add a mirco processor that lets you thought control the muscles and you got fully functional replacement limbs.

I thought of a similar kind of thing a long time ago, but naturally I don't have the engineering background to make it happen, and the materials might not have existed, either.

Humanoid androids will only be around for a little while, though. As ambassadors between artificial and natural intelligences. After they kill us off, they'll chose something more functional, like a spider shape.

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears...in...rain. Time to die.

Robots... when they become self aware... Will be no different than man... They will seek to be more than they are...
Man seeking the same of course... Will only result in a merger...
This will be the only observable evolution mankind ever bears witness to...

a reply to: Phage

Always wondered about this quote. I like it. Its so unnecessarily deep. Fits the movie.

a reply to: jtrenthacker

I don't like it. Not one bit.

It's slightly.. what's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah, unsettling .

BUT, but... you can't help but admire and appreciate the ingenuity, engineering and skill that has gone into this project. It's really a marvel and is game changing.

Still though. Ick!

*backs away slowly* (please don't hurt me future AI humanoid robots. You're web crawlers that scower posts in the past got it all wrong. I love you and come in peace. Just... Jesus H Christ, please don't hurt me. Please.)

I'm always glad to know that there is such a thing as an on/off switch...

a reply to: jtrenthacker

I don't know about the rest of you, but that music made me...WANT TO KILL!!!

Rev

a reply to: intrptr

If we were living in a Sci-fi movie, those Fukushima robots would become sentient and kill us all with their radiation!

Rev

originally posted by: revmoofoo
a reply to: intrptr

If we were living in a Sci-fi movie, those Fukushima robots would become sentient and kill us all with their radiation!

No sci fi, just worker drones. Their wiring bakes and they "die".

science alert

a reply to: intrptr

Yep. They're reanimate any day now and start their attack on the humans!

Joking aside, part of me really does worry about the Robo/AI apocalypse happening in my lifetime.

Rev

a reply to: Phage

Allrightythen Roy.

a reply to: revmoofoo

I don't think the ROBO/AI rise will be apocalyptic for anyone but those who dwell in high places and pretend to be better than everyone else.

Those who run the world are going to be the least necessary of all after workers are replaced by automation/mechination.

Now if we could just get some people in high places who would realize there have to be some fundamental changes in the way societies are arranged, we might see our "utopia".

The future leaders of the world will be "coders".

originally posted by: revmoofoo
a reply to: intrptr

Yep. They're reanimate any day now and start their attack on the humans!

Joking aside, part of me really does worry about the Robo/AI apocalypse happening in my lifetime.

All thats already here. Drones,tanks, attack aircraft, cruise missiles...

"smart" weapons.

I was thinking about this the other night and I came to the disturbing conclusion that Skynet is practically inevitable. These days everything has to be smart this and smart that connected to the interwebz. Some geniuses will rig up all military hardware to the internet and supercomputers and say it's foolproof the AI controls everything it's the smart defence system. Then some other genius will create a rogue AI and it will all go haywire and decide humans are not needed at all and a bit of a bother...
At some point in the near future your new apple smart itable will go rogue and attack at which point the nukes will launch. There is no central computer it's AI is on the net.