Giving Avatars Real Bodies

trogador writes "Researchers are working to associate online avatars with physical bodies, connecting virtual reality robots with steel and software counterparts. The unification of software and mobility like this results in the so-called 'Ubibot' (ubiquitous robot), which the researchers predict is the future of interactive robotics. In the future, avatars on your pc/cell/pda screen may be able to bring you your tea or scratch your back. 'Two key components of the interface involve the sensor mapper and behavior mapper. The sensor mapper helps Rity get physical (ultrasound) sensor information from Mybot, enabling the virtual avatar to use physical information. The behavior mapper helps Rity actually perform physical behaviors using Mybot in a real environment, enabling the avatar to interact physically with human beings in real environments.'"

The end of the world.

[Oriumpor (446718)]

In a particularly memorable SeaQuest DSV the world is destroyed by two huge Robotech style robots and they are still running around when the crew gets to the end of time vis a vis the mobius. Turns out it's two kids playing a video game in the same room controlling the robots that destroyed humanity.

Re:

[innerweb (721995)]

I remember some cheesy scifi flick that had a robotic *wife* called the Cherry 2000. I remember thinking how sad to be a person that had so little human interaction. Now, I read and post on slashdot, and they are talking about Avatars that pretty much do the same things. I'm nor really sure how to take this. It almost sounds like 2 steps forward and three steps back.

InnerWeb

Re:

[morethanapapercert (749527)]

you must have missed the earlier story today on Slashdot where it was speculated that someday we may be able to actually fall in love with sex bots!

Rommie!

[jdigriz (676802)]

Andromeda Ascendant, is that you?

Great!

[jtroutman (121577)]

Now I won't ever have to leave WoW to get food or drinks! Can the avatar shower for me, too?

Re:Great!

[badboy_tw2002 (524611)]

Why would you shower? If you play an orc, you should smell like an orc. This is ROLE PLAYING dammit!

Ultimate outsourcing

[wurp (51446)]

I thought of this some time ago, but for outsourcing. Imagine if you could pay $4000 for a ubibot, then pay someone in the third world $0.50 an hour to do housework, yard work, etc. for you through a VR interface.

They get a safe job that pays reasonably for their area, and you get cheap labor.

Re:

[geekoid (135745)]

Imagine when I have your Unibot bringing all your items to a secret spot while you are at work...

Re:

[MSTCrow5429 (642744)]

No thanks, I don't want some lawless guy I've never met before from a third world hole using a robot to paw through my personal data.

Re:

[Belial6 (794905)]

They don't need a robot to paw through your personal data. Your point still stands though on them pawing through your personal property though.

Hide the children

[MSTCrow5429 (642744)]

"...enabling the avatar to interact physically with human beings in real environments."

We all know where this is leading to...

Re:Hide the children

[complete loony (663508)]

Finally a device I can use to stab someone in the face over the internet.

Pikers!

[Bullfish (858648)]

Scratch my back? Bring me beer? Make with the sexbot like other scientists promised and I'll use a stick and put my beer in a cooler nearby.

Another step towards Ted Kaczynski's nightmare?

[BearRanger (945122)]

So the Unibomber manifesto could someday be read as prophecy after all...

Sounds kind of cool... for the East

[solar_blitz (1088029)]

I've got mixed feelings. Yeah, having a real-life thing to be your companion sounds nice but if you want that kind of companionship you might want to get a real pet. Then again in areas like South Korea and Japan - where these things would likely flourish - people don't own pets that much. Here's where I can see this going: for a group of nations whose children grew up watching things like Astro Boy, of course they'd have an appreciation of this real world robot/digital world avatar. But we westerners having been raised on I, Robot have a negative outlook on robotics.

Are we robophobic in the United States?

What did you call me?

[dangitman (862676)]

Oh, ok. I thought you said "romo".

They are called Replicons....

[o0OSABO0o (937312)]

and cleaning them up is a very, very messing business. Just ask Harrison Ford.

Re:

[Speare (84249)]

The word used in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner is 'replicant.' This word doesn't appear in the PKD book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, by the way.

Re:

[proverbialcow (177020)]

Okay, so I asked him, and he didn't want to talk about it.

Exercise

[peektwice (726616)]

Given that this is Slashdot, and the only exercise that "some" (not all... I didn't say all...) Slashdotters get is in the jackatorium, obesity among Slashdotters on average is only going to escalate, if we develop a robot that will do it (punch the munchkin) for them. See this article [slashdot.org] for further reference. Get a girlfriend. A real one. Even if she's not Princess Leia.

Re:

[ChaoticLimbs (597275)]

That was my thought exactly. If this technology were implemented, how long would it be before some cracker used a robot to kill someone while they slept or something?

Re:

[FLEB (312391)]

Well, it depends... did you intend to kill the real person? Was this chain of events an expected response? If so, you're using the robot like a tool, so it would be your "fault". If this was the expected response of your command to the robot, but you were unaware of that, you could be said to be negligently responsible. However, if this was an unpublished bug of the huggy killbot, I doubt many would consider you the one responsible.

WARNING: Unsafe site, add block lists.

[sethstorm (512897)]

Link leads to known shock site.

Re:

[Original Replica (908688)]

The sad thing is I'm probably going to be modded funny for this.

Or maybe modded redundant. http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2007/me_israel_06_07.asp [worldtribune.com]

Re:

[PayPaI (733999)]

I was gonna post just one, but just take your pick [wikiquote.org]