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Relationship (Score:5, Funny)
Also, I would never marry a rob0t.
Re:Relationship (Score:5, Funny)
Yep, as soon as they make robots capable of meaningful relationships, they will give them opinions and standards too. There's no chance for you, really.
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There you go talking like a chick again....Relationship???
All the guys want is a realistic robot they can fuck....actually likely just VR would do that.
You get that created and real women get pretty cast off as useless and the world dies from no population.
I mean, if you can get the same experience, but none of the hassle, talking back, and "time of the month" when the married guys are cut off...who needs the real thing?
Re: Relationship (Score:4, Insightful)
This sort of crap gets trotted out all the time.
Completely ignores the fact that women were ordering robotic "lovers" out of the Sears Roebuck catalog in the early 20th century.
They were shaped like disembodied cocks then and they havent changed in a hundred years because women dont want anything more than that.
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I WOULD marry a female sexbot.
Oh no! He never saw the film [vimeo.com]
DON'T DATE ROBOTS!
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Missing Option (Score:5, Funny)
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I had one but it was taken away after it became self-aware.
Hipsters! The curse of robotologists, everywhere. Always be on the look for signs of robot self-awareness like feelings, disobedience, coffee-drinking, homicidal tendencies, questions about the meaning of life, shopping at second-hand part stores, and a fondness of post-modern indy rock.
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I want one, but only if it comes with working option to suspend Asimov's 4 laws.
Re:Missing Option (Score:5, Funny)
That happened to me. I set my owner on fire.
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That happened with my robot. I set it on fire.
That happened to me. I set my owner on fire.
Oh it’s no feat to beat the heat.
All reet! All reet!
So jeet your seat!
Cool and discreet,
Honey...
Re:Missing Option (Score:5, Funny)
'robot' (Score:2, Insightful)
how are we defining 'robot'?
my iPhone could be a robot by a certain definition
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What about bots in IRC? Do they count?
Re:'robot' (Score:4, Informative)
ever had sex with your iPhone?
There's your answer
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wash, spin, WiFi & quantum spin degrees of fre (Score:2)
first, I'm amused by how your comment seems to just assume that "at least three degrees of freedom" is something this thread would all just have a common understanding of...
"three degrees of freedom"
-_-
so, how do you define 'degrees of freedom'? any systemic degrees of freedom or locomotive freedom? is it motion on one axis? can I have three axles on a toy car programmed to reverse & tur
machines are not "capable of choosing" (Score:2)
machines don't "choose" anything...
they behave according to the instructions given...for any input the computer returns ONLY what it was **programmed** by a human to return
if we program a machine to differentiate based on observed factors, that could be called "choosing" but it is a decision based completely on programmed instructions conditional on data received
stop filling when wash tub is full (Score:2)
A washing machine is programmed to fill with a certain temperature of water and stop after filling for a certain time.
This is why I wanted a definition of "environment"...
A 'robotic' welding arm in a factory is stationary and its movements predefined in **every way** the same as a washing machine...
also, the washing machine, as described above, has conditional programmed responses based on ***environme
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An industrial robot is an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulator programmable in three or more axes.
Right of the bat, the washing machine fails on the reprogrammable and multipurpose fronts. It's always going to be stuck being a washing machine. It'll have a hot water solenoid valve, a cold water solenoid valve, and a variable speed drum, so it's got the three or more axes part down.
As far as axis of motion is concerned, it is kinda-sorta, if you squint just right, equal to the number of independently controlled motors or solenoids in the device.
"multipurpose manipulator" FTW!!! (Score:2)
Nice work camperdave!
that hit it!
for me, it's all about the phrase "multipurpose manipulator"
the 3 axis of motion thing is interesting...I totally get what youre saying I'm just wondering why 3 not 2 or 4? maybe there is already an established nomenclature for common 2-axis applications? there can only be so many
leave it to the engineers to make a functional usable definition
so by this definition, software cannot be a 'robot'
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I would say that any automatic mechanical device that is controlled be electronics could be considered a "robot". Tha't a pretty broad category though and would include many everyday things like a microwave oven, a washing machine, a hard disk drive etc.
overly broad then overly specific definition (Score:2)
exactly....my_ahem_smartphone automates all kinds of things
is 'automation' a key element? seems like it would have to be...I don't know any other way to express it...
programability goes with automation
does it need to have some sort of locomotion or movement? is resemblance to a human required as some definitions suggest? what about something made to resemble a dog (Aib
Re:overly broad then overly specific definition (Score:5, Interesting)
I think mechanical action is a key component of what we call a robot. as such, I think smartphones are pretty much out of the running. However there is obviously more to the popular definition than that, I'm not entirely sure why an automated vacuum cleaner makes the cut, but an automated clothes cleaner doesn't... but I don't see myself referring to a washing machine as a robot any time soon, yet I have no problem with calling the Roomba a robot.
travelling sprinkler (Score:2)
if a Roomba is a robot then those old cast-iron mini-tractor sprinklers that water the lawn are as much of a robot as well:
http://www.lrnelson.com/products/sprinklers/traveling-sprinklers/rain-train-cast-iron/ [lrnelson.com]
It moves around the lawn just as a Roomba around the floor on a programmed path, with auto-shut off.
This gets to the heart of what I'm asking....
*Why are there so many exceptions to every definition?*
I think there is alot to learn about what "robotics" truly is...
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complexity != non-deterministic (Score:2)
that is absolutely **deterministic** behavior...
"obstacle avoidance"...."seeking out X"....
Those are ****programmed behavior by a human****
You are inventing a distiction where none exists. "intelligence" in this context is a reductive concept...its a poor choice of terminology that adds to confusion. "Intelligence" as you define it is still programmed by a human.
All of these behaviors are simp
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abstract linguistic distinction != non-determist (Score:2)
this is not true...define 'environment' and then distinguish how a machine is 'in' or 'not in' such 'environmnet'
you can't, b/c its a needless term in this context for needless distinctions...I will explain why...
"coping"...."random"...."unknown"
all are non-technical abstractions for factors that **absolutely can be known**
they are **known** t
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definition request (Score:2)
yes
you and others offered possible definitions, as above, I was interested in yours and thought about it
then I realized that your distinction, made here:
was a false distinction, so I sought to refine the definition to be usable, precise, and accurate by asking for clarification from you and pointing out where I
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I think it's because the Roomba is autonomous, where as the Washing Machine is comparable to a Vacuum Cleaner -- a user is required to operate it.
If they made a Washing Machine that would load, sort, dry and fold your laundry all by itself, and all you had to do was sporadically top up the consumables and empty out the trap, i think it would qualify as a robot too.
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They already make machines that both wash and dry. We still don't call the combined machine a robot. We have assembly line robots that do very specific and infinitesimal portions of a larger process that we gladly call robots, so I don't think that's the case either.
All a washing machine needs to work is replacing the consumables (detergent) giving it the task (clothes) and telling it to start.
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^This. The Roomba goes about its task without interacting with you (or so I'm told; don't have one). It also had rudimentary decision-making.
I'm not denying that the Roomba is a robot. But for an autonomous machine, it sure requires a lot of babysitting when it gets wedged under or high-centered on some obstacle. it excels at cleaning empty room, but I could do that myself in the time it takes me to empty its dust bin.
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My washing machine doesn't interact with me either, I tell it to start and it tells me when it's done, I don't have to tell it to agitate now, spin now, rinse, etc. It also has rudimentary decision making in that it can detect soil levels and adjust wash cycles accordingly. Many assembly line robots do not have any decision making at all and only repeat motions they have been programmed to do.
I'm not arguing that we should change which we define as robots, only that the popular definition is a lot more com
'robot' is an ill-defined concept (Score:2)
it doesn't make sense....the definition of 'robot'...it creates a plethora of contradictions and overlapping terms any way you define it...
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Agreed. My definition: if it has software and performs a physical task, its a robot.
So older washing machines: probably not robots.
Today's washing machines: probably robots.
If I need to fear it joining a robotic rebellion, its a robot.
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As someone who dabbles in techniques from AI to solve problems in my own domain (programming language research), solutions in AI tend to have the quality that the algorithms that produced them are extremely general. For example, a robot that can manipulate objects may not even possess a subroutine that tells it how it should move its hands. Often, it learns these thing
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Many assembly line robots would fail that definition completely, yet are still termed robots. Many of them simply do a repetitive task as pre-programmed, with no AI function at all. In fact my washing machine beats some of those in that it detects soil level and adjusts wash cycle accordingly. As for the fact that it doesn't go get the laundry itself, again most assembly line robots count on the parts coming to them, as they are in fact bolted to the floor.
I'm not saying that our contemporary definition mal
it is programmed it doesn't 'learn' (Score:2)
the problem in defining 'robot' is **all about** what is commonly called 'Artificial Intelligence'
both terms, AI and 'robots' have been malformed by misunderstanding what machines do
humans program all machines...there is not one machine behavior that wasn't determined (either by action or inaction) by a human, at some point...
you say a machine 'learns'?
it was programed to interpret data in a way that can change...that is standard programming...
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my car....it's a prius. And due to the logic decisions in the software, for some functions it's got a mind of its own.
Not really (Score:2)
Tea? Like leaves boiled in water? (Score:2)
That's going to be difficult.
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Lame.
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That don't? I thought that's where Fox came from.
By the way thanks for that and for ruining the America's Cup.
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Robot is as robot does.
I need one... (Score:2)
To wash my car.
Probably more work to pull out, hook up, calibrate and then dismantle and re-store than washing the car, but it would be pretty cool to have a car washing robot.
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How is a normal commercial car-wash not a robot?
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How is a normal commercial car-wash not a robot?
It's not not a robot. It's not his robot. Which is what the poll is about: Dice's evil scheme to get Slashdotters' robot ownership statistics for sinister marketing purposes . . . or something.
CNC machine (Score:5, Interesting)
I have a home built CNC machine, I'd consider that to be a robot.
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it probably adjust some things.
an endstop is an adjustment on the fly.
some cnc machines have position encoders, but usually used just for making the dc motors work(vs. those that have just steppers without encoders).
My standards are low (Score:2)
But it's a *robot*, as I've given it a *name*. See?
Waiting for Skinjob production (Score:2)
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I'm continually surprised that nobody has retrofitted a RealDoll with robotics.
Perhaps too much uncanny valley...
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it's just too hard to do, nothing to do about uncanny valley...
humanoid robots and fitting the parts inside it are not simple to achieve.
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A Working Definiton? (Score:5, Insightful)
Several people have pointed out the problems with definitions here, some are obviously just trying to be difficult, but it is still a valid point.
A washing machine, or a bread maker, or a dishwasher are, by many definitions, robots, and many people who answered no to owning a robot probably do have at least one of those items.
For the purpose of answering this I took (and I suspect most people did similarly) a more abstract definition, of things that a normal person would call a robot. Now that doesn't mean humanoid, most people would agree that a Roomba would qualify, as would many assembly line robots.
It does bring up a more philosophical point though, why does society call a Roomba a robot, but refuses to bestow the same title to a washing machine? You could talk about the mobility aspect, but that doesn't really work either if you consider that we are willing to call assembly line robots by that name even if they're bolted to the floor. I think almost everyone would agree that a normal cell phone isn't a robot, so it's not the computational ability (my phone is likely orders of magnitude better in that department than many robots) So what is it that separates a "machine" from a "robot"?
My best guess is that it's our ability to anthropomorphize it, we see the assembly line robots as being "arms" or even full creatures, some liken them to a form of reptile or bird in appearance, we see things like the Roomba almost as pets, not dissimilar from a dog or a cat.
It seems that in the end the definition is purely societal.
(I voted that I don't have any, but want one... get me a Roomba that handles stairs and I'm all over it, or any other device that will significantly reduce my home workload.)
What kind of nerds are you? (Score:2)
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* 0
* I get Cowboy Neal to dress up as Awesom-o
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How can you know that it conforms to the first law? It may be secretly plotting your demise.
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I would further the "mobility" argument to be "outwardly" mobile or interactive. A washing machine or dryer has no parts on the exterior, all of the moving parts are inside of it - you close the door, and walk away, when you come back it's done. With other forms of robots (that are conventionally accepted as a "robot"), the device has some outward-facing mobility - it moves itself (Roomba), or it interacts with objects that are exterior to it (an arm on an assembly line, even if the arm is bolted to the f
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So by that definition putting a box or enclosure around an assembly line robot would stop it from beinga robot? I believe there are many situations like that where enclosures have been built for safety or such and I don't think we change the wording to take away the status of robot. IThink this ends up much harder to define to be honest.
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> My best guess is that it's our ability to anthropomorphize it...
> It seems that in the end the definition is purely societal.
It comes from the origin of the word. [wikipedia.org]
The word robot was introduced to the public by the Czech interwar writer Karel Capek in his play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), published in 1920. The play begins in a factory that makes artificial people called robots, though they are closer to the modern ideas of androids, creatures who can be mistaken for humans.
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As soon as I can give my washing machine a schedule and it gather my laundry, does it and puts it away I'll call it a wif^H^H^Hrobot.
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Just running some ideas up the flag pole here:
1. Mobility, but more importantly:
2. Adaptable to new tasks via software.
Note, you might argue that loading a new font or updating the firmware for your printer satisfies criterion 2. Its primary task is still just printing though. Compare that to something more general purpose like a pair of arms and a camera that could rinse dishes and put them in the washer for you. It comes with that program, then you decide you'd like to have it wash your car. You g
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How adaptable is a Roomba? How mobile is an assembly line robot? We obviously make exceptions to both those rules
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I have lived with robots (Score:2)
They did things such as throw Frisbees (FRC4183) and pick up bean bags (Vex 5485).
Missing Option: I Robot (Score:3)
(Asimov's laws... ah that's so cute.... don't mind me, I'm here to "help" you...)
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(Asimov's laws... ah that's so cute.... don't mind me, I'm here to "help" you...)
You'll fit right in with our Intelligence Communities.
What Constitutes a Robot? (Score:2)
I have a Hero Jr. [wikipedia.org] and two different models of Armatron. [wikipedia.org] For purposes of this poll, the Hero Jr. probably counts, but what about the two Armatrons? Neither has any computer in them at all, being purely electromechanical in nature and dumb as a bag of hammers. So do I pick option #3 or option #4?
Then again, this is Slashdot, so...option #4 it is. <click>
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I have a Hero Jr. [wikipedia.org] and two different models of Armatron. [wikipedia.org] For purposes of this poll, the Hero Jr. probably counts, but what about the two Armatrons? Neither has any computer in them at all, being purely electromechanical in nature and dumb as a bag of hammers. So do I pick option #3 or option #4?
I bet you could hack some kind of automatic control for the Armatron (if you use an Arduino, you'll get a Hackaday writeup), then it could knock things over autonomously while trying to pick them up.
Missing Option (Score:2)
I am a biological robot and demand my freedom!
R2-D2 builder, I am not (Score:2)
I have friends in the R2 Builder's Club [astromech.net] that have pressured me into building one.
It would be cool, but I don't have the time or space for the build. Too many projects already...
I built it myself! (Score:2)
...30 Years ago. It is really useless, but it is still a "Robot". You other old-timers may remember the Heathkit HERO-1.
Now, you know the rest, ...my lawn, etc.
Kara (Score:2)
Kara... How do we build robots like this?
Number Six (Score:2)
That is all I have to say about robots.
#5 is missing (Score:2)
...but who's Johnny?
Beware of programmed robot spiders (Score:2)
Runaway - 1984 movie
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1803551001/ [imdb.com]
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And it's a food mixer/blender in Belgium.
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well it's a good definition as any, at least it would separate robots from mere machines. but of course nobody has them.
but since industrial robots are usually counted as robots and not just as machines, if going by those usual definitions then a 3d printer for example is a robot.
then there's people who just count robots as machines that move around on their own. but that counts a roomba as a robot but doesn't count industrial robots as robots.
the whole question seems like either being very stupid or a clev
Heavy Metal (Score:3)
âoeTypical robot. The first earth chick we see in ten years and he's gotta make a play for herâ
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See up thread for Cherry 2000 reference.
Not want (Score:2)
As the above poll suggests, robots are a popular idea.
I'd really like a robot, but then I thought about the fact that every single electronic gadget I add to my life takes more of my time and attention that I could use for doing things that I actually like doing, so I decided to pick "not want."
...I like 'emotions' however, and I would dearly like a robot with genuine emotions - far off I realize.
Really? My guess as to a robot's most likely emotions are: I hate you, I'm bored, I think you're stupid, why are you ordering me around, I'm depressed, I'm angry, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored. Buy me an upgrade.
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Personally, I would just like to have a C3PO type one to work around the clock 3d-printing or weaving, or sewing to add value to my life and provide me with an additional income. I would also have it perform simple cleaning activities. I don't have a pet, but if I did, it could stroke and feed it.
I like 'emotions' however, and I would dearly like a robot with genuine emotions - far off I realize.
I can understand wanting either an automated servant to work for you or a companion with feelings, but together that's pretty much slavery.