Animal Robots

hamlet2600 writes "The New York Time is running an article all about how animal like robots [Soul Sucking registration required] are beginning to become more imporant in furthering research. For years reseachers have been trying to make humanoid robots, Honda's ASIMO, MIT's M2 are some notable ones. It seems that more and more researchers are turning to the animal kingdom for "simpler" means of locomotion."

Well

[illuminata]

You could model robots after sheep. That would make the question of "Do androids dream of electric sheep?" a bit more complex.

Yet again, there's another question that would deserve an answer. Do engineers get lonely like farmers do?

Missing option...

[Anonymous Coward]

Robotic penguin anyone?

Missing feature

[Zorilla]

I await the day when they add the ability for the robot dogs to sniff each other's power supply when they meet.

Interesting

[Marco_polo]

Would the robot pets 'download' onto your carpet when you aren't home?

Re:Always at Neuroscience

[StevenHenderson]

Every neuroscience conference I go to has at least one or two animal like robots.

So does Toys 'R Us.

Re:Missing feature

[forsythe450]

Hopefully they'll also be able to lick their own dongle.

Organic power sources

[jstave]

All they have to do is combine these concepts with the Robot that eats flies [slashdot.org] and we'll have invented the toad!

Just think, the article's mention of that Disney robot dinosaur:

...nine-foot dinosaur robot named Lucky that sometimes roams the Disney theme parks.

...could have the phrase "...eating the occasional visitor." added to it.

Re:Always at Neuroscience

[AndroidCat]

Were their papers and presentations any good?

Who do you want to attract?

[underpar]

"I would wager, however, that a robotic dog would be quite a bit less effective in attracting ladies."

That's what I'm saying. Bring puppy to the park and you attract girls. Bring a robot and you attract nerds.