Robots to Rid Us of Cockroaches? 383
unassimilatible writes "It behaves like a cockroach. It smells like a cockroach. It is accepted by other cockroaches. But it is not a cockroach. It is a robot and scientists say its invention is a breakthrough in mankind's struggle to control the animal kingdom. The Sunday Times is reporting on a cool form of robotics, impersonating (inanimalnating?) animals. Leurre is a project on building and controlling mixed societies composed of animals and artificial agents. Within a decade, its inventors believe, it will be leading the unwanted pests out of dark kitchen corners, to where they can be eliminated. Additionally, they say they will soon be using robots to stop sheep jumping off cliffs and to encourage chickens to take exercise. Schematics, tools, and pictures here. Apparently, cockroaches do not wear tinfoil hats, as they are not smart enough to be suspicious of box-shaped circuit boards with an antennae sticking out."
The Mighty Drosophila Robot? (Score:5, Funny)
I would like to see a little drosophila robot lead all of the confounded fruit flies out of my kitchen and into the wild! (although I'm not sure where they'll put the batteries for that one)
If I could control the little robot, I might be tempted to send them right down the drain into my neighbour's place!
I see this as an excellent way to control animals, keep them off of roads and away from harm, but if I have to buy a robot dog to control my real dog, I might just buy a robot dog and leave it at that!
But then... (Score:5, Funny)
No tinfoil-hats for cockroaches? (Score:5, Funny)
New market opportunity:
Yeah....... (Score:5, Funny)
no.
score one for mother nature.
Robot Fight Club (Score:5, Funny)
At first I thought -Who will think of the roaches? (Score:5, Funny)
They need robots for this? (Score:5, Funny)
Or a... fence.
Re:But then... (Score:2, Funny)
The First Terminator (Score:5, Funny)
Human models should be available in a few decades.
Poor Chickens (Score:5, Funny)
...Please leave the chickens alone, they have enough of a problem running from the farmer when his wife is out of town.
I'll really be impressed... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The Mighty Drosophila Robot? (Score:2, Funny)
Coming soon to a supermarket near you (Score:3, Funny)
You forgot... (Score:4, Funny)
and then
8. Lobby Congress to pass legislation granting a legal tinfoil-hat monopoly to prevent piracy of copyrighted hat design
9. Sue cockroaches who buy their tinfoil from "bootleg" foil distributors in Hong Kong or over the internet
10. ???
Re:The Mighty Drosophila Robot? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:At first I thought -Who will think of the roach (Score:1, Funny)
We need robot republicans.
It's not that hard to program, republicans don't believe in moral ambiguity or accountability. So you don't even have to program the fuzzy logic thing.
And make sure to make a Bill Gates Bot. (-;
Sheep (Score:5, Funny)
Oh No!! (Score:3, Funny)
Oh God! I just stomped on my $1,200 Robo-Roach!! Arrrgggghhh!
Do those cubic robots remind you of anything? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:"And then the Cyborgs came." (Score:5, Funny)
I just realized how many movies and books could be greatly improved by adding that line to the end narration.
Re:The Mighty Drosophila Robot? (Score:5, Funny)
The Martin Niemöller Perspective (Score:4, Funny)
and I did not speak out
because I was not a cockroach.
Then they came for the sheep
and I did not speak out
because I was not a sheep.
Then they came for the chickens
and I did not speak out
because I was not a chicken.
Then they came for the humans
and there were only robots left
and none would speak out for me.
Bagpipe music solves it. (Score:1, Funny)
Bagpipe music provides a simple solution to the problem of areas being infested by roaches.
Play bagpipe music in area.
Humans are repulsed, moving to what is likely a roach-free area.
Roaches stay in human-free area: if they can survive nuclear winter, there is a good chance that they can survive bagpipes too.
Roaches and humans now live happily in separate places.
Re:But then... (Score:5, Funny)
Sheesh, that's a silly question...Why, the governor of California, of course...
Re:why dominate the animal kingdom (Score:5, Funny)
Re:But then... (Score:5, Funny)
Lisa: But aren't the snakes even worse?
Skinner: Yes, but we're prepared for that. We've lined up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat.
Lisa: But then we're stuck with gorillas!
Skinner: No, that's the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death.
-Colin [colingregorypalmer.net]
Re:Robot Fight Club (Score:3, Funny)
A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
The second rule of Robot Fight Club is:
A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
The third rule of Robot Fight Club is:
A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
The fourth rule of Robot Fight CLub is:
A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Re:Yeah....... (Score:5, Funny)
The cockroaches stood on a hill
Looking out over the ruins of a once great civilization
Each with the same thought in his little mind
"Damn, they sure made good chocolate chip cookies."
--Arthur Clayton Crafsee
KFG
Re:Addressing the symptom not the problem? (Score:1, Funny)
If you developed little robots to pick up all all those food crumbs and eliminate any spills and puddles, the Cockroaches won't prosper.
As seen on the 5th Element, that will happen; you'll have a lot of cleaning robots, and the cockroach robots will be refurbished to serve as remote controlled bugs (pun intended).
Hmmmm, I've probably seen that movie too many times... multipass.
Problem: The wrong pest? (Score:5, Funny)
One possibility is to target mice or rats. They're prolific, but being mammals are less so than roaches. Unfortunately, they're pretty damn smart and might be able to foil or avoid these robots (finding particular crannies in the wall it can't reach, for example). Also, from a public relations standpoint, a robot that snuffs fur covered rodents would probably spill enough blood to freak out a homeowner. And if the thing botched the job and only maimed the little guys, you'd be stuck with a thousand grossed out homeowners complaining about mice with partially amputated limbs crawling across their new carpet.
Ironically, one of the best choices might be the pests that act more like robots than any other: ants. The tough part of taking them out is tracing them all the way back to the nest, which might be inside a wall or foundation crack. A robot that could track them inside walls, etc. and then do a quick one shot of poison spray to get the queen would be perfect. Ants may be as prolific as roaches, but the queen is the only fertile one in the nest. Get her and it's "game over, man!"
Re:No fan of cockroaches (Score:1, Funny)
You are on crack, try visiting any home in the inner city, or in the very warm southern states.
Re:The First Terminator (Score:3, Funny)
robots to rid us of geeks and nerds (Score:2, Funny)
They could control the nerd/geek kingdom! Oh, no! where is my tinfoil hat when I need it!
Re:Robot Fight Club (Score:1, Funny)
And the second rule of Robot Fight Club is 01011001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100100 01101111 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 00100000 01110100 01100001 01101100 01101011 00100000 01100001 01100010 01101111 01110101 01110100 00100000 01010010 01101111 01100010 01101111 01110100 00100000 01000110 01101001 01100111 01101000 01110100 00100000 01000011 01101100 01110101 01100010 00100001.
Re:The Mighty Drosophila Robot? (Score:3, Funny)
inanimalnating? (Score:3, Funny)
Thank You
Usage Enforcement Agency,
Large Brutish Person Division
Re:No fan of cockroaches (Score:3, Funny)
The things you learn on /. (Score:3, Funny)
Is this a big problem? I've never heard of it but there could be a lot of reasons for sheep cliff divers. They get drunk with their hoodlum buddies and start showing off, I'm not sure. But when you think about it there aren't a lot of sheep singing It's A Wonderful Life. You stand around eating grass all day, constantly on the alert for predators, then once a year you get man handled by some smelly guy who shaves all your fur off. That's all fine and dandy, then one day you get to go for a ride in the trailer that ends up at the slaughter house and you're nothing but mutton chops after that, baby.
Yeah, I think I'd opt for the cliff myself. At least you've got a chance that way. You could wash up on the island of lost sheep. But I guess that's another movie.
Mom, Wait! (Score:2, Funny)
* Cruunnnccchhhh! *
Mom: "Got it! Now, Son, what is your invention?"
Kid: "Doh! Ah forget it."
Re:They need robots for this? (Score:2, Funny)
Too much pron? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Thanks! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Thanks! (Score:3, Funny)
Yes, but you catch more flies with honey... :)
At that point... (Score:3, Funny)
While all of this is playing out, I'll just be searching for a very large shoe.
Then... (Score:1, Funny)