Robotic Mold 118
Canis Lupus writes to mention that researchers from the University of West England are designing the world's first biological robot, constructed from mold. The robot, "Plasmobot," will be created using vegetative slime mold called plasmodium (Physarum polycephalum) that is commonly found in forests, gardens, and most damp places in the UK. "This new plasmodium robot, called plasmobot, will sense objects, span them in the shortest and best way possible, and transport tiny objects along pre-programmed directions. The robots will have parallel inputs and outputs, a network of sensors and the number crunching power of super computers. The plasmobot will be controlled by spatial gradients of light, electro-magnetic fields and the characteristics of the substrate on which it is placed. It will be a fully controllable and programmable amorphous intelligent robot with an embedded massively parallel computer."
The picture in the article ... (Score:3, Funny)
Good marketing team (Score:3, Funny)
Controlling them? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:And? (Score:5, Funny)
Allergies! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Cold Sweats (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Molderama (Score:4, Funny)
I noticed a tiny mistake in TFS. Since it's British, they should have spelled it "mould", becauuse American mold is so different. British mold doesn't even have color -- it has colours.
Re:And? (Score:3, Funny)
"Hackers used banned mould robots to conquer cheese factories in Wisconsin and France. News at Eleven.
Looking down, the plate of nachos you ordered suddenly doesn't look so appealing. It looks less appealing as it leaps up from the plate, tortilla chips poking your eye and jalapenos forcing their way down your throat.
Roll for initiative, please.
Meh (Score:3, Funny)
Re:AD&D Comes to Life (Score:3, Funny)
Well I, for one... (Score:2, Funny)
I, for one, welcome our new smelly, slimy, moldy robotic overlords....ewww....
I'm rich!!! (Score:3, Funny)
Cough, cough (Score:2, Funny)
Is it appropriate to lichen this bizarre construction to a robot? And I have to wonder whether it would be constructed from custom built components, or would they would have to come from a mold.
ObNethack (Score:5, Funny)
..@F.....
.........
You hit the brown mold. You are suddenly very cold!
Beowulf cluster... (Score:3, Funny)
or moldy loaf of sliced bread? You decide!
Re:Good marketing team (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Cough, cough (Score:3, Funny)
In spite of what some sour little "toad's tool" with mod points and a lack of morels seems to believe, Slashdot always has shroom for a little humour.
Re:And? (Score:3, Funny)
Roll for initiative, please.
Man, if there's ever a situation where I'd be okay with the GM assuming I'm caught off guard, it's when my own plate of nachos leaps up and attacks my face. The only way I could be more surprised would be if the Long Island Ice Tea I bought tried to sober me up.