Robot Round-Up

[Cochise]

No robots in this but I'm pretty shocked by the amount of homeless people in my part of N.London. There's definitely more in the past year or so. Under the railway bridge near the train station there's now a small encampment. It's a grotty place on a main road with pigeons roosting above & people walking by, but drier than outside.

What's especially shocking is the increase in quite young people on the streets. There's a girl of about 20 regularly in the bridge encampment. I had a brief chat with a lad of about 16 - 19 begging outside Tesco on a bitterly cold night. He had no income & couldn't claim benefits without an address & was trying to raise £12.50 for a night in the YMCA. Said he'd been sleeping in the park the last few nights. He said someone had dangled a tenner in front of him then when he'd gone to take it, the guy snatched it away & called him a dirty cunt.

He seemed to have a bleak future. Nowhere to live, no chance of finding somewhere with no money. All he can do is beg & hope to get enough for a room for the night or try to find a squat somewhere if he hasn't got family or friends to help. There's another guy in the same predicament probably late 20s early 30s who begs regularly outside where I work to get enough for shelter for the night. I've seen him go downhill in about a year. These truly are desperate times for those people who slip through the net.

I was equally shocked last time I visited my hometown. Had a chat with a couple of guys in their 20's who were camped in a shop doorway. Something's gone badly wrong.

 

[Anonymous-50446]

the GPS has to be severed ASAP.

Just wrap the thing in foil and cart it off.

 

[Swifty]

Just wrap the thing in foil and cart it off.

Foil .. yes. And magnets.

 

[RaM]

It looks about the right size to be covered by a metal dust bin.

 

[Anonymous-50446]

It looks about the right size to be covered by a metal dust bin.

Job done then. Dustbin over the top, two paving slabs on the bin. Robot neutralised.

 

[Frasier Buddolph]

Oh sure, take away the robot's ability to earn a living, then what?

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/R_7LcNmerv4/maxresdefault.jpg

 

[Xanatic*]

Exactly, robots are people too.

 

[Yithian]

I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand.

Robots are people so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully...

:domo:

 

[RaM]

Na robots are organ donors for the next project.
look on it as rebirth.

 

[Swifty]

Yeah, but would you let your daughter marry one ? ..

 

[Kondoru]

Notice what sort of organisation is doing this

 

[Naughty_Felid]

Robots vs. the Homeless: Did anyone else think, "Yeah, I'd go & see that."?

maximus otter

I'm assuming you are joking but I wouldn't. i was appalled by Bumfights having seen enough drug-induced/drunken scrapping in RL.

 

[ramonmercado]

Robots are on their way to passing gym class.

The design of a new life-size bot named Kengoro closely resembles the anatomy of a teenage boy in body proportion, skeletal and muscular structure, and joint flexibility, researchers report online December 20 in Science Robotics. Compared with previous humanoid robots with more rigid, bulky bodies, Kengoro’s anatomically inspired design gives the bot a wide range of motion to perform humanlike, full-body exercises.

Constructed by Masayuki Inaba, an engineer at the University of Tokyo, and colleagues, Kengoro has a multi-jointed spine that allows the robot to curl into a sit-up or do back extensions. The bot’s arms are limber enough to execute various stretches or swing a badminton racket. And its artificial muscles are strong enough that Kengoro can stand on tiptoe or do push-ups. Batteries in each leg power Kengoro through about 20 minutes of exercise at a time, and water seeping from inside Kengoro’s metal skeleton like sweat keeps the motors of the artificial muscles cool while the bot works out.

Such a nimble robot that so closely imitates human movement and anatomy is “very unique,” says Luis Sentis, an engineer at the University of Texas at Austin not involved in the work. Building more humanlike robots could lead to the development of more sophisticated prosthetics or more realistic crash-test dummies that make humanlike reflexive movements during an accident.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/boy-robot-passes-agility-tests

Vid at link.

 

[Spudrick68]

I wanted to see the smug little turd who made a fortune from bumfights get into one with a cage fighter. Not nice i know, but it would have been karma.

 

[Clear Light]

I was equally shocked last time I visited my hometown. Had a chat with a couple of guys in their 20's who were camped in a shop doorway. Something's gone badly wrong.

It's called a Tory government, and it will only get worse with Brexshit.

 

[Yithian]

It's called a Tory government, and it will only get worse with Brexshit.

http://forum.forteantimes.com/index.php?threads/politics-on-the-ftmb.62865/

 

[Clear Light]

http://forum.forteantimes.com/index.php?threads/politics-on-the-ftmb.62865/

That's not politics, just pointing out the obvious truth.

 

[Swifty]

The Ketchupbot 2000 .. magnificent

 

[Mythopoeika]

I don't think I'll be buying one.

 

[Nemo]

CES 2018: LG robot Cloi repeatedly fails on stage at unveil

A robot created by LG to help users control their smart home repeatedly failed on stage at its CES debut.

Cloi was meant to be the centrepiece of the South Korean firm's presentation where it was supposed to show how new artificial intelligence tech could enhance use of kitchen appliances.

Instead it gave no response to three consecutive commands beyond blinking.

Experts say the demo represented a "disastrous" debut for the bot, which was mocked on social media.

The event was the first press conference of the morning at the Las Vegas tech fair. Samsung, Intel, HTC and Sony are among other big companies scheduled to unveil products over the course of the day.

 

[Swifty]

CES 2018: LG robot Cloi repeatedly fails on stage at unveil

This is how it will all start Nemo ..

 

[ramonmercado]

Cheats!

A number of Chinese mobile applications have been shut down after it was revealed women on their platforms were actually automated robots, it's reported.

According to the Modern Express newspaper, police have closed down mobile apps associated with 21 companies and arrested more than 600 suspects operating across 13 provinces, after discovering that messages from some women were being automatically generated by computer programmes.

Police in southern Guangdong province began investigating in August 2017, after suspecting one app of fraudulently charging visitors to view pornographic videos which did not exist.

Further investigation found that technical personnel from at least one company had created fake "sexy girl" accounts. They wrote computer programmes which generated greeting messages and compliments from fake accounts, and targeted these at newly registered users.

"They solicited gifts and posted other messages to lure the user into spending money, and thus illegally generating profit," the police report reads. It says that tens of thousands of people are believed to have been conned out of a total sum of one billion yuan ($154m; £113m).

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-42609353

 

[ramonmercado]

Women get the hardware!

Up until now, it looked like women would be missing out on the exciting opportunity to make love to the cold, lifeless bodies of machines.

But don’t despair, ladies – RealDoll (maker of those alarming plastic sexbots for men) is making one for women too. And he’s quite a hunk (as well as coming with a bionic penis which never, ever tires), the makers promise. Just look at those lifeless blue eyes – mmmm! Matt McMullen of RealDoll said that the company’s currently tweaking the sexbot’s voice and personality – and says that users will be able to choose any penis size that suits them.

Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2018/01/08/male-...306/?ito=amp-share-twitter-bottom?ito=cbshare

 

[Swifty]

A sexual consent app is soon to be released in an attempt to curb false allegations. It won't work of course: what if a person changes their mind after they've pressed the consent button or claims that they were bullied into pressing the consent button? .. are they the then legally obliged to have sex?

http://metro.co.uk/2018/01/10/app-c...ne-night-stands-prove-sex-consensual-7220206/

 

[GNC]

I don't think anyone's ever been legally obliged to have sex, have they? Not in the UK, anyway.

 

[EnolaGaia]

I don't think anyone's ever been legally obliged to have sex, have they? Not in the UK, anyway.

Strictly speaking - perhaps not ...
But then again ...​

 

[GNC]

I doubt their ilk ever bothered with lawyers...

 

[EnolaGaia]

Robot sex is getting all the speculation, but bot burlesque is here today!

Las Vegas strip club draws in CES crowd with robot strippers
A Las Vegas strip club is cashing in on its proximity to the International Consumer Electronics Show with some unusual performers: robot strippers.

The mechanical exotic dancers, created by British artist Giles Walker, 50, are taking to the stage this week at the Sapphire Gentlemen's Club to attract business from CES-goers.

"Come watch sparks fly as the Robo Twins shake their hardware and leave everyone wondering if those double Ds are real or made in 'Silicone' Valley," the club said in promoting the robot dancers.

"We were looking for something creative to do during CES that would sort of match what was happening in town," Peter Feinstein, managing partner at the club, told The Daily Beast.

Walker said the strippers, which have heads shaped like CCTV cameras, were inspired by the rise of security cameras across Britain, a form of surveillance he related to voyeurism for sexual pleasure. ...

FULL STORY (With Link to YouTube Video): https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/0...?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=10

 

[Ermintruder]

This is a very-minor matter when compared to all the ketchup bots, sex robots and driver droids referred to above, but....

Over Christmas, I was given as an unexpected present a Google Home Mini device (as mentioned elsewhere on the forum).

Up until now, my official tuned spoken statements, me to it: "Hey, Google!", or "Ok Google!" (which do need to be given with some degree of verve, or it doesn't respond) have resulted in dutiful preprogramed responses such as....

• How can I help?
• Hi how can I help?

(or sometimes, probably timer-based)

• Yes?
• Yep?

Since last night, it's started addressing me by my first name. Without any prompting or permission.

This is as odd as a shop-assistant you've bought a daily paper from, for a month, suddenly knowing your name.

And it's now gone a bit hip. Sometimes it'll say things like ''that's my name, don't wear it out!". And "Uhuh?"

These grey jelly doughnut speakers (think of an Apple Mac mouse circa 1990, covered in a fabric sock) are much-more interactive than Furbies ever were.

Who else has one? I consider it's unsolicited response to be my first-ever AI interpersonal interaction

Yes, I know it's all just cookies/Google account bridging and a text-to-speech converter, but I'm now expecting it to be asking me out on a date by springtime, or buying me a new hat.

Can I cripple it's learning capabilities? I'd prefer a dutiful servant that knows where the boundaries are. This damn thing is intent on replacing me, totally, by late 2019, I reckon. If my posts here get taken over by it, I'll let you know...if I'm allowed.

 

[Anonymous-50446]

This is a very-minor matter when compared to all the ketchup bots, sex robots and driver droids referred to above, but....

Over Christmas, I was given as an unexpected present a Google Home Mini device (as mentioned elsewhere on the forum).

Up until now, my official tuned spoken statements, me to it: "Hey, Google!", or "Ok Google!" (which do need to be given with some degree of verve, or it doesn't respond) have resulted in dutiful preprogramed responses such as....

• How can I help?
• Hi how can I help?

(or sometimes, probably timer-based)

• Yes?
• Yep?

Since last night, it's started addressing me by my first name. Without any prompting or permission.

This is as odd as a shop-assistant you've bought a daily paper from, for a month, suddenly knowing your name.

And it's now gone a bit hip. Sometimes it'll say things like ''that's my name, don't wear it out!". And "Uhuh?"

These grey jelly doughnut speakers (think of an Apple Mac mouse circa 1990, covered in a fabric sock) are much-more interactive than Furbies ever were.

Who else has one? I consider it's unsolicited response to be my first-ever AI interpersonal interaction

Yes, I know it's all just cookies/Google account bridging and a text-to-speech converter, but I'm now expecting it to be asking me out on a date by springtime, or buying me a new hat.

Can I cripple it's learning capabilities? I'd prefer a dutiful servant that knows where the boundaries are. This damn thing is intent on replacing me, totally, by late 2019, I reckon. If my posts here get taken over by it, I'll let you know...if I'm allowed.

I've worked in technology for most of my life, designing electronics and working on and with computers for most of that time, from VAXs to 286's (cia CPC128's) and even today's sealed off visual interfaces, and have travelled large parts of the globe to provide detailed technical support for people who sometimes din't speak any more English than I did their native tongue. Having considered your question with some care my advice is:

Take it out back and smash it with a hammer.