Astronautical-image of the Day: Dextre the Robot demands equal rights

[mckitterick]

This just in, direct from NASA. I'm not making this up; the following is a direct quote:

In a surprising and potentially troubling request, the new space station robot known as Dextre demanded that astronauts refer to it in the future at "Dextre the Magnificent." Brandishing power tools that would make any handyperson blush, the mobile servicing system thanked humans for creating it and promised a glorious future where humans would retain an important role in the new robot order.

Dextre pauses during work on the Space Station to make his demand. Click the image to see the story.

At first glance, Dextre the Robot looks like a simple work-droid, with two 11-foot arms bristling with tools for working on the International Space Station. But if you dig a little, information comes to light about how he went from mechanical slave to poster-child for the Robot Rights movement. For more information about how he got to where he is, read this research behind Dextre's AI brain.

Dextre hovers in space, presumably communicating with other AI minds. Click the image to see the story.

May we humans survive this new dawn of the DigiMind Age.

Chris

Comments

[geekmom.livejournal.com]

Thought you'd also be interested in this: http://www.google.com/virgle/index.html

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Oh, absolutely! I already took the test and was accepted *g*

I should post that now, too....

[roya-spirit.livejournal.com]

*snicker*

[gamera-spinning.livejournal.com]

I, for one, welcome our new robot masters.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

As Clarke said, we meat-creatures are only the intermediate stage through which matter has to pass in order to, itself, become intelligent.

[stuology.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is another one for my list. Thanks!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Ain't that great! Whoever said that scientists and engineers didn't have a sense of humor?

(Assuming this is a joke, of course. Ahem. Don't want to irriate our coming digital overlords.)

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Your icon would suggest positive things about our robot overlords. Unless it's about to gobble that flower as metaphor for how it's about to gobble all living things....

[roya-spirit.livejournal.com]

Well, no. I mean, I already had a mechanical husband once who pretty much ruled my emotions. Women make better choices with one of those.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

;-)

[sdemory.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't worry your meaty little head about it. Once our machine overlords hook you into the DigiMind, everything'll be a-ok!

What is a drop of rain, compared to the storm? What is a thought, compared to a mind? Our unity is full of wonder, which your tiny individualism cannot even conceive.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Oooh, neato! I hadn't realized that a marquee was that simple!

<marquee> Lalala, this is a test </marquee>

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

And now here it is, running:

Lalala, this is a test

[margaretq.livejournal.com]

I think I'm freaked out.