Not just any robots, robots that make zen gardens.

Silly Robots

More pictures at the first link,  more words at the other two.

Some Japanese Site

via

GetRobo

via

Engadget

Came across these in a late night net spree last night – a load of terrifying mannequin photos.

http://weburbanist.com/2008/12/04/scary-creepy-mannequins/

Their faces are quite disturbing…

The more humanlike something that is not human is, the more we feel digust towards them, or so Masahiro Mori, a Japanese robotics scientist, says – there is a point at which giving things artificial human characteristics will be deemed cute or charming, such as a robot with a human smile and artificial eyes. But when a non-human object becomes increasingly more human-like, we no longer find them charming or cute, and instead have a reaction of almost-horror  and disgust to their anthropomorphism.

This realm of feeling disgust towards non-human entities is called the “Uncanny Valley”, according to Mori, and has an application when thinking about computer game characters and how difficult it can be for designers to create something that is real enough to not cause the repulsion-reaction.

I hope to create some sort of animation or time-based something based around the idea of mannequins some day. There is something a bit mystical and very sinister about them that I find fascinating!

I have a set of three grey mannequin hands that I bought from a shop closing down for £1, and they are really quite scary. They have featured in an animation project that I am currently working on, in between applying to UCAS, doing graphic novels/illustration commissions and my full time job! I hope to post that online soon – all that needs attention is the sound right now.

Saturn is made of collective voids

Kill off Kin,

Send in the Droids!

Guess he didn’t know he was machine

Man, fearing technology

Breaking stars in sacred texts

 Only a knave can read so that his hair must look a mess

But politicians, professors, popes, piety and pricks have said

So

The story must be true

Yet, weren’t good in the beginning

Until you’ll have born anew

Quite right, the way I like you

Somebody like the Ascendant -Subgenius, bake

cake and blow balloons

Entertain the fool, the joker, buffoon

Trekkie

Praise Folly

He’s turning 29

Saturn is made of collective voids

Kill off kin

Send in the Droids!

Guess he didn’t know he was a machine

Man, fearing technology

Guess he didn’t know he was a machine

Man, fearing technology, made man-fearing technology

Guess God didn’t know he was  man

God, fearing man, made god-fearing men

There is nothing to fear!

The iDrone…

We went and saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs we saw in the theater but chose not do to 3D because my kids hate having the glasses on and in 3D if you take your glasses off the screen is blurry… plus 3D costs more. I was the only person in my family excited to see the movie. I read the book growing up and was thinking it would be cool. I felt it was sort of a let down. Do not get me wrong the movie wasn’t horrible but I do not know that I will buy it.. Only time will tell though. I would give the movie 3 stars. My kids and husband felt pretty much the same way although my kids really loved all the yummy food and scientific stuff. The story was a bit weak though I think the essence of the book still shone through.

I saw both The Kung Fu Panda and WALL·E in the theater. At the time I probably would have said 4 1/2 stars for The Kung Fu Panda and 4 stars for WALL·E. Since I now own them both on Blu-ray and watch them quite often I would now have to say I rate them both 5 stars.

The Kung Fu Panda, is not only likable it is down right adorable. From the witty humor to the fantastic animation it is a solid movie. The story also is a good one with a good moral though I do not know if children grasp that level of it. I know my kids just think a big fat panda bear saying HI-YAH is hilarious.

WALL·E, on the other hand on first viewing was a bit depressing to me even though my kids thought it the most fantastic movie ever I was a bit annoyed. I think because I usually watch animation movies to escape the real world and this movie just made me think more about real things. It is a very deep movie. It delves into our world and how we are as people. Of course most kids won’t get this either. My two love it because there are robots and spaceships. Since it is Pixar you know the movie is Gold anyway.. or at least I do. Now that I have watched it a gazillion times I think my mind has kind of learned not to think on the things and just watch it for the silly parts, making it a more enjoyable experience.

Up, which is also a Pixar movie, is a great film. We saw it in the theater and at that time I would have given it 4 stars but now that we own it on Blu-ray I have to say 5 stars. It has a deep story ( more so for the opening of the film.) But it is a light-hearted, sweet, family friendly movie. I will say that my oldest child got the depth of the beginning in a way.. She wanted to know why the lady couldn’t have a baby.. My son not so much but he is very frightened by the “mean” dogs.  Overall, I give it 5 stars and I think right now it is the family’s # 1 pick.

Bolt, my daughter and I saw in the theater. She loved it I thought it was so-so. At the time I would have given it 2 1/2 to 3 stars.  Since then we have bought it on, can you guess? Yep, Blu-ray. After re-watching it, I think I would give it 3 1/2 to 4 stars. I think the casting of the voice of the lead girl (Miley Cyrus) was a bad choice. Her voice is kinda raspy and deep and for some reason it really annoys me. However, I LOVE the hamster’s voice – I think it goes perfect. The storyline was not too bad but at times a bit cheesy to me. Overall still good enough to watch. FYI – My son is very afraid of the green-eyed man.

Mid 1990’s Fanuc Robots sold by Reliable Tools in 2006:

This is the video clip Ben was referring to today…check it out and let us know what you think!

We’ve seen the movies. Robots and machines team up to take over the world. Terminator, iRobot, Wall-E… it’s a growing trend these days. That could have to do with the expanding capabilities of the technologies we use today.

At some point, we must responsibly consider the technological grounds we have paved before movies become the new age Nastradamus. In her 1995 Wired Magazine article “Who Am We”, Sherry Turkle presents an interesting take to allow you to ponder for yourself.

How real are computers? Can we consider them to be alive? They think for themselves in more complex algorithms than the average human being. They provide a virtual playground and social network greater than any work place or college campus.

Where do we draw the line between a living and non-living object?

While computers lack emotional concept that often drives the argument leaning toward non-living, one must also consider the emotional lacking of plants and micro-organisms that are considered living.

What’s that you say about computers not breathing life? Without electricity, computers are just as dead as any mammal without oxygen and any plant without carbon dioxide. Pulling the power cord out of the wall is essentially the same as wrapping a rope around your neck and cutting off the flow of oxygen to your brain.

If you think about it, what makes plants living organisms? Sure, they breathe; but they don’t move, they don’t feel, and they don’t think.

The intelligence of computer systems is simply astonishing. From video game A.I. to robots and smart homes, the interactive capabilities we experience is similar to that we have with living beings.

In her article, Turkle compares robots to Pinocchio, a wooden puppet that turns into a living, breathing boy. Robotics is not far from creating human-like robots that perform daily activities much like we do.

It’s just a matter of time before we see robots in the home much similar to those we saw in the movie iRobot and in the video below.

Welcome once again to a recap of our weekly finds from around the internet.

As always, we begin our journey by fortifying ourselves with a piece of cheesecake.  This week, at Chris’ request, that cheesecake is Padma Lakshmi, the host of Top Chef on The Food Network.  I have to be honest and say I’m curious to see what kind of traffic the combination of cheesecake and Padma Lakshmi drives.

Padma’s geek credentials are strong.  Besides her work on The Food Network, she has been a runway model, the love interest in an EELS music video, Sean Bean’s nemesis in Sharpe’s Challenge and, perhaps most importantly, an alien princess on Star Trek:  Enterprise.

It’s good to be Scott Bakula.

Oh, and she was married to Salman Rushdie.

On with the links.

1. Chicago Tribune columnist literally eats his words re:  Bulls C Joakim Noah.
2. Between Two Ferns with Zack Galifanakis, the best talk show EVER schools Conan.
3. The 100 Greatest Quotes from The Wire.
4. Newsweek presents the decade in 7 seconds.
5. Smart guys fight over football; Malcom Gladwell puts the hurt on a reviewer over QBs and draft status.
6. A trailer for a movie where Manny Pacquiauo fights a giant crab.
7. College football play of the year from Bethel College in Kansas.
8. Commonsense?  Conservatism?  Verbal tic?
9. Microsoft blows a software rollout?  No way!
10. Stephe’s a Trekkie…ummm…Trekker.
11. E*Trade baby outtakes.  Funnier than you think.
12. Calibrate.
13. Bacon Envelopes.  Thank you science.
14. Humorous bailout rant.
15. Existentialism.
16. Interview with Lemmy.  \m/
17. Robot band.
18. Rescuing the horns for metal.  See above.
19. That’s both gross and wrong.  More wrong, but still gross.
20. More cryptozoology.
21. Our obligatory Twilight link of the week.
22. And I’ve read two.
23. And I drafted two.
24. I’m pretty sure the word you’re looking for is treason.
25. Disturbing XBox 360 story #1.
26. Disturbing XBox 360 story #2.
27. NO!  REALLY!
28. And, finally, Jon Stewart once again delivers the truth.  This time about Nancy Grace.

Instead of actual blogging, here is an awesome “robots destroying the Earth” video made by a guy who I have never heard of but is sure to be famous soon. Enjoy! Hat tip: Will.

Mira esta curiosidad. Pareciera sacado de alguna película ó un juguete chino barato.

Es un robot-pelota/bola que se recarga con el sol y a partir de ahí se empieza a menear por el piso. No está a la venta pero tu puedes fabricar uno, el manual se encuentra en Make:.

Vía | No puedo creer que lo hayan inventado…

Manual | Instructables

Insert the word most applicable for your life.

We’ve said it.  We’ve heard it.  I’m glad I’m impervious to it now but I think about how much it used to affect me.  And kids say it with such expectation.  But we all know kids are ignorant (it’s not their fault. They were born that way) but where do adults get off putting down something beyond their personal tastes?  By 20 you should have it figured out that people don’t always like what you like and YOU are not supposed to like what everyone else likes.

So how does some else’s opinion change the way you feel about something.  I am happy to say I now listen to Roxette as much as I feel like and I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks.  I think they’re great.  But it wasn’t always this way….  At one point I was told they suck and away they went.  Thats when I got into more aggressive music, lets see someone try telling me this sucks!  That’s the good thing about aggressive stuff.  It’s already saying fuck anyone else who doesn’t like it.  It’s kind of a bully like that.

So lets take a look at me now.  What am I into?  I can tell you what I’m not into,  Beyonce, Lady Gaga, all that pop crap.  Why?  The lyrics are totally vacant.  No thought seems to be put into them at all.  Mark Twain once said:  ”The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”  And he is spinning in his grave.  So what does this have to do with musical bullying?  Here’s what:  I’m the bully now.  Instead of heaviness I’m an intellectual bully.  It doesn’t matter how meticulously I can pick it apart, if you like it, good.  It’s music.  It’s there to like.

But lets flex our brains for a second, I’m keeping you on your toes.  This philosophy for freedom of taste is not universal.  Lets go back to something else I heard, and all YOU heard or said, as a kid.  Math sucks.  If only I knew how much harder math was for other people and I didn’t think I was supposed to like all the same things everybody else likes.  As it turns out math, science, all that tough stuff, doesn’t suck.  I’m pretty good at math myself but think of how good I’d be if I had realized how much potential it has.  Cool stuff like building robots, real-life other dimensions and important stuff like renewable energy.  We all thought it sucked because we didn’t realize it’s connection to the world we know.  It’s a big leap from the fundamentals to a microwave (I still don’t get how microwaves work).

But the best thing about science is, by it’s nature, there is no accounts for taste.  That’s the point of it.  If you’re gonna fudge the numbers to prove yourself right you’re a lousy scientist.  Not a scientist at all, actually.  You’re a ********* (add your own witty jab here).

Tune in next time for my article about 82% of the US population (and similar numbers for the rest of the world) being in the Service Industry where I begin my campaign to change it’s name to the Handjob Industry for all it’s accomplishments.

Boston Dynamics are at it again..

check them out at http://www.bostondynamics.com

www.theincubation.com

It’s Friday. As CIOs clear down their inboxes and tie up loose ends before the weekend, it is time to take a break…

Okay, I am a child of the seventies. The first movie that left an impression on me was Star Wars. A galaxy far, far away inhabited by fantastic aliens and robots. Robots were more than moving boxes in Star Wars. They were mechanical beings that you could interact with and had personalities of their own.

I grew up wanting to have my own robot. I even tinkered with building one from a Radio Shack kit I got for my birthday once. However, it really was not the same.  As technologists, robots are where we wish computers would evolve to – the next evolution of technology. We might be some ways off. Until we can get our very own C3-PO in our home, we will have to live with the robots we see in movies.

Over the years, there have been good robots and bad. Here is my list of my favorite robots:

1. C-3PO and R2-D2 in Star Wars
2. V.I.N.CENT., B.O.B, and Maximilian in The Black Hole
3. Ash in Alien
4. T-800 and the T-1000 Model Terminator in Terminator 2: Judgment Day
5. Robot in Lost in Space
6. The Sentinels in The Matrix
7. Autobots and Decepticons in Transformers
8. WALL-E in WALL-E
9. Gort in The Day the Earth Stood Still
10. Rosie the Maid in The Jetsons
11. The Cylons in Battlestar Galactica
12. KITT in Knight Rider

There are many, many more robots that I could name. Who are your favorite robots?

I’ve tried to make kimchi before, but it never came out to my exact liking.  Turns out I was doing it wrong.  Thanks boingboing!

Many years ago my parents owned a video shop and we got a film called “Mad Mission 2″ a chinese film which featured some of the worst dubbing in the world, stupidest action sequences and weirdest robots… Yes you heard me ROBOTS!! and I couldn’t help but be nostalgic and check it out on YouTube.

I thought I would share the film with you and ask the question…

What film from your childhood was so amazing and Fabulous when you were young..but utterly cringe worthy today..

- Ash

Famed director Kon Satoshi (Perfect Blue, Paranoia Agent) has been fairly quiet in the last couple of years, but if you’d like to take a look at his latest project, a new preview site has opened for his next movie, Yume Miru Kikai (The Dreaming Machine).

The site contains several stills from the upcoming science fiction tale, as well as character designs, backgrounds, and a story summary. The movie, which doesn’t yet have a release date, depicts an Earth where robots have replaced humans. The main characters of the story are Ririco and Robin, who are forced to find a new home after their robot paradise is destroyed. The two of them discover an army of robots out to monopolize all of the world’s precious electricity, and they are forced to enlist some help to fight the robot army’s ambitions.

It sounds pretty generic, but the images look incredible, and I trust Kon Satoshi to make it into something beautiful. We’ll find out soon, hopefully!

Robot Shakespeare. ROBOT SHAKESPEARE. ROBOT SHAKESPEARE!
No, I am totally serious about this. THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER if you are a nerd like me.

Check out the article here for more information.