Escape Artists

Escape Pod => Science Fiction Discussion => Topic started by: Heradel on April 12, 2009, 04:55:04 AM

Title: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Heradel on April 12, 2009, 04:55:04 AM
http://www.tweenbots.com/
Quote
Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach their goal. [...]
The results were unexpected. Over the course of the following months, throughout numerous missions, the Tweenbots were successful in rolling from their start point to their far-away destination assisted only by strangers. Every time the robot got caught under a park bench, ground futilely against a curb, or became trapped in a pothole, some passerby would always rescue it and send it toward its goal. Never once was a Tweenbot lost or damaged. Often, people would ignore the instructions to aim the Tweenbot in the “right” direction, if that direction meant sending the robot into a perilous situation. One man turned the robot back in the direction from which it had just come, saying out loud to the Tweenbot, "You can’t go that way, it’s toward the road.” "
(http://www.tweenbots.com/images/peopleBotWeb.jpg)

I wonder if it would still work without the smiley face.
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Swamp on April 12, 2009, 10:18:13 AM
That is super cool!!  8)  It could be in the "things that actually exist" thread.
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: MacArthurBug on April 12, 2009, 11:54:03 AM
I wonder if it would still work without the smiley face.

The smiley face is important, I'd bet money on it. 

I like this idea..
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: slic on April 12, 2009, 02:08:05 PM
I'm surprised none of them got stolen, some parent grabbing a cute little robot for their kid.

But speaking of cute little robot, I agree with MacArthurBug.  Make it a bit bigger, a little less cute, frowny face instead of smiley and you get alot less help.

Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Darwinist on April 13, 2009, 02:50:56 PM
He's cute until he changes his name to Tommy Skynet. 
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Anarquistador on April 13, 2009, 11:00:14 PM
Yeah, or when they realize that humans really WILL go out of their way to help them.

They'll be like cats, except they don't die and have even less regard for our feelings.
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Portrait in Flesh on April 14, 2009, 07:08:42 PM
I wonder if it would still work without the smiley face.

The smiley face is important, I'd bet money on it. 

But when I smile like that, people either back away from me or point me toward the road.
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: slic on April 14, 2009, 10:42:52 PM
That's because you are not made of cardboard.  And I believe you are less block-shaped - I have no facts to back that up, just a gut feeling
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Heradel on April 14, 2009, 10:52:02 PM
That's because you are not made of cardboard.  And I believe you are less block-shaped - I have no facts to back that up, just a gut feeling

Also larger, as it's against the forum's Terms of Service to be a leprechaun. Too much Kokopelli in them.
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Anarquistador on April 15, 2009, 02:55:02 AM
Discrimination!
 ;)

Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Portrait in Flesh on April 15, 2009, 01:34:51 PM
That's because you are not made of cardboard.  And I believe you are less block-shaped - I have no facts to back that up, just a gut feeling

Also larger, as it's against the forum's Terms of Service to be a leprechaun. Too much Kokopelli in them.
/me tosses a Zuni Kachina Fetish Doll at you.

That's valuable stuff, you know, if you can lure it back into its box with some mint. 
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Portrait in Flesh on April 15, 2009, 01:37:00 PM
Discrimination!
 ;)



Surely you've heard of Leprechaun in Space.

I mean, he's HUGE.

(http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmtv/features/leprechaun_in_space/images/leprechaun_31.jpg)
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: oddpod on April 16, 2009, 09:49:08 AM
thats ace!
i am mesing round whith robots on my art degre at the moment, and thats sooooo going in my sketch book :)
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Planish on April 20, 2009, 02:26:21 AM
Aw shoot. I just found tweenbots.com and naturally someone has already started a thread about it here.
Puts me in mind of a meatspace version of WikiClock (http://pageoftext.com/wikiclock). (except that WikiClock is sometime perverted for spam).

Quote
But speaking of cute little robot, I agree with MacArthurBug.  Make it a bit bigger, a little less cute, frowny face instead of smiley and you get alot less help
Give it a red LED count-down timer display and some regular beep sounds, and I bet it would soon be introduced to Mean Mister Bomb Disposal 'Bot.
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: deflective on April 21, 2009, 08:53:52 PM
it's all about the smile (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9ByGQGiVMg#t=1m10s)
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Heradel on April 24, 2009, 05:46:49 PM
Quote
But speaking of cute little robot, I agree with MacArthurBug.  Make it a bit bigger, a little less cute, frowny face instead of smiley and you get alot less help
Give it a red LED count-down timer display and some regular beep sounds, and I bet it would soon be introduced to Mean Mister Bomb Disposal 'Bot.

That's Boston. Frowny Face bot would fit in around here.
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Anarquistador on April 25, 2009, 02:36:23 PM
Quote
But speaking of cute little robot, I agree with MacArthurBug.  Make it a bit bigger, a little less cute, frowny face instead of smiley and you get alot less help
Give it a red LED count-down timer display and some regular beep sounds, and I bet it would soon be introduced to Mean Mister Bomb Disposal 'Bot.

That's Boston. Frowny Face bot would fit in around here.

We just don't like Adult Swim up here....
Title: Re: First you help them get around the park, then they start killing people.
Post by: Portrait in Flesh on April 25, 2009, 08:15:11 PM
Quote
But speaking of cute little robot, I agree with MacArthurBug.  Make it a bit bigger, a little less cute, frowny face instead of smiley and you get alot less help
Give it a red LED count-down timer display and some regular beep sounds, and I bet it would soon be introduced to Mean Mister Bomb Disposal 'Bot.

That's Boston. Frowny Face bot would fit in around here.

We just don't like Adult Swim up here....
Too many bad memories of the Molasses Swamp?
/me hands you a Noodle.



Mod: fixed quoting