Today, robots are capable of traveling to the most remote corners of the planet, communicating like humans, and even learning, but the development of robotics can be as daunting as it is exciting. Think of any of the Terminator movies.
As AI (artificial intelligence) improves every year, perhaps soon robots will start thinking for themselves and one day they may even take over the world. So which robots should we look at with both admiration and apprehension?
REEM
REEM is a full-sized humanoid robot capable of acting as a guide, administrator, entertainer and even giving speeches or presentations in multiple languages. Its makers, PAL-Robotics, say they created REEM with the goal of providing a friendly, interactive source of information that can be used in shopping malls, airports, hospitals and other public spaces. Well, the idea itself is not bad, but it is still better to approach this robot with caution.
GhostSwimmer - Robot Shark
Promotional video:
This is an unmanned underwater vehicle that simulates a shark or other large fish swimming in the water. Such a discreet "camouflage" allows him to conduct underwater reconnaissance and observation at depths of more than 90 meters, remaining beyond suspicion that the submarine is beyond its power. For this reason, the US Navy plans to use the apparatus to monitor the oceans without endangering human lives.
BionicANTS - Robot Ant
These robotic insects are autonomous, which means they can function on their own and respond to stimuli around them in real time. Like real ants, these robots are much more group-oriented than human-oriented. They can communicate and coordinate with other nearby robotic ants to solve complex problems. So, perhaps very soon we will see whole colonies of tiny robotic insects running around.
CB2 - child robot
Engineers created this childlike robot with one goal in mind - to test the learning capabilities of AI (artificial intelligence). Developed at Osaka University in Japan, the CB2 was created with the ability to recognize facial expressions and gestures and extract meaning from what you see in the same way a human baby does. The project's lead scientist stated that one of their goals was to teach CB2 the human language, and he believes that someday in the future, there will be a whole new race of human robots living alongside real people.
BigDog - Fighting Robot Dog
Approximately the size of a small mule, this four-legged robot was created with military funding by Boston Dynamics, owned by Google. It can carry heavy equipment up to 45 kilograms and move around difficult terrain, making it very useful for soldiers.
Robugtix T8X - Spider Robot
There is no need to explain what makes the T8X so terrifying, just the fact that it is a giant spider robot is scary enough in itself. While looks aren't everything, this robot is programmed to move and behave just like a real spider, increasing the terror it instills tenfold. Thankfully, the T8X is just a remote controlled toy, but the company behind the T8X has some new spider robots that are even bigger, more autonomous, and even creepier looking.
ASIMO
ASIMO is a humanoid robot currently being developed by Honda Robotics. The ASIMO project started in 2000, and today it is one of the most advanced humanoid robots in the world, capable of recognizing faces, voices and gestures, and it can independently decide how to react, for example, wave or shake the offered hand.
Svetlana Bodrik