I am fascinated to see the development that has been made in robotics to make robots fit either human or otherwise organic behavior. It is worth noting that it takes an exceptional amount of skill and engineering to simulate even the simplest intelligence or motor skills of living things; nevertheless, research and development has come a long way in recent years.

For instance, I had a very memorable experience when I saw a 20 minute presentation of ASIMO at Disneyland a couple years ago. ASIMO even has his own website. Naturally, seeing him online or in a video doesn’t have the same impact as seeing him in person.

Well, ASIMO is a pretty impressive humanoid robot, but BigDog is an amazing demonstration of a quadruped robot. The video on the BigDog webpage shows off how agile the robot can be. It’s amazing how natural its movement seems!

Props to Cali Lewis of GeekBrief fame for featuring this amazing robot.

A friend of mine forwarded this great video:

You know, by the end of the video, the comparison to a book is so simplistic, I really was wondering just what it is that makes it so difficult to understand how a computer can store our information..

As man’s technological prowess grows evermore impressive, his already-glutted opinion of himself equally grows. We ought to pat ourselves on the back; we have made creations that not only have the physical capability of walking, but can actually “learn” to do so. And they can do it within the first 20 minutes of their “lifetime”. That sure beats the human record.

As usual, my post is based on a recent technology news article: Robo-Toddler Learns to Walk Like a Human.

This is quite an impressive feat, especially considering the fact that this creation is learning how to walk, which undoubtedly is what helps it further develop by walking on differing terrain, walking backward, and even adjusting when it trips. When compared with existing technology, this latest innovation is quite a wonderful leap in application of science.

However, I found it nearly comical how the article compared the robot’s gait with that of a human. Despite acknowledgment that “the walking robot looks more like a moving Erector set than a human being”, there were a few times that the robot’s behavior or movement was compared to that of a human being. Really, though, couldn’t one say that its gait is just as similar to that of a monkey? And to be brutally honest, this expensive chrome creature’s maneuverability is likely found lacking next to the most simple-minded living animal.

Whereas such comparisons may even be angering to some–as it could be suggested that they miss the point of this breakthrough–they certainly are not intended to evoke such a reaction. They just help us appreciate that we have a long way to go as creators, even if we are such only in a biomimetic sense. In this changed perspective, the phrase “like a human” suddenly becomes almost laughable.

I know we wish we had the power to stop storms from striking, especially hurricanes and tornadoes. But even though we have the power to destroy cities in a moment, I think that same power probably ought not be used to disrupt a hurricane!

Incredible as it is to believe, this has actually been recommended by some amateurs. I admit, my first response was intrigue. I thought, “That may actually work!”

Of course, then common sense steps in and you realize what a dangerous idea that really is. Like the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s hurricane research division said, “Hurricanes are bad enough without being radioactive. Put that genie back in the bottle. Nuclear weapons are more dangerous than hurricanes.”

Can you imagine if we blew a nuclear weapon in the eye of a hurricane? If it disrupted the hurricane, oceanic wind currents would blow the nuclear fallout into nearby land. And think of how far a hurricane gets inland. Even here as far northwest as Illinois, we sometimes feel the effects of hurricanes (although they are only light storms or rain by the time they reach us). Can you imagine the widespread devastation such a radioactive storm would bring?

Fortunately, no professionals are foolish enough to even entertain such an idea. But even for the amateur storm chasers, I have to wonder why they don’t look past their nose when they think of such ideas? But I hope the very concept gave you a laugh like it did for me.