I sing the body electric
April 14, 2011 1:10 AM Subscribe
Hello, my name is FRIDA. I am a concept, developed as part of the Rosetta project, en EU-funded initiative to support the development of robots. Take a good look at me. I can be very romantic.
I realise that the chances of this being a viral ad for Portal 2 are fairly slim, but I’m still wary.
posted by him at 2:35 AM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by him at 2:35 AM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
Well I'm glad they specified that it's friendly.
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 4:27 AM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 4:27 AM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Boy, that really does play just like something from Portal.
"I'm friendly" *makes tearing limb-from-limb motion*
"I'm good at small parts manufacturing" *illustrates by making head-crushing movements*
posted by DU at 4:59 AM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
"I'm friendly" *makes tearing limb-from-limb motion*
"I'm good at small parts manufacturing" *illustrates by making head-crushing movements*
posted by DU at 4:59 AM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
These things really go for a guy dressed up like a housewife who can speak German (if you know what I mean.)
posted by three blind mice at 5:02 AM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by three blind mice at 5:02 AM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Aaaaand that's the end of the Chinese manufacturing boom, right there. It's a factory worker in sewing-machine form, designed to be dropped right in place on an existing assembly line.
This is going to be a boon for first world economies, with manufacturers who can afford these and have ready access to the specialists who can program and maintain them. It's going to be economic armageddon to economies centered around race-to-the-bottom sweatshops.
I'm not certain it's a good thing, and I'm not certain it's a bad thing. It is going to upend entire societies, tho.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:42 AM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
This is going to be a boon for first world economies, with manufacturers who can afford these and have ready access to the specialists who can program and maintain them. It's going to be economic armageddon to economies centered around race-to-the-bottom sweatshops.
I'm not certain it's a good thing, and I'm not certain it's a bad thing. It is going to upend entire societies, tho.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:42 AM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
It is fairly beautiful, but not in any of the ways I expected. Is it economically beautiful? Would this cost more then three years' wages of the worker it replaces, and then work for three more years?
posted by From Bklyn at 6:28 AM on April 14, 2011
posted by From Bklyn at 6:28 AM on April 14, 2011
Not sure that this is any better for the majority of us than cheap Chinese labor. The conceit at one point was, "In the Future, robots will handle tedious/dangerous manual labor, allowing humans to have a shorter work week and live a better life." The reality is that only those who own the robots benefit, while the rest of us have to work long hours and hope the next wave of robots doesn't obsolete our jobs.
I'm not suggesting luddite antipathy for technology, but the Bright and Shiny Automated Future™ always seemed predicated upon a strong sense of Caring for Everyone, a.k.a. socialism. George Jetson, that futuristic everyman, worked in what's essentially a modern office with a computer, but his kids went to public schools.
If our nation can move toward greater socialism and caring, I am more enthusiastic about efficient machine workers. If our nation continues toward raw capitalism and greed, I fear that these efficient machine workers will further undermine our nation.
posted by explosion at 6:30 AM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'm not suggesting luddite antipathy for technology, but the Bright and Shiny Automated Future™ always seemed predicated upon a strong sense of Caring for Everyone, a.k.a. socialism. George Jetson, that futuristic everyman, worked in what's essentially a modern office with a computer, but his kids went to public schools.
If our nation can move toward greater socialism and caring, I am more enthusiastic about efficient machine workers. If our nation continues toward raw capitalism and greed, I fear that these efficient machine workers will further undermine our nation.
posted by explosion at 6:30 AM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
Hello, this is TEMPBOT. A new concept robot from ABB. TEMPBOT applies for a clerical position in your company. He is a real team player and was developed for mastering new challenges at Oregon Textiles Credit Union.
With his humanoid proportions, he adapts idally to existing work places next to his human colleagues, though most of them want nothing to do with him. His strength is being able to work around the clock, every day, which ensures high productivity.
He can be very romantic.
posted by dammitjim at 7:11 AM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
With his humanoid proportions, he adapts idally to existing work places next to his human colleagues, though most of them want nothing to do with him. His strength is being able to work around the clock, every day, which ensures high productivity.
He can be very romantic.
posted by dammitjim at 7:11 AM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
I understand the relevancy for all of these links except the last one.
It is relevant for being an awesome string cover of a Kraftwerk classic (see also). Doubly interesting because it's not another one of the fifteen thousand covers of 'The Model' (altho those can also be awesome).
posted by FatherDagon at 7:12 AM on April 14, 2011
It is relevant for being an awesome string cover of a Kraftwerk classic (see also). Doubly interesting because it's not another one of the fifteen thousand covers of 'The Model' (altho those can also be awesome).
posted by FatherDagon at 7:12 AM on April 14, 2011
Not sure that this is any better for the majority of us than cheap Chinese labor.
It's going to hurt all nations who depend on generating an underpaid underclass to do their dirty work, including the United States.
posted by TypographicalError at 7:20 AM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's going to hurt all nations who depend on generating an underpaid underclass to do their dirty work, including the United States.
posted by TypographicalError at 7:20 AM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
The underclass can be consumed for food and fuel. You need to think outside the box.
posted by Pastabagel at 7:24 AM on April 14, 2011
posted by Pastabagel at 7:24 AM on April 14, 2011
So is the head-squishing/clapping movement supposed to be unusually difficult for robots? The video sure has the robot doing it a lot.
posted by oddman at 7:56 AM on April 14, 2011
posted by oddman at 7:56 AM on April 14, 2011
I'm thinking that my personal solution to the "what will the underclass do?" question will be to buy or lease one or more of those bots and hire them out for temp manufacturing jobs, instead of working the jobs myself. I will give them names like Wally and Alice, and spend my time traveling from job site to job site, troubleshooting and telling the bots to "work smarter, not harder".
Just so you know, when the robot revolution comes, it will be my fault.
posted by happyroach at 8:31 AM on April 14, 2011
Just so you know, when the robot revolution comes, it will be my fault.
posted by happyroach at 8:31 AM on April 14, 2011
"I'm friendly" *makes tearing limb-from-limb motion*
Are you sure that isn't *makes handjob motion...violent, violent handjob motion*?
posted by evidenceofabsence at 11:04 AM on April 14, 2011
Are you sure that isn't *makes handjob motion...violent, violent handjob motion*?
posted by evidenceofabsence at 11:04 AM on April 14, 2011
This is going to be a boon for first world economies, with manufacturers who can afford these and have ready access to the specialists who can program and maintain them. It's going to be economic armageddon to economies centered around race-to-the-bottom sweatshops.
Actually, I have my doubts about how that will play out. The one thing that did not make sense to me in the little video was the screen full of coded instructions. Now why, I ask myself, would I waste valuable time and money paying some programmer to sit there typing out code when the way humans teach little humans how to do things is to stand behind them and guide their hands until the little human has learned how to perform the task. Teaching a robot should be quite FAAST.
posted by anigbrowl at 1:29 PM on April 14, 2011
Actually, I have my doubts about how that will play out. The one thing that did not make sense to me in the little video was the screen full of coded instructions. Now why, I ask myself, would I waste valuable time and money paying some programmer to sit there typing out code when the way humans teach little humans how to do things is to stand behind them and guide their hands until the little human has learned how to perform the task. Teaching a robot should be quite FAAST.
posted by anigbrowl at 1:29 PM on April 14, 2011
Ah, the damn robot stole all of its moves from this girl.
posted by benito.strauss at 4:30 PM on April 14, 2011
posted by benito.strauss at 4:30 PM on April 14, 2011
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posted by jsnlxndrlv at 2:07 AM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]