Comments on: Robots to the Rescue http://www.scienceprogress.org/2009/04/robots-to-the-rescue/ Progressive approaches to science policy Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:54:22 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Michael F. Sarabia http://www.scienceprogress.org/2009/04/robots-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-4879 Michael F. Sarabia Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:11:08 +0000 http://www.scienceprogress.org/?p=2528#comment-4879 This is key: "Inspire innovation with challenges (like the DARPA Grand Challenge)". Anyone can imagine what a Nautical Super-Terminator could do to deal with Pirates off Kenya and Somalia. (Yes, I know, people in Somalia are starving but other news have shown pirates from Southeast Asia. Hunter is a great motivator -and cheap to alleviate.) How about a robot submarine that would follow a boat at a distance, day and night, to help disable it? Maybe, an Unmanned Airborne plane with electric cells and batteries to follow ships, day and night? NASA has one that was to circle the earth, maybe it did, a couple of years ago. Robots are expensive but orders of magnitude cheaper than sending a real sailor or soldier. With Artificial Intelligence, the need to control from a remote site could be reduced to maintain radio silence. ---------------- The first time I heard of the possibility of "Intelligent Remote Control" was at an AIAA Meeting in Boston, about 40 years ago. Wow! Has it been that long? The scientist thought space exploration should ALL be done by AI Robots, yet, we are building big rockets to send Astronauts to Mars and the Moon. Go Figure! This is key: “Inspire innovation with challenges (like the DARPA Grand Challenge)”.
Anyone can imagine what a Nautical Super-Terminator could do to deal with Pirates off Kenya and Somalia.
(Yes, I know, people in Somalia are starving but other news have shown pirates from Southeast Asia. Hunter is a great motivator -and cheap to alleviate.)
How about a robot submarine that would follow a boat at a distance, day and night, to help disable it?
Maybe, an Unmanned Airborne plane with electric cells and batteries to follow ships, day and night? NASA has one that was to circle the earth, maybe it did, a couple of years ago.
Robots are expensive but orders of magnitude cheaper than sending a real sailor or soldier.
With Artificial Intelligence, the need to control from a remote site could be reduced to maintain radio silence.
—————-
The first time I heard of the possibility of “Intelligent Remote Control” was at an AIAA Meeting in Boston, about 40 years ago. Wow! Has it been that long?
The scientist thought space exploration should ALL be done by AI Robots, yet, we are building big rockets to send Astronauts to Mars and the Moon. Go Figure!

]]> By: Dan Dubno http://www.scienceprogress.org/2009/04/robots-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-4876 Dan Dubno Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:37:59 +0000 http://www.scienceprogress.org/?p=2528#comment-4876 Terrific photo, Dave, which the nice folks at Science Progress picked out I guess. But the best photos will be available starting this Friday in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome, where FIRST will be holding their championships. All the fun and fascination will be open to the public and it truly is an astonishing spectacle, so COME ON DOWN! It is so rare to see something fun that is also good for us all: and our future as a growing nation of designers and engineers and inventors is what truly is at stake here. I'm bringing my daughter to the event... she's helped with some of the robots in the past... and I know she'll continue to be as inspired as I am! Thanks for the photo! Terrific photo, Dave, which the nice folks at Science Progress picked out I guess. But the best photos will be available starting this Friday in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome, where FIRST will be holding their championships. All the fun and fascination will be open to the public and it truly is an astonishing spectacle, so COME ON DOWN! It is so rare to see something fun that is also good for us all: and our future as a growing nation of designers and engineers and inventors is what truly is at stake here. I’m bringing my daughter to the event… she’s helped with some of the robots in the past… and I know she’ll continue to be as inspired as I am! Thanks for the photo!

]]> By: Dave Wilson http://www.scienceprogress.org/2009/04/robots-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-4870 Dave Wilson Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:51:25 +0000 http://www.scienceprogress.org/?p=2528#comment-4870 Great article. I'm delighted to have been introduced to FIRST this year - they are a truly inspirational organisation and I would strongly encourage anyone who has a chance to attend a regional competition to go along see the excitement and passion that the program instills in the students (and mentors) that are involved. By the way, you have great taste in photography :-) Great article. I’m delighted to have been introduced to FIRST this year – they are a truly inspirational organisation and I would strongly encourage anyone who has a chance to attend a regional competition to go along see the excitement and passion that the program instills in the students (and mentors) that are involved.

By the way, you have great taste in photography :-)

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