Word: bots
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...ground to identify a shiny, sluglike object, then analyzes its shape. When it finds a slug, it picks it up and drops it in a hopper. Bacteria inside the robot eat the slimy critters--a process that releases electrons that can be captured and, in theory, keep the bot's batteries perpetually charged...
...always on time. She never complains. And she's cute too. Meet CoWorker, the office robot. About 3 ft. high, this Pentium-powered bot uses sonar sensors to keep her from bumping into walls and people as she rolls along at a languid one mile an hour. A digital camera perched atop her rotating, cranelike neck can wirelessly transmit pictures of remote assembly lines, construction sites or high-security areas straight to the boss. A home version, tentatively planned for the future, might keep an eye on granny--or the nanny...
Busy executives whose Web use is slowed by heavy traffic and firewalls can now access information without waiting an eternity. They can simply use an instant-messaging service to employ a smart bot, an interactive agent that answers general news questions. Send a message to the screen name SmarterChild, for example, and the bot created by ActiveBuddy, based in New York City, will deliver headlines and stock quotes in less than five seconds. It takes a little longer, however, to download a cute little robot icon from the company's website...
...BOT DOG i-Cybie is a robotic puppy that can walk, bark, lie down, scratch his ear and do dozens of other things real dogs do. And unlike real dogs, i-Cybie, made by Tiger Electronics, doesn't relieve himself on the carpet. His 16 motors make him almost creepily lifelike. Human reactions range from "That's the cutest thing I've ever seen" to "Get it off me! Get it off me!" Judge for yourself. i-Cybie can be yours for $200--cheap compared with Sony's $1,500 Aibo...
...experiences rank as high on the surrealism meter as being asked to judge a robot dog contest. In following the cyber-pooch in question - AIBO, or Artificial Intelligence 'Bot - for two years now, I've seen Sony's high-end consumer toy go from a $2,500 limited-edition fad to a relatively mass-market, mass-produced $1,500 fad. But what transpired last Saturday afternoon at the Sony Metreon, San Francisco's massive multiplex and temple to all things techno, made me believe AIBO is leaving the realm of novelty and entering the living room and hearts...