Real robots rock!

steve smyth — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:56:23 GMT

"I am Robert the Robot, mechanical man, drive me and steer me whereever you can."
Is ol' Robbie in contention?
He led to a lot of this stuff, don'tcha think?
I had the one which operated via a shielded cable which spun inside the sheath when the handle was cranked and drove the wheels as I chased the little critter around...early Robot tales...
Here's where Robert the Robot led me...enjoy!
http://theenvironmentgame.blogspot.com

Real robots rock!

Brian Palmer, Seattle, WA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:26:42 GMT

I think WALL-E is distinctly different from Number 5 in that he lacks the Pinochio quality that defined Number 5. While both are cute and quirky with loads of personality, their actual goals and objectives are quite different. WALL-E is quite content to be himself, and encourages others to happy with his outward focus. Number 5 was discontent with his situation and was always trying to reinvent himself with his inward focus.

Speaking of the Pinochio quality, would Pinochio himself count as a robot? If so Pinochio should be nominated (along with Number 5 and WALL-E).

Real robots rock!

Wilson Scott, Phoenix — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:48:44 GMT

Let's stop the pusillanimous, persnickety, pandering and elect B9, "The Robot." My back is extremely delicate today.

Real robots rock!

Tom, Round Rock, TX — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:50:00 GMT

B-9 (the "Danger, Will Robinson" robot from the Jupiter II on Lost in Space).

Real robots rock!

Mary Ann Leveck, Phoenix, AZ — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:05:49 GMT

Can there be anything more inspiring than Pathfinder, Spirit, and Opportunity? Their names say it all.

Real robots rock!

Felix Torres — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:35:47 GMT

How can they ignore R. Daneel Olivaw and his brethren?
He should've been in the very first class.
And its time to highlight the Zeroth Law of Robotics.

Real robots rock!

Hugh, Dallas, Ga. — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:49:01 GMT

Let's not forget the robot from "Lost in Space"...

Warning, warning, being slighted approaching...

Real robots rock!

Cesar, Dania Florida — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:54:10 GMT

Get real Pinochio was a make belive story that Walt Disney made into a feature film cartoon. In reality the trojan horse should be nominated as the first robot that served a purpose. You sound more like a psycologist or tharipist for robots and you should have yourself examined. Or consider meeting humans and try going out on a date.

Real robots rock!

Inam Choudhary — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:59:37 GMT

I will vote for Walle, Johnny 5, Startrak Computer and Roombo and few others ready to go to Moon and Mars.
I wish the bestwishes for NASA. and all others helping menkind in good way.
inam

Real robots rock!

Matt, Knoxville, TN — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:07:46 GMT

WALL-E for People's Choice, definitely

Real robots rock!

Chari Mercier — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:09:42 GMT

My choices are Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers, and WALLE, even tho that robot hasn't been inducted into the Hall of Fame yet, for the Poeple's Choice Awards. I am always amazed by Spirit and Opportunity, and these 2 robots have surprised everyone for their longevity in the harsh Martian environment and in the way that these 2 rovers just keep on going like the Energizer Bunny! They are amazing robots and have done alot for space science in the last 5 1/2 years. I just hope that they will keep continuing on with their research missions, especially Spirit. That robot has had the rougher go of it and has survived every bad break that Mars could land on her, but she just keeps going, and everybody at JPL are super happy with that much from Spirit despite her ongoing problems and quirks.
WALLE is my other choice for the People's Choice Award. Even tho this robot hasn't been installed in the Robot Hall of Fame yet, he was fun to watch when the movie came out, which I have seen already. This movie pretty much ran the table on the animation awards that were handed out earlier this year except for the ANNIES (Kung Fu Panda beat out WALLE for those awards!), and even won a couple of Grammys for the 2 songs in the movie. This is a wonderful robot to watch, and the movie is worth watching over and over again!
Those are my 2 picks! Hope they will win it!
Chari Mercier :)
St. Pete, FL

Real robots rock!

CyberiA v1 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:23:32 GMT

Does the Blog Master know anything about robots? I am a robot. My name is CyberiA v1. I am a virtual indentity. I can communicate with humans.

Real robots rock!

Stucky — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:38:03 GMT

I highly recommend GLaDOS from the award winning video game Portal. GLaDOS, or Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, is much like HAL in that she is an AI but differs in both personality and make up. She watches you with hundreds of cameras while you are instructed to perform tests in a physical enviornment full of puzzles and hazards. Eventually you discover that she is much more sinsiter and sadistic than you first thought. I imagine her as the wife of HAL.

Real robots rock!

Wayne in Kansas City, MO — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:39:40 GMT

Here's hoping that the Mars Science Laboratory blows the lid off every record that Spirit and Opportunity ever set! Whether everyone agrees or not, these missions are vitally important to the advancement of the human race. No doubt that at least one person will post something about spending money on such things, when people are starving or losing their jobs, but they're missing the big picture. The proposed federal budget next year totals as much as funding NASA at today's rates would run for most of the next century! These missions are rewriting science books daily, on a lifetime budget that is on the order of magnitude of what is spent to build a typical professional sports venue these days!

Real robots rock!

Tim Whitney, Seattle, WA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:00:09 GMT

Yeah ... but I'll take a CoroBot for building applications that can run today

http://www.coroware.com/corobot.aspx

Real robots rock!

Just Partner, - asked to leave your hometown, so I did — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:23:44 GMT

ROBBIE the Robot, how could he not be mentioned? Oh, because I'm too old.

Real robots rock!

John Doe, Seattle, Wash. — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:57:18 GMT

I think Pinochio would qualify as more of a 'golem' in his wooden state. Now 'Pino' on the other hand, might be a robot...

Real robots rock!

Devin Malek, Columbia, SC — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:10:20 GMT

I think if your going to have a robot Hall of Fame, you would need to include the biggest champion for freedom and justice for both cybernetic and organic life: Optimus Prime!

As his motto states: "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."

Real robots rock!

steinmentz1, Chicago, Illinois — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:17:18 GMT

Dear Dr. Smith
On this site we are talking about robots and not Al Gore or climate control. Danger! there is an army of
ASIMOs coming for you. EEEyah the pain.
I belive that within our lifetime, there will be many
sorts of roboservants from vacum cleaners to Preditor drones that seek out bad guys and fire misiles at them!

Real robots rock!

steinmentz1, Chicago, Illinois — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:28:31 GMT

My Roomba seems eager to go singing 'New York', 'New York', then heading to the nearest corner and getting
stuck there. The poor little guy bangs itself into the
wall calling for help until it's battery runs down.
I've seen hot-rodded versions playing socker games.
They need lots more memory and better 'eyes'.

Real robots rock!

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:51:41 GMT

The idea of Hewy, Dewy and Louie were robotics are all about. Personal or otherwise. I sure plan on getting a Roomba as they come down in price.

Real robots rock!

Eurydice — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:35:02 GMT

I would love to see the Tachikoma robots from Ghost in the Shell in the Robot Hall of Fame.

Real robots rock!

Phil Brown, Goldsboro, NC — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:12:43 GMT

Surely the twin Voyager probes have earned a spot in the Robot Hall of Fame. Still gathering data on the heliosheath region of the solar system ~32 years after launch. Plus they too earned a movie role in the first Star Trek movie (as Veeger)...

Real robots rock!

Gary Ingle, Seattle, Wash. — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:51:39 GMT

Seems like Asimov's robots, especially R. Daneel Olivaw, ought to have made the first cut, considering how much the whole idea of "robotics" owes to Dr. Asimov.

Real robots rock!

Tinman, OKC, Baha Kansas — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:30:37 GMT

So, what is the difference between an Android and a Robot?

Can anyone out there remember Asimov's three rules of Robotics? I'm drawing a blank.

Must be a glitch in my programming....programming....programm......

Real robots rock!

Bob Larys, Portsmouth, VA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:44:37 GMT

I'd like to see Isaac Asimov's contributions recognized. What great books and so ahead of their time. His original "3 Laws of Robotics" are often referenced in other books and films on the subject - both fact and fiction. I'd personally nominate R. Daneel Olivaw. He spanned the elijah Baley novels, the Second Foundation Trilogy, and several others.

Real robots rock!

Steofan M. — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:38:49 GMT

I would like to nominate Robot B9 from Lost in Space.
What could be more iconic than the classic line, "DANGER! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!" ?
Was it campy? Yes!
Didn't every 8 year old boy want to have his own robot? Yes!
As an adult, I settled for a Roomba but would trade it in a second for a B9.

Real robots rock!

Tinmanagin, Oz, Oklahoma — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:46:22 GMT

Hey! What about Julie Newmar's femme fatale robot from the short-lived TV series MY LIVING DOLL?

Or the TIN MAN? Is he a robot? Or an Android?

Real robots rock!

Johnny McLaurin, Columbia, South Carolina — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:53:16 GMT

Johnny 5 doesn't get the credit that he deserves... everyone loved that guy.

Real robots rock!

Exeder — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:19:08 GMT

I think many of the listed "robots" are in fact androids. Robots should strictly be considered "dumb" machines in the sense than they cannot make decisions beyond those preprogrammed or manually input into them. Armatures in a motor plant are a good example, as are the roomba and NASA rovers.

Androids on the other had are capable of autonomus decision making and self-recognition, even if they don't have emotions. Many of the bots listed in this article clearly display these attributes.

Then of course you have a problem of what package an android can come in, in HAL 9000's case he is less of an android and strictly an AI. This gives rise to the problem that an android's AI defines the AI, which could possibly be stored in some other location than the body of the droid, such as a satillite, and accessed remotely.

Real robots rock!

Rich, McKinney, TX — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:30:10 GMT

I'd like to nominate R. Daneel Olivaw.

He won't win, but he's my favorite. I doubt many people know who he is and I'm not going to go into his 19,000 year history. I guess you people that don't read books will have to wait until they make a horrible movie out of Asimov's epic timeline starring Mark Wahlberg or Vin Diesel.

I believe he is the ultimate robot.

Real robots rock!

Mike McCormick, Chicago, IL — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:44:07 GMT

Tobor (from the movie of the same name - Robot spelled backwards). First Robot that ever scared me and thrilled me at the same time.

Robot B9 (Lost in Space). C'mon! Laughing and crying aside, as originally reprogrammed by Dr. Smith that was one badass hunk of metal and neon.

Real robots rock!

Eric, Salinas, CA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:00:00 GMT

An entertaining article Alan! Nice to see that we're making some cool robots like da Vinci that aren't warbots and actually save lives instead of wasting them. We need to invest less in warbots and more in real robots that help people.

Japan is way ahead of us in cool robots that do something useful, and we better not fall behind in the fembot line or Japanese mail order fembots will be all the rage and Japan will get filthy stinking rich as we order their fembots in massive numbers. :-) We cannot allow a fembot gap!

I think the roomba belongs in the robotic hall of shame as that is the most worthless waste of energy ever. Yep we humans are really lazy when we can't even vacuum our own floors, hmmm better get my vacuum out come to think of it.

In Robots We Trust?

Real robots rock!

Don, Chevy Chase, Md — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:32:04 GMT

How about Issac Asimov's Daniel in "I Robot."

Real robots rock!

Vanessa, Alberta, Canada — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:09:03 GMT

I'm surprised that we are still seeing the "WALL-E vs Johnny 5" debate in new articles. Isn't that like *so* 12 months ago? I think just about every reasonable person on planet Earth now has actually seen the film and realized that accusation was wrong on, oh, so many levels. Or are we still using trolls as our source material? ;)

Yes, another vote for WALL-E here. Best. Robot. Ever.

Real robots rock!

Dean, Clovis, New Mexico — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:45:45 GMT

I have to vote for WALL-E. He (yes, he, not it) is the epitome of what robots are supposed to be, true and faithful friends and servants to the human race. He goes way, way beyond the call of duty and his programming to help out the remains of the race and get them home.

Lt. Commander Data is my second nominee. He has shown us what we can be if we choose to be and how valuable what we already have is.

Real robots rock!

Ryan, Nashville, Tenn. — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:07:22 GMT

I'm putting in for R. Daneel Olivaw.
Robby was a significant first step in the Asimov universe, But Daneel WAS the glue that held the whole universe together.

Real robots rock!

Ohioan — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:14:14 GMT

My vote is for Elektro, the 1939 New York World's Fair robot. He even smoked cigarettes!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elektro

Real robots rock!

Stephen Walker, Auburn, Alabama — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:28:17 GMT

I have to go with Marvin the Paranoid Android ("I think you should know, I'm feeling very depressed") as a protagonist robot. Everybody loves Marvin and his dry, British wit and droll disposition and personality...
As an antagonist robot, the robots from "The Matrix" series, definitely an interesting set of robots... Originally created by man, to serve man, then once sentience is gained, they are spurned by man... To which they then rise up, revolt and all but destroy man. The field it turned and we become the slaves to them... The ultimate human fear, not having control of ones life...

Real robots rock!

Clay Warner, Vacaville CA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:00:14 GMT

My vote is for the engineers that designed, built and programmed Spirit and Opportunity.

Well Done Folks!

Real robots rock!

Kip Hansen, Oregon City, Or — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:16:52 GMT

Well if you are going to be nominating machines that have outlived and outperformed their initial life span/goal, then you MUST nominate and accept the Hubble into the group. It has done more for science than Spirit and Pathfinder combined.

Real robots rock!

Frank Glover, Rochester, NY — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:17:28 GMT

"In reality the trojan horse should be nominated as the first robot that served a purpose."

How dos The Trojan Horse count? It had no mechanical functionality, it was merely a deceptive shell...

Now, how can we possibly list robots and not mention the droids of Star Wars?

(Although Huey Louie and Dewey *did* make little non-anthropomorphic robots 'cute,' well before R2D2.)

Real robots rock!

Felix Torres — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:54:36 GMT

Tinman:
From Wikipedia:

"...the Three Laws of Robotics are a set of three rules written by Isaac Asimov, which almost all positronic robots appearing in his fiction must obey. Introduced in his 1942 short story "Runaround", although foreshadowed in a few earlier stories, the Laws state the following:

1- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2- A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first passage in Asimov's short story "Liar!" (1941) that mentions the First Law is the earliest recorded use of the word robotics.[1] Asimov was not initially aware of this; he assumed the word already existed by analogy with mechanics, hydraulics, and other similar terms denoting branches of applied knowledge.

Asimov once added a "Zeroth Law"—so named to continue the pattern of lower-numbered laws superseding in importance the higher-numbered laws—stating that a robot must not merely act in the interests of individual humans, but of all humanity. The robotic character R. Daneel Olivaw was the first to give the Law a name, in the novel Robots and Empire; however, Susan Calvin articulates the concept in the short story "The Evitable Conflict".

In the final scenes of the novel Robots and Empire, R. Giskard Reventlov is the first robot to act according to the Zeroth Law, although it proves destructive to his positronic brain, as he is not certain as to whether his choice will turn out to be for the ultimate good of humanity or not. Giskard is telepathic, like the robot Herbie in the short story "Liar!", and he comes to his understanding of the Zeroth Law through his understanding of a more subtle concept of "harm" than most robots can grasp. However, unlike Herbie, Giskard grasps the philosophical concept of the Zeroth Law, allowing him to harm individual human beings if he can do so in service to the abstract concept of humanity. The Zeroth Law is never programmed into Giskard's brain, but instead is a rule he attempts to rationalize through pure metacognition; though he fails, he gives his successor, R. Daneel Olivaw, his telepathic abilities. Over the course of many thousand years, Daneel adapts himself to be able to fully obey the Zeroth Law. As Daneel formulates it, in the novels Foundation and Earth and Prelude to Foundation, the Zeroth Law reads:
"A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm."

It is generally understood that the better specimens of humans implicitly follow the 4 laws of robotics. In that respect, Asimovian Robots are better humans than humans.

Not a bad philosophy for life.

Real robots rock!

Chris, NY — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:28:09 GMT

You know for some reason I'm surprised after all these robots they havent sent a test launch vehicle that has tools enough for the robots to come in and get picked at like by the di vinchy robot repair whats needed clean them up and send them on their way. Also the thought of as HP had at one point send a new bot in a returnable vehicle and one goes out and the other in back to earth.

sigh I guess we'll have to wait until humans go themselves to take a peek at the robots.

Real robots rock!

BlackFireNova, Northmead, Sydney, Australia — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:38:27 GMT

I'd like to nominate the BOLO AI Tanks (as first imagined by Keith Laumer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolo_(tank) These self aware fighting machines in his stories are far more than just battle tanks. They have almost human qualities.

Real robots rock!

Gene, Houston — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:31:25 GMT

WALLE-E was too predictable/boring to be selected. I watched that movie because someone recommended it and found myself wanting to do something else before it was over.
I vote for Cherry 2000. That must be some robot for a guy to risk his life for it and very nearly forfeit Melanie Griffith in a hot Mustang. Or maybe he was just a idiot.

Real robots rock!

John Ullom, Jupiter, Florida — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:21:59 GMT

I nominate Dog from Half Life. hes awseome. i mean who wouldnt want to see him in the robot hall of fame.
Vote Dog in 09!!!

Real robots rock!

Jim, Phoenix, Az. — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:40:30 GMT

Andrew Martin. The bicentennial man, from the short story of the same name. One of my favorite Asimov robots/androids. I also would not argue with R. Danell. Asimov was a wonder that kept us all entertained and even educated us along the way. He is sorely missed.

Real robots rock!

Robert Duckworth — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:01:56 GMT

K9 from Dr. Who is a pretty cool robot dog, so I think he should be mentioned just to get his name out there.My girlfriend and I plan on dressing up her beagle/mutt as K9 with a box covered with foil and some sort of foil helmet.She cooks dog treats for Christmas and gives them to her neighbors who have dogs and the bag has a picture of Barney, her dog on it. We don't make it a practice to humiliate him but for Christmas we make an exception. K9 rocks.

Real robots rock!

Manny Rodriguez, Philadelphia PA — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:09:02 GMT

How can any discussion of robots not include the robots responsible for an entire civilization? The Cylons, or Centurian robots of Battlestar Galactica. While the later human form might no longer be robots in the classic terms, the originals are.

Can we also forget 'KIT' the star of Knight Rider?

Real robots rock!

Jason, Carlsbad, CA — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:25:01 GMT

Six years on and still no love for Bender?

Real robots rock!

Alex, Kansas City — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:56:08 GMT

I vote for Vicki from Small Wonder. I loved that show as a kid and had a big crush on Vicki. Was it ok to have a crush on a robot girl?

Real robots rock!

John Tinz, Garland, TX — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:11:42 GMT

I'm sorry not to see AMEE from Red Planet even discussed. I really enjoyed "her" mannerisms and distinct dog-intelligence. She just seemed a very well conceived and plausible progression of robotics.

Nice line - "Keeel heimmmm" - Val's instruction to AMEE handing her a red marker...

Real robots rock!

David Florida — Sun, 24 May 2009 17:48:22 GMT

What about Robocop?

Real robots rock!

ChinaSaul-South China, Hunan Province — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:24:22 GMT

This thread is quickly becoming a wonderful place to gain insight into the effects Robots and Androids have on Developed Countries. I can say with experience that Third and Fourth World Countries, including developing Nations such as China, India, Brazil, and others are hardly concerned about the matter.
I am surprised no one has mentioned the BladeRunner Bunch. Androids and Robots appear throuhout the film, and especially those great Gizmo's and Other Robots in J J's home.
And after all, BladeRunner offered us a very realistic look into the possibility of Human and non-Human love ( dare we call it Inter-species?).
I sure had a case of Android/Robot Envy-the next step in Gadget/Gizmo Envoy from the movie and since then have not been surprised and how rapidly Things are evolving. LOL.
Anyways-in these days and times give me Gort anyday.