A robot that even PETA can love
The idea of robots eating people didn’t seem likely just two weeks ago. But that was before Cyclone Power Technologies announced on July 7 that it had finished the biomass engine system that would power the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR) from Robotic Technology Inc.
In short hand, that means a robot that draws its power from whatever organic material is available. EATR, which looks like Wall-E’s head attached to a yellow pine wood derby racer, is a rolling scout designed for the Department of Defense.
In a little over a week, biomass had been interpreted to mean people. CNET picked up a report by FOX News and the suggestion that mechanized cannibalism might soon commence.
Our carcasses and those of other animals are, apparently, full of energy…. And given that EATR is being created for some military purposes, there should be plenty of battlefield corpses for it to feed on.
It seemed like a real-life version of The Matrix was happening, wherein humans had been turned into batteries. In an effort to address the rumors, Cyclone felt compelled to issue a press release explaining the company wasn’t secretly aiding a robotic takeover.
“We completely understand the public’s concern about futuristic
robots feeding on the human population, but that is not our mission,”
stated Harry Schoell, Cyclone’s CEO. “We are focused on demonstrating
that our engines can create usable, green power from plentiful, renewable plant matter.
In other words, EATR is a vegetarian. Cyclone further clarified that it will only consume twigs, grass clippings, and wood chips as fuel, in a process termed “foraging.” It’s also nice to know that Cyclone is not a front for Cyberdyne Systems.
In addition, there will be no further confusion between the dietary concerns of robots and zombies. Robots will apparently turn up their mechanical noses at brains.
If people are still worried about the EATR robot, the simplest way to keep it an herbivore is just to force it to sit through a screening of the documentary Food Inc. When they see what humans eat, they’ll probably pass on taking a bite of us.
[Image via Flickr: atp_tyreseus’]
