There is a lot of buzz today about Sony's new "running" huminoid robot the QRIO. I first read about it on Slashdot and I thought, sounds pretty cool. Just a bit a go I was at the BBC news page and I watched a video of it. The thing didn't really run in the traditional sense but did seem to technically have both feet leave the ground.
I decided to go to the Sony website and read a bit more about it. The website looks cool, but the text has a really creapy feeling about it. Take this part for example:
As the world becomes progressively more complex, we thought how wonderful it would be to have a navigator that gently changes with the times.
Now on the face, that sounds nice, but when you read a bit more in to this statment, it can seem a bit weird. Do we really need a robot companion to make us feel more at ease with a complex world.
An entertainment robot that lives with you, makes life fun, makes you happy.
Oh, I see, the robot makes you happy. This makes you forget the problems of a complex world. Phew.
QRIO is eager to be friends with people.
Thank god, I thought he might be one of those evil robots from the Matrix or Terminator.
Maybe I am reading a bit to much into this. Maybe the strange feeling I get is because the script was translated from Japanese to English. For now I will be happy to keep these robots at arms distance.
Posted by Noah Brimhall at December 18, 2003 09:36 AM