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Science Technology Hardware

CMU Unveils Robot Hall Of Fame 234

Posted by timothy from the where's-darl? dept.
CMU_Nort writes "Carnegie Mellon University has just unveiled the Robot Hall of Fame. Along with that announcement, MSNBC has an article about the first honorary inductees, including R2D2 and Mars Pathfinder. You also have the chance to nominate other robots."
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CMU Unveils Robot Hall Of Fame More

CMU Unveils Robot Hall Of Fame

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  • Nominate A Robot (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Robot Name: Darl McBride
    Robot Link: Darl McBride [sco.com]

    Reason:Darl McBride should be considered for induction to the Robot Hall of Fame for his wonderful example of autonomous operation in the face of outstanding obstacles. If placed in the same position, any lesser robot would seg fault and dump core, but not Darl. He fearlessly plugs away at his thankless job, pressing the PR button. Hopefully, the twillight of solid-state death will not come to this robot too soon, and when it does, may it come suddenly,
    • I nominate Gigalo Joe from the movie AI. I mean heck, this was some geeks creation that got $paid$ not just to have sex, but to fullfill a womans needs both physically and emotionally.

      First google link that popped up was for a fan site. http://fans.papervixen.net/joe/main.php

      As a guy I think it would be cool to have a Joe around for a coach. He's sort of a multiplatform system programmed with the kuma satra, men are from mars and women are from venus, GQ, and the complete collection of Ophra book club.
      • Gigalo Joe from the movie AI

        If you like Gigalo Joe (great Jude Law over-the-top performance), I found this story about Gigalo Jane. Remember her? All 1 line and 15 seconds they gave her in the movie? I wonder what was left on the cutting room floor.

        [Adult Content Warning]
        G. Jane [att.net]
        [/Adult Content Warning]

        Why the warning? Hey, they are sex-bots.

  • Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:21AM (#7441230)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • are the only robots that truly matter. They worked tirelessly with first Joel Robinson and then Mike Nelson to watch really, really cheesy movies and comment on them in a hilarious manner. And the world is a better place for it.

  • The most famous robots of all (Score:4, Funny)

    by Hi_2k ( 567317 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:23AM (#7441237) Journal
    Everybody knows them: The microsoft marketing people!

  • k9? (Score:4, Funny)

    by DAldredge ( 2353 ) <SlashdotEmail@GMail.Com> on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:24AM (#7441241) Journal
    What about K9 from Dr. Who? That put a rolling trashcan that beeps into the hall of fame, but they don't put in K9?

    Why? Did Lukas donate some money to there school at somepoint?

    • Re:k9? (Score:3, Informative)

      by geekoid ( 135745 )
      First, R2-D2 is far more widley known then K9. perhaps the most widly know robot ever.
      second, it just opened for Christ sake, go and vote for K9.

      Third, by putting in a fictional robot, they set the stage. latter someone can't say, you're not allowed, its only for real robots.

      • Or they are seting the stage so the wealty in Hollywood can 'donate' money and 'earn' a spot for one of their companies robots.

        But that would NEVER happen, now would it?
    • I second the vote for K9. He's got an a bit of an attitude and delusions of omnipotence. :)

  • What about the Asimo? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ActionPlant ( 721843 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:26AM (#7441257) Homepage
    Seriously, Honda's Asimo needs to be on this list. Unless I missed it, of course.

    http://world.honda.com/ASIMO/

    And how could we forget the Rhoomba vacuum? Both robots of our time that are paving the way for things to come. Obvious choices, maybe, but necessary choices nonetheless.

    Damon,

  • Hope they fix the nomination page... (Score:4, Informative)

    by jejones ( 115979 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:26AM (#7441262) Journal
    When you try to nominate a robot, you get a "Bad/No Recipient" error page.

    In any case--once it's up, IMHO Nilsson's robot "Shakey" deserves nomination.

  • what about.. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by laurent420 ( 711504 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:27AM (#7441265)
    lieutenant commander data?
    • Which one?

      The one that is alive 20 years in the future at the end of ST:TNG or the one that dies in the last ST:TNG movie?

      • The one that is alive 20 years in the future at the end of ST:TNG or the one that dies in the last ST:TNG movie?

        Always in motion, the future is. Oops wrong series.

        So when the Borg time traveled in First Contact, the timeline forked, changing anything that happened previously in the future (English needs new tenses). So if you enjoyed TOS, TNG, DS9, or, god, even Voyager, feel free to turn off Enterprise - it's a different universe. This also explains the problems with the last two TNG movies.

    • Re:what about.. (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Galvatron ( 115029 ) *
      Isn't there some bit where he denies being a robot, calling himself an android instead? Anyway, Data being an android was just the excuse to slip a Spock-alike into TNG. Not that I'm complaining, I liked the show, and I liked the character, but Data has no more to do with robotics than I. R2D2 felt more like a tool, was mass produced in the fictional universe (unlike Data, who had a very bizarre origin story, and an "evil twin"), and was generally more believable, I think.
      • This is true of many origins of ST characters... Spock existed only because producers of the show didn't feel a woman being first officer was believable, even in the 23rd century (I'm talking about the first pilot).

        On TNG, Gene put Worf there simply to prove the point that yesterday's enemies can be today's allies, and also to have "guy with elaborate makeup" (I read that in one of the books about the shows) on the bridge. Tasha was the more important character, but then she died and Worf grew into one of
        • I quite agree, I loved Data. You've nailed most of it, the characters ae meant to fulfill certain roles. After all, Gene's original intent for Star Trek was to make a show like Gulliver's Travels, where he could deal with moral issues without being told his plots are to deep, or will make the audience uncomfortable. Data is a useful tool to accomplish that goal, and making him a realistic android would be an impediment, just as trying to have realistic aliens would be an impediment. The half black/half

  • This guy needs to be inducted... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by rolocroz ( 625853 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:27AM (#7441266)
    Marvin the Paranoid Android [internationalhero.co.uk]. Brain the size of a planet...
  • You also have the chance to nominate other robots.

    Bill Gates anyone? Where would the Borg be without him?

  • My nomination (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Evil Adrian ( 253301 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:28AM (#7441278) Homepage
    Vicky from Small Wonder [tvtome.com].

  • Logical choice... (Score:3, Funny)

    by MoeMoe ( 659154 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:30AM (#7441289)
    You also have the chance to nominate other robots.

    What about Dick Clark? Can you explain why that guy doesn't age after over a century of "A Dick Clark Rockin' New Years Bash"?

  • I got a nominee... (Score:5, Funny)

    by meta-monkey ( 321000 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:32AM (#7441298) Journal
    I used to work at the Machine Intelligence Laboratory [ufl.edu] at the University of Florida [ufl.edu]. Back the mid '90s we developed a couple of robots that would wander around, avoiding walls and the like, and when their battery power got low, they would seek out a charging station we set up. Well, one of the robots had stronger motors on its wheels than the other. The smaller robot was on the charger, but the bigger robot pushed it off because it needed to charge. The smaller robot was too puny to retaliate, and its batteries ran out. This may well be the first documented case of robot murder. I nominate Grazer, the bigger robot, for induction as the first ever robot murderer!

  • Hey, anyone ever seen Metropolis? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by prolix2012 ( 673349 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:38AM (#7441327)
    I'm a little suprised that the robot from Lang's Metropolis didn't get a nod, guess that whole "introduced the term 'robot into the lexicon" thing just doesn't go as far as it used to.
    • I'm a little suprised that the robot from Lang's Metropolis didn't get a nod, guess that whole "introduced the term 'robot into the lexicon" thing just doesn't go as far as it used to.

      Actually, that was done by Karl Capek [mindfully.org], a Czechoslovak Science Fiction writer, in the story RUR Rossum's Universal Robots, in 1920. It seems that ``robot'' was Czech for ``worker'', and Capek gave it its curent meaning.

  • Favorite Movie robots.

    Robby the robot. [google.com]

    Lost in Space robot [google.com]

    Don't any of you say the MUFFIT from Battle Star Galactica !!! Geeeeeezuz.

    Twiki from Buck Rogers ......"Buck , Get down...bity .bity." [google.com]

    The funkiest robot. The woman in that show....big crush !

  • Maria (Score:3, Insightful)

    by geekoid ( 135745 ) <dadinportlandNO@SPAMyahoo.com> on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:42AM (#7441347) Homepage Journal
    Maria is from Fritz Lang's Metropolis. 1927. Perhaps the first robot ever put on film.

    http://www.jeffbots.com/maria.html

  • Asimo (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Saeger ( 456549 ) <farrellj@nosPAM.gmail.com> on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:46AM (#7441362) Homepage
    I was going to nominate Asimo [honda.com], but their FormMail script seems to be broken ATM.

    Asimo is one of the first bipedal walking robots that really scared the crap out of a lot of people. How many generations of advancing tech before their bodies and AI are up to snuff for jobs like: construction work, plumbing, McJob customer service, worldcup soccer, sucky-fucky, ... world domination? :)

    --

    • How many generations of advancing tech before their bodies and AI are up to snuff for jobs

      I read that as "...AI are up for snuff jobs".
      Just wait 'til all the hitmen are robots! The Mafia won't have to worry about their members getting busted for murder anymore! The hard part will be getting the robots to tie the people up BEFORE putting the concrete boots on and throwing them in the water. Perhaps we'll have robots with frickin' lasers on their heads. That would be easier, anyway. If a robot did it,

      • Just wait 'til all the hitmen are robots!

        It's already in work [bizjournals.com]. There's folks [darpa.mil] out there with the money and desire to make it happen.

        This thing is coming and when it gets here it's not gonna be too funny.

    • how many generations? in human terms, or tech terms? right now, ASIMO is operated BY A REMOTE CONTROL... how long before it can control itself, at a resonable speed? Who knows. a decade sounds good though.

      • Re:Asimo (Score:3, Informative)

        by SpinyNorman ( 33776 )
        It's only Asimo's "modes" and cutesy audience interactions that are directed by remote control. His most impressive feat - walking up and down stairs (and walking at all for that matter)- is something that he does automomously.

  • R2D2? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by toupsie ( 88295 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:46AM (#7441363) Homepage
    Wouldn't R2D2 be considered a puppet more than a robot?
  • Jenkins, from Clifford Simak's "City" stories.

    To me he'll always be The robot.

    In terms of movie robots Robbie and B-9 (Lost in Space) were international stars when Lucas was still a child. If I were them I'd be a bit pissed at R2-D2 making it before them ( and I figure C-3PO is a bit jealous)

    There's also Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still.

    The problem with new "Hall of Fame"s is that they tend to forget the true pioneers in favor of the current stars.

    If I had to nominate a new real robot to a hall

  • Nomination: Hero 2000 (Score:3, Informative)

    by morcheeba ( 260908 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:47AM (#7441368) Journal
    The Heathkit Hero 2000 [robotprojects.com] cost as much as a Yugo, but available with an optional arm and wireless terminal, it got a lot of students into robots. I remember writing a simple wall-following algorithm that ran on real hardware -- a lot more complexity than with Karel The Robot. [otterbein.edu]

  • What definition of robot are they using? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by breser ( 16790 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:48AM (#7441384) Homepage
    They inducted HAL 9000 [robothalloffame.org] which doesn't really seem like much of a robot to me. I mean I guess it can control the functions of the ship. I just never really thought of HAL as a robot.
    • HAL is the Brain that controls the ship functions. Automating things for the crew. performing labor. hence Robot.

      Is someone with only one arm less human?

      • So is my car a robot because it can turn on the lights for me when it gets dark, lock my doors, maintain my speed, etc...

        I don't think we saw much labor form HAL. He moved some pods around, opened doors, played chess, killed the crew.

        Granted that HAL had a degree of intelligence that my car doesn't. But this isn't the AI Hall of Fame. It's the Robot Hall of Fame.

        There are of course a variety of definitions of the term robot. [reference.com] Some of which would include HAL, some which would exclude HAL. Nowhere that
    • I'd say that HAL was definitely a robot, but I also think HAL is a poor choice for inclusion in the hall of fame.

      HAL is the poster child for anthropomorphism in AI. That is not the message they should be sending, IMHO.

      I don't mind R2D2 as much, because he is basically functional and non-anthropomorphic in design.

      And don't get me started about Twikki... :)

      Jon Acheson

  • Don't tell me they weren't really robots: (Score:5, Insightful)

    by bersl2 ( 689221 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @12:49AM (#7441393) Journal
    Cambot, Gypsy, Tom Servo, Crow

    That's like telling young children there's no Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, or Tooth Fairy, yet the monsters under the bed are still going to get them, all at the same time.
  • They have a voice recognition system for getting you prepared with your call to an agent. This system is awesome. You can say stuff in your normal accent and the system recognizes it correctly with high success rate. I don't know if you can consider this system a 'robot' but hey, its automating routine tasks and its just not a mere program

  • What about Rosie? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by ekmo ( 128842 )
    As long as fictional robots are being inducted, I'd like to nominate Rosie [jeffbots.com], the maid from the Jetsons [cybercomm.nl].
  • "the first honorary inductees, including R2D2 and Mars Pathfinder"

    That's ridiculous! They can't have fictional and real robots in the same category. This brings up the obvious question of what their criterion for selection are. It is doubtful that these criterion even exist; most likely they are simply selecting the most famous robots they know.
    • my goodnes, you post as if you didn't go to the link and read the article. I find that hard to believe.
  • It's those overlords you guys all keep talking about!

  • Al Gore! (Score:3, Funny)

    by NanoGator ( 522640 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @01:23AM (#7441545) Homepage Journal
    ILM did an awesome job with his animitronics.
  • Since unfortunately they are adding in fake robots(kind retarded if you ask me) why not include Twiggy from Buck Rogers?

    Beedie Beeedie Beedie. Or something like that.

    btw I've seen a lot of references to him online as "tweeky", I'm pretty sure it was twiggy. Also feel free to nominate his evil master, that round see through head that hung on his neck. This of course being waaaay before rappers were hanging stupid clocks on their necks. Wouldn't clear plastic robot heads been much more dope?
  • ... then I nominate Holly.
  • Fictional: R. Daneel Olivaw. [amazon.com]

    Real: just about anything from the MIT Leg Lab [mit.edu].

  • The robot on Gilligan's island was so advanced..

    MARY ANN
    Now you sweep like this...back and forth, back and forth.

    Mary Ann hands the broom to the robot.

    MARY ANN
    Sweep!
    Back and forth, back and forth.
    Ooo this is going to be fun!
    That's fine, that's fine!
    Now sweep the other way.
    The robot continues sweeping and is heading towards the hut wall. The robot doesn't respond to Mary Ann's voice commands.

    MARY ANN
    Well turn around!
    Well sweep the other way!!
    The robot continues in a straight line right through the hut wa

  • What about Kilroy? OH yeah, he wasn't a robot, with parts made in Japan. Secret secret, he's got a secret. Blah.

    What about the robots Kilroy impersonated in order to escape, reinvent rock music, and overthrow the totalitarian government?

  • The REAL robot hall of fame (Score:4, Informative)

    by Animats ( 122034 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @04:42AM (#7442291) Homepage
    Here's the real robot hall of fame [computerhistory.org], the Computer History Museum's robot collection. Many of the famous ones are there, including the Hopkins Beast and Shakey. They used to be on public display in Boston, but now they're in Mountain View, California. The Computer History Museum now has a new building, and is gradually setting up exhibits. Tours are available.
  • Built by Odetics, a division of Gyyr, ODEX-1 [inebraska.com] was a real robot. So many of these nominations are for dreams of a robot, or media portrayal of one. ODEX-1 could climb stairs, crawl out of the back of a pickup truck, and then lift the back of the pickup truck off the ground (it put one arm under the trailer hitch.) It could also draw its legs up close so it could walk through narrow doorways.

    Odetics wanted to sell it to the US military as a guard robot - it never sleeps, and if someone shoots it, there isn't

    • Well - at least it got two nominations. I nominated it before I read the comments (also nominated SRI's Shakey, and the GE Hardiman suit - though technically not a robot). I have very little information on the ODEX-1.

      Last I heard, the prototype(s?) were sitting at the Smithsonian. I have articles from Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, and Omni that showed this robot off nicely. I remember seeing it working on That's Incredible (or the old Ripley's Believe It or Not). I tried to contact the company (at the

      • It sounds like you have more information on it than I. I learned about it because that factory I was working for made the circuit boards for it. (Technically, we made printed wiring boards - we didn't do components or soldering).

        So of course everyone in the factory (that liked high-tech stuff) thought it was cool, and kept an eye out for it in the news.

        Last I heard, (and this was several years ago) Odetics still had it in their corporate offices down in L.A. On special days, they let it roam the hallways

  • I tried to nominate Bender Bending Rodriguez, but the mail form is broken. Anywho, for those of you who STILL haven't discovered this great bending unit, here are some facts:

    Bender (full name: Bender Bending Rodriguez) is a Unit 22 Bending Unit and was his mother's 1729th son born in a factory in Tijuana, Mexico. His father was killed by a can opener. Comprising of 30% Iron, 40% Zinc, 40% Titanium and 40% Dolomite, Bender later attended Bending State college where he majored in Bending and minored in Robo-

  • Nomination (Score:2, Funny)

    by garymcg ( 682309 )
    I nominate Al Gore, the robot that invented the internet!! Everyone thinks he dropped out of public life, but he's just resting until it's time to reemerge....as Skynet!!

  • I wonder if this is related to the roboceptionist
    booth they're building in Newell-Simon Hall, or if
    that's an unrelated project in robotics..
    For other CMUers who haven't seen the posters,
    some RI/Drama folks put this together:
    http://roboceptionist.com/

  • Robby the Robot will always be tops! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by GeneralEmergency ( 240687 ) on Tuesday November 11, 2003 @11:18AM (#7444043) Journal
    Robby the Robot from the 1956 classic 'Forbidden Planet' for no other reason than this line:

    "Pardon me. I was giving myself an oil-job."

  • I always wanted that thing, but I settled for the dance pad that came with a gnarly olympics game.
  • I nominate Troody because of it's advanced body and leg designs which in future will give robots better mobility. Troody is a dinosaur-like bipedal robot currently controlled by wire.
  • I'll actually take them seriously when they induct a robot made primarily for sexual purposes into their collection. After all, why do you think we will really build them?

    (Before you mod me down, remember that the success of the Betamax and the whole home VCR revolution and pre-recorded tape/sales was initially fueled by peope wanting to watch p0rn in the privacy of their own house. Sex sells. If robots ever go mainstream, it won't be because of people buying them to mow their lawns for them.)

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