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worldmags<br />
www.servomagazine.com/index.php?/magazine/article/december2010_Robytes<br />
Georgia Tech’s Ronald Arkin <strong>and</strong> Alan Wagner watch as one<br />
bot fakes out another. Photo by Gary Meek.<br />
robot attempting to hide from another robot to develop<br />
programs that successfully produced deceptive behavior.”<br />
Specifically, in a game of hide <strong>and</strong> seek, the deceiving bot<br />
knocked down markers in a way that would indicate that it<br />
would be hiding in one of three locations, then actually hid<br />
in one of the other two. After a run of 20 experiments, the<br />
hider deceived the seeker 75 percent of the time.<br />
The concept clearly has its uses in applications such as<br />
military search <strong>and</strong> rescue (<strong>and</strong>, in fact, the investigation<br />
was funded by the Office of Naval Research); misleading<br />
the enemy is a useful capability. But, Arkin noted, “We have<br />
been concerned from the very beginning with the ethical<br />
implications related to the creation of robots capable of<br />
deception, <strong>and</strong> we underst<strong>and</strong> that there are beneficial <strong>and</strong><br />
deleterious aspects.” Indeed, a world crawling with robotic<br />
lawyers, car salesmen, investment counselors, <strong>and</strong><br />
politicians is the stuff of nightmares.<br />
Roll Over, Tchaikovsky<br />
Dying<br />
robotic<br />
swan<br />
brought<br />
to you by<br />
Mälardalen<br />
University.<br />
It’s always dangerous to mix robotics with the fine arts,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the latest example is the Dying Swan, created at<br />
Sweden’s Mälardalen University (www.mdh.se) <strong>and</strong><br />
choreographed by professional dancer Åsa<br />
Un<strong>and</strong>er-Scharin. According to a news release, “The<br />
Dying Swan is sometimes moving smoothly <strong>and</strong> gently,<br />
sometimes in a dramatic <strong>and</strong> fiery manner, as Tchaikovsky’s<br />
majestic music from the ballet Swan Lake is playing ...<br />
The swan robot’s just over four-minute-long dance has<br />
made a big impression. Tearful eyes <strong>and</strong> words like<br />
`touching,’ `fascinating,’ <strong>and</strong> `beautiful’ are some of<br />
the reactions.”<br />
Reactions on the Internet, on the other h<strong>and</strong>,<br />
include “scary,” “jerky,” <strong>and</strong> “not yet ready for Chuck E.<br />
Cheese.” Decide for yourself by logging onto www.mdh.<br />
se/news/1.34862.<br />
Wishy-Washy Robot<br />
Panasonic’s hair-washing<br />
robot: insert your head<br />
<strong>and</strong> it does the rest.<br />
It’s not designed to replace the shampoo monkey at<br />
your local beauty shop, <strong>and</strong> it can’t cut hair or do your<br />
nails. But Panasonic (www.panasonic.net) has introduced<br />
a hair-washing robot that may prove useful in hospitals <strong>and</strong><br />
health care facilities for relieving overburdened medical<br />
personnel of a mundane <strong>and</strong> noncritical task. The machine<br />
employs Panasonic’s robot h<strong>and</strong> technology, applying 16<br />
fingers to wash hair <strong>and</strong> rinse away the little bubbles “with<br />
the dexterity of human fingers.” Two arms scan the<br />
patient’s head in three dimensions, <strong>and</strong> even remember the<br />
head shape, allowing the poo-bot to apply proper pressure<br />
throughout the process. Each arm has three motors that<br />
independently control the swing, press, <strong>and</strong> massage<br />
motions in conjunction with power detection sensors, so it<br />
probably does a pretty good job. However, a word to the<br />
wise: Make sure it’s properly grounded before you stick<br />
your head inside. SV<br />
SERVO 12.2010 9<br />
worldmags