Robot would feed on dead bodies for fuel. UPDATE: Maybe not.

[iGuardian]

Attention: The first and original article has been revised by Fox News. Skip to the second "Quote" to read the updated article.

It could be a combination of 19th-century mechanics, 21st-century technology — and a 20th-century horror movie.

A Maryland company under contract to the Pentagon is working on a steam-powered robot that would fuel itself by gobbling up whatever organic material it can find — grass, wood, old furniture, even dead bodies.

Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot — that's right, "EATR" — "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable," reads the company's Web site.

That "biomass" and "other organically-based energy sources" wouldn't necessarily be limited to plant material — animal and human corpses contain plenty of energy, and they'd be plentiful in a war zone.

EATR will be powered by the Waste Heat Engine developed by Cyclone Power Technology of Pompano Beach, Fla., which uses an "external combustion chamber" burning up fuel to heat up water in a closed loop, generating electricity.


The advantages to the military are that the robot would be extremely flexible in fuel sources and could roam on its own for months, even years, without having to be refueled or serviced.

Upon the EATR platform, the Pentagon could build all sorts of things — a transport, an ambulance, a communications center, even a mobile gunship.

In press materials, Robotic Technology presents EATR as an essentially benign artificial creature that fills its belly through "foraging," despite the obvious military purpose.

UPDATE:

A steam-powered, biomass-eating military robot being designed for the Pentagon is a vegetarian, its maker says.

Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot — that's right, "EATR" — "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable," reads the company's Web site.

But, contrary to reports, including one that appeared on FOXNews.com, the EATR will not eat animal or human remains.

Dr. Bob Finkelstein, president of RTI and a cybernetics expert, said the EATR would be programmed to recognize specific fuel sources and avoid others.

“If it’s not on the menu, it’s not going to eat it,” Finkelstein said.

“There are certain signatures from different kinds of materials” that would distinguish vegetative biomass from other material."

RTI said Thursday in a press release:


"Despite the far-reaching reports that this includes “human bodies,” the public can be assured that the engine Cyclone (Cyclone Power Technologies Inc.) has developed to power the EATR runs on fuel no scarier than twigs, grass clippings and wood chips -- small, plant-based items for which RTI’s robotic technology is designed to forage. Desecration of the dead is a war crime under Article 15 of the Geneva Conventions, and is certainly not something sanctioned by DARPA, Cyclone or RTI."

EATR will be powered by the Waste Heat Engine developed by Cyclone, of Pompano Beach, Fla., which uses an "external combustion chamber" burning up fuel to heat up water in a closed loop, generating electricity.

The advantages to the military are that the robot would be extremely flexible in fuel sources and could roam on its own for months, even years, without having to be refueled or serviced.

In press materials, Robotic Technology presents EATR as an essentially benign artificial creature that fills its belly through "foraging," despite the obvious military purpose.

The revised article, along with related links, can be read on Fox News. The original article is still here, for entertainment purposes.

 

[pelicanflip]

Now, once it becomes aware of itself, we'll need to put it down.

That stuff is seriously creepy. Terminator style.

 

[MacMini2009]

Then it starts eating alive humans.

 

[pelicanflip]

Then it starts eating alive humans.

It'll be eating bullets in the face if it tries to eat me.

 

[Osarkon]

The question is how it would determine if a body was dead, or just sleeping.

Imagine dozing off, only to wake up with your lower half being digested by a robot.

 

[iGuardian]

The question is how it would determine if a body was dead, or just sleeping.

Imagine dozing off, only to wake up with your lower half being digested by a robot.

Hadn't even thought of that. Thats pretty damn scary.

 

[leekohler]

This just sounds like a very bad idea.

 

[mkrishnan]

Now, once it becomes aware of itself, we'll need to put it down.

You know how this ends. Please don't build a Cylon and then expect it not to nuke our planet.

 

[Unspoken Demise]

"His final request was that his body be offered to the Overlord as fuel for his eternal human enslavement."

 

[Boneoh]

That is a really, really bad idea.

Saw something similar on nanotechnology last night. The nano-bots are self-replicating, and designed to eat carbon to clean up oil spills. A bug in the software allows a mutation, and they start eating everything with carbon in it, animals, vegetation, etc. It spreads like a cancer until we all die. Scientists are actually debating this scenario.

The problem is that it is not possible to forsee all possible results of our pitiful human work. We humans are not nearly as clever as we think we are.

IMO if these things come to pass, we are doomed.

 

[MarkCollette]

Not if we build robots that live off of eating other robots...

 

[DrunkenMunky]

Sounds like the plot of a very low budget film.


I'd still watch it tho.

 

[Mr. Giver '94]

Why is the government wasting money on this type of project?

Stupid idea.

 

[brad.c]

What does robot poo smell like?

 

[Jaffa Cake]

This strikes me as a rather poor idea. We don't need to go giving robots ideas above their station, telling them we're food is bound to end in tears.

 

[P-Worm]

Why is the government wasting money on this type of project?

Stupid idea.

A robot that can go on for days and days recharging itself is a bad idea? As a robotics engineer, I will be fascinated if they get this working.

P-Worm

 

[redking31591]

Soylent Green is people!!! RUN!!!!! I think someone has been watching too many 70's thrillers.

 

[LynnW]

In an update to the story linked in the first post, the president of Robotic Technology Inc. says that the robot is a vegetarian. It runs on twigs, grass clippings, etc. It does not consume animals or humans.

 

[iGuardian]

In an update to the story linked in the first post, the president of Robotic Technology Inc. says that the robot is a vegetarian. It runs on twigs, grass clippings, etc. It does not consume animals or humans.

Thanks! I've updated the original post and title to reflect the changes.

 

[pelicanflip]

Hmm, vegetarian robot? Interesting. I'm willing to be that it still has the capabilities and potential to break down other organic materials besides vegetation.

I'm watching you, robots. We'll be ready when the robot revolution comes around...