You're right, Ann, we already have drones that are run by remote control. But that's not quite the same thing as a robot out to do a hit. Or an army of robots controlled by thought. The creep value escalates.
@Ann: Great article on an interesting topic. I wonder if this technology could be used to help people with disabilities? (Kind of like Sam Worthington's character in Avatar).
Nice article Ann. I like reading about all the advancements in robots. They sure have come a long way. Sci-fi channel comes to life. I can really see a lot of good use for this robot.
I know what you mean, Rob. But so far, this technology only tells robots to make simply body movements that the "sender" thinks about. I suppose it could eventually be extended to firing a gun or some other wartime function. OTOH, we're already doing remote bombing without thought control.
I agree about the sc i-fi reality (again!). There are several different research projects that have focused on thought control of robots, including this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRt8QCx3BCo
TJ, that's a good point. OTOH, the robot only recognizes, and responds to, specific thoughts it's been programmed for. So if it gets thoughts it doesn't understand, nothing will happen. The potential danger will depend on the robot's size, abilities, and what it's doing.
Oh, I agree, it is simply amazing stuff. I wasn't belittling the technology, just exploring a hurdle.
The most significant problem facing science fiction authors is that they don't predict far enough out.
Gene Roddenberry's Enterprise had hints of a computer tablet the captain signed, and pocket sized communicators. That was supposed to be 200 years in the future. Instead, we have them now.
I heard a news article today about warp drive, that it may not be complete fantasy. Best guess is that it will be doughnut shaped. Go figure!
One problem that will need to be solved is that of operator distraction. If adverse things can happen when a distracted operator is actually hands on with a machine, imagine what could happen with one controlled only by thoughts.
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