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Saturday, November 6, 2010

Will Small Step for Robots Lead to Giant Leap for Robotkind? | PBS NewsHour | Oct. 29, 2010 | PBS

REPORT    AIR DATE: Oct. 29, 2010

Will Small Step for Robots Lead to Giant Leap for Robotkind?

SUMMARY

How close are we to being replaced by robots? NewsHour Science Correspondent Miles O'Brien reports on efforts to engineer robots that are eerily similar to humans and animals.

LISTEN:           MP3

Go there See Video...
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/july-dec10/robots_10-29.html

JUDY WOODRUFF: Finally tonight: a change of pace. Just how close are we to being replaced by robots? NewsHour science correspondent Miles O'Brien examines the efforts under way to develop robots that are just like us.

MILES O'BRIEN: Who says you need to be human to have the right stuff?

MAN: I am going to show you some demonstrations as to the capabilities of the robot. One of the most important features of the robot are its hands. It has, obviously, five fingers.

MILES O'BRIEN: They call it Robonaut. And it is headed to the International Space Station on the last mission for the shuttle Discovery. It's the first humanoid robot to fly in space.

STEVE LINDSEY, commander, Discovery: We are going to figure out exactly how you would use this technology to assist astronauts, as well as how you would use this technology to assist humans on the ground, because it has spinoffs everywhere.

MILES O'BRIEN: The idea, eventually, astronauts will use Robonaut as an assistant on space walks, and, who knows, maybe, one day, to clean the space station toilet.

So, the astronauts are getting a robot butler. Are you jealous? I sure am.

Go there See Video...
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/july-dec10/robots_10-29.html

Don

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