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Human progress is built on the evolution of technology, which is behind nearly everything we have and use today. From vast cities and computers capable of performing 17 quadrillion calculations per second to essential systems like agriculture and water management, all are outcomes of the ever-expanding reach of modern technology.
More recently, robots have entered the picture. From military drones and autonomous androids to microscopic nanobots, the world is increasingly resembling an elaborate science fiction narrative, and depending on how we interpret these developments, the future may be a dystopian one, governed by the very robots we’ve built.
If that seems overly dramatic, take a moment to consider the capabilities of modern robots:
10. They Can Outrun Humans
The world’s fastest man, officially, is Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who claimed gold in both the 100m and 200m events at the last two Olympic Games, reaching a peak speed of 27.78mph. However, this is a mere second place when compared to the fastest robot, known as the “Cheetah,” which reaches an astounding 28.3mph.
Developed mainly by Boston Dynamics with support from the DARPA government agency, the Cheetah robot has so far only been tested in lab environments. Nonetheless, plans were in motion to begin field testing in 2013.
This robot doesn’t just outrun every human, but its singular purpose is chilling: Destruction. Professor Noel Sharkey from the University of Sheffield’s Robotics Department comments on the matter:
“It’s a remarkable technological feat, but sadly, its intended use is for killing people.”
At least we can always tell humans apart from robots by their behavior, right? Well…
9. They Can Imitate Humans Better Than We Can
Game developers often incorporate AI (artificial intelligence) into their games to create more authentic interactions between in-game characters and human players. While it's generally easy to spot when a game character is controlled by AI due to the challenge of replicating human decision-making,
In September 2012, however, 2K Games hosted a competition to develop the most effective AI algorithm capable of realistically mimicking human behavior. The test was structured so that an equal number of AI-controlled ‘bots’ and human players competed in a first-person shooter game. Players could tag others as either human or AI.
The outcome? The winning algorithm earned a “humanness” score of 52%. While that may seem modest, actual human players scored an average of only 40%. The AI was more convincing than real people!
But honestly, it's not that terrifying since it's just a video game, right? Except the AI algorithms born from this competition will soon be used to make robots interact with humans in more lifelike ways. In other words: we're building robots that mimic human behavior.
8. They Match Our Strength and Agility
Bio-robotics is exactly what you think: the field focused on creating robots with living tissue. In this case, it’s not just any tissue. Muscle tissue has been specially engineered by the University of Pennsylvania and MIT to react to light. Unlike regular skeletal muscle tissue, which contracts in response to electrical impulses from neurons, this tissue contracts when exposed to light. By genetically altering the proteins in the tissue to respond to light, they’ve created a way to control biological muscle tissue without needing a nervous system. The video above demonstrates the tissue in action. The research team hopes to integrate this modified muscle tissue into robots to enhance their flexibility and dexterity beyond previous capabilities.
7. They Can Avoid Obstacles
A typical drone has a built-in fail-safe: it needs a satellite or remote signal to navigate. Without it, they simply fall from the sky. In an effort to enhance the lethal capabilities of drones, the Robust Robotics Group at MIT has created a fixed-wing drone that can autonomously navigate through an environment with no human input whatsoever.
Their drone can calculate “its own acceleration, speed, orientation, and position” using an algorithm that processes data from on-board sensors. But that’s just the beginning, because…
6. We’re Giving Them Minds
Specifically, the brains of bees. In a collaborative project between the Universities of Sussex and Sheffield, scientists are creating a functional model of the neural pathways that make up a bee’s brain. This model will then be integrated into a flying drone to assist with its navigation in various terrains.
Building mechanical models of brains isn’t a new concept, but it’s traditionally focused on recreating the neural systems of mice, monkeys, and humans—the brains we consider significant. However, Dr. James Marshall explains, “Simpler organisms such as social insects possess surprisingly advanced cognitive abilities” and are “smaller and more accessible than any vertebrate brain.”
If you don’t see why this is terrifying, think about how bees behave. They’re hive-driven, they swarm, and they communicate with each other when they’re under attack. Now, picture that, but with armed robots instead.
5. They Can Walk on Water
Religious jokes aside, this is absolutely mind-blowing. Not only have robotic engineers created machines that surpass human abilities, but they’ve also developed machines that can accomplish feats beyond our own capabilities.
Qinmin Pan has designed a robot that emulates the water strider, an insect that walks on water without disrupting its surface tension. The robot doesn’t just walk on water; it can also leap 5.5 inches upward and 14 inches forward, a skill that was previously thought impossible because the force required for the jump would break the surface tension and cause the robot to sink.
Pan utilized nickel foam for the legs and a sophisticated 5-leg system that enables the 11-gram robot to push off the water's surface and land again without breaking through, proving that scientists just don't want to give us any safe refuge from the inevitable robot warriors of the future.
4. They Detest Happiness
Leave it to Japan to create a robot that shoots every time you smile. Seriously. Suidoi Heavy Industry, an electronics company, recently unveiled a 4-ton robot called Kuratas, which is likely Japanese for “Goodbye, insignificant humans.”
Kuratas is a consumer product available for £900,000 (cup holders are extra), and it can be controlled either by an internal pilot or any device connected to a 3G network. The best part? The robot is fully armed and programmed to fire a Gatling gun at 6,000 rounds per minute when the pilot smiles.
Granted, the robot actually fires a BB gun; but A) BBs hurt, and B) How hard would it be to swap that out for a real weapon? This seems like a dangerous way to use technology, but at least we still have a chance to destroy them. Right?
3. Cambridge is Investigating the Possibility of a Robot Rebellion
In a move straight out of an 80’s movie plot, Cambridge University is researching the very real, no-joke, yes-we-mean-it possibility of a robot uprising. The project, named the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, was established by Huw Price, a philosophy professor at Cambridge; Martin Rees; and Jaan Tallinn, the co-founder of Skype, to evaluate the “extinction-level risks to our species…from progress in AI, from developments in biotechnology and artificial life, [and] from nanotechnology.”
It’s all fun and games when an online article talks about the possibility of a robot rebellion, but when Cambridge professors are genuinely worried about it, well, we’re surprised you haven’t already smashed your computer and started heading for the hills.
2. They Can Identify Themselves
Anyone familiar with robots knows that as soon as they gain self-awareness, they’ll begin to question their existence as our mechanical servants. Eager to push this moment forward, researchers at Yale University are working on a robot named Nico that they hope will be capable of recognizing itself in a mirror.
Okay, some things on this list are labeled “terrifying” half in jest, but let’s take a moment to really think about this one: This robot will develop an identity to the point where it will recognize its own reflection and understand, in some form, that it is a being in this world. Humans typically can’t do this until they’re 18 months old, so Nico will essentially have a cognitive ability that surpasses that of a human infant.
Run, and hide.
1. They’re Unstoppable
The video above showcases an earthworm-inspired robot, a remarkable creation by MIT, Harvard, and Seoul Universities that moves with peristalsis – the same rhythmic contracting motion that allows worms to travel. This autonomous robot is incredibly stable, able to conquer challenging terrains without tipping over or losing balance.
In the demonstration, the researchers showed the robot’s durability by smashing it with a sledgehammer and stepping on it, yet the robot simply kept crawling along unharmed.
To clarify: Hammers and feet are the arch enemies of almost every bug, but this robot brushes them off as if they were nothing. It may not be truly indestructible, but it clearly shows that engineers are heading in that direction.
