Althouse: Robot dog barks "wear a mask, wash hands frequently, check temperature"

March 31, 2022

Robot dog barks "wear a mask, wash hands frequently, check temperature" — in Shanghai.

English translation and the fact that his was video'd yesterday via The NY Post.

28 comments:

Enigma said...: Someone put a user-controlled, interactive paint gun on one of these robot dogs. The maker was not happy. "Spot's Rampage"

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56182268

The US Army added a real rifle to the robot dog:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byhRXB8JZNs

Ukraine? Russia? What say you? I'm guessing these would be more effective than wheels in the springtime mud...

Welcome to your real life dystopia, formerly known as "Science Fiction."; 3/31/22, 6:54 AM
mezzrow said...: "Hello, I'm Rags! Wear a mask or else! Step away from the orgasmatron."

Gramps: "Orgasmitron is an incorrect spelling, btw. That's what I learned this morning."

Youngster: "OK, boomer."; 3/31/22, 6:56 AM
Scott Patton said...: The play button obscured the thumbnail, at first glance the loudspeaker looked like the cone of shame - got a morning chuckle.; 3/31/22, 7:08 AM
RideSpaceMountain said...: That the speaker is jury-rigged to the top of robodog is the most chinese thing I've seen all year.; 3/31/22, 7:09 AM
gilbar said...: it's all Well and Good to be putting robots in charge of public health, safety and security
But LET'S FACE THE REAL ISSUE!
Between Russia, China, North Korea, and now Iraq; the threat of Global Thermonuclear War
is ALL TOO real. In Twenty Minutes time, Intercontinental and hypersonic missiles could be in the air; Coming To Kill US. We NEED a Robotic Sky Net, that would PROTECT the United States, from the dangers posed by human evil.
Once ALL of our military might, is in the hands of non-emotional machines; our problems will be OVER
What Could Possibly Go Wrong? NOTHING!; 3/31/22, 7:19 AM
Bob Boyd said...: That's not a dog. That's a bug.

What kind of a person comes up with something like this? Not the technology, this use of it. And where does this go? Will they have one in every home, watching and giving orders?
Pretty soon you'll have a fitbit you can't take off and one of these bugs nipping at your heels as you're driven your 10,000 steps each day. But think how healthy we'll all be.
Statistically, it will be a wonderful world.
Utopia isn't impossible, it's just a matter of what metrics you track.; 3/31/22, 7:25 AM
Old and slow said...: He is wearing a plastic cone, must have been chewing his paws. Poor thing...; 3/31/22, 7:31 AM
Bob Boyd said...: #norobotsforKaren; 3/31/22, 7:32 AM
Leland said...: Even robot dogs wear the cone of shame.; 3/31/22, 7:32 AM
David Begley said...: If that thing came trotting at me, I’d smash it to bits.; 3/31/22, 7:34 AM
stlcdr said...: RideSpaceMountain said...
That the speaker is jury-rigged to the top of robodog is the most chinese thing I've seen all year.

3/31/22, 7:09 AM

The Chinese equivalent of Redneck Engineering?

This actually demonstrates that the US and the West are in trouble. Like it or not, the Git er Dun attitude is one of the things that made the US and the West great.

If the Chinese now start adopting that attitude, they will overtake us in short order (if they haven't already).; 3/31/22, 7:38 AM
Jamie said...: C'mon man, don't ruin dogs for me...; 3/31/22, 8:00 AM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: "Get a shotgun!" - Two Scoops Biden.; 3/31/22, 8:01 AM
Ann Althouse said...: I've watched the video 4 times, and I must say, on the 4th watch I found it really cute.; 3/31/22, 8:44 AM
Owen said...: When its battery needs a charge, does it accost the nearest human, brandish its plug in a suggestive manner, and demand a coupling?; 3/31/22, 9:11 AM
ALP said...: Philip K. Dick stories have featured 'credit balloons'. The balloon follows a person around that is late on their payments. It will chant: "You need to pay your Visa bill. How can you look your children in the eyes when you are such a loser. Your creditors are waiting...."

We are on our way to the Credit Balloon.; 3/31/22, 10:07 AM
Joe Smith said...: '"Get a shotgun!" - Two Scoops Biden.'

I'm not sure those robots would last long in shotgun-wielding America...; 3/31/22, 10:14 AM
Original Mike said...: "Arf, arf, arf!" sounds really strange in Chinese.; 3/31/22, 10:21 AM
Christopher B said...: SiTT!; 3/31/22, 10:24 AM
Howard said...: No one is going to Wok that dog.; 3/31/22, 10:25 AM
n.n said...: A prelude to roboticide.; 3/31/22, 10:31 AM
Original Mike said...: This is what you get when you unleash a deadly pathogen on the world. (Yes, I know it's not the people's fault.); 3/31/22, 10:33 AM
Rabel said...: "Boston Dynamics isn’t the only company that makes futuristic quadrupedal robots. Chinese firm Unitree Robotics has also been at it for years, and this week [June, 2021] revealed its latest creation: the Unitree Go1, a robust-looking four-legged bot that’s remarkably cheap, with prices starting at just $2,700. (For comparison, Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot costs $74,500.)"; 3/31/22, 11:43 AM
Brian said...: I prefer Michael Reeves' adaptation of the Boston Dynamics robot to the pissbot.; 3/31/22, 12:35 PM
Scotty, beam me up... said...: Rabel said...
"Boston Dynamics isn’t the only company that makes futuristic quadrupedal robots. Chinese firm Unitree Robotics has also been at it for years, and this week [June, 2021] revealed its latest creation: the Unitree Go1, a robust-looking four-legged bot that’s remarkably cheap, with prices starting at just $2,700. (For comparison, Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot costs $74,500.)"

============================

My first thought at looking at this fake Chinese dog* is how much of Boston Dynamics’ intellectual property went into this fake dog that the Chinese didn’t pay for nor ask permission of Boston Dynamics to use. After all, that is the Chinese way of doing business…

*Mrs. Scott and I have a real Chinese dog, aka a Pug. I prefer its company to a fake one that constantly nags me to wash my hands!; 3/31/22, 1:51 PM
rhhardin said...: They ought to dress it in a surgery recovery suit pic; 3/31/22, 3:35 PM
Josephbleau said...: Emergency! Emergency! Everyone to get from street!; 3/31/22, 8:32 PM
Bunkypotatohead said...: "I'm not sure those robots would last long in shotgun-wielding America"

When Baltimore got a new deputy police comissioner a couple years ago, he and his wife were mugged shortly after they arrived in town.
That dog would be sold to a scrap metal dealer within 48 hours. The residents there ride in packs on unlicensed dirt bikes, and taking down an unarmed robot would be like a game for them.; 3/31/22, 9:59 PM