Japan Builds Kinect-Powered Seeing-Eye Robot Dog

Dogs are obsolete thanks to this new robot guide.

Man’s best friend is now finally made of metal, plastic and a Kinect. Dogs have long been used by the visually impaired to guide them in walking down the street and accomplishing tasks, but Japanese robotics corporation SNK has developed a robot that accomplishes the same feat – and it doesn’t need to be fed Alpo. The “quadruped walking robot” uses a combination of flexible legs, wheels and a Microsoft Kinect to see. SNK has been working on this baby for years – this is their third version – but some work still needs to be done before I’d trust a robot to help my blind Aunt Sue cross the road.

The latest version highlighted in the video above moves ten times faster than the last one made by SNK roboticists. If that’s true, then those old robots must have taken a heck of a long time to get anywhere.

I’m not sure why watching this video gives me chills. The herky-jerky movement of the “robot” is terrifying, yes, but I think what really bothers me is that yet another task once performed well by organics is relegated to a bunch of lifeless nuts and bolts with no soulllll – ~~~*** GS&S(*@)

I accept and revere our robot overlords. Hail Machinus!

Source: NY Times