On this episode of robots gone wild . . .
January 4th 2009 17:29
Two months ago I was working for a Japan-based website and stumbled across the story of project Aiko. It's the story of lonely Canadian robotics expert Le Trung that had turned his basement hobby into something out of a Mary Shelly novel.
It seems what started out as a well-meaning project with the goal of it a robot assistant to help his aging grandmother cook, clean, read the newspaper, and other menial chores around the house has turned into a full-on gem-bot. Aiko can see, hear, and feel like a real woman. She can recognize faces and respond correctly to stimuli such as a slap or inappropriate groping.
If that last bit wasn't weird enough for you, Trans demo video on YouTube features him grabbing Aiko's breast--to which she responds with disgust. Members of the press have latched onto the creepy vibe that Trung's project radiates and when one wise reporter asked if Aiko would ever be fully functional--wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more--Trung said that with a few modifications to her programming Aiko could be made to simulate orgasm.
What has the world come to when a project designed to help the elderly and infirm can degenerate into a sex-slave style girl robot? Still, it's kinda cool, don't you think? If only Trent could get some serious funding and get his project back on track.
Check out www.projectaiko.com for more about her.
Check out www.therealrobertpalmer.com for more about me.
It seems what started out as a well-meaning project with the goal of it a robot assistant to help his aging grandmother cook, clean, read the newspaper, and other menial chores around the house has turned into a full-on gem-bot. Aiko can see, hear, and feel like a real woman. She can recognize faces and respond correctly to stimuli such as a slap or inappropriate groping.
If that last bit wasn't weird enough for you, Trans demo video on YouTube features him grabbing Aiko's breast--to which she responds with disgust. Members of the press have latched onto the creepy vibe that Trung's project radiates and when one wise reporter asked if Aiko would ever be fully functional--wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more--Trung said that with a few modifications to her programming Aiko could be made to simulate orgasm.
What has the world come to when a project designed to help the elderly and infirm can degenerate into a sex-slave style girl robot? Still, it's kinda cool, don't you think? If only Trent could get some serious funding and get his project back on track.
Check out www.projectaiko.com for more about her.
Check out www.therealrobertpalmer.com for more about me.
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