Battlebots - Non Robots

[Hans Tucker]

Ok firstly I love watching Battlebots .... but .. now for some semantics .. what constitutes a robot? What is on display in Battlebots is radio control platform with some impressive servo/motor actuated weaponry. There is no hint of AI or programming. So can they really be called robots?

[LewisM]

Being pedantic, it is not a robot, since robots usually have pre-programmed actions, but rather just a radio - therefore human non-pre-programmed - controlled object.

[Hans Tucker]

Bit long for a TV program name.

[ian fry]

Better watching robot wars BBC show , still remote control but way better

[LewisM]

There is that...

I worked with many [human] robots in Canberra. Definitely pre-programmed by something not human :lol:

[glend]

Ava from Ex_machine, is my robot of choice. Andrew from Bicentential Man is another favorite.
I agree with Lewis, there many human robots in certain jobs, usually ones which do not require imagination, or empathy.

[Kal]

battle radio controlled toys doesn't have the same ring to it :lol:

[theodog]

Or Drone :thumbsup:

[bojan]

I recall the term "mobot" from the past...

[sil]

yeah well, thanks to people happily deciding to use words that sound ok and just arbitrarily redefining the meanings as a result children can't enjoy eating Fags and having a "gay ol' time" is certainly out of the question.

but no i cant class them robots, I have robots at home but they only just qualify and certainly don't have anything approaching AI ( another term wrongly used everywhere for marketing). Its due to the Smart Generation (ROFLMAO).

[xelasnave]

Language evolves and so a word one uses to define something specific with certain attributes changes as it circulates through the population and the term robot perhaps is a good example. If the bulk of the population call these radio controlled machines robots that is what they are.
I guess the next level for the sport would be having machines that fight without human control...well appart from their programing.
Alex

[sil]

"Beware this home guarded by attack roombas" . hmm what a great idea, it slices! it dices! it cleans up all traces of slaughter! Think i have a new project to work on.