The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Barcelona boffin births swarming microrobots

Ed

lol why not 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 03:49 GMT

Joke

let me be the first to welcome our new micro overlords

Allan Dyer

*crunch* 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 04:25 GMT

Joke

Sorry, I just trod on an overlord...

Ash

So when will the earth stand still? 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 10:51 GMT

Joke

I want to see bilions of these formed into a 70' tall robot with a frikkin' laser beam eye!

Set LEDs to kill. And call that coat stand from the movie... What's his name... Keanu "Cut with the grain" Reeves.

Anonymous Coward

Programmable yes, autonomous yes, but aware? 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 10:51 GMT

Dead Vulture

I rather think not. There was I expecting news of an exciting breakthrough in artificial intelligence, where you seem to be using the word to describe something about as "aware" as your average thermostat. Merely possessing sensors does not make something "aware".

Alex

Memory 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 10:51 GMT

Thumb Up

8kB of program memory is quite good at that size. An Atmega8 has the same capability and it's in a DIP8 or TQFP package.

/pedant

Sounds like a very nice project. A video would be nice tho'.

Evil Auditor

When... 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 10:54 GMT

... will there be an insect repellent against i-swarms?

Oh, there already is one, it's called EMP - probably an i-secticide then?

ea

Big Bear

And those are only the ones we KNOW about! 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 10:54 GMT

Black Helicopters

What about the ones who combine into entirely convincing human forms? What about them? Eh? Eh?

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

grumpy

Oh dear... 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 10:54 GMT

Black Helicopters

How soon until the microlords appear, then? Or should that be milli-lords? Tin-foil hats are not going to help against this plague. What to do, what to do... Ah, of course - turn off the lights!

Tawakalna

Replicators.. 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 10:54 GMT

.. and Sam isn't in SG-1 anymore so we're double-doomed :(

Anonymous Scotsman

Overlord Repellent 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 13:56 GMT

I'm thinking water, or possibly highly conductive gel strips. Bot-fly tape if you will.

If those things need an overfiend lightbulb to give them the breath of life, then I expect the capacitor etc assemblies would short out with little in the way of dedicated resources.

How long till they can self replicate?

Steve

Micrororobots? 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 13:56 GMT

Pirate

I bet he wanted to call them "Microbots" but got slapped with a writ from a Japanese toy company

Lionel Baden

Woot 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 13:56 GMT

I guess i cant start smoking again !!

theese little fellows will be warring in our veins soon enough :D

Im off to get a big big burger

TeeCee

What I want to know. 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 13:56 GMT

Coat

Is whether he's removed the "on" and "off" labels from the lab light switch and replaced them with "creation" and "genocide"?

Pascal Monett

Re:Merely possessing sensors does not make something "aware". 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 13:58 GMT

I heartily agree. I see objects shuffling around every day at the office. They have very good sensors (high-tech ones called eyes and ears), but they seem blissfully unaware of anything.

As long as the coffeepot is not empty, that is.

Luther Blissett

Will they bee 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 14:47 GMT

a DDT substitute to eradicate mosquitos, OR

a TNT, white phosphor, and DIME substitute to eradicate Palestinians?

To live and let live - that is the question.

Anonymous Coward

Yes, but... 

Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 19:05 GMT

Joke

Can they take out the Daleks?

Horridbloke

Most importantly... 

Posted Friday 13th February 2009 19:45 GMT

...can they run Crysis?