back to article Robot pirate invented in USA: 'Yarr-2 D-2'?

An American firm has developed a cunning, beercan-sized robot which can be shot out of a gun, stick to the side of a ship magnetically, and then climb up the ship's side in the fashion of a pirate with a knife or cutlass between his teeth. Developers Recon Robotics insist that the droid buccaneer is actually intended for …

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  1. copsewood
    Terminator

    Asimov's laws of robotics

    "We hope to ... further develop this robot and quickly bring it and the marsupial robot deployment system to market. In the future this system might also include other payloads and sensors which would increase its versatility and expand its mission profile."

    Obviously given their hostile mission scenario, they'll soon be having these things armed so once they can identify them from hostages they can also take out the pirates. But what happens when someone uploads software making one of these robokillers self aware and they decide all humans are the enemy ?

  2. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Terminator

    I suppose...

    If you throw it back into the sea it will say "No hard feelings" in a rather high-pitched voice.

    1. Danny 14
      Happy

      nah

      it'll blow up. Anti tamper you see.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    Magnets hey,

    The day they make ships from aluminium or wood or plastic this device will become obsolete. Lets hope this day will never come........ ah.

    However.... Yarr!

    1. James Micallef Silver badge
      Pirate

      Wooden pirate ships

      sounds like the Black Pearl to me.

      Yarrrr!!!!!

    2. Peter Murphy
      Coat

      It's not just the hull, but also what's on it.

      What other countermeasures come to mind to trap our intrepid, paint-roller robot?

      Barnacles.

    3. Allan George Dyer
      Pirate

      On the other hand...

      it's intended to be fired at the ship, so maybe it will sink anything with a weaker hull...

  4. Big Al
    Welcome

    I for one...

    ... wish to welcome our new robot overlord admirals!

  5. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    IT Angle

    Very clever

    How much actual *use* will it be?

  6. Veldan

    Fired out of a cannon.

    I do wonder how well this little fella will stick.

    I've thrown some pretty big magnets at magnetic surfaces and generally they just bounce off until you start talking about the extremely heavy, extremely rare and expensive magnets that weigh several kilograms at least.

    My arm isn't anywhere near the power of a cannon. Seeing that little rolling robot all i see is

    *shot fired*

    *hits hull*

    *bounces into ocean*

    *sinks*...

  7. MichaelBirks
    Pirate

    They are the Robot Pirates?

    Made from metal from their heads to their privates?

    http://youtu.be/-XLgpReEkLc

    Shaking it like a sword with a dead guy on it.

  8. Aussie Brusader
    Pint

    Paint it

    Make it look like a soda can and they'll prolly ignore it if they see it sitting in a corner too.

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