Laser-guided EL-E robot offers point-and-grab operation, the future

While we're usually content to watch the slow, inevitable progress towards humanoid robots, the researchers behind this EL-E bot might very well be on to something. Instead of making a robot that acts like humans, they've built a robot that chases around the dot made by your laser pointer, and picks up whatever you point at with his crane. Not exactly on the path to replicants, but perhaps that's a good thing -- a bot that can pick up stuff you aim at and bring it to you is much more useful in the here and now. Plus EL-E yells out stuff like "Bob's your uncle" when he completes tasks, and if that isn't progress we don't know what is.

[01 @ Mar 12th 2008 6:53PM]

All good fun until you accidentally point at your cat...or significant other.

[Flashpoint @ Mar 12th 2008 9:17PM]

What if you point at your balls?

[AboveUnrefined @ Mar 12th 2008 9:58PM]

My nuts hurt

[Luke @ Mar 12th 2008 6:57PM]

What do you do when your laser pointer is all the way across the room?

What do you do?

[phanbouy @ Mar 12th 2008 6:58PM]

i dance around the frikkin laser beams like that annoying French guy from Ocean's 12

[rv @ Mar 12th 2008 10:41PM]

You get your second robot to pick it up. Duh.

[Motoken @ Mar 12th 2008 6:57PM]

can i point it at my dog?

[phanbouy @ Mar 12th 2008 6:58PM]

This is... Bob. Yeah. Bob is a...consultant! ..yeah.

[Motoken @ Mar 12th 2008 6:58PM]

and can i point it at another laser pointer?

[mushrooshi @ Mar 12th 2008 6:58PM]

The reincarnation of a certain NES robot.

[Eh @ Mar 12th 2008 6:59PM]

That guy is truly a man's man.

[pieboy @ Mar 12th 2008 7:04PM]

What happens if you take one to a laser show?

[ugg.tryptophan @ Mar 12th 2008 8:13PM]

madness

[rechnen @ Mar 16th 2008 4:08PM]

Sparta

[Clinton @ Mar 12th 2008 7:10PM]

use the force

[austin @ Mar 12th 2008 7:19PM]

what if you put the laser on the robot itself

[low tech @ Mar 12th 2008 11:44PM]

masturbation i guess...

[Joseph @ Mar 12th 2008 7:32PM]

If I point the laser at the wall, will it bring me the wall?

[fanbrain @ Mar 12th 2008 7:34PM]

What happens if you want a magnifying glass, you shine your green laser at it, it magnifies the laser to the point that it starts a fire and burns your house down.

Then what does it do.

[Homeboy @ Mar 12th 2008 7:45PM]

3 words: Home insurance claims.

[james @ Mar 12th 2008 8:08PM]

[in robot voice] baaahhb is yerrr unnnkuuhhll!

[Dahk @ Mar 12th 2008 8:10PM]

different reference, but:

Robert's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt, and there you are with two ships, the makings... of your very own fleet.

[ugg.tryptophan @ Mar 12th 2008 8:12PM]

they should put it on a ring so i can fulfill all of my green lantern fantasies

[Dy Phan @ Mar 12th 2008 8:14PM]

Freakin lasers!

[Ric Kaysen @ Mar 12th 2008 8:27PM]

One word...Atrophy

[Carl Vitullo @ Mar 12th 2008 9:02PM]

that's an obscenely bright laser.

[Brad @ Mar 12th 2008 9:28PM]

Next step, a laser tracking system that points at random objects. Finally, a two-part solution to cleaning one's room!

[HOOPER @ Mar 12th 2008 9:34PM]

That is one BIG CUP.

[sully @ Mar 12th 2008 10:01PM]

I just have an image of a robot taking the place of a house pet daftly chasing a laser dot.

Bob is your uncle......Wesley

[Jaytech @ Mar 13th 2008 12:20AM]

Is... that... Grant Imahara??? I thought he was going to build a GIRL robot!

[DarCowAlways @ Mar 13th 2008 6:14PM]

No. That's just some other Asian guy. Seriously.

[Jaytech @ Mar 13th 2008 6:21PM]

Dude... it was a joke... seriously

[Jaytech @ Mar 13th 2008 6:21PM]

Dude... it was a joke... seriously

[Jaytech @ Mar 13th 2008 6:19PM]

Dude... it was a joke... seriously

[Jaytech @ Mar 13th 2008 6:23PM]

Hmmm... serious server hiccup? What the heck...

[IndiaTech @ Mar 13th 2008 2:20AM]

It would be fun if someone accidently installed it on the Death Star. I mean one minute you are all set to blow up Alderaan and the next minute the planet is coming crashing at you...

Vader will be so pissed...

[H4MM3R @ Mar 13th 2008 7:56AM]

I hope the Helper Monkey's don't hear about this.

[beeperr @ Mar 13th 2008 9:27AM]

My dog already has that functionality. I guess I have to say the name of the object. Maybe I should teach her to bring me whatever I point a laser at...hmmm

[shakman @ Mar 13th 2008 10:51AM]

One glance at this guy's face and I know he's gonna be waving that pointer around between his own legs as soon as the happy snaps are all done.

[denny @ Mar 13th 2008 7:12PM]

Wow...what's a great idea.

[Mikey81 @ Mar 14th 2008 1:40PM]

Lasers? I know a freakin light saber when I see one. Which is good, because when your dog is a 400 pound robot, and its bringing you next doors car instead of the newspaper, its going to take more than a rolled up magazine to discipline it.

[Retired_Chief @ Mar 15th 2008 8:07PM]

Instead of a laser they could install eye-tracking hardware and you wouldn't have to lift a finger at all! All you'd have to do is look at the object...