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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
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...