iRobot takes up the ChemBot challenge, no one is safe

Hide your kids, iRobot just got that ChemBot contract DARPA was shopping around last year, which means that before we know it, sentient bots will be oozing through keyholes and making really bad movies without regard for human life or decency. Probably. The project is a "multi-year, multi-million" R&D effort to build robots that are soft and flexible, and can squeeze through openings smaller than their actual "structural" dimensions. And of course the bots can't be stupid piles of ooze, either, they'll need to identify obstacles and report back findings. iRobot is teaming up with Harvard and MIT for the project, and expects to be working in research from fields as diverse as chemistry and "actuator technologies" to build the bots.

[teslasnp @ Jun 17th 2008 11:58AM]

I can think of some kinky fun that could be had.

[Kurian @ Jun 17th 2008 12:32PM]

Well at least we won't have animal cruelty videos involving eels and snakes....

[Freakguy54321 @ Jun 17th 2008 12:07PM]

On a side note...I think the new apple advertisements are going to start a fanboy war.

[endwar @ Jun 17th 2008 12:10PM]

one step ahead of you..

[ByronGman @ Jun 17th 2008 1:54PM]

Meh.... I'm used to apple lies already....

[Mike @ Jun 17th 2008 12:08PM]

It would be really great if the robot could generate power by dissolving human flesh and absorbing the nutrients!

Mike

[roulette843 @ Jun 17th 2008 12:26PM]

Indeed, what a brilliant idea!

How about you be their first test subject?

[gad get @ Jun 17th 2008 12:45PM]

Who needs testing?

[endwar @ Jun 17th 2008 12:09PM]

mmm....cant gt enough of that apple goodness from engadget.

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/5640/appleml8.png

[Alex @ Jun 17th 2008 12:21PM]

...but what does your obsession with Apple have to do with this particular story involving DARPA and iRobot?

[d4rk_b@dg3r @ Jun 17th 2008 12:17PM]

I think I have Apple-rage....

[Nick Carchidi @ Jun 17th 2008 12:31PM]

Of course we must give credit to the Engadget staff for putting such an appropriate picture with the article!

[Low Ranked @ Jun 17th 2008 12:48PM]

They're usually pretty good with that.

[Loban @ Jun 17th 2008 12:32PM]

iRobot is freaking awesome.

[gad get @ Jun 17th 2008 12:51PM]

Oh, you're just saying that cuz you think that iRobot is somehow related to Apple! Lousy Apple fanboys!

[Bryan @ Jun 17th 2008 12:54PM]

FLUBBER RULZ!!!

[phanbouy @ Jun 17th 2008 12:57PM]

wow...high quality comments today

[Tim The Enchanter @ Jun 17th 2008 1:28PM]

I for one welcome our new gelatinous robot overlords.

[zephead @ Jun 17th 2008 3:23PM]

I, for one, welcome our new stupid piles of ooze... -erlords.

[Chandru @ Jun 17th 2008 4:12PM]

Will it go through HUMAN mouth and come out of bottom? There is such a clip in that movie! (:|)

[polyman71 @ Jun 19th 2008 12:35PM]

This is eggzactly the same as the robots described in The Rudy Rucker trillogy "Software", "Realware", & "Freeware".