Paparazzi Bots will chase you down until you love them

Sony's Party-shot dock is fun and all but it suffers from one major limitation: it's fixed in space. Oh sure, it'll pan and tilt around its base until the last reveler is unconscious, but it won't go to where the action is. That's where the Ohio State University developed Paparazzi Bot comes in. The autonomous, sensor-laden, mobile robot stands at human height and decides for itself whether or not to snap your photo based upon your facial expression (hint: it likes smiles). If chosen, the bot stops, aims, shoots and uploads your image to a social networking site for other robots to mock, presumably -- a kind of fleeting celebrity anointment as described by the bot's inventor, Ken Rinaldo; or a kind of precursor to robots with automatic weapons, if you ask us. Video demonstration after the break.

[njdevil Posted Mar 1st 2010 8:50AM]

Crap. I need to warn robot Princess Diana.

[mattfro Posted Mar 1st 2010 11:43AM]

@njdevil

oooo....too soon

[abedinthehouse Posted Mar 1st 2010 9:01PM]

The birth of RoboStalker.

[t2af Posted Mar 1st 2010 9:04AM]

kinda creepy

[Phreakazoid Posted Mar 1st 2010 9:17AM]

You'd have to build them stronger so the bodyguards won't turn them into chunky kibbles.

[Heliosphan Posted Mar 1st 2010 9:23AM]

A good first step, I suppose. I dont remember seeing anybody combine papparazi photography with robotics before.
Not that I think this sort of thing should be perpetuated by robotic alternatives to those annoying and pushy arsewipe freelancers. Probably singlehandedly perpetuating this whole stupid celebrity gossip and news crap.
But I put on my designers hat - how do you design a robot to withstand being punched down by Russel Crowe, or from being beaten and scratched by Bjork?
Or more seriously, how does it get back up again if knocked over? I'm thinking in future it could be a self balancing wheeled robot, kinda like a Segway, but with the ability to get back up again if knocked down.
Cos it'll happen a lot. Just don't go leaving any exposed wires as they'll get pulled out too!
Especially if one comes by me. I'm famous don't you know!

[Old fogie late bloomer Posted Mar 1st 2010 9:57AM]

I, for one, welcome our overzealous, celebrity-stalking overlords....

"This picture of us, it don't have a price...."

[purge68 Posted Mar 1st 2010 10:02AM]

Maybe it can do what the Bush administration couldn't do. Find osama bin laden and terminate with extreme prejudice.

[Stereobot Posted Mar 1st 2010 10:15AM]

Hopefully it doesn't have a program to file assault charges when Sean Penn punches it.

[amneziac Posted Mar 1st 2010 10:20AM]

@Stereobot no, it will terminate him instead.

[koolerz1569 Posted Mar 1st 2010 10:19AM]

Lol, I was singing Paparazzi by Lady Gaga while reading the headline. xP

[perrinoia Posted Mar 1st 2010 10:20AM]

Lame construction. Stick it on a walking tripod and I'll be impressed.

[Atlantian Posted Mar 1st 2010 11:05PM]

@perrinoia celebs are just gonna kick it over and move on but just wait for the flying model

[KAL326 Posted Mar 1st 2010 10:30AM]

Anybody else a little creeped out by autonomous robots trained to shoot humans? Sure its just a camera today, but tomorrow it could be a plasma or assault rifle. Come to think of it turning one of these loose in Hollywood sans camera might not be such a bad idea after all.

[Fluffywaffle Posted Mar 1st 2010 11:21AM]

It'll hog the social networking websites with crap pics of manequins.. It should also avoid madame tussauds museums hehehe

[xtremexx Posted Mar 1st 2010 1:18PM]

LOL If Fell Sorry For Every Celebrity And How Long Till We Have Paparazi Surrogates

[LarryL Posted Mar 1st 2010 1:40PM]

Well I see it going one of 2 ways:
Either we get hovering news hounds like in Back To The Future 2, or (since it likes smiles) evolves into the type of robot that would facilitate a Ned Flanders type of world domination.
"Just let the hooks do their work!"

[Wiggy Fuzz Posted Mar 1st 2010 3:04PM]

shoot whoever smiles...

being a serial killer just became a whole lot easier

[Samh Posted Mar 1st 2010 3:07PM]

Was the title meant to be a reference to Nineteen Eighty-Four?

[derX Posted Mar 1st 2010 4:51PM]

@Samh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2smz_1L2_0&feature=related

Skip to 3:12

[rarrk Posted Mar 1st 2010 4:57PM]

@derX
Look internets! I found someone who doesn't own a radio and/or just want to constantly bleed out of the ears!

[shoxite Posted Mar 1st 2010 6:18PM]

TMZ would love these! I hate TMZ though!

[Atlantian Posted Mar 1st 2010 11:08PM]

@shoxite me to how do u get payed to stalk someone