Carefully choreographed robot pretends to do magic, recites Asimov
Who claims science isn't magic? Well, anybody you might ask, really -- but that doesn't stop Techno-illusionist Marco Tempest from trying to meld the two. In a recent TED talk, Tempest used a top hat, a yellow ball and a robot named EDI (no, not that EDI) to discuss the role deception plays in creating automatons with lifelike attributes. "Magic creates the illusion of impossible reality," he says. "Technology can be the same." He explains that equipping robots with friendly faces, reassuring voices and sensors that help them see and predict human movement are part of this illusion, as are rules like Isaac Asimov's laws of robotics. "A robot may not harm humanity or by inaction cause humanity to come to harm," EDI echoes. Even so, Tempest's robotic illusion falls flat; EDI's stage presence is rife with personality, sure, but it's also very obviously choreographed. It is still pretty fun to watch, though; check it out at the source link below.