Bug-Eating Robots Use Flies for Fuel (Nat'l Geographic)

[jpak]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0331_060331_robot_flesh.html

At the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in England, researchers are designing their newest bug-eating robot—Ecobot III.

The device is the latest in a series of small robots to emerge from the lab that are powered by a diet of insects and other biomass.

"We all talk about robots being able to do stuff on their own, being intelligent and autonomous," said lab director Chris Melhuish.

"But the truth of the fact is that without energy, they can't do anything at all."

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[DarkTirade]

1. I guess we don't have to worry about surviving global warming then...

the machines will get bigger and devour us all. Then use the rest of us to power their 'Matrix'...

[jpak]

2. One is now governor of California....

:evilgrin:

[DarkTirade]

4. Yeah I know...

I mean, haven't people seen those documentaries all about how he's an evil robot and whatnot? I think there were three of them.

[Higans]

6. What a crazy concept, you should make that into a movie!

:sarcasm:

[mike_c]

3. one word....

Skynet.

[Delphinus]

5. Well, my concern

is if they start "eating" things that are normally eaten by live animals and insects, that's going to upset the balance in the ecosystem. I'd rather the spiders go after flies - not me!

[Higans]

7. wouldn't the robots be just like insects any way? we could create a new

species.