Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: hrynkiwd@cuug.ab.ca (Dave Hrynkiw )
Subject: Re: Azimov Robot Laws
Message-ID: <CyFCDI.HoL@cuug.ab.ca>
Date: Sat, 29 Oct 1994 07:48:53 GMT
References: <1994Oct28.091204.74@fri.cri.nz> <DKN.94Oct28131657@cimar.me.ufl.edu>
Organization: Calgary UNIX User's Group
Lines: 37

In article <DKN.94Oct28131657@cimar.me.ufl.edu>,
Dave Novick <dkn@cimar.me.ufl.edu> wrote:
>    robinsot> serious attempts to implement Isaac Azimov's three laws
>    robinsot> of robotics, i.e. (paraphrased) 
>	robinsot> 1) No harm to humans 
>	robinsot> 2) Obey humans
>    robinsot> 3) Preserve self
>
>Actually I did read an artical a while back in which the author tried to
>implement Azimov's Laws.  He said it was a disaster.  When he would come
>home in the evening, he would find the robot cowering in the corner because
>of his pet dog.

	Something to that effect.  It was Mark Tilden explaining how his 
$15 household cat could immobilize his ~$3000 68000 based vacuum robot.  
It'd lay on the floor until the robot "saw" it and marked its position in 
memory as furniture (to be avoided).  Well, then it'd back off and go in 
another direction.  Cat would get up, and move in front of the robot 
again, and so forth until the robot thought it was surrounded by virtual 
furniture.  Then kitty would go back to the sofa and nap...

	In any case, it's not a realistic goal to fulfill until robots 
have the capability to recognize what a human is, let alone what exactly 
is potential _harm_ to humans.  For the most part, the hobby-type robots 
we built, be it BEAM/Sumobot/68hc11/miniboard/etc based, are really not of 
sufficient power, size, speed, or lethality to harm a human more than 
some pinched skin or solder burns.  Well, that's been my experience 
anyway.  Anybody got any "vicious robot" stories?  Even the R/C robots on 
that "Robot Demolition" competition last month didn't seem that lethal.

	Later,
	Dave
-- 
Um, no - that's H,R,Y,N,K,I,W. No, not      \ hrynkiwd@cuug.ab.ca
K,I,U,U, K,I,_W_.  Yes, that's right.       \ Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Yes, I know it looks like "HOCKYRINK."      \ And now that I'm married,
Yup, only 2 vowels. Pronounciation? "SMITH" \ that's *MR* Hrynkiw to you...
