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Russian Military Robot Repurposed As Nanny Bot
According to Novosti, the Russian News and Information Agency, an engineer from Russia's Ivanovo Region built a robot for military purposes. Specifically, the robot that Vladimir Metlushko built was designed for military scouting and mine sweeping.
However, Metlushko made some alterations based on circumstances.
Metlushko assembled the device in his kitchen from commonly-available items, such as a webcam, a motherboard, a laser range-finder, rechargeable batteries, a wi-fi transmitter and a bicycle brake.
According to Novosti, the robot is able to speak, move, carry a baby, move objects, broadcast images, and iron clothes.
The basic storyline seems to be taken from Roujin Z, a wonderful 1991 anime in which a hospital bed robot is revealed to in fact be a powerful military robot.
"But when I started a family, the device's purpose changed. It became both a nanny and a toy for our ten month-old son."
(Roujin-Z hospital bed/robot in profile, carrying patient)
Nanny bots of course have a long history in science fiction, starting with the psychophonic nurse from a 1928 story by David Keller.
"I had her made by the Eastinghouse Electric Company. You see, she's just a machine nurse, but as she doesn't eat anything, is on duty twenty-four hours a day, and draws no salary, she's cheap at the price I paid.""...let me show you how she works...
(Read more about Keller's psychophonic nurse)
Via Russian engineer creates remote-controlled robot nanny.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 1/16/2008)
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