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"I do think there is a link in that in both cases, writing fiction or writing a computer program, at any given moment you're focusing on a very specific and particular thing—one word, one line of code, whatever."
- Neal Stephenson
 |
| Sales Robot (Robot Salesman) | ||
| Fully automated robots giving untiring, incessant sales pitches to customers. |
Autonomous robotic salesmen - salesrobots - are the bane of consumers in this Dick classic.
| Robot-salesmen were everywhere, gesturing, pleading, shrilling. One started after him and he quickened his pace. It scurried along, chanting its pitch and trying to attract his attention, all the way up the hill to his living-unit. It didn't give up until he stooped over, snatched up a rock, and hurled it futilely. He scrambled in the house and slammed the doorlock after him. The robot hesitated, then turned and raced after a woman with an armload of packages toiling up the hill. She tried vainly to elude it, without success.
|
| From Sales Pitch,
by Philip K. Dick. Published by Future Science Fiction Magazine in 1954 Additional resources -
|
The picture is taken from the original story as it appeared in the magazine.
This story has too many good quotes to pass up:
Sales robots are also in use in Stanislaw Lem's 1961 novel Return from the Stars.
Morris pushed wearily past the salesrobot, up the sidewalk toward the residential-block that contained his living-unit. The robot followed a few steps, then forgot him and hurried after another grim-faced commuter.
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Tech news articles related to Sales Pitch
Tech news articles related to works by Philip K. Dick
Sales Robot (Robot Salesman)-related
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- Sales Robot IRI-Millennia Opens Gates Of Hell
- Robovie Robot Gives The Sales Pitch
- ENON Upgraded To Sales Robot
- Robots In Advertising Mostly CGI, Fortunately
- Sales Robots More Persistent Than Humans
- Mall Robotic Ad Won't Leave You Alone
- OSHbot, Lowe's Robotic Shopping Assistants
- Norlin Shoe Drone Robot UAV In-Store Delivery Thing
- Sprint Wants Sales Robots
- Artificially Intelligent Poster - Advert That Writes Itself
| Flying Dragon Robot Transforms In Mid-Air |
| MXene Hydrogel Skin For Robots Flexes And Senses |
| Drywall Robot Looking For Sheetrock |
| Robots Help People Get Dressed, As Predicted In 1931 |
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