SECTIONS Home Society SciTech Planet Cosmos SPECIAL Contents About Factoid: Scientists believe that 'artificial muscles' made of electroactive polymers will soon make robots far more dexterous and versatile. Factoid: In June 1999, Sony Corp. introduced a robotic 'pet' dog called AIBO at a price of over $2,500. Within four days of its introduction, Sony sold all 5,000 units of AIBO that were made. AIBO is designed to learn by interacting with its owner.

Japan's 'Consumer Robot' a Sign of Things to Come A Japaneses firm has announced the advent of the world's first consumer robot designed to perform simple household tasks. In the near future, such robots will become far more capable. By GSReport Start Date: 1/25/00 In a passage right out of the recent hit movie "Bicentennial Man," Japanese manufacturer Thames on Jan 21, 2000 announced the public debut of the first household robot designed to perform simple tasks on command. The 4-foot tall robot, called Tmsuk IV, is said to look vaguely feminine, weighs 220 pounds and is controlled by a combination of hand-held remote and foot pedals linked through a computer and cellular phone. Tmsuk IV reportedly did not make a very impressive showing in its official roll-out, actually missing its cue to come out on stage amid much fanfare. Nonetheless, the company says it is confident of selling at least 10 of the current model during the next six months at an asking price of $47,600. Meanwhile, improved models will come soon, including more rugged versions capable of working in dangerous or hostile environments. In related news, Japan's Sega Toys Ltd. has announced it will introduce a "virtual pet" robotic dog called Poo-Chi on April 1. Sega's dog is a low-priced answer to Sony's AIBO robotic dog introduced with great success last year at a price of over $2,000. By comparison, Poo-Chi will sell for about $28, and Sega says it intends to sell at least a million of the little critters this year. On a more serious note, engineers from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University are developing a Robot Nurse that will be able to monitor vital signs and physically assist ailing human beings, according to a Jan 12 article in the New Scientist magazine. Nicknamed Flo, the nurse is one variety of "Personal Service Robot" being developed to provide practical assistance to humans. Robots still have a very long way to go before they even vaguely resemble the highly autonomous and useful character portrayed by Robin Williams in "Bicentennial Man." But efforts in that direction are definitely underway. Cutting edge robotics research in the U.S. and Japan has produced fully upright two-legged walking machines that can climb stairs, avoid obstacles, even run. Huge advances in computing power, including neural networking that vastly improves voice and symbol recognition, promise a day when robots will respond flawlessly to complex vocal commands, read and understand printed material, and perform a wide range of useful actions with complete autonomy. Will they ever "get smart"? Robotics experts are divided. Many believe no robot will ever think and reason like a human. But many also believe robotic thinking, while different than human, will one day far exceed human abilities. The question is: What then? Excelsior, Michael Lindemann's new novel (written under the pen name Michael Paul), depicts a wholly plausible near future in which human cloning is both widespread and widely abused; terrorists have access to target-specific biological weapons; recreational space travel is commonplace; and mounting pressures of global climate change, environmental decline, population growth and civil unrest inspire radical new approaches to urban security. Built by Frontier on a Macintosh on 6/17/00; 12:10:04 PM. Web Comments - Produced by Larry Lowe Served 5237 times since 1/25/00.

Study Says Hackers Threaten U.S. Military A Pentagon study says hi-tech hackers could outpace official efforts to protect vital military information systems. NASA: New Hypersonic Propulsion Engine An experiment scramjet engine is being tested for NASA's Hyper-X program, aimed at creating air-breathing aircraft that can fly to the edge of space at Mach 10. Cybernetics Prof Implants Chip in His Own Body Professor Kevin Warwick claimed on Aug 25, 1998 to have become the first human to have a computer chip surgically implanted into his body. Did South Korean Doctors Clone Human Embryo? Researchers in South Korea claimed in December, 1998 that they had cloned a human embryo, but other researchers disputed the claim. New Research Promises Bone, Muscle Replacement New research shows that stem cells from adult bone marrow can be directed to grow into new bone and muscle tissue that can replace similar tissue lost to disease or accident. Huge NSA Encryption Scam Claimed The Swiss firm Crypto AG reportedly designed their widely used encryption devices so that the NSA could decode secrets from many countries. Stem Cells: Hope and Controversy on the Bio-Tech Frontier New research on stem cells might lead to cures for diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and to growing replacement organs from a patient's own tissue. U.S. Eases Restrictions on Medical Marijuana Research Acknowledging that marijuana can have legitimate medical value without posing a significant health risk, the U.S. government has begun easing restrictions on marijuana research. U.S. Treasury Secretary-to-Be Dumps on World Lawrence Summers, soon to become U.S. Treasury Secretary, showed his disdain for the have-nots of the world in a 1991 memo that enraged environmentalists. Turning the Tide to Save Earth's Oceans As pollution, overfishing and other human activities threaten to overwhelm life in the seas, growing numbers of businesses and governments are trying to reverse the negative trends.