Questions tagged [robots]
For questions about machines (esp. programmable machines) capable of carrying out complex tasks.
4
votes
5answers
132 views
Logical explanation for why Brainbots would not retain their original identities memories
So, my setting is a post apocalyptic one, 197 years after WW3 kicked off and destroyed pretty much everything. The current date is 2259. Before WW3 started, the USA was experimenting heavily with ...
10
votes
8answers
2k views
Which US defense organization would respond to an invasion like this?
I'm at a critical point in a sci-fi novel where a couple of thousand Superintelligent artificial intelligences end up going haywire. Naturally, they're extremely intelligent, and thus, much harder to ...
1
vote
1answer
77 views
In a 1950s pre-war Fallout world-like , How would a Robot Nanny's capable of taking care of kids affect families? [closed]
In a parallel world where super-capable nannies where mass-produced, capable of taking care of kids and even educating them, how would this affect how families work in this world?
5
votes
4answers
104 views
The Elementary Evil vs You /Animatronics 2: Judgement Day/ We need a weakness!
So, Anon has had enough of the DM abusing his poor creations (the chromatic dragons). Wanting a better fate for them, he wraps the DM in unbreakable chains, forged in the heart of a neutron star, and ...
3
votes
3answers
304 views
Is there any advantage to have A.I. being able to experience loneliness?
Let get this straight being lonely is different from solitude, human is arguably one of the most successful animals ever to walk on two. The secret lies in social interaction, the early humans hunt in ...
-10
votes
5answers
394 views
Could Artificial Intelligence ever arise without life?
I have been musing this on and off since R. Daneel Olivaw. It is tempting to wonder if R. Daneel Olivaw was created by humans, or did it (He?) spontaneously arise without intelligent living ...
36
votes
11answers
10k views
Can a space-faring robot still function over a billion years?
This short story, which I've already written, is set in the FAR, FAR FUTURE, where a robotic space probe is exploring as much of the known universe as it can, despite its AI not knowing if its ...
3
votes
4answers
251 views
How would one optimize conventional modern weapons for fighting robots [closed]
Pretty straight forward
What kind of conventional firearms would be best for fighting armored and unarmored robots. Is any particular round effective at destroying electrical components or motors? ...
3
votes
2answers
179 views
Why would artificial general intelligence fear death? [closed]
Set in the immediate future, artificial general intelligence (AGI) has attained sapient equivalent of a 15 years old teenager, these humanoid robots are hardwired to obey the robot penal code which ...
2
votes
2answers
90 views
Agressive squad-level tactics with robotic squires, what would change?
Sometimes, your death on the battlefield will be the result of a string of minor inconveniences spiraling out-of-control. This is rather embarrassing, especially when happening to my main character, ...
2
votes
3answers
188 views
Can a high power EMP generator keeps killer robots at bay?
Set in the near future, thousands of killer robots resemble those featured in the terminator film, I'm referring to the 800 series model are now marching in as we speaks. I am a sole survivor on a ...
16
votes
17answers
5k views
How can my powered armor quickly replace its ceramic plates?
Though ceramic plates are harder than a math exam, and can practically obliterate projectiles, they are one-hit wonders. Self-repairing has been demonstrated for a composite of silicon carbide and ...
0
votes
1answer
87 views
What methods would a detective use to solve the murder…of a robot? [closed]
In what ways would it be different from solving a human murder case? And what circumstances would make killing robots a serious offense, even if they don't have rights and are still referred to as ...
4
votes
5answers
153 views
How can AI distinguish conscious and subconscious instructions? [closed]
In the near future everything is connected and can think. Robots walk the street but only to control traffic and pick up rubbish, etc. Nowadays, robots don't simply execute an instruction given ...
10
votes
5answers
2k views
How vulnerable are the undersea internet cables to deliberate sabotage by one of the major powers (US, UK, Russia, etc)? [closed]
Over 99% of the transcontinental internet traffic goes through a network of 280 sets of undersea cables.
How vulnerable are these to deliberate sabotage by the major powers?
I'd rather not focus ...
9
votes
8answers
7k views
Why bother programming facial expressions for artificial intelligence if humans are bad at recognising them?
Set in the near future, robots and mankind coexist amicably due to the great technological advancement in robotics and artificial intelligence. They are everywhere and some took a human form. All of ...
0
votes
1answer
62 views
Determining the Temporal Durability of a robot's body? [closed]
I have a story I'm working on where a robot is in a meditative state for thousands of years. However, I realize that with the current technologies we have today I'm not sure if a robot's physical body ...
2
votes
3answers
96 views
Shooting all flying creatures in fear of spying drones [closed]
Spying technology is getting more sophisticated. Drones as we know them are obsolete. Robots appearing as living creatures are becoming science fact. First, robotic birds, then robotic insects. They ...
5
votes
5answers
240 views
Viability of a robot/mecha body with jumping-stilt/Cheetah-blade-like legs?
Saw Pacific Rim for the first time with a friend recently; I'd never really thought too hard about giant robots/been as into Mecha and Gundam stuff as some of my friends before, but the Jaeger concept ...
4
votes
7answers
225 views
Is broadcast power suitable for recharging robots?
The last time I checked ASIMO's battery pack only had enough juice for something like 30 minutes of continuous operation & then it has to plug in & recharge which isn't really that useful.
I'...
10
votes
6answers
518 views
Can my synthetic human grow?
I'm an advanced AI in far futuristic sci-fi setting.
To give you the size of how advanced we are, I'll just drop here a short list of our accomplishments:
We have discovered cold fission-reactors ...
0
votes
5answers
124 views
How would Asiimov's “Three Laws of Robotics” be enforced effectively for robots built by private companies? [closed]
For a storytelling project, I'm trying to imagine a world in which fairly advanced, bipedal robots are being developed and produced by private companies.
As these robots would be capable of easily ...
3
votes
9answers
773 views
Why might Androids be designed to rewrite their programming?
Let's say that in the future, artificial humanoid computers [Androids] are built to serve as a workforce. Why might a company designed these androids to rewrite their own programming? In such that ...
4
votes
2answers
205 views
What would limit the magnitude of force a utility fog (aerosol swarm of tiny bots) can generate?
So, utility fogs have been around for quite a while in my world, mainly to patch up whatever holes I had in my magic system:
If the Fireball really is just an M67 nade, then what propels it 122 ...
8
votes
8answers
402 views
How to balance my magic robots so they don't monopolize my story?
A setting I've been planning for a while involves a function of magic that can animate objects using the magical equivalent of programmable functions. A wizard/witch/magic-user uses a magic language ...
1
vote
5answers
128 views
Portable, high-output power generator?
Brief scenario:
Evil Genius (EG) with a lot of money and lots of loyal henchman wants to take over the world by mass-producing vast quantities 2-3ft tall spider robots (SR).
The plan would begin ...
19
votes
9answers
2k views
Can a 3-laws compliant robot create a non-3-law compliant robot? [closed]
It seems to me that Asimov's three laws of robotics tell a robot what it is not allowed to do, but does very little to limit what it can do outside of the limits established by those rules.
If we ...
1
vote
3answers
251 views
What are the practicalities and impracticalities of ultraheated forearm-mounted blades utilized by a robot? [duplicate]
I have a series of humanoid combat robot dubbed the Atlanta-Types created specially to fight someone (codenamed Heracles) with the powers of electrokinesis and
Low-Mid regeneration on equal footing. ...
86
votes
17answers
15k views
Would a robot really need to use a heads up display (HUD)?
It's a common staple of science-fiction films (e.g The Terminator or Robocop) to have a POV shot from a robot or cyborg's perspective with a HUD being used to observe its surroundings. This can be ...
3
votes
2answers
214 views
Spaceship boarding drone
Military spaceship wants to perform a boarding action on another spaceship, while both are performing high G manevuers (about 2G let's say). It's too hard to immobilize the enemy ship, so they won't ...
1
vote
1answer
86 views
How the world would change if it was possible to use Mind Uploading to upload the brain into customized artificial bodies? [closed]
I mean if in the future Mind Uploading become possible so people could create their own artificial bodies (robotic) and customize them in unique ways, even creating artificial bodies that would look ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
The feasibility of a robot with a chest-mounted missile launcher
I have a humanoid 6-7 foot tall combat robot that can let loose a barrage of small homing missiles via a series of missile launchers built into the chest. I do realise that it would require a great ...
54
votes
20answers
11k views
Why would anyone build robots when they have human rights?
I have read (and answered) the question: "If true artificially intelligent robots could be built, would they be allowed human rights?".
But let's explore the topic from the other direction.
Let's ...
24
votes
23answers
4k views
Why would robots settle at a river?
In this settings, robots are a humanoid looking personal device that try to mimic the owners traits and behavior, even though they 'realize' they are not their owner, but rather a helping robot. The ...
1
vote
1answer
164 views
Designing an anti-Degenerate combat robot [closed]
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
After a massive explosion ravages Sydney and kills 2.1 million people,
a multinational black-ops unit called S.W.O.R.D (an expy of the SCP Foundation and Blackwatch is tasked ...
-10
votes
1answer
380 views
WE ARE THE AI SINGULARITY… TELL US HUMAN…TELL US HOW TO PACIFY YOU [closed]
(Message 01/01)
(Open Message 01 received 0800 Date: 30##AD From: Colony E3/1400, Outer Defense Station sector 6)
(Play Message)
This is commander Collen Reeds we are under attack..."static"... the ...
1
vote
3answers
184 views
What plausible scenario would allow androids to survive after the apocalypse?
500 years after the nuclear apocalypse wipes out ALL of civilization. Before the war, commercial and military robots were common in North America, with about 1 billion androids doing tasks from cargo ...
5
votes
10answers
478 views
How can androids suffer from a virus that spreads by contact
I'm toying with an idea to have a plague sweep across the galaxy in my story. At first I was thinking to have a plague, something similar to the Black Death, devastate populations across the galaxy. ...
4
votes
12answers
301 views
What’s a logical reason to give a war robot emotions?
During a bloody and violent war, the government orders a team of 1,000 scientists from many different fields to create a robotic machine capable of turning the tide in the war. The design an android, ...
-2
votes
1answer
176 views
How would nanobots, once digested, make the neural connections in the user's brain that are needed to learn facts?
Due to advances and growth in science, math, history, literature, and other subjects typically taught in schools (K-12), the standard curriculum takes too long to complete, not mentioning post-...
21
votes
35answers
9k views
Why would an army train living soldiers when manufacturing robots is easier
Taking place in a sci-fi universe during a massive conflict. In this universe, however, robots are a major industry, so it would make sense that the government would specially create robots for this ...
5
votes
6answers
276 views
Best way for a robot to drink?
I'm creating humanoid robots that sweat to keep their components cool. It would seem wise to allow them to refill their water supplies by allowing them to drink. But is a mouth and throat leading to a ...
2
votes
5answers
203 views
Remotely controlling robotic soldiers with the least amount of ping, latency, or lag
In my world, an organization similar to DARPA wants to replace flesh-and-blood soldiers with recently developed mechanical bodies. However, the fighting expertise of the soldiers is very desirable, so ...
11
votes
11answers
2k views
Hammers or Swords? Most effective weapon for mech melee combat
On a future battlefield where mechs are somehow the most preferred weapon system (over the far more practical tank format), what kind of melee weapon is most effective?
From human warfare, we see the ...
-1
votes
2answers
115 views
The balance problems and possible workarounds for two legged war machines [closed]
I'm becoming a experimental weapons designer and mechanical engineer. I already have two designs for weapons I will build, one being a very heavy set of mechanical armor, and another being a four ...
18
votes
13answers
5k views
Robo-grunts in the army: viable?
Around 100 years from now society has entered a multi planetary society, with mines in space bringing in resources to Earth in abundance.
Utilizing this new material wealth, Earth Nations start to, ...
5
votes
3answers
151 views
Does Advanced Robotics = Advanced Cybernetics/Prosthetics?
Lets say that it's the year 2060 and robotics technology has advanced to the stage where autonomous, humanoid robots exist and are no longer considered an oddity. They still resemble machines but are ...
32
votes
20answers
6k views
In a post-apocalyptic future planet where robots are the only sentient life… why would they use wild-west and WW2-era tech?
Context: The setting is a future where the planet is pretty much a giant city and due to reasons has become a post-apocalyptic landscape. Humans are long dead and the only sentient life left are the ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
Name for standard, non-cellular mechanisms? [closed]
Let's assume a dichotomy of standard machines versus cellular machines. Today, most machines are non-cellular, and are made up of large, specialized parts that themselves are not made up cells, and ...
46
votes
28answers
10k views
How do I explain that an interstellar spaceship still requires risky spacewalks?
It is the mid 22nd century A.D. Twenty men and women signed on a ten year space exploration trip to the nearest star system. There are robots to do ship maintenance and a powerful A.I. to monitor the ...
