Robots of the present
So where are the robots of today? There aren't any, with the exception of Honda's Asimo, whom I will discuss later. I really don't want to insult any of you Robot Wars or Battle Bots fans, but those are not robots. They're remote controlled machines of destruction. Don't get me wrong, remote controlled destruction is cool, but it's still not a robot. These machines don't think, at all as far as I know, and only move by remote control. A human controls all of their actions.

What other kinds of robots are there? Well, I've seen some small, rather rudimentary robots that are capable of following a line on the floor, or mapping their environment by running into the perimeter and remembering where it is, or ones that can react to light or sound. I've seen some that can flop around with an insect-like movement. Most of these can be purchased in the science or educational section of toy stores. But where is the robot that combines all of these things into one chassis. What happened to the natural progression of B.O.B. and H.E.R.O.?

I have seen one that appeared to be an early cousin of R2-D2 from Star Wars. I'd really like to see that one continue to be developed, but of course I can't locate the Web site where I saw it.

Then there's Lego Mindstorm. Well, that's just flat out a toy -- although a very cool toy. No real thinking or computing going on there. Mindstorm robots are a good introduction for kids. And, of course, there's also the Sony Aibo, a robot dog, and the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner. None of these are really robots in the sense that they're really autonomic. The Roomba can't even go on and off carpets with any predictable success.

There is the Palm Pilot Robot Kit that was reviewed in the December 2000 issue of PalmPower Magazine, the former incarnation of Computing Unplugged (see http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200012/robot001.html). Now, this is actually a step in the right direction. It is a rather inexpensive introduction to true robotics. The Palm Pilot Robot kit allows you to build a robot, controlled by a Palm Pilot that you program. It's capable of interacting with its environment and simple problem solving. The possibilities are really only limited by your imagination, and ability to program of course.

How about NASA? Well, the best they were able to turn out was that solar powered skateboard they sent to Mars. Of course, getting to Mars itself was a pretty amazing accomplishment, but it's still pretty much a skateboard.

Then there is Asimo, made by Honda (see http://asimo.honda.com/#). Asimo is what a robot should be: humanoid in appearance, able to manipulate objects with five-digit hands, the ability to see, hear, and speak. Asimo even has the ability to visually recognize different humans by their face. Most amazing of all though is Asimo's ability to walk on two legs, like a human, even up and down stairs. This is a revolutionary breakthrough in robotics. Of course, Asimo not only is not for sale to the public, but would be out of the price range of all but the Bill Gates' of the world even if they were available.