While it is true that someday the more advanced versions of the robots you see falling down in this video will control humanity, we’re going to have some fun at their expense right now. This video was taken at the DARPA robotics challenge and what you are going to see are some of the most incredible machines people have ever built failing in hilariously human ways. The fact that these robots are so lifelike makes the video but it is also pretty scary when you think about what these will look like 100 years from now. Thankfully we’re not going to be here by then so someone else can worry about it. For now, let’s celebrate their clumsiness.
I worked on the college newspaper with a brilliant columnist who was more talented and creative than I could ever hope to be. His greatest piece was a column about why it is so much fun to watch people fall down. Not in the personal sense but in the physical sense. Literally watching someone face plant, tip over, or trip, is a universal kind of humor. This guy actually sat by a window which overlooked an icy patch of sidewalk for an entire day one winter to gather material for his story. The man was dedicated. But back to the robots.
Every single robot in this video is an advanced human achievement. We’re not looking to disparage the bots themselves and we want to make that clear. The technology is stunning on all levels and because it isn’t refined enough to cross a path of smashed bricks or dexterous enough to pick up a power tool doesn’t mean we think they’re lame. Quite the opposite. Now, press play below and prepare to laugh at robots falling down.
Except for the Benny Hill…this reminds me of the walks back to the college dorm after a Friday night drinking. Damn…where did they hide the cameras?? 🙂
Kind of looks like me after I turned 70 .