The Nightmare in Silicon Valley: 8 horror technologies that should scare you to death
Every night is fright night with what can happen once these scary technologies take hold in ways that you may not have imagined.
The diversity of the machines roboticists have dreamed up over the years is truly astounding. Here are some highs and lows from a discipline that stretches back further than you might think.
Think voice-activated robots are new fangled? Think again. Standing seven feet tall, Elektro appeared at the 1939 World's Fair. According to historian Jasia Reichardt, "Elektro was capable of performing twenty six movements and responded to commands spoken into a microphone. Each word set up vibrations which were converted into electrical impulses; which in turn operated the relays controlling eleven motors.
Elektro, which was built for entertainment purposes and to show off Westinghouse's engineering prowess, went on tour for about a decade before retiring and evidently being sold for scrap metal.
Caption by: Greg Nichols
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