In these days of constant technological innovation, you almost expect to read about new marvels in robotics and “smart” technology on a daily basis. But sometimes technological advancements aren’t really advancements at all.
Consider Boris the Robot, lauded on Russian TV as a cutting-edge development in robotics with the ability to walk, talk and dance. Boris appeared on a broadcast, spoke in a robotic voice about his desire to learn to draw, and then danced to a song called Skibidi. The broadcast said Boris’ dancing was “not that bad.”
But skeptics of Boris abounded. How in the world could Boris move around without any observable external sensors, they wondered. And why did the robot make so many “unnecessary movements” while dancing? (A standard one hopes is never applied to human dancers, incidentally.) And it also was suspicious that Boris just happened to be configured in a way that would have allowed a human being to be inside.
And then the illusion all came crashing down when a photo of Boris from behind showed a clearly visible section of human neck between Boris’ head and body. Alas, Boris was in fact a guy in a robot suit — a robot suit specifically designed to give people “the near total illusion that before you stands a real robot.”
It just goes to show that it pays to retain a bit of skepticism about claimed technological advancements. Before you buy that touted “smart” appliance, consider whether it’s really all that “smart” after all. And before you go ga ga over a robot doing a twitching dance to modern music, be sure to check the neck area.
Webner House 