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News SoftBank aquires Boston Dynamics, Schaft from Google's Alphabet

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Gareth Halfacree, 9 Jun 2017.

  1. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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  2. Wakka

    Wakka Yo, eat this, ya?

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    One step closer to Gundam's.
     
  3. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    Softbank have partnered with the Agriculture Ministry?!
     
  4. Wwhat

    Wwhat Minimodder

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    Tip for Boston-Dynamics and the like: instead of focusing on robots that carry stuff for the soldiers develop one that can go in alone and dig some foxholes/trenches in preparation or simply because it's tiring and dangerous to do that by hand within possible range of mortars and sniperfire.
    Needs to compete with a simple armored digger though so it has to have advantages like being able to go places where you can't use a big digger like when there are enemies with RPG or where it's not easily reachable. So it has to be low profile.

    You just constantly hear about the issue of mortars and howitzers and such, both with people fighting islamist in the middle east as well as with conflict like the one in Ukraine.
     
  5. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    Boston Dynamics have not been chasing the Defence market since Google acquired them. The LS3 program ended shortly thereafter.
     
  6. RedFlames

    RedFlames ...is not a Belgian football team

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    SoftBank is buying all the things at the moment it seems...
     
  7. Wwhat

    Wwhat Minimodder

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    Well they aren't Google anymore, and they need to turn a profit to keep running, and defense is pretty profitable, and I fear someone will go for the military robot thing at some point (I rather think it would be better if they don't though).
    So my idea at least isn't terminator stuff but passive defense. Plus it'll help us humans against others that would develop a terminator type thing, just in case.

    I wonder why Softbank acquired them, they must have a plan.

    And I said 'and the like' for a reason :)
     
  8. pbryanw

    pbryanw Minimodder

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    Sounds like there's no advertising dollars in Robotics.
     
  9. Cheapskate

    Cheapskate Insane? or just stupid?

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    They have that already. It's called the Mk82 bomb.
    This seems appropriate. Instead of Skynet offing mankind with scary metal skeletons, our doom will be by lovable robot poodles.
    -Imagine: The human race leg-humped to extinction.
     
  10. wolfticket

    wolfticket Downwind from the bloodhounds

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    What do we think:
    Softbank, more or less potential to create killer robot apocalypse than Google?
    I need to adjust my doomsday clock.
     
  11. Andy Mc

    Andy Mc Modder

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    At least when the robot uprising starts we can't blame google...
     
  12. IamSoulRider

    IamSoulRider Minimodder

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    That's what they want you to think....

    But answer me this, who will be supplying the AI for these things?

    You can bet it will be Google and it's deep learning AI, so we will be have to blame them. Actually, that's a terrifying thought, an AI developed on a diet of Advertising Data.....
     

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