Tech & Biz

Flesh-Eating Robots: "Strict Vegetarians"

by Jordan Yerman | July 16, 2009 at 10:26 am

269 views | 4 Recommendations | 4 comments

The US military has contracted a private company to develop the EATR: an autonomous robot that can refuel itself in the field by eating and converting biomass to fuel its Waste Heat Engine. This includes wood, grass, and dead bodies. My question, after reading the article, is how this robot (as yet unperfected) will tell the difference between living and dead biomass. I wasn't alone... the flesh-eating robots story has refused to die, sparking a majorPR pushback from Cyclone Power Technologies, who is creating the zombot.

Just so we're all on the same page: an autonomous robot that can eat people.

Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot — that's right, "EATR" — "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable," reads the company's Web site.

The system obtains its energy by foraging – engaging in biologically-inspired, organism-like, energy-harvesting behavior which is the equivalent of eating.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, if you can't win the hearts and minds, I suppose you could eat the hearts and minds.

That "biomass" and "other organically-based energy sources" wouldn't necessarily be limited to plant material — animal and human corpses contain plenty of energy, and they'd be plentiful in a war zone.

So they're willingly taking steps to build a mechanical zombie: a nonliving entity that feeds off of the living. I don't think I'm alone in finding this unwise.

However, Cyclone Industries assures the zombie-shy public that their creation is strictly vegetarian.

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Amy Judd

at 11:53 on July 16th, 2009

I find this really disturbing and gross.

eastvanray

at 14:37 on July 16th, 2009

I want one of these! I would send him over to talk to my loud neighbours and when he is done he could mow (I mean eat) the lawn.

sEeThETrUtH (not verified)

at 06:59 on July 18th, 2009

Look Up FEMA Coffins.....be amazed

peder.sande

at 10:30 on July 23rd, 2009

after a string of headlines that labelled the machine a "corpse eater", the robot's creators have gone on a public relations offensive to extinguish the rumour that their invention will feed on human or animal flesh.

The machine's inventors say the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot – known as Eatr for short – does indeed power its "biomass engine" by digesting organic material, but that it is not intended to chomp its way through battlefields of fallen soldiers.

"We completely understand the public's concern about futuristic robots feeding on the human population, but that is not our mission," said Harry Schoell, the chief executive of Cyclone Power Technologies, one of the companies behind the machine.

"We are focused on demonstrating that our engines can create usable, green power from plentiful, renewable plant matter. The commercial applications alone for this earth-friendly energy solution are enormous."