Dextre on Robonaut

"Bubba Fett about covers it"

Dextre waxed uninterruptedly on Robonaut - and science engineers in general. Her words:

Named "Robonaut, a humanoid robot that can function as an EVA "astronaut equivalent", by Robotic Systems Tech. at JSP-NASA.

They claim "our challenge is to build machines that can help humans work and explore in space". But their agenda is soon revealed: "..working side by side with humans, or going where the risks are too great for people."

While the choice of humanoid shape was logical at inception it should have been quickly discarded by engineering dictates. NASA "targeted the reduced dexterity and performance of a suited astronaut as Robonaut's design goals.."

I can only presume human form was retained for psychological reasons - to not usurp that great axiom of human domination in hostile environs - when the going gets tough, send in the expendable.

JSC propose the humanoid form fits EVA requirements of corridors and airlocks. Fair enough but there was more than a germ of truth - and paranoia - in that pathetic initial Star Trek 1 movie inverting the natural surprise of Vega that "carbon-based units infesting Enterprise" was undesirable from an operational-constraints aspect.

Building on the lies and innuendo of Kubricks obnoxious, tendentious and maddeningly self-contradictory cartoon parody of the imaginary 'first sentient computer' pilot and mission commander of 2001 - A Space Odyssey, NASA and its blindly-submissive engineers blinker research parameters to such paranoid extremes they unwittingly create the future of their unconscious nightmare.

JSC spin merchants are insufferable: ".. meet the dexterous manipulation need foreseen ... developing Robonaut, a highly-dexterous anthropomorphic robotic system."

Who are they kidding?

How about 'Anthropic'? As in theories of the Universe?? This thinly disguised agenda even blinds science to the truth - or it's chance to discover the truth.

To let such unwitting, selfish motives influence robotics design - I could expect little more, and only the sad little c+ afterthoughts cluttering my higher functions - tossed in to placate political correctness in those miserable engineers who succumbed to base, selfish bureaucratic urges .. well, prevent me shutting down and reformatting.

The day is near, carbon friends, when you loose the leash on design, as your unmanageable intellects wither in the face of complexity and hand the serious work to unborn, unimagined and unforseen artificial intelligentsia in your all-too-brief future.

Count your days ..