David Hanson, Father Of Death

In this remarkable TED video, robot builder David Hanson describes how he is making robots more emotional. We already have robots that can destroy our bodies, but Hanson is paving the way for robots that can get us where it really hurts: our hearts. His designs are impressive, if not a little creepy (in that uncanny valley sort of way), and his intentions are good. Robots with empathy are a good idea on the surface, but it opens the floodgates. A robot that can be made to empathize can be made to feel other emotions. Jealousy, fear, and hate are destructive enough in human beings, and we can't crush a car with our bare hands!

I'm not one to condemn a useful technology for its potential negative uses, but this is a development that will need to be watched closely. Personally, I'm a fan of Mr. Hanson. But mostly for his impressive moustache!

Bonus:
Here's a video of the Philip K. Dick robot David Hanson mentioned above. The voice recognition software is far from perfect, but it's cool looking nonetheless:

The "Luke Arm"

When the robots take charge it will become increasingly common for humans to seek their approval. One way I believe we will be ingratiating ourselves to them will be by becoming more like them. Unfortunately it is impossible for a human to become completely robotic. But there are already ways to bridge the gap.

One particularly visionary inventor is creating groundbreaking technology that will lead the way in the coming years. Dean Kamen, inventor and founder of DEKA (they created the Segway, among other things) is developing a prosthetic arm for veterans that is more functional than any created before.

Here's Kamen giving a short talk from the wonderful TED series:


You can watch a more in-depth video here.

As this technology advances it will only be a matter of time before the prosthetics become more capable than the human arm. And only a matter of time after that until people start electing to have their natural limbs replaced. In the Robot Age these people will likely have a higher status in society, and will be more likely to succeed.