Wi-Fi Security Robots? 107
John Hering writes "It was bound to happen.... Security Robots that are "Wi-Fi" enabled and capable of enterprise-grade tasks. Details have emerged about a robotics platform that combines cutting edge security and wireless technologies and is capable of integration with buildings' central heating and cooling systems, security systems, air quality controls, wi-fi networks, and even lighting and power systems to provide valuable building services and emergency back-up. It can even greet guests, guide them to their destinations or lead building tours! Similar projects in the past have pushed these robotics technologies forward and spawned numerous new projects , especially amongst the linux community."
security? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:security? (Score:3, Insightful)
You mean you would much rather have a human security guard that can be blackmailed, bribed and bought off.
Re:security? (Score:1)
Maybe you can bribe one guard for a certain ammount of time, but not all are going to succumb to the same bribe. With hacking a robot, it's pretty universal and gives you unlimited control until the next patch is released.
Re:security? (Score:1)
Exploits? Sweet!
Re:security? (Score:2)
Re:security? (Score:1)
Lets hope that (Score:2, Interesting)
Some one hacks one of these things and it opens the front door for them.
Re:Lets hope that (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Lets hope that (Score:4, Insightful)
Worse - someone hacks into one of these things and has access to your entire network.
Now *that* would be some security breach.
Re:Lets hope that (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Lets hope that (Score:2)
And these things are wireless - which means they can be hacked from 300 feet away from your site.
Another product from your standard Geek Moron.
Re:Lets hope that (Score:1)
I can see it now, 2007 a company unveils their new building and internet security system, Sky.Net!
Re:Lets hope that (Score:1)
As long as it doesn't open Windows we're okay.
What operating system... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:What operating system... (Score:5, Informative)
It's not just the software being Windows or Linux or whatever - its the hardware too. There is a reason NASA had chosen x86 for a lot of its missions - reliability and hardware dependability.
And quite honestly, I find it really unlikely for any of these things to be running anything close to Windows (if they ever wanted, it would be CE, which again is not really a good option). These things would have to be built for realtime apps, coupled with networking capabilitis and the like and would perhaps be happier running something like QNX [qnx.com].
Or ofcourse, customized Linux/*BSD kernels.
And oh, Naval ships do run Windows within the ship - perhaps not the control centers, but still, a significant chunk of the (active and on-duty) Navy does use Windows.
Re:What operating system... (Score:3, Informative)
Navy ships do use Windows, but not for any "Mission Critical" systems. Unix is used for all the sensory input type stuff. By law ships are only allowed to use computers as "navigation aids." Computers cannot be used as the primary means of navigation. On a navy ship the Quartermasters still get out their Sextants and "Shoot Stars" and other hevenly bodies every night to check the
Re:What operating system... (Score:2, Interesting)
they merely assist the guards by carrying equipment and the like into dark and unsafe places. They're primarily built to be surveillance robots, that is all!
Yeah sure, for a while. But human nature...
guard 1: Johnny-5 just came back from the ventilation system; says a M4d gang of h4xx0r5 have penetrated into the NOC - and they're armed with some really stoopid hardware.
guard 2: I'm not crawling around in there. Here, give Johhny you're shotgun...
Re:What operating system... (Score:2)
Except that NASA doesn't use the x86 for its "reliability and dependability". Most NASA mission up until the early 90's used some variation of the MIL-STD 1750 rad-hardened processor (for its reliability and dependability). The early 90's saw the advent of faster, better, cheaper, and a bunch of the Small Explorer (SMEX) missions, such as TRACE, WIRE, and FUSE, used x86 processors. But I suspect th
Re:What operating system... (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:What operating system... (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, because dissing Windows on Slashdot is really sticking your head into the lion's mouth. You wild, untameable, devil-may-care, free-speaking rebel, you.
What operating system... (Score:2)
Scenario from Family Guy: (Score:2)
Little girl: Right here *shows hall pass*
Robot: SECOND REQUEST PRESENT HALL PASS
Little girl: uhhh Right here... *shows hall pass again*
Robot: SECURITY BREACH! SECURITY BREACH! *ZAP ZAP ZAP*
-Family Guy
Scenario from Robocop (Score:2)
Re:What operating system... (Score:2)
Can you imagine Windows BSoDing on one of these things, and causing a gun to fire?
"Command link severed. Default setting: Crush, Kill, Destroy."
iRobot and Raytheon (Score:2, Informative)
Here's the link to the Wired article about it [wired.com]
I think it's a valid concern, because you know they will keep developing these things all the way, I have expected it.
There's already enough
Re:What operating system... (Score:1)
But yeah, equiping them with semi-autos and using them as corporate security is the logical next step. Security is part of your payroll that only proves useful about 2 days out of every year and does tedious, boring (read: sitting or pacing) work the rest of the year. Exactly the kind of work robots are best suited for. Never slee
Hmmm (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Hmmm (Score:4, Funny)
I think (Score:1)
Re:Hmmm (Score:2)
Re:Hmmm (Score:2)
Rat Thing (Score:2)
Re:Rat Thing (Score:1)
Well! What's new? (Score:5, Interesting)
Can do all that the AIBO can, and can do it all a lot better cause it can carry a lot more equipment. It has Wi-Fi, and a customizable software that lets you control all cameras / motion / etc. It can be used as an autonomous creature, or be remote controlled.
A customized version could easily do security robot tasks.
Read more about it here [techtree.com].
Re:Well! What's new? (Score:2)
Availability: Long time to go
Price: N/A
A commercially unavailable robot is not much use for my security plans now, is it?
evolution ER1 (Score:2)
Info here [evolution.com]
Imagine if this got hacked (Score:1)
Loss of robot in Iraq [cnn.com] from iRobot [packbot.com]
Reality check in aisle four, please! (Score:5, Insightful)
Futuristic-looking? Check.
Create enough hype to get VC, DARPA and NIH funding? Check.
In reality though, these are a far cry from being practical, cost-effective replacements for human security or maintenance personell. Well, maybe HP R&D does use them but that's about it as far as practical applications go (at least at this point). It just doesn't make sense to employ these outside of a tradeshow or R&D environment from a business point of view.
What happens, for instance, if an intruder does decide to jam the WiFi network (not really that hard to do)? Do the robots have the AI required to perform their scheduled tasks autonomously? Or will they require human supervision and internvetion (in that case, they aren't really anything more than cool, mobile surveillance cameras).
I'm sorry but I just don't see any practical applications (aside from, maybe, logistics) for these robots at this point.
Re:Reality check in aisle four, please! (Score:3, Interesting)
That in itself tells you something. If you're wireless networks being jammed, somethings wrong.
Don't think human replacement, think human augmentation. One human security guard from a safe central terminal can monitor a bunch of automated surveillance drones. The drones can be in multiple places at once, carry thermal imaging cameras, fit in small places, etc, etc. The guard functions as the co
Good timing... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Good timing... (Score:2)
"It's not ironic, it's just coincidental." -- Bender
Not particularly breaking news ... (Score:4, Informative)
See
Disclaimer: I am not an affiliate.
CC.
Uh oh.. (Score:2, Funny)
"enterprise-grade tasks" (Score:4, Funny)
Re:"enterprise-grade tasks" (Score:3, Funny)
NCC-1701. No Bloody A, No Bloody B, No Bloody C, and No Bloody D
MY Wi-Fi bot... (Score:5, Funny)
My biggest concern would be lag that would cause me to lose control and crash into a door or the professor's head. Then again, imagine this: You're happily strolling to class and right as you get to the closed door, this tiny robot aircraft hovering there starts talking to you "Hey, little help with the door, please?"
Awesome
Extreme lengths (Score:2)
Now if only engineering schools could be more understanding of their primary audience. BTW, I really like your idea. What would be awesome if there was a built in laser pointer so the "flying bee robot" could point at the white/blackboard while asking questions.
Try one of these... (Score:2)
I've seen this design before (Score:2)
Robocop (Score:3, Funny)
You now have 15 seconds to comply!
You now have 5 seconds to comply! 4...3...2...1..."
Social Impact (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Social Impact (Score:2)
The house you live it was made from lumber cut by machines. TEAR IT DOWN. Imagine the number of carpenters you put out of business.
Those circuit boards in your computer were created by a machine. DESTROY IT. Pay a retired electrical engineer to fashion you one from scratch..
Those shoes you are wearing were created by a machine. BURN THEM. Go pay a cobbler to make your a pai
Re:Social Impact (Score:1)
Money does NOT grow on trees, you know! (Score:5, Funny)
One of these PatrolBots was modeled after my dad. He walks up and down the halls in his blue flannel robe shutting off the lights; turning down the heat; mumbling that the company is NOT made out of money.
Re:Money does NOT grow on trees, you know! (Score:1)
I can see it now... (Score:5, Funny)
HAL: I'm sorry, I can't do that, Dave. A fatal exception 0E has occured at 0428:C000A313 in VXD VMM(01) 00009313. The current occupant will be terminated.
Dave: Oh, crap.
~UP
How about a cyborg like... (Score:2)
Three laws? (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm not sure how well Windows XP runs on positronic brains.
Re:DRD (Score:2)
you mean... (Score:2)
You mean, as seen in video games like HalfLife, DeusEx, Quake, and who knows what else? And probably numerous SciFi movies and TV shows as well...
Uh oh.... (Score:1, Funny)
I hope theres a list of places that end up using these...so I can avoid them.
Arrrgh I never thought of it like that before.... (Score:1)
Give Us McNeal! (Score:1, Funny)
This thing is begging to be hacked.
Oops, I hacked your robot (Score:1)
I ROBOT "CRUSH KILL DESTROY" (Score:1)
No one will ever suspect the toaster
I guess the engineers gave up trying to make robots that were actually helpful.
Perfect Security + Humans == Perfect Crime
Can they... (Score:3, Funny)
jammer (Score:2, Insightful)
For example, a jammer. Operate a jammer in the 11 wifi bands and you got it isolated.
Simple?
The inevitable response... (Score:3, Funny)
Central control...? (Score:1)
Video of one of the robots in action... (Score:1)
Wi-Fi Robots Need Cognitive Architecture (Score:1)
AITree Cognitive Architecture -- AI Has Been Solved for Wi-Fi Robots
The mind-modules below are ordered in such a way that you may comprehend the internal structure of the AI4U [isbn.nu] Mind-1.1 [sourceforge.net] software at a glance. Notice for instance how many subroutines are nested beneath the Sensorium module. You may click on any mind-module listed here to read its documentation and to inspect its source code in Forth or JavaScript. This primitive AI-has-been-solved implementation is an invitation for you to build upon the cur
Lights OFF (Score:1, Funny)
More than once I've been sitting there and the light goes off! Behind the stall door stuck in the dark what a 'bummer' LOL! Nothing like being in total darkness with your pants down!
No job is finished until the 'paper work' is done!
These are fairly easy to get rid of (Score:1)
Nice! (Score:2)
Real smart.
Wardriving (Score:1)
Wardriving - It's not just a euphemism anymore...