Technology
China has launched an army of robots, reigniting fears of machine dominance.
Unitree, a Chinese robotics company, recently posted a video on Twitter that led many to believe that a robot takeover is imminent. The video, which was inspired by Star Wars, showed a squadron of four-legged robots running in unison. According to MailOnline, the robots were called Aliengo and were controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) that had “depth perception, high explosive sports ability, and an advanced safety level.”
The Force Awakens. Everyone, help count how many? pic.twitter.com/6NpZOUmQ1s
— Unitree Robotics (@UnitreeRobotics) March 9, 2021
The robots all jumped to a squatting position at the same time, then leaned forward and returned to their original positions. Despite the fact that it appeared to be a promotional video, it sparked a flood of amusing and frightening responses on Twitter, with some comparing it to a scene from the films "The Terminator" and "Black Mirror."
Aliengo is now being compared to Boston Dynamics' Spot robot, which has four legs and is being used in police operations in cities around the country, including New York City.
Both robots can walk on four legs, but Aliengo can do so at a speed of up to ten feet per second, or seven miles per hour. In addition, previous videos showed that Aliengo, like Spot, could perform a variety of jumps and flips, thanks to their flexible joints and powerful motor. Its foot contains sensors that will instruct the motor to make more effective movements.
Aliengo, on the other hand, can become a delivery robot thanks to its smart camera and capacity to hold up to 11 pounds of payload. According to Business Insider, the camera can capture real-time video transmission for more private and public uses.
Can the world be taken over by robots?
Looking at scores of four-legged robots running in unison as if they were in the military being ordered has proved to be frightening for many people. Some have compared it to the robots from the films "The Terminator" and "Black Mirror," and it is thought that each breakthrough in A.I./robotic technology brings mankind closer to a possible doomsday scenario involving rogue robots.
For the time being, Aliengo may not pose a threat to humans, but it can be useful in a variety of tasks. People assume, however, that China is not far behind the United States in terms of AI technology.
