Originally Posted by no_really,Apr 22 2006, 11:20 AM

which seriously begs the question, "why?" All that time and effort to make something that shuffles around. They couldn't navigate basic obstacles, much less tackle a job more demanding than pushing over unstable, motionless "robots." I'm not saying it isn't kinda cool, but hardly impressive, and certainly not a step up from the TV show, "Robot Wars." You can over-engineer garbage all day long, and someone slapping a Skil saw onto an electric lawnmower will tear you in half. The amount of engineering that goes into those tiny toys should embarrass the creators, not be treated as some kind of accomplishment.

Those things can't maneuver worth a damn, are very unstable without oversized "shoes," require a ton of time and energy just to turn around, and your average RC car would pwn then according to their own rules of combat (push them over to win). I suppose if you are trying to teach someone how to spend huge amounts of time and energy finding ways to avoid doing anything of any significance, the program is great :/

Originally Posted by NFRs2000NYC,Apr 22 2006, 03:22 PM

Try to build a robot, that when tipped over (in any direction mind you) can stand back up on its own.

Originally Posted by no_really,Apr 22 2006, 03:13 PM

why? Why not build a robot that isn't inherently unstable in the first place? Why not build something that uses wheels instead of trying to clomp around on little feet and legs? Tool for the job, man. I could buy any number of readily available kits to make a self-propelled remote controlled device that is far more stable, faster, more maneuverable, and cheaper. I could then use that as a platform to mount various pieces of hardware if I so chose. Building something that requires massive amounts of time and money to overcome inherent design flaws is a job for stupid people, IMHO. "Walker" robots like those in the video look cool in cartoons and movies, but they are just stupid for any practical use. Just watch the damn video to see how stupid they are IRL. What they are doing is like writing technical manuals in rhyming couplets. Sure, it can be done, but WHY?

Originally Posted by Skuzzy,Apr 22 2006, 06:45 PM

Isnt that what much of scientific research is all about? Spending tons of money on dumbass shit so that maybe, one day, in the far away future, it will benefit us?

Originally Posted by no_really,Apr 22 2006, 05:29 PM

IMHO, there is a difference between "pure" scientific research and meaningless engineering tasks. Certainly, useful knowledge is learned by people putting together these idiotbots. My only point was about how pathetic they really were, given the thread title. And it just seems dumb to spend ll that time and effort putting together something that is so useless, unless it is to convince people that the pursuit of humanoid robots is absolutely idiotic in a world of limited resources.

Originally Posted by no_really,Apr 22 2006, 03:13 PM

why? Why not build a robot that isn't inherently unstable in the first place? Why not build something that uses wheels instead of trying to clomp around on little feet and legs? Tool for the job, man. I could buy any number of readily available kits to make a self-propelled remote controlled device that is far more stable, faster, more maneuverable, and cheaper. I could then use that as a platform to mount various pieces of hardware if I so chose. Building something that requires massive amounts of time and money to overcome inherent design flaws is a job for stupid people, IMHO. "Walker" robots like those in the video look cool in cartoons and movies, but they are just stupid for any practical use. Just watch the damn video to see how stupid they are IRL. What they are doing is like writing technical manuals in rhyming couplets. Sure, it can be done, but WHY?