Robot kills Poisonous Snake while children are sleeping

[Ichingcarpenter]

Apparently a Roomba operating in Israel recently sucked up a poisonous Vipera palaestinae, preventing it from killing a family's two children and pets.

One evening last week Efi turned the robot on and left the house. When she returned she tried to turn it back on though it kept beeping and getting stuck. When she opened the machine she discovered that the machine prevented the small viper from occupying the home and hurting her young children. "


OK..... it wasn't a plan attack but I wonder if Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics were included in the robot's programming. I know its a vacuum cleaner



http://www.geekologie.com/2009/11/roomba_saves_kids_from_poisono.php



http://www.amazon.com/iRobot-Roomba-Intelligent-Floorvac-Robotic/dp/B00008439Y

[John N Morgan]

1. Having no kids the Roomba is as close to a toddler loose in the house as it gets.

You don't have to vacuum, just chase it around to keep it out of trouble.

Or, maybe a better snark is that the Roomba thought the snake was an electrical cord and had to wrap it up.

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. A roomba's wandering photographed

[KittyWampus]

20. thanks so much for posting that. It's quite beautiful in it's own way.

[robinlynne]

23. hey, it missed a few spots.

[Hekate]

2. That is really cool. The Three Laws of Robotics live on. nt

[KittyWampus]

21. What are the Three Laws of Robotics? I could google but sometimes it's more fun to ask

:)

[Hekate]

24. 1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm

http://www.robotics.utexas.edu/rrg/learn_more/history/

"Robot" was used by the Czech playwright Karel Capek in his 1921 play R.U. R. (Rostrum's Universal Robots). The word was from the Czech for serf.

> In R.U.R., Capek poses a paradise, where the machines initially bring so many benefits but in the end bring an equal amount of blight in the form of unemployment and social unrest. < >snip<

How prescient of him. But Isaac Asimov, one of science fiction's grand old men, offered a mitigation in 1950, which we (or our military R&D, in our name) have done our best to overturn:

> Three Laws of Robotics
Asimov also proposed his three "Laws of Robotics", and he later added a 'zeroth law'.

Law Zero: A robot may not injure humanity, or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
Law One: A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm, unless this would violate a higher order law.
Law Two: A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with a higher order law.
Law Three: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with a higher order law. < >snip<

Hekate

[burning rain]

4. That's awesome.

A real-life robotic Riki Tiki Tavi.

[krispos42]

5. Pop a taser on that puppy... that'll teach those snakes! n/t

[proteus_lives]

6. "Human in Danger!"

Roomba! Roll Out!

[Jamastiene]

7. I need one of those. n/t

[cowcommander]

8. Might have to get one of those now!

[flow_urgirl]

9. Good but what if it was endangered

A bite from this snake of a sleeping child might have killed so it is indeed good.

Bt if it had been a rare or endangered snake, and it was killed or even injured whilst the vac was on automatic, like some people, then it would have been bad surely?

[aquart]

13. The thing about being rare and endangered?

There aren't enough of you to become household pests.

[flow_urgirl]

15. Your way is to tell me I am something insignificant?

Well then you will know what that feels like at some time if you hate this earth and every sacred being on it.

[Cirque du So-What]

18. I think you misread the intention of that post

In our English language, 'you' is sometimes used as the subject of the topic under discussion. It's perfectly acceptable in this instance. Substitute another pronoun that works just as well and it becomes:

'The thing about being rare and endangered? There aren't enough of THEM to become household pests.'

Does that make any sense to you? At all? I wonder, because it's sometimes difficult for me to determine what YOU're trying to say. If there's some language barrier, it would be good to acknowledge it in order to avoid misunderstandings.

If not, let me attempt to break it down for you. In our language, 'rare' and 'endangered' are words we use to indicate that the animal's numbers are greatly dimished from what they had been historically. No animal that is 'endangered' is found prowling inside people's houses; they would be struggling to survive as a species in whatever vestiges of their native habitat remained for them. Let me put it another way, just in case you have trouble comprehending the previous statement: Endangered species do NOT inhabit people's houses. Never. Ever. Not even once. Does not happen. The fact that a species is found in anyone's house *SHOULD* provide prima facie evidence (to most reasonable people) that the species is NOT endangered. I would go so far as to say that in most reasonable people's houses, poisonous snakes are persona non grata. They ARE 'endangered,' but only on an individual level - not a species-wide level. Speaking personally, any poisonous snake in MY house is ipso facto 'endangered,' as I'm going to actively endeavor to kill the motherfucking snake before it tries to kill me!

But I digress.

While we're on the subject of your reactions to the words of others, allow me to make an observation. I've glanced over your posts since arrival; it wasn't difficult in the least, as you've made only 23 posts spread over a one-week period. I see that you are quite contentious and confrontational in practically all instances. You also sprinkle your speech with catchphrases commonly associated with new-age beliefs and practices, so it's hard for me to reconcile the belligerence with the woo. Every other person I've ever met who touts the woo makes at least some attempt to convey the sense of peace and oneness with nature/humanity/the universe that comes with their esoteric knowledge. If your woo compels you to maintain a prickly stance against your newfound friends on an internet message board, may I suggest that you're not doing it correctly.

[Hekate]

25. Well done, Cirque, for grandfatherly advice

:rofl:

I almost said you advised her like a "Dutch uncle" but felt that might be misconstrued too.

Hekate

[flow_urgirl]

30. man to man

I don't understand
your mystery
thanks in some way
whatever you say
i have to fight my own way
you can't breathe for me
and living for me
is not your death

to your insults i am nearly deaf
have lived here with much life
do not wish to cause strife
go back to your wife
i'll have a husband with no need for proof
i'll have a sacred life
i believe in truth

and "women who run with the wolves"
love you who wrote it
your words upon them i dote it
and credit them where due
a great bill of some length
a life of far sensing strength
wealth in soul and self
love of food on table and shelf
live it for myself

as i must do now
end all the insults
start all the kisses on the nipple of pan
worship to drive out satan
peace is not easy to achieve
yet life offers me fresh seeds
so away I am a trusty steed

[Warren DeMontague]

28. Reminds me of another rare and endangered species that is found under fairy tale bridges...

but I digress. :rofl:

[flow_urgirl]

36. you should see my picture

then you would have another impression, whatever that would be, only I am not a paying member...

[flow_urgirl]

29. Why is it so important what I say or write?

It seems to me to be a point of others on forums or groups to try to change my way of communication. I find classification of myself as the only tolerable label. I am not maintaining a prickly stance against anyone in particular. If you were to know what drives me at present and who I truly am then that would be to be too open to who knows is reading this worldwide? Who knows?

I am and that is my natural way as issues must be dealt with I don't live a floaty happy soft life. So what others can easily portray is truly up to them isn't it? I am not doing a Uni degree with you and prefer to truly focuw my written ability on something worthy of my effort that will produce wealth and success not just to chatter on a website without need to be too serious about the way that I portray it. Being corrected from birth by my father and then being again hounded and corrected through school, told what to write the way to see it and the way to be in this world instead of being myself. A warped push down effect - try seeing it like this, a bowl full of jelly, will be pushed down by my hand. Push it down too far and it will attempt to go in every other direction. This is also true of my communicative self and the attention that people pay to me plus my living conditions have betrayed my ability to communicate the things I would like to say. It is up to me to channel my communication not all of you!!

And I am also an Aries moon, say things without much planning or forethought and it is just who I am. My spiderweb is tangled. I find nature does not exist in perfect peace so why should I even though I enjoy it. What is your perfect state and how can I attempt to know who you are when you put me into a defensive state for the illionth time?? Does this not occur to you the reason why I am prickly??

And why would I not think that you would be insulting and directed at me if I am expected to know the nuance if it is not clearly stated to me??? Especially with a contentious issue such as rare and endangered species. I have been creating drawings of them, studying them in a museum, spending 4 hours on an Australian endangered dragonfly's wing, and that was only half of it. I mean if you want to make your life an attention to the little things such as a response then why waste your time. Don't waste your time!! Are you an expert in correction?

I do not ask for your advice on how to communicate and am aware of how I am not well accepted, but it is often then an attention that is given then to the words instead of the issue I was communicating in the first place. As my friend says to me I like the way you talk you talk well and know how to talk. I talk differently to the way I write. I am under pressure and not at leisure to correct or edit my words and must move on.

I am not attempting to make friends here. If i do then so be it. If you are in so much objection to my communications then do you have any power to stop me form saying anything? Have I truly offended you? Is it an issue of relation to your sexuality? What I have communicated recently in the GLBT part of this forum site?

If you are discontented with me then I am simply so. I know that too.

[AsahinaKimi]

34. welcome to DU !

eom

[flow_urgirl]

37. far out!

You freaked me out there I thought it was a reprimand!! Oh well whatever you said...I'll try to look it up.

[AsahinaKimi]

41. oh

eom= end of message. Its okay.. wait till you have to deal with my tossed out..Japanese!!
LOL!! yush! (it means..Lets go!)

[flow_urgirl]

35. Okay I realise what you meant now

I actually did realise that what you had said was ok and a backhanded compliment, quite soon after I had posted my immediate comment before I read into the context. Thanks and sorry if I have upset you at all.

[ck4829]

19. This particular species of snake is far from endangered

It's widespread and has a large population.

[flow_urgirl]

38. it was a "what if" statement!!

geesh!!

[Warren DeMontague]

27. I can't make heads or tails out of this post.

Maybe the snakes are rare and endangered because they keep getting eaten by roombas.

[flow_urgirl]

39. the tail is the better end unless you want to pick one up if it is not an elapid

I understand the lovely snakes perfectly well...

[Warren DeMontague]

10. It's like a robot Rikki Tikki Tavi.

Too cool.

[Lasher]

11. Extreme danger, Will Robinson!

Yet again, Robbie saves the day.

[timeforpeace]

12. +100 for getting Asimov's Three Laws in there.

[MichellesBFF]

14. Reminds me of a childhood incident

When I was a toddler I was playing in a pile of sand at my grandparents house in France. Legend has it that there was a viper in the sand pile with me. Little did I know that I could have used a Roomba as protector! (Of course they hadn't been invented at the time, so it would've been difficult to obtain one)

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. 'Red and Yellow will kill a fellow' yelled my daughter to me

'red on black, friend of Jack'
my first grader told me as she and my 3 year old
were playing on our little swing set in the back yard.

She learned that in first grade and it probably saved their lives.

Yep a coral snake was curled around the pole of the set which I dismissed with a shovel.

[GoCubsGo]

17. "Saved her children and pets"...

This is how her cat was protected:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ-jv8g1YVI

[KittyWampus]

22. there are a LOT of videos posted of kittehs riddin roombas. Hilarious

[GreenPartyVoter]

26. Cute! I am partial to this one, myself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTxW3GWZ5hI

[GoCubsGo]

32. That's my other favorite!

I only posted the first one, because that kitty looks a lot like my sweet boy when he was young. I can picture him riding a Roomba...

[GreenPartyVoter]

33. I am not so sure mine could be enticed to take a ride. LOL

[dysfunctional press]

31. "preventing it from killing a family's two children and pets."

is there any evidence that without the roomba they would have definitely been killed?

i guess we know what the hot christmas hanukkah present is going to be this year...a dradle.

[thelordofhell]

40. Makes me want to sing a song

Roomba, loomba, doopadee do.
I've got another riddle for you.
Roomba, loomba, doopadee dee.
If you are wise you will listen to me.

What do you when your room has a snake,
A poisonous Vipera Palaestinae?
Just turn on the Roomba and that will be that.
It will save your kids and even your cat.

The Roomba to the rescue!!

Roomba, Loomba, doopadee do.
Buy a Roomba and protect your room.
Then you will live in happiness too.
Just like the Roomba, loomba.....doopadee do.

Doopadee do.