Roomba Creators Create Robot That Is Gross and Squashy

By Lev Grossman | @leverus | October 14, 2009 | +

Basically it’s an alpha version of the T-1000:

“Each cell is filled with a jammable slurry.”

Mmmmm … jammable slurry …

(Via io9)

Also, Tim Berners-Lee is sorry about the //.

Related Topics: gadgets, jammable slurry, robots, say that's a nice bike, News, Web Video

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Dave

So do you think they could use this technology to make robots that almost exactly mimic humans and could infiltrate our society without us knowing? I wonder how many models they’ll make…
http://youtube.com/churchhatestucker Church

Oh, I know this one! Pick me!
http://discussionator.com LeeJH

Don’t worry – it can only go around in circles thanks to the leash feeding it air.
Kemper

Oh, Lev. You’re actually going to put ‘robots’ in the headline?? Once upon a time you wouldn’t even mention Transformers because it made the robot=BSG connection too easy. You’re slipping, buddy….
dreinn

2 things. I think it should be “squishy,” not “squashy.” It definitely seems more squishy than squashy. And secondly, it weirds me out that the dude is wearing what look like surgical gloves. Is it slimy?
anon76

Hey, I got to tour iRobot last January- they didn’t show me any of this. They did show some other cool stuff, like a swarming robot, though.
Also cool from another Boston-area robotics unit, BigDog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww

And, uh, the slurry bot is probably a prototype for the cylon goo starship interface. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
elektrojunge

“It liiiiiiiives!!!!” *manicallaugh*

I like it!
tereglith

The end reminds me of “The Chicken Heart That Ate New York City”… bum bomp…. bum bomp… bum bomp…

Also, like “Jammable slurry” as a related topic…
dennitzio

It looks like the underinflated volleyball that we used to throw at each other in the lake, as kids. Who knew that could inspire a whole new class of underinflated-volleyball-robots.

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