We have all watched in the last five year the amount of time and effort it takes to clean up after a massive Hurricane. The flying debris can be picked up fast and removed, but the flooding, well that is a whole other story indeed. Flooding damage is always substantial both from rain and storm surges. But what if we took a new approach to the clean up?
What if we called in DARPA and contracted with US Robotics to build giant SUV size RoboVacuums? We would put hydro-twisters underneath and equipment similar to street sweepers and let them go cleaning things up?
Recently an online think tank took up this issue and considered some of the possibilities as Swift from Las Vegas stated; “It would certainly free up more humans for rescue efforts and keep them from being exposed to diseases. They could have a vacuuming and a cutting mode, as sometimes they would need to use both.”
Sure this could be done and the robotic vacuums could operate along roads clearing trees and debris and work of GPS waypoints autonomously or some could be telerobotically operated via a temporary blimp communication station in the sky for a relay? Or use a broadband Internet connection via satellite with a 6-axis floating antenna on the giant RoboVac. (BTW all this technology exists now to make these a reality). Consider all this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
If we are to send robotic assistants along with NASA astronauts to explore other planets or if we decided to send artificially intelligent robotic androids along with a set of rovers and robotic systems, then we need to practice using such net centric systems on planet Earth. But where? Perhaps Antarctica might be the place to test out teams over robotic artificially intelligent androids working together in a net centric way with rovers, equipment and other robotic systems. We need to insure that such systems can in fact deliver themselves to the target locations, unload and fully deployed equipment and carry out the mission tasks without failure.
Using a remote section of the Planet, such as Antarctica we can practice until we can make the use AI systems nearly fool proof. It is not that I don’t trust our scientists, robotic researchers and the best and brightest to send our artificially intelligent robotic systems to another planet. Rather in light of the cost in the unknown it makes sense to build systems that can achieve the mission accomplishment with a high enough success ratio to warrant the cost of further budget increases, which will be carried by the taxpayer.
Antarctica is a very cold place and although not the coldest place considering the rest of solar system or the planets, which we will explore it is a rather hostile environment for battery life, solar collection and atmospheric conditions. This makes it perfect as a location to practice and make sure that we are indeed as good as we proclaim we are. I believe we are and I believe it is time to prove. Consider this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
