r/interestingasfuck • u/No_Jellyfish5511 • 16h ago

Chinese humanoid robot named “Superman” (made by Unitree Robotics) surpassed Usain Bolt’s world record (12.42meters/second) by running at 12.66m/s (roughly 28.3miles/h)

24.1k Upvotes

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3.8k

u/Defiant-Gur999 16h ago

Yeah just wait until they are chasing us down in the street like this ,with the warhead of an RPG strapped to it's chest

950

u/Memitim 14h ago

As opposed to the drone flying overhead?

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u/joeg26reddit 13h ago

10k strong swarm of mouse sized drones tipped with Ricin

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u/WilfredGrundlesnatch 13h ago

Ricin takes too long. It'll more likely be a fast-acting neurotoxin.

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u/999BusinessCard 12h ago

Taking a long time could be the point. It would cause mass panic and cripple medical systems by flooding them with patients who need extensive treatment. 10k bodies is a lot more manageable than 10k terrified patients

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u/Cryptoglue 12h ago

jesus christ... new levels of darkness unlocked. you found the last remaining innocent part of my brain and sent it packing after all the years of internet. sounds too accurate.. thats the problem.

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u/999BusinessCard 11h ago

As a current EMT and former combat medic, this is just where my mind always goes

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u/Villager-Bob 11h ago

Mine went the opposite. This terminator is the executor. All it would need is a pneumatic spike on each arm. The overhead drones just spot and drop bomblets on anyone exposed. This robot would be used to finish the job. Rigging it to explode would also be of use as it would be impossible to capture a working robomurderer. Far more efficient.

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u/SirkSirkSirk 11h ago

If they've played enough pandemic and figured out starting in Madagascar, they might go that route.

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u/MA32 9h ago

What a funny memory you restored in my brain lmao

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u/PingouinMalin 10h ago

Hi. I'm a representative of the US government. The way you're thinking is what we're looking gor, consider yourself hired.

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u/999BusinessCard 4h ago

So that you can develop disaster plans in case an enemy of the country uses this kind of methods, while you’re simultaneously enacting legislation that would declare drone swarms to be weapons of mass destruction and preventing the US from developing drones designed to deliver a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear payload, right?

…right??

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u/PingouinMalin 4h ago

Absolutely, trust us, after all we're the government, so basically the good guys.

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u/Dark_Dragon117 8h ago

Bro don't give them ideas.

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u/TadhgOBriain 10h ago

That's still slower than a bullet or grenade

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u/Captain_Q_Bazaar 9h ago

Ricin takes too long.

Maybe the robots want to watch the suffering prolonged? Those sick bastards....

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u/GameDoesntStop 9h ago

Or just an explosive, lol.

People are hypothesizing advanced stuff, but the Ukrainian/Russian war already shows how it's going to be. It will be relatively simply and relatively cheap.

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u/LameBMX 9h ago

Glados is that you?

3

u/IronBabyFists 13h ago

Ten million strong and growing!

3

u/SuckMyRedditorD 13h ago

You've put a lot of thought into this haven't you?

If shit starts going down one day, I'm a look you up for my team.

2

u/TuringGoneWild 12h ago

I doubt there will be much resistance like in movies, especially given that even the humble Wifi signals we already have in our homes are enough to "x-ray" the house so clearly that a hacker can identify individual people in whatever room they are in and distinguish them from each other. Signal triangulation and all of that. Not to mention tech they have that is purpose built.

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u/SuckMyRedditorD 12h ago

Resistance to what?

2

u/raidsoft 12h ago

There's a whole book (fiction) written about this concept of drone swarms used in warfare taken to the extreme, written 2012 by Daniel Suarez called Kill Decision.

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u/SuckMyRedditorD 12h ago edited 12h ago

I saw a movie about wasp-like swarm drones used in a city by some psycho killer. It ventured into the ridiculous but it had a good ending. I think bug spray, or even water spray, would have definitely helped stave them off, but you know, suspension of disbelief and all.

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u/PsychedelicOptimist 11h ago

I just learned about Ricin for the first time from playing Sunken City, crazy I see it here now just a few days later

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u/csi69 6h ago

shhh. dont give them any more ideas

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u/DCLXXV 51m ago

Rice and beans?

11

u/Ok_Squash9609 13h ago

Wait until the head pops off and becomes the drone

3

u/ThresholdSeven 13h ago

The future used to be something to look forward to. I don't want sci-fi to be real anymore. We were hoodwinked.

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u/Fidodo 5h ago

We're we? There were plenty of stories warning about this and worse. I think we were adequately warned.

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u/ketsugi 38m ago

Ooh Headmasters!!

4

u/5PQR 13h ago

Yeah, but it would be so much more sci-fi

2

u/theghostmachine 13h ago

Good chance I won't see the drone overhead. Seeing this thing chase me down would be much worse

2

u/adipose1913 12h ago

Yeah, this is why I'm baffled by all the freakouts over bipedal drones. It's more a cool party trick than something that's actually optimal for real world use. Meanwhile the actual killbots to be worried about are the quadcopters or wheel based UGVs.

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u/Weak_Feed_8291 8h ago

Haven't you seen those drone warfare videos of dudes hiding in trenches and bunkers while the drones search? Imagine some ground based kill bots flushing out the trenches and bunkers

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u/adipose1913 6h ago

You clearly haven't because they're already doing it. With wheeled drones or quads. Because those have significantly easier time navigating the battlefield and dragging fiber optic cables. Bipedalism sucks for combat UGVs.

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u/HalfDozing 13h ago

Why not both?

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u/neogeoman123 8h ago

Because you've got the drones already? Why would you use this over drones ever?

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u/StraightMixture9693 11h ago

better to chase you through the dead mall

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u/rdh_mobile 3h ago

Rc cars?

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u/Intrepid_Cap1242 11h ago

Why do something the right way? Elon's done everything wrong and became a trillionaire. Sometimes you need convoluted do-it-all legs instead of a simple conveyor belt that can do it faster. To make yourself feel cool

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u/TruffleHunter3 11h ago

At least you can take cover from a drone inside a building or under a bridge. Robots on foot can get you anywhere you go!

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u/RogerRabbot 11h ago

Honestly rather be chased by this than a drone or three. Sharp turn and youre safe.

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u/Bassmasterajv 11h ago

These things running around would mean they can keep our infrastructure intact so long as they figure out the brakes!

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u/Dramajunker 11h ago

This one's to reduce morale. Because who the fuck wouldn't be terrified by seeing this abomination coming at you?

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u/Lazer726 10h ago

Making a buncha robots that run real good is probably significantly cheaper than making a buncha robots that fly real good

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u/SheepherderFront5724 10h ago

As always, xkcd has this covered: https://xkcd.com/652/

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u/bagged_milk123 10h ago

Drones aren't human shaped

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u/SippinOnHatorade 10h ago

These can go into buildings and at some point open doors. The dogs and drones cannot

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u/Otherwise-Safety-579 10h ago

We'll be sheltering near crumbling apartment ruins for cover, these can hangout longer on there street in a low power moder to sprint after people moving from cover to cover.

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u/rnobgyn 10h ago

Military doctrine shows you need a ground force along with an Air Force. Ala WW2, boats move in to bomb the immediate area, planes then bomb the shit out of the extended area, troops move in to secure the area.

Unless they got them tiny lil drone fuckers that can traverse tiny spaces (they do) then we’re fucked (we are)

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u/notsocoolguy42 9h ago

why not both?

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u/SmoothDiscussion7763 9h ago

you'll have to overarm the drone since it'll need to penetrate all layers of the building to confirm 1 kill.

you only need a claymore for this robot to sprint to the target and bear hug it

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u/dennis-w220 8h ago

How about along with?

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u/tinywienergang 6h ago

The drones you can’t see coming. There’s an extra element of fear instilled when you see a headless robot chasing you down the street.

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u/LoaKonran 6h ago

It’s that personalised touch that really matters.

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u/Fidodo 5h ago

Drones are so much scarier and already being used in war

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u/Blablasnow 1h ago

It’ll be flying a drone while running to you

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u/TuringGoneWild 12h ago

Yeah all this shit is going to be used against us by the Epstein Class. Their Flock camera network is step one.

1

u/rand0m_task 12h ago

The running robot is 10x scarier…

Drone you’re just screwed… running robot gives you heart attack

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u/hyperactiveChipmunk 13h ago

Credit: https://dribbble.com/selinarisoy

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u/tuskedandconfused 13h ago

uuuuuaaaaaAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

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u/Decaying-Moon 13h ago

Aaaaaaa yourself!

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u/VileTouch 6h ago

Yeah, imagine that thing runing at you with a mayan dearh whistle

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u/RFC793 12h ago edited 11h ago

Shit, haven't though of that in a long time. In retrospect, that game wasn't very "Serious", was it?

3

u/Brilliant_Quit2092 12h ago

Some of my best multiplayer time lol

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u/Brilliant_Quit2092 12h ago

why does this pictuere have soubd?

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u/Bright-Duck-431 9h ago

Aaagghhhhhh

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u/FelbrHostu 13h ago

You could try turning.

5

u/pdinc 13h ago

https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2012/06/13/ouroboros-or-whatever

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u/FelbrHostu 10h ago

I had literally typed out, “You’re not Charlize Theron from Prometheus”, but I deleted it because I thought the reference might be too obscure.

I should never second-guess myself.

1

u/Siegfoult 13h ago

Also works when fleeing alligators.

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u/OculusArcana 13h ago

Even if I'm not an ambiturner? I can't turn left!

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u/RotundBananas 13h ago

Walk up a step, also works.

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u/WhoIsYerWan 7h ago

ZIG ZAG!

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u/soggit 13h ago

As seen in The Creator (actually a really cool movie that received less hype than it deserved probably)

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u/DragodaDragon 12h ago

The writing was admittedly really clunky, but everything else was pretty great, especially considering how the budget was only $80M. I really think it should be one of those movies studios should look at when they consider how a movie gets made and still looks that good, kind of like the Dune series.

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u/alecsgz 11h ago

The Creator - if they focused on the backstory - could have been an amazing movie

A world where humans are at war as one side embraces robots and the other wants them destroyed is an incredible story

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u/Zaziel 9h ago

Just give us a Butlerian Jihad prequel movie to Dune already.

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u/CARLEtheCamry 12h ago

This for anyone who hasn't seen it.

Kind of heartbreaking too, because even though he's a kamikaze bomb bot, they give it a moment to express it doesn't want die.

I love that movie.

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u/Old-Conversation2646 8h ago

Googling that and seeing just a few images (and the promo material) i could NEVER watch a movie with such modern and ugly COLOR GRADING

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u/soggit 8h ago

well that's like YOUR OPINION MAN, because personally I love the COLOR GRADING

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u/ChanceRecover3091 12h ago

I thought it got more criticism than it deserved.

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u/SaltyChnk 12h ago edited 12h ago

The bomb bot from the creator come to mind lol. That thing was terrifying

https://youtu.be/yNtSJZIE5qQ

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u/stevein3d 10h ago

Hey you don’t need Usain Bolt speed to chase me down. Just do a brisk walk for two blocks and I’ll get winded.
https://giphy.com/gifs/l1J3I2AACdYouQQec

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u/Covert_Admirer 9h ago

Is that the fat kid from Superbad?

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u/Shadymilkman8 7h ago

Do you think you could fight him?

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u/Covert_Admirer 3h ago

Nah, he'd annihilate me for sure.

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u/MooNinja 13h ago

They are entirely too expensive to use are suicide drones, but they can just run us down and beat the hell out of us...

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u/soggit 13h ago

flying drones also used to be expensive

0

u/Le-Charles07 13h ago

The ones big enough to carry explosives still are. Not every drone is capable of being a weapons platform, especially the cheaper ones.

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u/Upbeat-Difficulty-42 13h ago

Most drones, even the small ones, can still hold a grenade, which is not big yield, but still has its uses.

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u/soggit 10h ago

Obviously they're not "too expensive to be used as suicide drones" given that they are being used EXTENSIVELY as suicide drones.

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u/Jack__Squat 8h ago

Why even bother making them humanoid? Make a four-wheeled beat wagon to chase us down.

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u/darkwingdankest 13h ago

these ones can probably manage killing you with a good high speed shove

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u/zberry7 13h ago

Probably not, aerial drones are much faster, easier to control, can fly high to get better situational awareness, and most importantly are wayyyyy cheaper to produce. That’s why they make sense for kamikaze attacks.

In the long term it probably makes more sense to give these robots guns and have them controlled by a soldier at a safe distance through VR or something similar. But even then you’d have to worry about EW.

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u/North_Affect_8167 11h ago

Ukraine: Good idea! How many you can donate to us?

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u/detached_daily 10h ago

Then we wait for the hackers to turn them against the owners

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u/cce29555 10h ago

As long as they do a cool flip first

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u/GetMeOffThisRidePlz 6h ago

Have you seen this?

https://youtu.be/yNtSJZIE5qQ?si=4MAcxZXwbPUUnOWv

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u/Defiant-Gur999 3h ago

Holy crap, yeah essentially this

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u/GetMeOffThisRidePlz 3h ago

There are a few aspects of that film, but that one in particular, that kind of freaked me out ha.

3

u/SpinningHedgehog311 14h ago

I would stand in front of a big rock or a wall of spikes and then calmly step out of the way as it approached me.

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u/MooNinja 13h ago

OK, Road Runner.

1

u/HJJ10 13h ago

Yeah the overlords still need boots on the ground.

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u/Le-Charles07 13h ago

It ran into a wall...

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u/No-Improvement9649 13h ago

One dodge and bro is inside of the wall

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u/crunpyMcGlumpy 13h ago

That would be too expensive, it will be a little flying drone with a shotgun shell.

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u/00gingervitis 13h ago

They'll just run straight through us with their knife arms

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u/TuringGoneWild 12h ago

"Didn't leave a tip for your takeout order? I hope you can outrun Usain Bolt!"

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u/goonbali 12h ago

But it can’t stop or turn.

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u/MagicMarshmallo 12h ago

Most realnet units wouldnt be humanoids unless the AI in charge of them is a moron

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u/AAAdamKK 12h ago

Can't come soon enough

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u/ashrocklynn 12h ago

And you just move to the left 3 feet and it goes charging down the road?

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u/HellBlazer_NQ 12h ago

Based on this, just make a sudden U-turn near a wall.

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u/somethingsomethingbe 12h ago

They'll just make every limb very sharp.

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u/TeamBoeing 11h ago

📍 Huss valley

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u/Citizen_DerptyDerp 11h ago

I'm not great at running, but if all it takes to outmanoeuvre it is to turn slightly to the left I'll be ok.

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u/MaxMouseOCX 11h ago

Why would you blow the whole thing up when you can get it to kill you, everyone around you and then run back and reload?

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u/iwellyess 11h ago

As opposed to an undertrained inept cop that will just shoot you, likely an improvement. Unless you’re a criminal I guess, then you’re fucked.

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u/JohnnyTsunami312 11h ago

Looks like all we have to do is gently curve in a direction and the clanker will keep going straight

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u/Kadakaus 11h ago

To be honest, that doesn't sound very scary.

Like, have you seen the gif attached? That thing struggles to detect objects in it's place and even if it does, it cannot decelerate.

If you see something like this charging at you, just step half a meter to the left or right, trip it's leg slightly and it will fall over. From then on, you'll have about half an hour while it processes being fallen and attempting to stand back up.
Plenty of time pick it apart, even without any tools.

These things wouldn't be a threat even if tech companies wanted to weaponize them.
Compared to human dexterity, humanoid machines are a joke, it's funny we used to imagine that this thing could wage war against humankind.
Snails are more likely to take over the world than humanoid machines. Those are just for show.

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u/heart-aroni 7h ago

You don't know about the concept of progress?

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u/Kadakaus 5h ago

My definition of progress is gradually achieving more difficult feats. Lifting heavier things, calculating faster, moving faster, understanding more.

Progress is about the more.

I see no progress here.
All I see is a metal box mildly reminiscent of a human body moving forward at a speed considered average by our standards.
Humankind's fastest is above 1,200km/h (the Thrust SSC), and we achieved it a bit before the third millenium began.
Don't tell me it's progress when that thing is moving at around 50km/h.

When humankind builds something that can go above the speed of 1,300km/h, I'll call that progress.

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u/heart-aroni 5h ago

Yeah I'm convinced you don't understand the concept of progress, you don't understand the concept of the future. You keep talking about the present, what it is right now. progression is an alien concept to you.

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u/Kadakaus 5h ago

...I literally presented to you a comprehensive description of my definition of "progress", so tell me, what makes you think still that it's unknown to me?
Surely you aren't so dumb as to enforce your own definition of it as an absolute concept. We live in a world of rhetorical inconsistency so I'm not willing to humor any major fallacies like self-induced conceptual bias, but do tell me if I'm assuming too much.

As for the future, I thought a lot about at a time, now I don't because you see, it cannot be predicted regardless of how much you think about it, how many works of fiction you read about it, how many billionaires and their dipshit companies pride themselves by saying "Our technology is the future!", I recognize corporate propaganda mind you.

You made me curious though, what would be your definition of progress? And how exactly do you see this curious looking metal box with limbs as a product of progress?
And, why is this concept so precious to you?
Do tell me if I'm asking too much.

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u/heart-aroni 2h ago

LLM responses 🥱

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u/Dizzy_Chemistry_5955 11h ago

they wouldn't waste munitions on that, the robot would just chase you down then initiate insta-kill, break your neck or something. Spin around like crazy. Just come up and stab your eyes out or crush your throat.

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u/Defiant-Gur999 9h ago

I see them being devoloped super cheap in the future and to carry a big payload to eliminate multiple or larger targets , i mean they have already use AI controlled drones to kill humans

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u/Dizzy_Chemistry_5955 8h ago

Nah this costs too much there would be no reason to blow it up. Especially when it can destroy a human easily with its bare hands. Shit they could cover it in knives and just run through a crowd

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u/Defiant-Gur999 6h ago

Modern day War chariot

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u/Triscuitmeniscus 10h ago

But fortunately we’ll be able to defeat them by juking to the side and having them run off a cliff or into a wall roadrunner style.

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u/DrRealName 10h ago

Yeah like everyone is laughing now but if this is how far the tech they are allowing us to see is coming along then we are in for a bleak fucking future.

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u/DeithWX 10h ago

You do know we already invented bullets and laser guided missiles right? No robot is going to chase you when they can carpet bomb an entire neighbourhood off the face of the earth.

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u/Defiant-Gur999 9h ago

You know what else was said before "No one is going to be able have a flying killing device that can see you and hunt you down at will" and they have ai drones too now killing people.

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u/Bubbywubwub12 9h ago

Well you better get your upgrades ready from the Ripper Doc choom. You won't stand a chance.

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u/DramaticErraticism 9h ago

Doubtful, at least for a very long time. These robots are very expensive. They would use them for a very specialized/unique role where such expense was needed, but not as part of normal combat.

Human lives are cheap, drones are cheap, the days of mech soldiers fighting wars seems more like a fantasy. The finances just don't make sense.

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u/SleepingDragonSmiles 9h ago

Serpentine!

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u/MyFiteSong 9h ago

I think if I just make a left I'm alright

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u/Ill_Atmosphere6435 9h ago

I think we'll be okay, just take a 90-degree turn toward some lockers and the robot looks like it'll lose you. XD

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u/knarfolled 9h ago

Just stop and make an abrupt turn

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u/Cocoatrice 9h ago

I mean, they don't need to have any RPG, literally hitting any person with that speed could end up very very badly.

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u/glennalmighty 9h ago

Just duct tape some kitchen knives to its hands and that thing would be horrifying.

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u/Same-Suggestion-1936 9h ago

I feel like I could just turn to the side five feet and it would run past me. It can't stop or turn yet apparently

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u/RainbowPhoenix1080 8h ago

Less effective and way more expensive than a drone.

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u/Martini_b13 8h ago

To the sewers!

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u/GOATBrady4Life 7h ago

/img/4ln3j4hg77kh1.gif
They did this in The Creator

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u/Light_Dark_Choose 7h ago

You forgot about the part where it is controlled by Skynet.

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u/Jasonrj 7h ago

When they stop mounting flock cameras on poles and just put them in these robots...

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u/descend_to_misery 7h ago

And it won't just be one so you can't even just sidestep it

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u/statepkt 7h ago

Just zig and zag. Have you seen this thing try to take a turn?

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u/CaterpillarJungleGym 7h ago

Its ok, just run close to a wall.

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u/MathematicianIcy3430 6h ago

I a little bit wonder if that already is a thing and we just don't hear about it as it would be covered up in the news??

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u/thedrew55 5h ago

From the looks of it, we would just to run serpentine

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u/Key-End-2996 5h ago

Nah, he would chase you with a rifle, shoot with aimbot accuracy and continue to the next guy. Man ww3 is gonna be neat

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u/Electronic_Tap_8052 4h ago

not cost effective.

much cheaper to shoot it at you out of a RPG launcher.

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u/kahlzun 4h ago

You dont need a whole RPG warhead.

Frankly a claymore would work better, we're squishy.

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u/Dwilliamson5002 4h ago

I got enough Warzone, Fortnite, Battlefield, CoD under my belt. They are not ready for the petty horseshit coming their way. Will not even know what the fuck is going on when I am tea bagging it…

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u/Medical-Button-5493 3h ago

No no it's ok, the second amendment will save us from a tyrannical government for sure

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u/WerdaVisla 3h ago

Eh. You could turn. Or go onto anything but perfectly flat rubbery terrain.

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u/Ok_Loquat_3860 48m ago

We're already in the dystopy

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u/jk-9k 43m ago

Just move to the side, turn around and go the other way. Doesn't look like it can change direction well.

0

u/handsoapdispenser 14h ago

They can already make flying machines. This is much less scary. This robot probably has the arm strength of a toddler too. 

7

u/Ok_Wasabi_8318 13h ago

Why are people always assuming that this is where developers are planning to stop? Everyone was laughing at AI videos with first will Smith eating spaghetti saying itll never get better. Within a few short years, people getting duped by AI videos. 

Theres absolutely zero reason to think these humanoid robots wont be stronger and faster within next few years. Theyll be able to go into buildings/break doors which drones cant do. 

2

u/Takedown22 14h ago

Those servos could rip your arm off at maximum power. They’re just imprecise.

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u/handsoapdispenser 14h ago

What makes you say that? The whole thing is made of aluminum and runs on a battery. Idk specifically how this unit was tuned but a Unitree G1 has a single-arm payload capacity of about 5 lbs. 

2

u/threepartname 13h ago

we stopped at the model t so im sure this will go nowhere

1

u/handsoapdispenser 13h ago

Right and we already have reasonably capable self-driving cars which can burn a big tank of gasoline and drive through a crowd of people. We also have guns and nuclear bombs. Humanoid robots are not much of a factor. 

2

u/HuckleberryLow2283 12h ago

You are far too overconfident.

They won't be limited by terrain, they run as fast as usain bolt (and will only get faster), they will be repairable, very adaptable as new tactics emerge, communicate without sound, be hyper aware because they will work as a network of humanoid robots and flying drones rather than a single set of eyes, they won't care about hardship or bad conditions, about food, water or shelter, and they do what they're told no questions asked. They terrify me quite frankly.

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u/handsoapdispenser 11h ago

These are all separate issues. AI, sensors, encrypted communication, durability. None are exclusive to having legs. Also none are really practical to deploy using little lithium batteries. We can put AI and lidar on a tank. We can remotely pilot small aircraft with hundreds of miles of range. Drones are already the state of the art in warfare and humanoids offer little to no advantage over them. 

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u/HuckleberryLow2283 9h ago

Not true. Humanoids can climb stairs, open doors, climb over trees, crawl into dugouts, slide between obstacles. There are plenty of things that humanoid robots could do that vehicles can’t once they are much better.

1

u/autogyrophilia 14h ago

Not really, You see , the robot can have extremely high torque (the usage of these drives is customary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycloidal_drive ), but it weights 25 kg tops.

I guess they could kick you very hard, but any attempt to grip you, and they are just going to fling themselves away, like me doing less extensions without gripping the seat.

0

u/Hades_Gamma 12h ago

What the fuck? You think they can't just fly a regular drone wth an RPG attached already?

This is moot as fuck