See Robot And Human Chit Chat On Space Station For First Time Ever

[Karloff]

See Robot And Human Chit Chat On Space Station For First Time Ever


It's not what Kirobo says, it's how he says it.

It might not be the most fascinating conversation in the history of humankind, but this exchange between International Space Station Commander Koichi Wakata and robotic astronaut Kirobo [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125525-Kirobo-Will-be-Japans-First-Robot-Astronaut] is a world first. It's all part of the Kibo Robot Project, designed to test voice recognition and communication technology, and the key thing here is not what Kirobo - a name combining 'hope' and 'robot' - says, but how he's saying it.

"Whereas others regard robots as working machines," says designer Tomotaka Takahashi [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4hEwkNUeAo], "Japanese people believe in a future where robots and humans coexist." Communication is a big part of that future, so Kirobo's equipped with sufficient brain power and vocabulary to conduct an autonomous, unscripted conversation.

Yes, that does make this as much a publicity stunt as a serious experiment. Having a chat is little in itself; having it aboard a space station is. Kirobo came aboard the Station courtesy of the Kuonotori Rocket, an unmanned resupply ship launched back in August. Kirobo's twin Mirata stayed behind, in case a backup is required.

Source: Newswire Press Release [http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/robot-astronaut-kirobo-takes-part-052700438.html]



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[bluegate]

Hey, it's the little guy from this video clip, awesome. From doing cameo appearances in video clips and live shows to talking to people in space, he's the little robot that could!

On a more serious note, it's nice to see the field of speech recognition and talkative ai progress and in a nice 'n cute form to boot!

 

[Beaujon85]

At 4:04 the robot claims the Milky Way has over 200 trillion stars. There are actually fewer than 400 billion. Is this a translation error or did we just send a robot into space that sucks at math?

 

[AldUK]

At 4:04 the robot claims the Milky Way has over 200 trillion stars. There are actually fewer than 400 billion. Is this a translation error or did we just send a robot into space that sucks at math?

Have you counted them? Nobody knows for certain how many stars are in our galaxy, it's impossible to know. All we can do is make best guesses. I'm not saying the robot's wrong or he's right, I'm saying it's not a figure anyone can claim they know for sure.

About the video itself; it feels heavily scripted to me. I could be mistaken but I have a feeling that the responses were input onto the laptop he's plugged into beforehand.

 

[GamemasterAnthony]

All I have to say about Kirobo is this:

*COLLAPSES HARD* Cuteness...too much...need...insulin...

Seriously...that thing is way too cute. I've seen it a couple of times already on Cheezburger and this video hasn't diminished the cuteness of it.

 

[Beaujon85]

At 4:04 the robot claims the Milky Way has over 200 trillion stars. There are actually fewer than 400 billion. Is this a translation error or did we just send a robot into space that sucks at math?

Have you counted them? Nobody knows for certain how many stars are in our galaxy, it's impossible to know. All we can do is make best guesses. I'm not saying the robot's wrong or he's right, I'm saying it's not a figure anyone can claim they know for sure.

About the video itself; it feels heavily scripted to me. I could be mistaken but I have a feeling that the responses were input onto the laptop he's plugged into beforehand.

No, I have not personally counted them, but we have been observing the Milky Way for long enough to have a fairly accurate idea of its size. All educated sources claim there are more than 100 billion and fewer than 400 billion stars in our galaxy and, even though the exact number is impossible to know, it's highly improbable that the actual number will fall outside of that range. And the thought that our galaxy is actually 500 times larger than we suspected is just too ludicrous to entertain.

(Off topic: Nice avatar)

 

[AldUK]

At 4:04 the robot claims the Milky Way has over 200 trillion stars. There are actually fewer than 400 billion. Is this a translation error or did we just send a robot into space that sucks at math?

Have you counted them? Nobody knows for certain how many stars are in our galaxy, it's impossible to know. All we can do is make best guesses. I'm not saying the robot's wrong or he's right, I'm saying it's not a figure anyone can claim they know for sure.

About the video itself; it feels heavily scripted to me. I could be mistaken but I have a feeling that the responses were input onto the laptop he's plugged into beforehand.

No, I have not personally counted them, but we have been observing the Milky Way for long enough to have a fairly accurate idea of its size. All educated sources claim there are more than 100 billion and fewer than 400 billion stars in our galaxy and, even though the exact number is impossible to know, it's highly improbable that the actual number will fall outside of that range. And the thought that our galaxy is actually 500 times larger than we suspected is just too ludicrous to entertain.

I would argue that when space is involved, nothing is too ludicrous to entertain. There is just too much we don't know, that's what science is all about, the seeking of answers to questions that are both small and enormous. For all we know, what we have observed is only a tiny fraction of our universe. Pictures we see of the Milky Way are all computer simulations or artist's interpretation because nobody has been outside of it to look back and tell us how big it really is.

Now, I would personally agree with you that it is likely that our galaxy is 100-400 billion stars, however my point is; nobody can say for certain that's the case. Likely is not definite and until we can actually travel the entire breadth of our galaxy and map it accurately, all we have is educated guesses.

Sorry if I'm appearing to be picking at straws to fuel an argument, reading back it seems like I'm being a little petty, but I just wanted to clarify what I meant. Personally I like the idea that we don't know for sure, because it means the discovery is yet to be made. And that's exciting, at least for me.

(Off topic: Nice avatar)

Yours isn't bad either. Black Mages unite!

 

[Excludos]

At 4:04 the robot claims the Milky Way has over 200 trillion stars. There are actually fewer than 400 billion. Is this a translation error or did we just send a robot into space that sucks at math?

A translation error. An American trillion is what the rest of the world calls a billion. Also, what they call a billion the rest of the world calls a 1000 million or a milliard.

 

[Strazdas]

Looksl ike a series of pre-recorded answers based on keywords. Also the human looked very uncomfortable in this.

 

[lacktheknack]

At 4:04 the robot claims the Milky Way has over 200 trillion stars. There are actually fewer than 400 billion. Is this a translation error or did we just send a robot into space that sucks at math?

Have you counted them? Nobody knows for certain how many stars are in our galaxy, it's impossible to know. All we can do is make best guesses. I'm not saying the robot's wrong or he's right, I'm saying it's not a figure anyone can claim they know for sure.

For sure or not, it's not a stretch to think that we've narrowed the margin to less than a range where the upper side is 500 times the size of the other.

OT: That robot is adorable.