Here come the flesh-eating machines. The EATR project has hit a new milestone in the development of the reconnaissance bot, successfully coupling a steam generator with a compact biomass furnace. This means that it is possible for an autonomous machine to forage for and refuel itself with biomatter, otherwise known as our corpses.
They call it fuel versatility, as gasoline, diesel, and solar power may also be used. But our guess is that flesh tastes much yummier to robots. So run until you fall, at which time an EATR bot will finish you off for lunch. Humans USED to be the top of the food chain…
Not anymore.
[Botropolis]
TAGS:
EATR, fuel, hungry, Robots 
Okay, where does it say “corpses” on the EATR site?
“The system obtains its energy by foraging – engaging in biologically-inspired, organism-like, energy-harvesting behavior which is the equivalent of eating. It can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable.”
Doesn’t “biomass” include plant matter, like grass and bushes and trees?
There must something in the Geneva Convention or somewhere about desecrating human corpses, right?
Yes it might, but then again Robots never signed the convention. You are also correct; biomass would include plants, but as they state “organically-based energy source” they do not state how processed or lack there of it has to be. Besides oil is just processed plant matter, and concentrated, I don’t think humans or plants will be a good energy source, but who knows how efficient they will be. I do agree this is creepy, seriously where would this robot work other then a planet rich in biomass, and 6 billion people is pretty rich.
Boy, I called that one, didn’t I!
The company issued a press release that says exactly what I said…
http://www.robotictechnologyinc.com/images/upload/file/Cyclone%20Power%20Press%20Release%20EATR%20Rumors%20Final%2016%20July%2009.pdf
“RTI’s patent pending robotic system will be able to find, ingest and extract energy from biomass in the environment. Despite the far-reaching reports that this includes “human bodies,” the public can be assured that the engine Cyclone has developed to power the EATR runs on fuel no scarier than twigs, grass clippings and wood chips – small, plant-based items for which RTI’s robotic technology is designed to forage. Desecration of the dead is a war crime under Article 15 of the Geneva Conventions, and is certainly not something sanctioned by DARPA, Cyclone or RTI.”