1+1 = who cares? my phone will do it 4 me

Two skills that seem of inevitable importance for the upcoming generations to survive in the future are creativity and managing stress. While my generation may have thought of our lives in terms of decades – our twenties, thirties, forties, etc. — younger generations will be in thrall to a much more rapidly changing landscape. The world around them will transform so drastically and so frequently, that societal changes over what once took a decade, will now occur in months. The options in life will be unpredictable, and ever-changing. Unfortunately, what we can count on, is that we humans will continue
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tech-shy to tech-sly?

Since I am the World’s First Robotic Psychiatrist®, everyone always assumes I’m a techy. There is almost nothing further from the truth.  I have always loved math, duplicate bridge, and analysis (mostly of people), but my use of technology (and robots) to date is strictly as a user, not as an innovator or a hardware/software expert.  I revere the engineers I work with, all of whom are either creating new technology, or are at least early adopters looking to modify existing technology.  I, on the other hand, see the message on my iPhone “Download the iOS7” and quickly close the
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RoboRaid

The following article is about a roving robot that can kill ticks: http://www.vmi.edu/Content.aspx?id=10737425074 Great app.  I’m also wondering if this technology can this be applied to other applications.  Can it mow while it’s roving and spraying?  Can it work with a team of other rovers to prevent ticks from repopulating?   Can this technology be utilized as a solution for other forms of pests?
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Robot R & D

Sabre and its flagship Autonomous Grit-Blaster is a successful commercial start-up out of the University of Technology Sydney http://sabreautonomous.com.au/ This is an excellent business model that more universities around the world should be modeling: research and development in collaboration with both private industry and government, both of which are willing to continue to invest resources into the R&D spinoff. Sabre’s partners include Burwell Technologies which makes sandblasting equipment, and the Australian government’s Roads and Maritime Services which has been involved in the development of the robotic grit-blasting technology in collaboration with UTS for more than 6 years.
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Sexbots

I was talking to an older gentleman while we both waited in line.  When I mentioned I was from Massachusetts, he told me he had served in the Navy in New Bedford, MA when he was younger.  We then started talking about New Bedford which led to a discussion of the true story about the gang rape portrayed in the 1988 movie, ‘The Accused.’ This led to a further conversation on the cover-up and politics in the ‘Whaling City’ (New Bedford) and then I mentioned that 25 years later, I could not believe how so many women in the military
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Becoming the world’s first robot psychiatrist

I heard from an old friend and mentor, Dennis Dupuis.  I am making this blog a tribute to Dennis, who is the one that actually helped me come up with ‘Robotic Psychiatry’ 27 years ago with his ‘Aladdin’s Magic Lamp’ exercise. Here’s what he just wrote in an email to someone else and forwarded it to me: “20 years ago, a gal named Joanne Pransky worked for me, and I knew she had potential to be something, but like most people, she had no idea what she could do with her life. She would always complain about “all the things” that
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Blowback against DARPA’s Atlas

I can’t believe all the negative publicity Darpa’s Atlas is getting.  I’m even more surprised that some of it is coming from robotic news sites: http://io9.com/meet-the-pentagons-latest-robotic-abomination-atlas-754134125 http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57593396-1/be-afraid-darpa-unveils-terminator-like-atlas-robot/ http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2421687,00.asp Of course there’s some positive reporting on this humanoid and its capabilities:  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/12/science/modest-debut-of-atlas-may-foreshadow-age-of-robo-sapiens.html?smid=yt-nytimes&_r=0 However, I expect robot publications to taut the technical advantages and benefits, regardless of what the public may fear or feel, especially as robotic developments result in a physical resemblance to robots in science fiction. I do wonder how DARPA is promoting this robot ‘out of the shoot’.  In 2004, I witnessed a PR problem first-hand while working at the DARPA
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Hole in one

Ari Popper sent me this great golf video –   That’s robotic psychiatry! (the past 27 years anyway…) Robots, if promoted properly, create the BEST watercooler talk (better than using children in ads, skits, etc).  That ad got it right because it showed the positive aspects of the robot and golf –good competitiveness, friendship, humor, reaching beyond one’s human capability, etc. There’s practically a robo-trainer for every sport.  Makes perfect sense – a robot can physically, precisely, and repetitively train an athlete, it never tires, it won’t accidentally hit the athlete with the ball, and it won’t yell.  Adding some verbal
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Defensive robots

Darpa unveiled its ATLAS robot – – another brilliant robot built by Boston Dynamics.  It slightly resembles Robby in the movie Forbidden Planet.  Another sci fi robot in the ‘flesh’. What isn’t apparent upon a first look at Atlas, are the years, experience, and man hours put into this robot.  Its evolution started probably nearly 30 years ago by Marc Raibert.  It is designed to be a team member in the military and will get tested in practice by the Darpa Robotics Challenge.  Love the criteria for this challenge, especially number 3, ‘must be able to be operated by non-engineer”. 
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Genius machines

I heard back from David Hanson (who liked the idea of Zeno in Space).  I then started doing more research and came across the GENI Lab, ‘Genius Machines–robots with greater-than-human consciousness, creativity, and compassion’.  It’s ‘Dream Team’ are 4 of the world’s best for this:  David Hanson, Mark Tilden, Ben Goertzel, and Gino Yu.  They just started this nonprofit in 2013 and I’m so proud to say I’m their second Twitter follower! Speaking of ‘Dream’, I’m dying to be their resident ‘Robotic Psychiatrist’!
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