Russia Wants To Send Terminator-like Robot To The ISS

**Aragorn** · 17th April 2017, 08:00

Source: Mashable

Just in time for the rise in global military tensions, Russian officials have released video that's sure to calm fears all around: a death dealing humanoid robot that shoots handguns.

Posted to Twitter on Friday by Russia's deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Rogozin, the video shows the country's space robot FEDOR (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research) accurately shooting twin pistols in a scene chillingly similar to images from The Terminator.

But rather than being displayed as a not-so-subtle warning to the entire human population of the planet, Rogozin instead claims via Facebook that it's just a demonstration of the robot's dexterity and use of algorithms to execute tasks.

Yah. Sure. Because double fisting lethal hand cannons is the "perfect" way to show how well a robot could, for example, delicately repair a faulty component on a space module. We totally get it.

FEDOR was displayed last year drilling into a pile of cinderblocks and touted as an assistant to astronauts during space travel. The Russian government plans to get FEDOR working on the International Space Station by 2021.

Hopefully, the robot's arrival on the ISS will come sans life-snuffing weaponry, which is pretty much the opposite of the intent behind creating a peaceful international space station shared by the world's super powers in the first place.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6u7EhM-bW4

Source: Mashable

**Elen** · 17th April 2017, 15:04

He's much slower than Arnold and there would be many weak spots, I don't think the guy pushed him hard enough side-ways. Anyway it really does look like the Terminator movie doesn't it?

Not so much

**Aragorn** · 18th April 2017, 04:40

Originally posted by Elen

He's much slower than Arnold and there would be many weak spots, I don't think the guy pushed him hard enough side-ways. Anyway it really does look like the Terminator movie doesn't it?

Not so much

The various Boston Dynamics robots, while not quite human-looking, are certainly a lot faster and have much better control over their balance compared to this Russian robot, but I agree with the subtle hinting in the article itself that this would rather be a Cold-War-style political maneuver. I think it's intended as muscle-flexing, so as to let the Acronymian Empire know that the Russian Bear hasn't been sitting still.

The Terminator-like appearance — I personally find that it bears more resemblance to Robocop than to the Terminator — is most likely intentional in that regard, because a humanoid shape does not lend itself well to precision work. Humanoid bipedal locomotion is an interesting concept for AI developers to sink their teeth in because of the heavy requirements on the algorithms used, but when it comes to practical applications, then a quadrupedal or wheeled robot may actually be far more efficient. Furthermore, if this thing is to be sent to the ISS, then it would be operating within a zero-gravity environment, and then a humanoid shape is definitely not going to be ideal either.

Anyway, I don't think that this one will ever make it to Guv'nah of Kalifohnia.

And my favorite robot will always be WALL-E

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od_Lja9QstQ

**Elen** · 18th April 2017, 05:50

Originally posted by Aragorn

The various Boston Dynamics robots, while not quite human-looking, are certainly a lot faster and have much better control over their balance compared to this Russian robot, but I agree with the subtle hinting in the article itself that this would rather be a Cold-War-style political maneuver. I think it's intended as muscle-flexing, so as to let the Acronymian Empire know that the Russian Bear hasn't been sitting still.

The Terminator-like appearance — I personally find that it bears more resemblance to Robocop than to the Terminator — is most likely intentional in that regard, because a humanoid shape does not lend itself well to precision work. Humanoid bipedal locomotion is an interesting concept for AI developers to sink their teeth in because of the heavy requirements on the algorithms used, but when it comes to practical applications, then a quadrupedal or wheeled robot may actually be far more efficient. Furthermore, if this thing is to be sent to the ISS, then it would be operating within a zero-gravity environment, and then a humanoid shape is definitely not going to be ideal either.

Anyway, I don't think that this one will ever make it to Guv'nah of Kalifohnia.

And my favorite robot will always be WALL-E

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od_Lja9QstQ

Definitely WALL-E...he is welcome any day to come and help out, although be aware of Eve at all times...she'll kill for him...