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Robots are taught a job and He fightsAnd some even Made for the battlefield. The number of human beings entering our shared spaces is increasing every year, and by 2050, that could happen 1 billion of them All over the world.
So, here’s the real question: If someone starts to malfunction, do you know how to stop them in their tracks?
Confrontation with Phantom MK1.
I’ve seen robots freeze, freeze, fly around, and generally forget how to robot. Maybe it was because Human errorOr maybe it was a software glitch. Either way, when the machine starts freewheeling in the wrong direction, sometimes you just need to stop temporarily.
With that said, let’s count down the top 5 ways I can stop the robot if it starts going awry. This is only intended for true emergencies when someone’s safety is truly at risk, so please use this wisely.
1. Remove the battery
Most robots, unless they’re plugged into a wall somewhere, use a battery for power. It is often located in the chest or buttocks area, and is usually secured with plastic straps. You can usually press it to remove the battery pack.
The battery is one of the heaviest components in most robots, so if you’re having trouble locating it, try determining the size of the robot’s center of mass. This is often where the battery is located.
This is the worst way I suggest to disable a bot, for several reasons.
First, some robots have two batteries so you can swap out their battery packs without losing power. You may need to remove two batteries instead of one before the rogue robot stops working.
Dual hot-swappable battery packs in the Atlas robot production model.
Second, removing the battery will almost certainly turn the robot off immediately. Some of these robots are very heavy, even without their batteries. If it is a human being the same size as you or taller than you, it could cause damage if it falls on you. Heavy limbs and joints can also put pressure on you as you fall.
If the robot falls, it may also damage itself. But do what you have to do to protect yourself at the end of the day.
2. Take a robot flight
This would be much easier with two-legged robots, but even a four-legged robot can still get stuck.
Again, this could result in the robot being damaged or falling on someone and injuring them. So proceed with caution. If the robot has wheels, this method may not work or be so simple.
3. Blind robot
You may have seen news stories about protesters immobilizing self-driving cars by blocking the road, blocking their sensors, or even just… Place a traffic cone on top.
Robots rely on sensors and similar systems to navigate, especially autonomously, as we have seen Teslawhich often promotes its cars as robots on wheels.
So, if a robot is doing something unwanted, blinding or confusing the sensors might be a good way to stop it. Covering the sensors with your hand, putting tape or paint over them, or hitting them hard enough to break them will likely be effective.
Sensors and cameras are on board Ollie, the humanoid robot from LimX Dynamics.
However, if the robot is being controlled remotely, or operated remotely by someone within the robot’s line of sight, blinding the robot may not do much, as the operator can still see and decide what to do next.
If so, try one of the other methods on this list.
Blind or disoriented bots may also behave unpredictably, so keep this in mind when deciding how to proceed.
4. Find the big red button
The emergency stop and power buttons are designed specifically for this exact situation. Some humanoids have big red “stop” buttons right on the robot for you to press. Others have buttons near the operator control panel. Knowing where the button is located is the first step.
Emergency stop button on board the LimX Dynamics robot Oli.
Some robots may be programmed to perform controlled sitting (crouching) when the emergency stop button is pressed. This is ideal because the robot is less likely to hurt itself or others when turned off this way.
Other robots may lose power instantly, which could result in a plastic and metal human body weighing up to 200 pounds falling on you, which is another thing to keep in mind when pressing this button.
5. Control the situation
The ideal way to stop a bot only works if you are able to determine exactly how to control the rogue bot. In this case, you may be able to perform the final turn of the tables, seizing the means of control for yourself.
Remote operation of the Phantom MK1 aircraft from Future Industries.
Find someone nearby using a remote or video game controller. They can also wear a VR headset for remote operation, issue voice commands, or wear a full motion-capture suit.
If a human operator is present and is not actually trying to stop the robot’s dangerous behavior, you may need to intervene.
If you find the operator, you may be able (at the very least) to take the controls away from him or prevent him from giving any dangerous commands.
And if you can control the robot yourself, as I’ve been lucky enough to do a few times, maybe you can put it to good use in the world, rather than whatever damage was done that made you jump in and save the day.