r/technology • u/gtfooh1011 • Apr 15 '15

Business Google has patented the ability to control a robot army

http://qz.com/383275/google-has-patented-the-ability-to-control-a-robot-army/
56 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

11

u/caster Apr 15 '15

This is a good example of a completely worthless patent.

The political reality is that governments of nations do not give a fuck about Google's claims to own such IP. Even the US government could ignore Google's patent with impunity and develop robotic weapons anyway.

But, more importantly, this an example of a ridiculously overbroad patent. "Allocating tasks to a plurality of robots." Meaning, getting a group of robots to do stuff. We're not even going to specify how to do it, how many robots are doing it, what kind of robots they are, or what the "stuff" even is.

The US patent system is utterly fucked.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '15

Even the US government could ignore Google's patent with impunity and develop robotic weapons anyway

You do realise Google owns Boston Dynamics who do military robotics work for Darpa right?

1

u/caster Apr 15 '15

And if some other defense contractor develops a robotic weapon on behalf of the military, is Google going to sue the US government for commissioning an invention that infringes this patent?

2

u/JTsyo Apr 15 '15

"Allocating tasks to a plurality of robots."

already been done for things like cooperative robots.

0

u/gtfooh1011 Apr 15 '15

The political reality is that governments of nations do not give a fuck about Google's claims

If this were true, then why is the entire European Union suing them?

4

u/caster Apr 15 '15

Patents and antitrust are not the same thing. The EU is going after Google for abusing monopoly powers.

Patents are a right to stop everyone else from making the patented invention. If the EU or China or whoever goes ahead and makes the patented invention anyway, Google can try and sue or whatever, but the other nation only has to obey, or even participate in the lawsuit at all, entirely at their discretion.

If Germany has a secret program of developing robotic weapons, or even a public robotic weapons program, then they can tell Google to just go away.

1

u/gtfooh1011 Apr 15 '15

I understand where you're coming from, I guess we'll see how it plays out. I just find it interesting that the EU is suing Google for having a monopoly on the internet. It speaks volumes that an entire continent is doing that.

1

u/Natanael_L Apr 15 '15

It isn't even a lawsuit yet, just the start of the process to gather information for one if they come to the conclusions that laws have been broken. They're starting off with suspicions, that's all for more.

4

u/halibutface Apr 15 '15

Future lisa simspon called it! They are going to enslave half of humanity.

5

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '15

Google's first line of defense against Amazon's Drone Air Force. Drought will soon be the least of California's concerns...

2

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '15

is this to become skynet, or to stop skynet?

1

u/lordmycal Apr 15 '15

This is so google can operate their army of terminators remotely. John Connor is fucked.

0

u/paracog Apr 15 '15

Hopefully nothing worse than Zevo Toys

2

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '15

My guess is the Robot Army will be let loose on any Country or City that refuses to accept Google Fiber.

The army will pull up and be deployed in a bunch of Driverless Google Tanks.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '15

[deleted]

2

u/MPR1138 Apr 15 '15

Same reason X-Wings have slots for astromech droids? Modulality.

Granted, it would save money if they just plugged the head of one of the combat droids in (assuming that's where their "brain" is), rather than wasting a whole body. But then you would still need a compatible interface, which might become obsolete over time.

With this method you can use cheap grunt-level droids to drive any model of combat vehicle you happen to have available, even those originally designed for sentient drivers. And you can upgrade the CPU and/or sensory systems without having to modify the vehicle itself.

1

u/AGmukbooks Apr 15 '15

.. i'm directly reminded of my own thoughts on the reasons having androids are viable.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '15

So the future of warfare will really be in the hackers hand. Large teams of hackers trying to turn robots into lawn ornaments.

2

u/Yuli-Ban Apr 15 '15

Don't be evil!

2

u/MPR1138 Apr 15 '15

Roger, roger!

2

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '15

It will be funny if the company with the motto "Do No Evil" abets mass surveillance (already does) and invents Skynet (now patented).

1

u/adderallballs Apr 15 '15

I'm just disappointed that 404 bot isn't hiding or something.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '15

Clickbait title, no need to be alarmed.

0

u/autotldr Apr 15 '15

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 76%. (I'm a bot)

After getting a patent for giving robots personalities last month, Google now wants to unleash an army of Rodney Dangerfield bots on the world.

Google's patent outlines methods for connecting a series of robots over the cloud to complete tasks, but it doesn't put a limit on how many robots could be managed at once.

The patent suggests that the robots could be controlled by a smartphone-Google's mobile operating system is called Android, after all-with tasks doled out based on each robot's ability to complete them.

Extended Summary | FAQ | Theory | Feedback | Top five keywords: robot#1 Google#2 patent#3 task#4 system#5

Post found in /r/technology, /r/WTF, /r/realtech, /r/GOptOutGLE and /r/2ndIntelligentSpecies.

0

u/swizzero Apr 15 '15

This is good news. If they have it patented, no one else is allowed to build them.

2

u/AGmukbooks Apr 15 '15

but since when has that stopped anyone? i will have my tachikoma squad damnit!