U.S. government agency DARPA creates their own "Decepticon"

But can it fit inside my chest cavity when not in use?

 

I would have made Rumble.

 

Beast Wars!

 

That'll be in my nightmares tonight.

 

More like DERPA

I bet that cost millions. Meanwhile, people are struggling to survive in this economy.

 

If it chases down and bites terrorists give me a call. If it's used to run against Bolt then all those people need their genitals punched.

 

So what is this thing for?

My thoughts exactly.

 

Oh people are starving, lets stop doing everything because someone can't pay the rent. Experiments? **** you, someone doesn't have a roof over their head, **** science.

 

Don't worry! Spending money on scientific endeavors is totally cool [BLACKOUT]as long as it's being applied to fight THE TERRORISM[/BLACKOUT].

 

That's not a decepticon. It lacks deception.

Now if it transformed into a mundane object, that would be a decepticon.

Actually, why haven't they built that yet? Seems like a pretty useful thing... Or maybe they already have and we just don't know it.

Still pretty neat though.

 

That's what they said about the space program.

Now we use the technology derived from that for everything.

Robotics is the next space age.

 

Imagine that robot loose in a china shop!

 

That's a straw man argument. The space program had a purpose...what purpose does this robot serve...running on a flat surface at cheetah speeds sounds like it has some great functionality. Robotics have a purpose indeed...this does not and especially when we are in a recession...building this shib can take the back burner.

 

It isn't a straw-man argument in the slightest. It has quite often been the case that endeavors that seemed to the layman to be esoteric have yielded startling technological advances.

Just because you can't see any potential in this type of technology doesn't mean it doesn't exist. This is the same development group that built Big Dog (and, if I'm not mistaken, a robot capable of bipedal heel-to-toe walking). Big Dog in particular has some amazing potential.

Beyond that, even technological applications that, in and of themselves, don't have any particular use can be important steps in developing technologies that do. Such stepping-stones are a hallmark of technological development and innovation. I'd have to imagine that the people who are developing these technologies are much better qualified to estimate the potential of such technologies than you or I.

Forgive me, but your position seems extremely short-sighted.

 

We are?

 

Every step counts. This cheetah is the end result of other research, which will go into other, more advanced robots, as well as prosthetics.

We have been in a recession for years. I would like the future some time in the near future. Progress, and innovation should never stop.

Or, if you want a better argument, read what Doctor Evo wrote.

 

we don't need NASA. Let private sector/Mr. VIRGIN MOBILE handle that.

 

Yes, we would have gotten to the moon by 2026.

 

It's cute when you compare the subject to something completely unrelated to justify your lack of understanding for something that could potentially become useful in the future.

 

Everyone give me 10 million so I can create a robot bird that drinks from a cup and then raises up and then slowly back down to drink again. The private sector should be the ones doing this kind of stuff...not the government. I wouldn't care if this wasn't tax payer funded. Millions of people in this country are starving and our tax dollars go to this? People are angry that people can't afford health insurance but their tax dollars go to this instead of insurance for the needy? You know what this will likely be used for? The military...

If I can't understand what this will be used for in the future, please someone tell me.


And also...we went to the moon to beat the Russians. The Space Race was fueled by a looming war, not scientific advancement.

 

You're Texan... what's the point?

 

Is that like you posting in the relationship thread?

 

I believe the people who invented the laser had no idea of what use it could be.

But anyways,

DARPA - Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. It looks like they wanted to use the name and just shoved whatever words that would fit in there to make an anagram. It would read better as Advanced Defense Project Research Agency, or ADPRA.