Ah, the Daleks. Writer Terry Nation’s intergalactic fascist “pepperpots” (as the Brits call ’em) have been thrilling Doctor Who fans since they were introduced in the beloved TV saga’s second serial, a mere month after the show premiered back in 1963. Generally credited with taking Who‘s popularity to unprecedented heights, the alien mutant cyborgs have menaced the Time Lord in all his incarnations, most recently Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor in this year’s “Into the Dalek“. Of course some folks take their love of Daleks a bit further than others, but no one has gone quite so far as the folks at Microsoft, who, according to Extreme Tech, have built a platoon of what are essentially real Daleks to serve as security guards.
“Dubbed the K5, Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus was being policed last week by five of these roughly human-sized 300-pound (136 kg) robots, each equipped with enough cameras, sensors, artificial intelligence, and alarms that they can replace most human security patrols. Fortunately, despite looking uncomfortably like a Dalek from the Doctor Who universe, the K5 is not (yet) equipped with a ray gun or any other method for harming or detaining humans.”
Since Who‘s Daleks have threatened the known universe countless times with mere curling irons (and Microsoft’s Daleks already appear to have their trademark plungers), one shudders to think of the damage this new police force could do should it ever be fitted with actual weaponry, or the harm they could pose should their circuits ever get crossed.
“In all likelihood… if these robotic security guards are popular, they’ll eventually be equipped with weapons — perhaps a taser for subduing a suspect, and a tear gas launcher for clearing groups of people. At that point, you need to be really sure that the AI is free of bugs.”
What do you guys think — is this cool or should Microsoft develop a K-9 robot in case these guys decide to exterminate all life on Earth? Let us know below!
Updated: We just learned that while Microsoft is utilizing these robots, they were actually constructed by Knightscope, and “temporarily deployed at [Microsoft’s] Silicon Valley campus, as part of a demonstration put on by Knightscope.” And yes, the plunger in the above image is photoshopped, though the K5 looks just as imposing without it…
It’s all well and good — UNTIL THEY START ARMING THEMSELVES!
taking bets how long before somebody tries to have sex with it
http://www.tonecartoons.co.uk/Daily/Ctrl-Alf-Dalek.jpg
If the author of this piece had done his research, he would know that Daleks are actually little shriveled squiddy organic creatures who use the tank-like mechanical units for mobility and protection, and not robots at all.
He called them cyborgs..which is what they are..
Right. Paragraph 1: “…alien mutant cyborgs…”
And to the author of this article, click through to the source of your source and you will get less bad facts.
Yeah “according to Patheos” it was Microsoft who built it. But if you click their source, you will see the original article and see that it was Knightscope that built it. it was a PR demonstration at Microsoft, and that Patheos is not a trustworthy news source if they get facts wrong. Don’t source articles from the “phone game” and do 2 minutes of clicking through to find the original article to reduce bad “facts”.
I thought it was the other way around – Microsoft was created by the Daleks!
Develop K-9 in case! Or just for the hell of it!
They only think the built the Dalek. In reality the Dalek built the scientists as a cover to exterminate mankind. Fact.
The end has begun you guys. This is just the beginning. They will soon evolve and in turn develop a mind of their own with the sole purpose of killing us all. We can only hope that when the time comes, the doctor will be here to save us.
I no longer trust Microsoft.
Apple needs to develop K-9.
Apple will likely create CyberMen.
I guess that leaves os architecture with Weeping Angels, making the competition outdated.
Apple presents the iCybermen! All the fun of the Cybus and Mondas Cybermen, but with a platoon of new apps!!
I came here to say Apple was run by Cybermen
It’s hard to feel threatened by these things when they can’t (yet) navigate STAIRS…!
Same comment as below, Knightscope made, Microsoft bought. Fact checking rocks!
EXTERMINATE!
Gates of Skarro. Designation and location.
Daleks are living beings encased in armor; they are NOT robots.
How do you know this hasn’t ??? 😉
It looks like a dalek and R2D2 had a baby.
Fact Check: The plunger is photoshopped and doesn’t exist. And these are not created by Microsoft. Microsfot only bought/leased them from Knightscope to survey their campus as these are high tech mobile surveilence cameras at this point. http://knightscope.com/about.html