Nov 2 2009Great: MIT Developing Dashboard Death Bots

MORE: aaaaahh, bad ideas, beep boop bop, death and destruction, gps, how much you want to be vehicular manslaughter triples when these things star getting installed, i'm never driving again, mit, no, no no no, no thanks, pass, transportation, wtf were you thinking

dashboard-death.jpg

MIT, a school best known for not accepting me despite two super-sweet essays and several threatening phone calls, is now developing a robot companion for drivers. Why? Because we need more distractions in the car.

AIDA (Affective Intelligent Driving Agent) communicates with the driver via a small, sociable robot built into the dashboard. The idea is to develop an informed and friendly passenger, the buddy perpetually riding shotgun who aside from reading the map and helping with navigation, acts as a companion. As such, AIDA is being developed to read drivers' moods via their facial expressions and other cues (hand gestures?) and respond to them in the proper social context. It communicates back in very human ways as well: with a smile, the blink of an eye, the drooping of its head.


AIDA analyzes the driver's mobility patterns, common routes and destinations, and driving habits. It then merges its knowledge of the driver with its knowledge of the city around it, mashing up the drivers priorities and needs with real-time information on everything from tourist attractions to environmental conditions to commercial activity to help the driver make better decisions.

Yeah, but can he take the wheel? Because what good is a robot in the car if it can't drive you home? I don't need a friend in the car THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TEXTING, am I right? No, I'm dead wrong. Literally: DEAD. WRONG. Don't text and drive.

This message brought to you by the GW and everyone else who agrees that you already suck at driving bad enough without another distraction.

MIT Introduces a Friendly Robot Companion For Your Dashboard [popsci]

Thanks to Jeff, tom and Kristi, who just get lost and play 'I Spy' with themselves in the car like normal people.

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1. Calabasa209 - November 2, 2009 11:51 AM

new technology- can you f*ck it?? wheres the road head robot?? all i need from my copilot is for him/her to pack a new bowl

2. Closet Nerd - November 2, 2009 11:52 AM

But can he roll up a doober for you on those long (or short) car rides?

3. Vik - November 2, 2009 11:52 AM

FIRSSTTTT HAHAHAHAHHAA

4. Vik - November 2, 2009 11:53 AM

ahhh you can always try...

5. STOMPY - November 2, 2009 11:58 AM

I'll take the pleasure-bot version... Nothing like some robot road head to keep me focused on driving...

6. Closet Nerd - November 2, 2009 11:58 AM

@ 4 ahhh you can always FAIL!!!!!

7. Genshi - November 2, 2009 12:02 PM

I hope it tells you to keep your eyes on the road

8. martygras9 - November 2, 2009 12:08 PM

You're missing the video action on this little guy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huQLyjwskQo&feature=player_embedded

9. Timbo - November 2, 2009 12:15 PM

Wallll-EEeeeee

10. JADE - November 2, 2009 12:28 PM

Seriously? Do we really need something else distracting us while driving?
*FAIL*

11. vance - November 2, 2009 12:33 PM

AIDA...

.hack had a virus named the same thing. It almost killed everyone in the game. I fear for all our safety, and now firmly believe that it was a prophecy, not a game's storyline. :(

12. Dishy Dishyington - November 2, 2009 12:43 PM

I'd like that thing mounted on my shoulder, like a two-headed cyborg. Or better, emerging from my chest thru a bloody hole in my shirt.

Btw, I'm texting this comment while driving 90 on the freeway. And I'm going the WRONG WAY. WHeeeee, they're all whooshing by so fast!

13. Pat - November 2, 2009 12:59 PM

From the Makers of Short Circuit: GPS 2.0

14. Jon - November 2, 2009 1:11 PM

BEEP BOP DESTROY. why do i have the ominous feeling that thing would take control of the car's electronics and cause them to malfunction--resulting in me inevitably crashing and burning? AND IT WOULD ESCAPE UNHARMED SOMEHOW.

15. STOMPY - November 2, 2009 1:14 PM

Okay guys Im done creating the pleasure-bot..Its still a prototype but Ive tested it like 300 times already..

Its really simple, Here are instructions to make your own:

1. Make sure you hands are very clean before operating.
2. Apply some moisture to the hands so that you can handle properly.
3. Apply both hands onto your penis.
4. Pull an 'up 'n' down' motion onto it.

It works great, BETA testers tell me what you all think!

16. Mike - November 2, 2009 1:15 PM

I don't really need a robot to tell me I'm going to work.

17. naas - November 2, 2009 1:36 PM

@16row-bots for rowboats, that's what I think

18. naas - November 2, 2009 1:43 PM

@4 what a complete douche you are, how does that jaw of yours feel after being hit from Closet Nerd? http://www.kellerpickem.com/4chan/MouthguardKO.gif

19. STOMPY - November 2, 2009 1:53 PM

naas leave #4 alone..hes my boyfriend..your not the only guy I blow on a monday morning.

20. naas - November 2, 2009 2:00 PM

@19 STOMPY doesn't talk like a 14yr old, it's not working. You should be paying attention in school instead of reading geekologie so you wouldn't sound so stupid when you talk, there might be a quiz tomorrow

21. Closet Nerd - November 2, 2009 2:11 PM

@19 (fake STOMPY)
http://de.acidcow.com/pics/20091029/gif_03.gif

22. STOMPY - November 2, 2009 2:19 PM

@21
I just lol'ed in my pants at the nice gif, now to finish it off naas needs to hit him with some anime boob revolver reload action...

24. STOMPY - November 2, 2009 2:51 PM

naas I knew you would do it...

25. J-Red - November 2, 2009 3:13 PM

One question: Does this robot agree with my position that other drivers are idiots? Because if it tries to calm me down because some stupid moron can't make a proper turn I will probably end up punching it at least once...
I think some confirmation that I'm the only good driver on the road would be cathartic

26. Haseo - November 2, 2009 4:48 PM

AIDA: Artificial Intelligence Data Anomaly >.<

27. Brittney - November 2, 2009 4:56 PM

So when are they going to institute Pleasure Bots as car seats?

28. STOMPY - November 2, 2009 5:31 PM

@24
far too little speling mistakes to be me, although I am surprised you didn't take teh oportunity to talk about poop or somethign... maybe it really is my clone and he is getting smarter...

29. Thomas - November 3, 2009 5:42 AM

SHOTGUN! HAHA SUCK IT AIDA!

30. Lady K - November 3, 2009 5:48 AM

ooo oo, i totally want one...
excpet, oh wait, i have friends who call shotgun.
can it open bottles of drink for me? can it tell me when the guy in the car to the right looks just like tom baker? no? well then i DON'T WANT ONE!!!
*throws robots out of pram*

31. Nina - November 12, 2009 1:24 PM

Very interesting, I think this is a cool idea! I hate taking long trips by myself. I have some gizmo's you might be interested in over at yovia.com/blogs/gizmo

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