Running robot mimics animals to catch its targets

It has been a good long while since I had a nice rant about the rise of robot overlords, so I think I’m entitled to ask this question again: why do scientists keep doing this ? What do they have against humanity?

Honestly, I want to know. Because now, not only do we have robots capable of sharing a hive mind, capable of dodging our attacks, capable of healing themselves, and capable of using their very sophisticated AI systems to solve problems, we also have robots capable of chasing us down:

This is the OutRunner, a robot whose design was specifically based so it can mimic the run and walk of certain animals. Created by Robotics Unlimited, it is a self-balancing bot that comes with two sets of spoked legs, both of which can rotate easily around the bot’s central body, giving it a “buoyancy effect,” according to their Kickstarter. The bot comes with two “Cores:” the basic OutRunner has six legs and a one-hour battery life, with the OutRunner Performance running with up to 12 legs, complete with a two-hour battery.

Both Cores can be controlled by a dedicated RC unit, though the advanced Performance model can also be controlled via smartphone. Robotics Unlimited is also planning several upgrade packages, including hardware and software add-ons, an HD video camera, and of course Wi-Fi. It moves like this:

Also? The OutRunner can reach speeds over 20 miles an hour. Over mixed terrain.

Incredibly gifted, extremely athletic humans can only get up to around 23mph, in case you were wondering. So unless you’re an Olympic athlete, you have pretty much a zero percent chance at evading it.

Just don’t give it guns, okay? Please do not give it guns.

It’s not that I don’t appreciate the innovation that went into this bot, I just don’t know why we had to invent it. What possible good could come of this? What happens when some other scientist decides to hook the OutRunner up to RoboEarth, give it healing abilities, and let it loose?

Robot overlords who use OutRunner packs to hunt us down, that’s what happens. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Source Discovery