Peter Rubin, whose Iron Rooster Studios provided concept designs for Surrogates, explains his concept for a lower class, industrial surrogate:

Early on during Surrogates, when it was just basically me and the director, (the writer's strike was still on) I proposed that there be a class of surries designed to serve in manual labor jobs, or even low-end clerical posts... the humans at the other end wouldn't be highly paid, and might not even own their own stimchairs. Nevertheless, they would have minimal luxuries of the sort that laborers might demand, for the psychology of it if nothing else - they could eat, and hear, and have some other sensory feedback that wasn't necessarily directly related to the job...

Industrial Surrogate [Nuthin' But Mecha]

A team of scientists in Italy and Sweden have been developing a sophisticated robotic hand, with fingertip sensors that feed directly into the arm's nerves. The overall look of the hand may be more like Nina Sharp's in Fringe than Luke Skywalker's in The Empire Strikes Back, but it does allow the wearer to actually feel the objects the hand touches. Just as the brain transmits data to robotic limbs — ordering them to grasp and release — so do the receptors feed data back to the brain. It not only returns to the wearer the sensation that they had lost, it likely also makes grabbing and manipulating objects an easier and more precise task.

You can see the robotic hand in action below, as a 22 year-old who lost his hand to cancer tries out the hand and its sensitive fingertips for the first time:

New robotic hand 'can feel' [BBC]

The Surrogates movie is released September 25th. The Surrogates: Flesh And Bone, the second graphic novel in the series, is available now.

The Science-Fact Behind 'Surrogates' [Wired]

The MEMS robot, built by scientists from Israel's Technion University, has a one millimeter diameter and no on-board engine or controls; instead, it is guided using magnetic fields operated by scientists externally. Using arms that grip onto artery walls, it can crawl at a speed up to nine millimeters a second through the body, its creators say. They're currently planning to add some new features to aid in its life-saving potential:

A small cross sectional area on the tiny robot apparently allows fluids to flow with minimal interference making intra-vascular motion more feasible, and opening up the possibility of minimally invasive medical treatments, as well as diagnosis within the body. Researchers are also apparently toying with the idea of attaching miniscule cameras to the bot, as well as other "tools" it may need to perform internal surgery.

If something goes wrong with the robot in practice, Technion University scientists have already lined up a secondary market; they're looking at adapting it for use in urban water distribution systems to look out for and repair leaks.

Robot invented to crawl through veins [The Inquirer.net]

Indian movie star Asin is set to star in a new big-budget movie that's "based on" the still-filming Endhiran, according to producers Usha Venkataramani and Mahadevan Ganesh of GV Films. Not much is known about the film, except that it'll be a "quickie" for the actress, who has designs on Disney and Warner Bros. projects in the U.S., and it'll be made simultaneously in both Hindi and Tamil, to maximize its bankability. (The Hindi version will co-star Ranbar Kapoor.)

Why does Endhiran sound like such a great movie that people are already dying to rip it off? It could be the star, Rajnikanth, or the action coordinator, the famous Yuen Wo-Ping. Or it could be the fact that it has llamas dancing with showgirls. Or could it be the storyline, about a guy who makes a robot companion for his kid, and then the robot goes insane? Nope. It's all to do with director S. Shankar. Here are the plots of the bugfuck crazy movies he's made before:

[Nayak,] the story of a reporter (Anil Kapoor of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) who becomes Prime Minister of India for a day and fixes the country’s social problems by punching people in the face... S. Shankar’s second-to-the-last movie was Anniyan, a Tamil film about a lawyer with who seeks justice by causing evildoers to be trampeled to death in a buffalo stampede, fried in pots of oil and sucked dry by leeches. It was a musical. His latest movie is the Superstar Rajnikanth mega-hit Sivaji, in which Tamil superstar Rajnikanth battles the corrupt government with his fists.

Don't you automatically want to see whatever this guy makes now?

Speaking of imitation, that Bollywood Predator ripoff we mentioned a while back, Agyaat, is actually a ripoff of another forthcoming Bollywood movie, Hisss. The first Bollywood movie to be directed by a foreign director, Jennifer Lynch, Hisss features Mallika Sherawat as a sexy snake woman. Says Hisss star Irfan Khan:

She plays a man-eating creature. She swallows men in the film. And I'm just dying to be swallowed her. Watching her devour men is a very very sensuous process. Unfortunately, I don't get eaten by her. I'm the investigative officer trying to find out who's devouring all these human beings.

And apparently Agyaat will be a bit of a Hisss clone.

Even if you don't know any children, it's a fair bet to say that you've at least been tempted to spend some money on an action figure or two, even for yourself. Whatever the reason, we're saying that it's definitely the time of year for toys for all girls and boys - and here are some picks that we hope you find in your stocking on the day.

Star Wars - The Ultimate Lightsaber Kit: Yeah, yeah; you could play that Wii lightsaber game and have a lot of fun, but those of us with the bigger midichlorians know that building your own lightsaber is where it's at. This kit lets you do that very thing, providing all the pieces that you need to become your own padawan. Just try not to slice your own hand off in some Joseph Campbell-esque maneuver whether by accident or in a misguided attempt to emulate your childhood idols.

Star Trek Phaser And Communicator Set: Along the same lines, these replica phasers and communicators from the original Star Trek series would let you get your William Shatner and/or Leonard Nimoy on, like the gentlemen in the picture. Insignia-ed t-shirts not included. Alternatively, the Dueling Kirk And Spock From "Amok Time" figures have the uniforms and sexy tears in shirts to influence hot slash action.

Anything From LEGO's Mars Mission Range: When I was a kid, LEGO's space sets consisted of a moon base and a few dull grey repurposed planes. Now, the rebranded LEGO Mars Mission sets are multicolored blocks of imagination, accompanied by aliens and heroes with stubbles and smirks. Ignore LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Batman; these are the blocks you're looking for.

A Breakdancing Robot:

I'm sorry, is there something else I need to say? (Alternatively, Robotic Pugilists. If that doesn't appeal, then good day, sir. I said good day!)

Twilight Action Figures: They may not be released until mid-2009 - way to miss the boat, toymakers - but they are available for pre-order right now; it'll be just like the Star Wars Early Bird Offer all over again! You know that you want to see the face of your favorite emo relative almost display an emotion when they open the IOU envelope for this baby on Christmas (or whatever day you deem appropriate) morning.

Risk Transformers Cybertron Edition: Update the depressing game of strategy from your youth by adding in the wildcard of robots in disguise, and their home planet - filled with countries that you have no idea about. Let the youngsters in your life experience the same hours of frustration and disappointment when they, too, realize that the game may be coherent and technically accurate but also endless and much less fun than playing with an actual Transformer, no matter how many times you tell them that the cardboard box transforms into an educational experience.

The Superhero Action Figure Of Your Choice: You can't go wrong by giving a small plastic representation of your loved ones' favorite defenders of truth and justice. Me, I'm rather partial to the original Firestorm, complete with puffy sleeves, but that may be my nostalgia overpowering my taste (Although, you know, if you really want to buy it for me, that's perfectly alright). Alternatively, you could go for a prop replica of something to do with your favorite Marvel superhero. You may scoff, but I don't know anyone who doesn't secretly want to put on Iron Man's helmet and pretend to be Tony Stark.

Alien Kubricks: Yes, there are Kubricks for almost everything, but our favorites are the ones based on Ridley Scott's 1970s classic SF horror movie. Surely, we're not the only people who find the sight of an overgrown LEGO dude with an alien bursting out of his chest to be the perfect representation of Scott's intentions with the original film. And the Kubrick Ripley's hair perfectly captures the hair of the previous Sigourney Weaver. See? Now you understand.

Pleo, Robotic Lifelike Dinosaur: Yes, we could take exception to the description of this overly cute robot as "lifelike," but we'd rather point out that anyone who really wants a lifelike dinosaur in their house - especially as educational tools for their children, as Pleo is supposed to be - is fucking insane. It would eat your child! And then you! Seriously, this Disney-esque version is a much, much better idea; and much safer, as well. For those less brave and/or rich, I'd like to suggest the (much cooler, let's face it) Miniature Godzilla that you can get from Giant Robot because, well, why not?

Deathbot Lederhosen Edition: Call me old fashioned, but the holiday season always makes me want to strap on a pair of lederhosen and dream of snowier climes. With this festive limited edition killer robot from Tim Biskup's Gama-Go, that gets that much easier. Get high on a hill with this murderous goatherd after triming the tree.

Monday:

Riley and John take a not-so-joyful ride to Mexico, — and Sarah gets some much needed face time with James Ellison. Will we finally get from Ellison answers? Plus the promos are promising that tonight will be one character's "last stand." Who will it be? SCC is on Fox at 8 PM.

Sarah Connor Chronicles Promo:

And here's a clip with commentary:

Find out why everyone hates Arthur Petrelli, and what's the deal with the whole Pinehearst nonsense. Hiro travels back in time hopefully to tie some of our lose over at NBC's Heroes at 9 PM.

Heroes Promos:

Heroes Clips:

What happens when you've got split personalities due to a government implanted brain chip that switches you from murderous secret agent to suburban dad right in the middle of gunfire? Sounds like just another silly, yet predictable, predicament for My Own Worst Enemy's Christian Slater on NBC at 10 PM.

My Own Worst Enemy Promo:

NBC's mop headed hero, Chuck, has to fight off his old demons aka, the ex. Watch as hot spy lady gets all sorts of pissed this week at 8 PM.

Chuck Promo:

Preview clips:

Get your end of the world hottie anime lady fix over at the Sci Fi Channel with three back-to-back episodes of Gurren Lagann starting at 11PM.

Movies:

Who you gonna call...again? Ghostbusters 2 on Bravo and 10 and later at 12:30 PM tonight.

Tuesday:

Hooray, Fringe is back on Fox at 9 PM. This week, a parasite is taking over the bodies of FBI agents, Olivia has to go to Germany (hopefully she'll pick up a little personality while overseas) and Walter Bishop and his boy Peter try to jump start a dead guy's brain.

Fringe Promo:

Tonight is the premiere of the Sci Fi Channel "science fiction reality TV show," Cha$e where the contestants travel across a giant board game ad are constantly hunted down by hunters. The new game show airs at 10 PM.

Movies:

Enjoy our favorite web slinger's adventures, before they were ruined with bad hair and equally bad dancing techniques. Spider-Man 2 is on over at FX at 4 PM.

Wednesday:

Still no new Pushing Daisies this week.

No Knight Rider this week, either.

Thursday:

Poor Chloe — Brainiac erased all her memories, and now the only person she remembers is dreamy Sam Witwer who is also Doomsday. Why does everyone pick on Chloe? Is it because it's fun to torture her? Smallville's "The Abyss" is on the CW at 8 PM

Smallville Promo:

Smallville Clip:

This week, our favorite hot brothers who follow scary stuff, Dean and Sam, find a girl who talks to angels and they have to protect her from a demon. Catch Supernatural over at the CW at 9 PM.

Supernatural Clips:

A hostage situation pins time-traveling cop Sam Tyler against a crazed gunman. Plus, Sam's starting to get phone calls from 2008, but he's still stuck in the past. Life On Mars is on 10 PM at ABC.

Life On Mars Promo:

Hood finds a frozen body on a warm beach and it won't thaw, no matter what. Will wonders never cease on the Eleventh Hour? The science-investigation series is on CBS at 10 PM.

Friday:

Over at Cartoon Network, the conclusion of the two part droid-centric Clone Wars storyline comes to a close. Will Anakin and Ahsoka rescue R2 from the clutches of General Grievous? The Clone Wars is on at 9 PM.

Clone Wars Promo:

The Stargate Atlantis crew has to rally around Woolsey, or lose their "play by the rules" boss forever. It's performance evaluation time, people — look busy. The latest SGA airs on the Sci Fi Channel at 9 PM.

Stargate Atlantis Promo:

Genius kiddies are being kidnapped on Ben 10: Alien Force. It's up to Ben to stop them from building their mystery arch. The new episode airs on Cartoon Network at 9:30 PM.

Sanctuary field trip! Mangus goes to Rome to attend a top secret abnormals meeting. The monster goodness starts at 10 PM on the Sci Fi Channel.

Movies:

Hum along with your favorite aliens, and watch Close Encounters Of The Third Kind on AMC at 5 PM.

Don't like aliens? Fine, right afterwards is the badass demon-killer Constantine and his super awesome tattoo powers at 8 PM on AMC.

Saturday:

Movies:

It's a long Andromeda Strain fest over at A&E at 8 and 10 PM then later at 12 AM.

But if the strain doesn't tickle your fancy, Cartoon Network has the direct-to-DVD movie Superman/Doomsday at 9 PM.

Sunday:

Vampire justice is dealt on this weeks True Blood. Now that Bill is in big trouble for his Sookie obsession (and killing another vamp) it's his turn for a beating. Oh, and of course Sookie is being all sorts of ridiculous because she just can't handle not being the center of attention for more than five seconds.

Tonight is the night! We've been waiting for the Robot Chicken Star Wars spoof forever, and finally tonight we'll get our fix of ridiculous stop animation humor loaded with geek-only humor. Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II is on the Cartoon Network at 11:30 PM, here's a clip that aired on Joel McHale's equally as funny show The Soup, (oh and yes that's Seth MacFarlane as Emperor Palpatine).

Movies:

Get double the dose of Christopher Lloyd — first, as a zany alien with Jeff Daniels on WGN at 3 PM in My Favorite Martian, and later, as the mad scientist who builds a time traveling DeLorean in Back To The Future on Encore at 8 PM.

Apparently its been in the works for 10 years and it's titled simply, Robot. Lau has partnered with Le TV.com and has created a film company, and Robot will be their first production. The giant-robot film will

present a refreshing look at Chinese robots for people who are used to stereotypical Hollywood figures like Spiderman and Superman. He said the Chinese robot, in comparison, would feel closer and more human to audiences.

The film will begin shooting on November 19th in China.

[Crienglish via Twitch]

These items come from Blacklund’s 2009 Pool Position collection and are handcrafted from wool. It’s probably not the most practical material for fighting intergalactic evil, but at least you’ll look good doing it.

[Sandra Blacklund via today and tomorrow]

The Transformers of Zhejiang Province [via Neatorama]

WowWee, who developed the ROVIO, sees the robot as having numerous telepresence applications, including use in home security, in meetings where the telecommuting party needs to observe multiple objects or people up close, and in lab work where a researcher needs to make observations in conditions that would be hazardous to a human being. The robot offers both autonomous and web-based remote navigation, with proximity sensors to keep it from crashing into objects. The True Track system enables the interface to track the ROVIO’s position by sensing reflected beacons beamed at the ceiling, and the built-in camera can be adjusted to view objects at various heights and angles.

Sister blog Gizmodo saw the ROVIO in action back in January, but this week the folks at Robot Dreams took it for a extended test spin and were pleased with the robot’s mobility and interface, declaring that it “is positioned to be the hottest robot for the upcoming holiday season.” Their test video below demonstrates the ROVIO’s simple click and drag interface:

The ROVIO is currently available and retails for $299.

ROVIO Rolls Out: First Impressions of WowWee's Surprising Robot [Robot Dreams]

Psycho: Automata were all the rage in the US and Europe in the late 19th Century. Most were merely intricate mechanical dolls and toys that performed pre-set actions, but a handful appeared capable of interacting with their environment. One of the most famous of these was Psycho, the creation of John Nevil Maskelyne. Maskelyne was an inventor and stage magician, a member of The Magic Circle, which worked to dispel the notion of supernatural powers, and innovator of the levitation illusion. Psycho, a doll dressed as an Eastern sorcerer, would pick up playing cards from a rack in order to spell words, do mathematical problems, and perform tricks, all the while smoking a cigarette. Although Psycho appeared to move of his own accord, he was actually a puppet, operated by a series of bellows. Those bellows were eventually dismantled and Psycho was donated to the Museum of London.

Joice Heth: PT Banum launched his famed career as a hoaxer with Joice Heth. In 1835, Barnum purchased Heth, a blind and paralyzed slave, and toured her around the country as George Washington's own wet nurse, claiming that she was over 160 years old. When Heth's appeal began to fade, Barnum reinvented his attraction. When he began claiming that Heth was not merely an aged woman, but an automaton made from whale bone, India rubber, and an ingenious network of springs, people again flocked to the exhibit, trying to determine whether or not she was a real person. Upon her death, Barnum had Heth publicly autopsied. Not only was she a human being, she was no more than 80 years old.

Enigmarelle: Another product of the automaton craze, Enigmarelle was a life-sized creature with a lumbering gait and a wax face. The alleged automaton could reportedly ride a bike, write its name, and know to turn corners as it walked, although it could neither hear nor speak. Its "inventor" Frederick Ireland claimed that Enigmarelle's incredible walking and riding abilities stemmed from an equilibrium system based on the human inner ear. As "proof" of the machine's authenticity, the hands and legs were removed during shows and its body and head opened to reveal electrical workings. It has been suggested that Enigmarelle was, in fact, manned by an amputee to create that very effect. Still, the less-than-automatic automaton enjoyed a 30 year career in vaudeville.

Quasar Domestic Android: Hoping to capitalize on the popularity of science fiction movies, Quasar Industries announced in 1978 that it would soon be mass-producing domestic household robots. Quasars would be able to dust, vacuum (not anticipating the Roomba, Quasars would use a separate vacuum cleaner), mow the lawn, walk the dog, and teach children French. At a demonstration, the domestic android was strangely animated, intelligent, and conversant in a number of topics. Skeptical roboticists who attended the demonstration quickly discovered a man in the audience who muttered into his hand each time the robot spoke, and the project was eventually outed as a press-seeking hoax.

Lisa the Perfect Woman: This summer, the blandly named AI Robotics announced that they have completed a fully functioning robotic woman. "Lisa" (possibly named for the AI creation in "Weird Science") is supposedly "designed for all men who have not found their soulmate" — a soulmate who cooks, cleans, plays video games, and provides sex on demand without being weighed down by pesky emotions or desires. As if the uber-creepy promo video weren't enough to convince you of the product's nonexistence, these robots were supposed to go on sale this past June. It's still unclear, however, what purpose, if any, the hoax had.

Mini Cooper Autonomous Robot: A website allegedly set up by a UK researcher claimed that the researcher had built an autonomous, Transformers-like bipedal robot from a Mini Cooper. The robot was supposed to be over 10 feet tall, powered by an internal combustion engine, and running on Linux. The site garnered a great deal of attention from sites like Slashdot, but was ultimately discovered to be a viral marketing campaign launched by BMW.

Boilerplate: Boilerplate was a mechanical man unveiled at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. He was fought alongside Teddy Roosevelt, saved an expedition to Anarctica, and saved Pancho Villa's life. Boilerplate mysteriously vanished in WWI, which would be a tragedy had he ever actually existed in the first place. The Boilerplate website, which features specs for other Victorian robots, was an inadvertent hoax perpetrated by Anina Bennett and Paul Guinan as a pitch for a graphic novel. But several visitors to the site believed that Boilerplate was a genuine, little-known historical figure, including comedian Chris Elliot, who committed an act of accidental plagiarism when he made the robot a character in his humorous historical novel.

The Digesting Duck: Artist and inventor Jacques de Vaucanson was inspired by Descartes' principle of the mechanistic universe to create a mechanical animal. The Canard Digerateur was said to have the ability to eat grain, digest it naturally, and defecate waste. The duck became a popular and oft-exhibited automaton, but didn't actually digest anything. The grain it ate was collected in a container inside the duck, while the "feces" were contained in a separate part. Physiologists were reportedly disappointed when the hoax was uncovered, as they had hoped to learn whether the process of digestion was chemical or mechanical. Even failing to digest anything, the duck was an impressive piece of machinery, otherwise faithfully based on the physiology and articulations of a natural duck, and was one of the first automata to use rubber hose.

The Mechanical Turk: Arguably the most notorious mechanical hoax, the Turk had a marked impact on contemporary notions of machines and even modern AI. Wolfgang von Kempelen, a pioneer in phonetics, created an "automated" chess player to exhibit at the court of Austria's Empress Maria Theresa. Like later automata, the Turk included a doll in Eastern dress. The doll stood over a clockwork cabinet and played chess against human opponents, including Napoleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin. The Turk toured Europe and later America, and became a popular attraction that confounded engineers and chess players alike. The hoax was exposed 50 years after Kempelen's death and three years after the Turk itself was destroyed: a chess player was cleverly disguised inside the cabinet. The Turk spawned numerous imitators, most famously Ajeeb and Mephisto. It is thought to have inspired the likes of Charles Babbage and Edmund Cartwright, and sparked a great deal of discussion about artificial intelligence.

Aurora's Excalibur VTOL UAV is intended to have fully automated flight systems. It will know its mission and complete without remote operator control. One of those missions could be operating as a tactical strike platform, wielding Hellfire missiles, Viper Strike missiles, and the aforementioned APKWS. Technically, only the flight controls will be automated - an operator will be paying attention to target acquisition (and, one would imagine, target explosition). Still, seeing the words "robot" and "Hellfire" together is a little chilling.

On the bright side, it could also be sent in to recover wounded soldiers, airlifting them out of sticky situations without diverting the attention of a remote pilot. Small special ops teams (like, Delta Force) could even use Excaliburs for fast, light ingress and egress. It's amazing what you can do with hybrid turbine-electric propulsion these days. Small scale tests are planned for late this year. Image by: Aurora.

Firm Building Man-carrying VTOL Drone. [Military.com]

The French government provided the pope with an autonomous aerial detail that detects threats on the ground and can call on countermeasures:

Aviation Week reports that Eagle-1 SIDM autonomous surveillance platforms orbited on high above Lourdes, providing what is often profanely referred to in military circles as the "god's eye view" of the surrounding terrain - and the ability to call down terrifying hammerblows of destruction from the skies using laser target-designation systems. Batteries of Crotale air-defence missiles were also on standby in the event of any impious intrusion being mounted into the Supreme Pontiff's heavenly exclusion zone.

For land-based protection, sadly, Pope Benedict will still have to rely on his human bodyguards and bulletproof cell.

Pope watched over by flying robots during Lourdes visit [The Register]

Yuen Wo-Ping, who did the stunts for The Matrix, Kill Bill and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will mastermind the movie's action sequences. Costume designer Mary E. Vogt, who worked on Batman Returns and Men In Black, will design the "futuristic suits" people will wear, but Manish Malhotra will design the regular everyday outfits of the movie's future people. Stan Winston Studios will design the movie's animatronics, and VFX houses like ILM and Tippet will do the movie's visual effects.

I love that the announcement says "one song" will be filmed at Machu Picchu in Peru, while director Shankar and star Rajnikanth are filming two songs in the U.S. It's just something about the idea of filming songs instead of scenes that is so awesome. By the way, apparently Enthiram is a "Kollywood" movie instead of a Bollywood film, because it's being filmed in Tamil. Additional reporting by Lauren Davis. [Galatta and

The cause of the argument is a new teaching tool being used in around 200 schools nationwide in the UK - Red the Robot. Red is a toy created to help young children to read and learn phonics, but that doesn't necessarily mean that British teachers are glad for the help:

Academics at the [British] Institute of Education who undertook an evaluation in three schools concluded that the robot "makes learning fun" where used appropriately. Children seemed to love it but teachers were "less inclined" to allow the robot to take the whole class. Dylan Wiliam, acting head of the institute, says: "The research on the use of such technology shows that when it is well-designed it can actually be better than teaching even by the best teachers." ...But some child experts expressed concern. Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood, said: "Robots can't teach. The only effective teaching is by breathing, living teachers who can look a pupil in the eye and respond to them."

The Guardian newspaper sat in on a class being conducted by Red, and wasn't too impressed:

Red is having a bad day. Sometimes he forgets which book he's reading. Sometimes his mind drifts and he goes quiet in the middle of one of the exercises, which are designed to be perfectly in tune with what Charlie and Roxy are learning at school.

Usually there would be a teacher or assistant to sort the problems out but we all look at the robot a bit disappointedly.

"I'm bored," declares Charlie.

What's good about Red? "He's red," says Roxy.

What's bad about Red? "He doesn't work," says Charlie.

While we're still some time away from Class of 1999 territory just yet, it's somewhat reassuring to know that even robot teachers can be as hapless as the flesh and blood versions.

School robots divide experts over teaching of phonics [The Guardian]