Quiz: The robots are coming! Sure -- NOW they vacuum and scrub the floor -- but what happens when they wise up? The following could be required information when the robots take over. How much do you know about our artificially intelligent friends? 1. The word "robot" was coined in 1920. Is the term:
a. an abbreviation of "row" and "boat," for an early version that did just that?
b. derived from a Czech word meaning "forced labor?"
c. named for the creator of the first robot, Robert Botsworth?
Answer (Scroll to the end of the definition.) 2. One of the earliest known working robots was da Vinci's self-propelled car, circa 1478. Was it run by steam pressure or springs?
Answer 3. What's the term for a robot that is designed to resemble a human?
Answer 4. Which of the following is NOT one of Issac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics:
a. Robots must not meet in secret.
b. Robots must never harm human beings.
c. Robots must protect themselves without violating the other rules.
Answer 5. If the shape-shifting chembot is developed, it could travel over considerable distances carrying an embedded payload, change shape and size as required, and then reconstitute to its original form. What organization recently put out an RFP for its design?
Answer 6. Used with satellites, space probes, and mobile robots, this term describes is the wireless transmission and reception of measured quantities for the purpose of remotely monitoring environmental conditions or equipment parameters. What is it?
Answer 7. Which sense does the field of haptics replicate for the user?
a. vision
b. hearing
c. taste
d. touch
c. smell
Answer 8. Based on a Greek word meaning "steersman" or "governor," this is the science or study of control or regulation mechanisms in human and machine systems. What is it?
Answer 9. DARPA's early cyborg insect experiment using wasps was ill-fated. Why?
Answer (Scroll to the end of the definition.) 10. If self-replicating robots ever take over, the resulting situation is sometimes referred to as a gray goo scenario. In this context, what are self-replicating humans sometimes called?
Answer (Scroll to the list at the end of the definition.) How many could you guess correctly? Let us know! Want to get up to speed as a precautionary measure? Learn more by trying our other quizzes.
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| Last updated on:
Dec 23, 2010 |
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