I have a list of work to do today that’s longer than my arm and probably a good deal longer than my ability to finish it all before midnight. Yes, it's time for a drum roll: I have a new job and it involves the word ‘manager’ in the title. Oh, you can mock but it's a small respite from the worry. I’ve never been a ‘manager’ before. King of the World, Ma! King of the World!
I’m delighted because I like the people I’m working for and I get to work from home. I only worry about the hours it will take me to produce the required graphics, promotional videos, and rendering the odd promo in After Effects. But before I get to down to that work, I wanted to blog and to blog about something significant. Which is why I’m posting a video I spotted this morning via my new favourite app, Flipboard.
We get very few moments in our lives when we stop and think that technology has taken a leap forward or that the world will never be the same again. Seeing the Shuttle launch was one such moment, as, no doubt, was the moon landing. Next year, I expect big things from Virgin Galactic. This year it’s Alpha Dog.
Watching this video of Alpha Dog made my bleary eyes open that bit wider. I’ve seen robots walking before but never with any conviction and they have usually been tethered to a power source. Honda have an untethered robot which has been walking around for a while (even appearing in their ads) but it’s a bit slow and looks so terminally constipated that it was never that impressive. However Boston Dynamic's Alpha Dog is the kind of engineering that makes me feel like I’m gazing at the future. Sure, Alpha Dog is a bit noisy but just look at the bloody thing move! I’m not sure how many miles we’d get out of it but I look forward to the day I can ride my own Alpha Dog down the street and terrorise the neighbourhood. I can see it now: the day when I take ownership of my own robotic attack dog, snapping at local ankles, and shaming the tattooed youth with their mere pit bulls and Doberman… Oh, there’ll be a few scores settled on that day, I tell you! A few scores settled! [Cue: maniac laughter…]
Imagine the damage it could do to an inflatable swimming pool! ;)
ReplyDeleteAh, so true but you shouldn't go filling my mind with such wonderful thoughts. I've not seen the pool in over a month now but there's still a big circle of dead grass on their back lawn, as if to remind me that the horror is never far away.
ReplyDeleteToo cold now... even my pool is too cold to swim in.....
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm loving it! Weather is perfect, though a few degrees cooler and a little more rain and I think I'd be happy. ;)
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