Do you know that adorable BB-8 and R2D2 droids? Not the ones in the George Lucas sci-fi films, but rather the small remote-controlled toy robots that look so close to the real thing it’s hard to differentiate. Those adorable critters are made by a robotics company called Sphero, who has invested in educational robotic toys as well as small robotic critters, and it will now develop big-boy toys for the likes of the military.
Sphero, who makes the RC Star Wars droids, has announced that it is creating an independent “spin-off” company called Company Six. Company Six will create some highly advanced robots for enterprises like the police, fire, EMT, military and others with dangerous jobs. Because you’d rather offer up a smart robot than a human being in a dangerous situation. Which is fair.
The Verge seems to think that this is the perfect new venture for the company, saying “We can only guess at what such robots might look like, but given Sphero’s expertise in mobility, it seems likely they will include some sort of reconnaissance or surveillance devices. A number of existing firms, like ReconRobotics and Roboteam, make small, wheeled robots outfitted with cameras that are robust enough to be thrown into buildings and are used to scout out territory on the battlefield or in police encounters.”
Apparently, the two men at the head of Company Six were both in the military, so they’ve obviously got more insight as to what need robots will fulfil in the military. Is it the robot uprising? We’re not convinced quite yet.
We’re sure South Africa is lacking slightly in this regard, as we haven’t seen any makeshift robots chasing down illegal cigarette traders in the streets this lockdown period just yet.
