Android

History

The first mentioning of the term the android is attributed to Albert Kelnsky (1270). The significant role promoting of the term was played by the French writer Philippe August Mathias Vilie de Lil-Adam (Mathias Villiers de l'Isle-Adam) (1838 — 1889), in the work "Future Eve" ("L'Ève future") for designation of the android, describing the artificial woman Hadaly. Hadaly talked to the help of the phonograph issuing one for another classical quotes.

According to other version the word the android occurred from the creator of the first mechanical toys Henri Dro.

Androids in science fiction

Androids are androids. Often, for increase in similarity to the person add different organic elements (leather, fabrics, blood, etc.) to construction of androids.

In some science-fiction works androids are described how the electromechanical robots having human appearance. In other works authors called androids completely organic, but artificial creations. Existed as well a set of intermediate values. Also in many science-fiction works to androids erase memory therefore they live, without knowing about the true origin.

The word "cyber" (not to confuse with a cyborg), approximately corresponding on sense to the word "android" often appears in the Soviet science fiction. Most often "cybers" are called androids or synthetic beings ("biocybers"). At some authors the word "cyber" is a synonym of the word "robot".

The word meaning a cyborg which is translated as a cybernetic organism also adjoins to a concept of the android. Here the semantic emphasis is placed on the symbiosis biological and electronic mechanical systems.

Androids in literature and cinema

Ginoid Aktoroid shown by Osaka University together with Kokoro corporation at the Expo 2007 exhibition (Japan)

Though androids exist, the word "android", was not beyond science fiction, cinema and television and did not become a technical term.

• Classical stories of Isaac Asimov mainly about androids, many are collected in the well-known work "I, Robot" based on which the eponymous film is shot. They proclaimed ethics rule set for androids and robots — "Three Laws of Robotics" that very much influenced other authors and thinkers in their interpretation of a subject.
• Data from the American TV series "Star Trek: next generation" ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") is described as the android externally almost identical to the person. In several episodes accurately it is specified its, at least, partial organic building. However, it is generally mentioned its electromechanical building.
• Replicants from the movie Blade Runner were completely organic beings created using bioengineering. Though they were also not mentioned in a picture as robots or androids, but the novel by Filip Dick "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" is taken as a basis of a plot (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). Also in Filip Dick's creativity the subject of artificial humanoid life quite often meets.
• The famous characters of the Hollywood blockbusters "Stranger" ("Alien"), Strangers ("Aliens") and "Alien 3" ("Alien 3") Ash and more perfect Bishop — typical androids. Heroes call them "sintetika", but androids prefer the term "artificial person". From plots of the movie both the organic, and electronic structure of these androids is obviously traced. In the last film "Alien Resurrection" ("Alien: Resurrection") the character is even ashamed of the fact that he is an android. It is possible to carry humanoid replicators from series "ZV-1" to androids and "A star gate: Atlantis".
• Androids are model 2, 2 of advanced and 3 shouters from the movie "Shouters" while models of shouters from the second part of this movie are cyborgs.
• One of main characters of series "Andromeda" ("Andromeda"), Rommi, is also an Android. Series of T-800, T-850, T-1000, T-H robots from movies Terminator are androids. Andrew's robot, the character of the story of Isaac Asimov "The bicentennial person" and also the eponymous film shot according to it in 1999, in the aspiration to become the person makes replacement of the parts by biological bodies, thereby turning himself from the robot into the android.
• In the movie by Steven Spielberg Artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence: AI) (2001) develops the humanoid robot child programmed on feeling of love.
• In the Soviet movie "He Was Called Robert" of 1967 the main character is the android.
• Androids appear in the scraper of stories about the pilot Pirks of Stanislav Lem. For example in the story "Inquiry" the robot absolutely indistinguishable from the person, nearly ruined crew of the spaceship, carrying out an assigned task. In 1979 according to the story the Soviet-Polish feature film Inquiry of the pilot Pirks is shot
• In the scraper of stories of Reminiscence of Iyon Tikhy of Stanislav Lem in the story "Washing Tragedy" in a satirical form relationship of androids and people is described.
• In the movie "The Guest from the Future" one of heroes is the android Werther. Its remarkable line — existence of romantic motives.
• The house android Polya who is opposed to the fighting robots created in the XX century appears in the movie "Island of the Rusty General".
• In the movie "Cherry-2000" a wife of the main character is the android of Cherry-2000. After breakdown of the robot the main character looks for the exact duplicate of the same model for replacement.
• In the Soviet movie "Adventures of the Electronic Engineer" one of the main characters the Electronic engineer is an android, the exact copy of the Soviet school student Sergey Syroyezhkin, and tries to become with his help the person.
• In the Soviet teleplay "With robots do not joke" in the third short story it is shown, the court where all participants except the defendant and the lawyer are robots is how subjective.
• In the movie Slipstream, one of the main characters is the android.
• In the movie Android Apocalypse the plot of the movie is based on opposition of people and androids during an era of global environmental disaster.
• In the movie Nanolyubov Nana is the robot android.
• In the movie "Rainbow Formula" the inventor creates the android — the copy that that went to boring meetings.

Modern androids

The android Deyta played by Brent Spayner from a TV series Star Trek: next generation

• Aiko — ginoid with simulation of human feelings: touch, hearing, speech, sight.
• TOPIO — the android developed for playing table tennis against the person.
• ASIMO — the android created by corporation Honda in the Center of Basic Technical Researches of Waco (Japan).
• Einstein Robot is the head of the robot with Einstein's appearance. Model for testing and reproduction by the robot of human emotions.
• EveR-1 — the robot similar on 20-year-old the Korean: its height is 1.6 meters, and weight — about 50 kilograms. It is expected that androids like EveR will be able to serve as guides, issuing information in department stores and the museums and also to entertain kids.
• HRP-4C — the robot girl, intended for demonstration of clothes. Growth of the robot is 158 cm, and weight together with batteries — 43 kg. As for freedom degrees, them 42, for example, in hips and their neck on three, and on behalf of — eight, they give the chance to express emotions.
• Repliee R-1 — the android with appearance of the Japanese five-year-old girl, intended for care of elderly and incapacitated people.
• Repliee Q2 — the robot girl under the working name Repliee Q1expo was shown at the international World Expo exhibition which was taking place in Aichi, Japan. At demonstrations he played a role of the television interviewer, at the same time constantly interacting with people. In the robot the omnidirectional cameras, microphones and sensors which allowed Repliee Q2 to define the human speech and gesticulation with only slight inconvenience were mounted.
• Ibn Xing — the android called in honor of the ancient Arab philosopher and the doctor Ibn Cynna. One of the most advanced modern (2010) of androids. Speaks Arabic. It is capable to find independently the place in the airplane, to communicate with people. Will recognize a look of speaking and resorts to the corresponding situation to a mimicry. His lips move quite monotonously, however it is noted that especially well at it it turns out to raise eyebrows and to blink eyes.

SAFFiR from US Navy

In peace or wartime the fire on the vessel represents big danger, it is difficult to localize it, and the caused damage often is measured by tens of millions of dollars. On March 7, 2012 the naval research laboratory of the USA (Naval Research Laboratory – NRL) announced the beginning of works on creation of the android for fight against fire by the ships. As all placements and installations on them are designed taking into account growth and build of the average person, such machine will be much more mobile. Unlike usual fire extinguishing means of SAFFiR (Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot) will be able to get without effort into a narrow corridor or to come downstairs.

A number of sensors, including the smoke detector, normal and infrared 3D - cameras for object recognition in the conditions of poor visibility will help to be guided with space to the robot. SAFFiR will be able to move in any direction and that is interesting, to balance in the conditions of sea rolling. His upper body is intended for manipulations with means of an ognetusheniye, one battery power should last for 30 min. work in cutoff conditions.

Skeleton diagram SAFFiR

Despite impressive opportunities, SAFFiR it is projected for work as a part of a fire brigade. It will submit to the head of group, will be able to distinguish gestures and to understand in what direction to it order to move. Application of algorithms of recognition and speech synthesis is not excluded.

The big list of the scientists specializing in the different fields of science works on creation of SAFFiR. In particular, with NRL specialists of the universities closely cooperate in Virginia Tech and University of Pennsylvania. As a prototype for creation of SAFFiR the CHARLI-L1 robot developed earlier by a team of scientists of the University of Virginia served.

CHARLI-L1 is a prototype for SAFFiR creation

The first tests of SAFFiR in conditions, as close as possible to real, are planned for the end of September, 2013, they will pass onboard the former Shadwell warship. In the long term specialists of NRL do not exclude a possibility of use of the robot in the military purposes.