The unsung robot heroes
Robokiyu makes Asimo look like punk.
(Credit: uberreview.com)We spend a lot of time on Crave fawning over adorable robots that clean our floors or serve us beer. But what about the real robots? The robots with nasty jobs. The kind of robots that make Asimo tremble like a bed-wetting toddler. Frankly, I'm relieved that robot engineers are taking a break from creating another boring domestic robot servant to make something useful like the life-saving Robokiyu. Sure, it looks like a human wood chipper, but the Robokiyu might actually pull you from a burning building. Let's see your Robosapien do that! Then this week, Korean police got to use a camera-equipped Sewer-Bot to catch a fugitive hiding naked in a sewer tunnel. Your Roomba catch any fugitives lately? But the robot with the most badass name goes to the Scorpion, a robot used by the Israeli military to clear away bombs. Yes, it would be cooler if the Scorpion had a preset button that would make him break-dance and cook a pizza, but I think scooping away bombs is good enough. So this week, let's hear it for the real robots out there, risking their robot necks to keep us safe.
Donald Bell is CNET Reviews' senior editor for MP3 players and portable audio, and one half of the MP3 Insider blog and weekly podcast. He also likes getting his hands dirty with digital audio tools for musicians and DJs. 
