Explore UX combat robots and Hollywood predictions for the near future.
I think that it no longer makes sense to continue hiding in the sink, fencing off from understanding what is happening. It is time to take a deep breath, take courage, and admit out loud that humanity is now at the stage of a new evolutionary revolution, even a sharp jump, after which the earth, like people, animals, insects and viruses, is also inhabited by intelligent machines. And it’s reasonable to talk today about what they should be - this is probably the main task of mankind as a whole (well, as long as this question still depends on us).
Also in this article we will continue to develop the central theme of May about anthropomorphism as a key feature of human perception of inanimate objects and systems. Well, the starting point for the reasoning and predictions about the future of the new techno-race will be the feature film “Robot named Chappi” about the plight of the cop robot who gains intelligence.
Immediately I want to warn you that, despite some of my further criticisms about the weak development of UX in the film, in general, this work of art is highly recommended for viewing, since the film was generally liked due to interesting plot moves and allegories. So, the main character of the film is robot number 22, which is a fighting police droid, designed to be a shield for the living cops of Johannesburg, as well as an independent fighting unit. Chappi provides military support in mass firefights and can even independently detain criminals. Let's try on a five-point scale to evaluate the functionality of this combat unit shown in the film and predict the real benefits of such police robots.
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Here in the frame shows how several people are hiding behind his body. However, the robot is made damn scrawny, which is why you can only hide from one arrow at an angle of exactly 90 degrees. If there are several enemy shooters, the robot Chappi becomes absolutely useless as an element of protection, and this can be clearly seen.
Moreover, even four thin robots lined up in a row will not produce the effect that thousands of years ago it was possible to create with a wall of shields or a "walking-city" device.
The next interesting detail - the robot made protruding antenna ears. And just two antennas, apparently one would not be enough, which are damaged by each sneeze and require constant replacement.
The robot, which should be constantly under fire - the main titanium case, and antennas for communication and correction of group actions - which can be damaged with a simple screwdriver. In the comments you can really argue that the funny ears of a kitten from a combat droid is an artistic device, it's cute, it's a children's rating and fees. But if we talk about the real application of such an image, then it looks the most ridiculous. Moreover, the software update for the robot does not occur with the help of these ears, here it seems that everyone in turn needs to insert a USB flash drive into their heads. Take, for example, a thousand robots, multiply by dozens of upgrades daily - and the manufacturer has only one flash drive at all. But you can turn off all the robots immediately at once, which then happens in the film. Just some kind of anti-usability.
Apparently, just the problems with the antenna-ears in the end resulted in the fact that the fighting robots act on the screen as primitively as possible, without correcting their actions with each other or with common sense. For example, like this, a combat droid enters a room door where an armed criminal has taken refuge (and maybe several, including hostages) —Chappi stands right in the doorway and knocks the door out with his foot.
And of course, gets a shot from the bazooka right in the chest. It is obvious that the software for such combat units in the film was written by freelancers, as the titanium corps does not help the plot, not only against the bazooka, but also against the speeding truck. Of course, supplying a costly robot with a thermal imager also did not occur to anyone, and the film clearly shows that it is much cheaper every day to make new combat units than to pump several existing ones to mind.
Another questionable detail is the arming of robots. Initially, they are not armed at all. Yes, on the one hand, the idea that any robot in the heat of battle can lift any existing machine gun, shotgun, knife, brick and join the battle looks very beautiful. Everything is so human and cute. And if you think:
As we already know, one of the main functions of the robot is to be a mobile shield, so that it does not hide from direct fire, but instead blocks the enemy's direction of fire. But after all, any existing automatic and even semi-automatic weapon is damaged from direct hits, and thus, in case of heap fire of the enemy, such a titanium robot can be disarmed in just a second. And then what, the robot will have to turn around and ask for a machine gun from a living policeman standing behind or to disrupt the performance of the current task, throwing to collect any sticks and bricks from the ground?
So, the only adequate conclusion: the weapon must be built in, in which the majority of all mechanisms and storage for cartridges are perfectly protected from direct hits.
Another identified problem of a combat robot is bipedalism. For the sake of Hollywood atropomorphism, all combat robots were left with only two footholds in exchange for the mathematically necessary three for maximum stable movement. What happens in the end: the huge budget costs of the corporeally imperative system of internal balance of the body, imitating the behavior of the human cerebellum, which are comparable to the cost of a million built-in thermal imagers. In reality, such a two-legged robot would either move very slowly, or fall from every attempt at jumping and cultivating. Here the simplest and most sensible solution is a flying droid, not tied to uneven terrain and having the ability to act in three dimensions at once, and not in two, like all ground combat units.
But the experts of Hollywood tried their best, the face of the robot. He was maximally humanized by making him extremely sweet and not caring about all the potential problems. And there are a lot of them:
First, the problem of two eyes directed in one direction - it is not necessary for robots. Binocular vision is a purely human trait, absolutely not compulsory for robots for orientation in space. A combat robot could be made and 5, and even 100 eyes, but located throughout the body: behind, above, below, - for maximum visibility of the combat situation. But two “eyes” located on the same line, I mean, who can only look ahead and demand a constant turn of the head - it’s not even funny.
Secondly, with the plus to this festival of unnecessary decisions, Chappi’s face is equipped with a piece of iron on top and a piece of iron on the bottom, which are actively stirring and imitating eyebrows and lips. Eyebrows and lips for an automatic combat unit - as a great addition to the ears of a kitten. For the sake of mimicity filmmakers are ready not only to do strange things, but to build the absurdity simply into an absolute. Thus, of course, emotions are perfectly fulfilled, but as a fighting droid of 2016, Chappi’s character is simply terrible and in real life would lose to any existing drone alone or as part of a group of 100 out of 100 collisions.
The antithesis of this bipedal droid in the film itself is just a flying robot with a thermal imager, a huge number of built-in various weapons, including cluster bombs. But he also has only one camera-eye made, at the breaking of which the operator controlling the mega-robot loses all the threads of the battle situation control. Well, such a huge battle robot is also destroyed with just one grenade, easily and simply. This is a movie after all.
So, what we have in the end: a beautifully reflective police droid with a complete absence of the useful function of a moving shield, equipped with ridiculous software, having communicative ears (removable with a screwdriver), an external damaged weapon, and the absence of a 360 degree panorama. For a work of art that pursues its goals and objectives, this is certainly not a failure at all, however, the purpose of this article is to prevent real software developers and interfaces from blindly copying such purely artistic Hollywood crafts and any cinema ridiculous design created to produce for the viewer. wow effect ", but not to be real acting devices. I would also like to see the interface consultants and UX appear in the staffing table when filming the next blockbusters, along with historical and military consultants, which would certainly add to the films of the future more realism and involvement of the viewer.
Also in this article we will continue to develop the central theme of May about anthropomorphism as a key feature of human perception of inanimate objects and systems. Well, the starting point for the reasoning and predictions about the future of the new techno-race will be the feature film “Robot named Chappi” about the plight of the cop robot who gains intelligence.
Immediately I want to warn you that, despite some of my further criticisms about the weak development of UX in the film, in general, this work of art is highly recommended for viewing, since the film was generally liked due to interesting plot moves and allegories. So, the main character of the film is robot number 22, which is a fighting police droid, designed to be a shield for the living cops of Johannesburg, as well as an independent fighting unit. Chappi provides military support in mass firefights and can even independently detain criminals. Let's try on a five-point scale to evaluate the functionality of this combat unit shown in the film and predict the real benefits of such police robots.
')
Robot as a movable shield - score 2
Here in the frame shows how several people are hiding behind his body. However, the robot is made damn scrawny, which is why you can only hide from one arrow at an angle of exactly 90 degrees. If there are several enemy shooters, the robot Chappi becomes absolutely useless as an element of protection, and this can be clearly seen.
Moreover, even four thin robots lined up in a row will not produce the effect that thousands of years ago it was possible to create with a wall of shields or a "walking-city" device.
Information exchange for combat interaction - assessment 1
The next interesting detail - the robot made protruding antenna ears. And just two antennas, apparently one would not be enough, which are damaged by each sneeze and require constant replacement.
The robot, which should be constantly under fire - the main titanium case, and antennas for communication and correction of group actions - which can be damaged with a simple screwdriver. In the comments you can really argue that the funny ears of a kitten from a combat droid is an artistic device, it's cute, it's a children's rating and fees. But if we talk about the real application of such an image, then it looks the most ridiculous. Moreover, the software update for the robot does not occur with the help of these ears, here it seems that everyone in turn needs to insert a USB flash drive into their heads. Take, for example, a thousand robots, multiply by dozens of upgrades daily - and the manufacturer has only one flash drive at all. But you can turn off all the robots immediately at once, which then happens in the film. Just some kind of anti-usability.
High-quality scripts and algorithms - rating 1
Apparently, just the problems with the antenna-ears in the end resulted in the fact that the fighting robots act on the screen as primitively as possible, without correcting their actions with each other or with common sense. For example, like this, a combat droid enters a room door where an armed criminal has taken refuge (and maybe several, including hostages) —Chappi stands right in the doorway and knocks the door out with his foot.
And of course, gets a shot from the bazooka right in the chest. It is obvious that the software for such combat units in the film was written by freelancers, as the titanium corps does not help the plot, not only against the bazooka, but also against the speeding truck. Of course, supplying a costly robot with a thermal imager also did not occur to anyone, and the film clearly shows that it is much cheaper every day to make new combat units than to pump several existing ones to mind.
Armament combat droid - score 3
Another questionable detail is the arming of robots. Initially, they are not armed at all. Yes, on the one hand, the idea that any robot in the heat of battle can lift any existing machine gun, shotgun, knife, brick and join the battle looks very beautiful. Everything is so human and cute. And if you think:
As we already know, one of the main functions of the robot is to be a mobile shield, so that it does not hide from direct fire, but instead blocks the enemy's direction of fire. But after all, any existing automatic and even semi-automatic weapon is damaged from direct hits, and thus, in case of heap fire of the enemy, such a titanium robot can be disarmed in just a second. And then what, the robot will have to turn around and ask for a machine gun from a living policeman standing behind or to disrupt the performance of the current task, throwing to collect any sticks and bricks from the ground?
So, the only adequate conclusion: the weapon must be built in, in which the majority of all mechanisms and storage for cartridges are perfectly protected from direct hits.
Movement and maneuvering - rating 3
Another identified problem of a combat robot is bipedalism. For the sake of Hollywood atropomorphism, all combat robots were left with only two footholds in exchange for the mathematically necessary three for maximum stable movement. What happens in the end: the huge budget costs of the corporeally imperative system of internal balance of the body, imitating the behavior of the human cerebellum, which are comparable to the cost of a million built-in thermal imagers. In reality, such a two-legged robot would either move very slowly, or fall from every attempt at jumping and cultivating. Here the simplest and most sensible solution is a flying droid, not tied to uneven terrain and having the ability to act in three dimensions at once, and not in two, like all ground combat units.
Showing human emotions - rating 5
But the experts of Hollywood tried their best, the face of the robot. He was maximally humanized by making him extremely sweet and not caring about all the potential problems. And there are a lot of them:
First, the problem of two eyes directed in one direction - it is not necessary for robots. Binocular vision is a purely human trait, absolutely not compulsory for robots for orientation in space. A combat robot could be made and 5, and even 100 eyes, but located throughout the body: behind, above, below, - for maximum visibility of the combat situation. But two “eyes” located on the same line, I mean, who can only look ahead and demand a constant turn of the head - it’s not even funny.
Secondly, with the plus to this festival of unnecessary decisions, Chappi’s face is equipped with a piece of iron on top and a piece of iron on the bottom, which are actively stirring and imitating eyebrows and lips. Eyebrows and lips for an automatic combat unit - as a great addition to the ears of a kitten. For the sake of mimicity filmmakers are ready not only to do strange things, but to build the absurdity simply into an absolute. Thus, of course, emotions are perfectly fulfilled, but as a fighting droid of 2016, Chappi’s character is simply terrible and in real life would lose to any existing drone alone or as part of a group of 100 out of 100 collisions.
The antithesis of this bipedal droid in the film itself is just a flying robot with a thermal imager, a huge number of built-in various weapons, including cluster bombs. But he also has only one camera-eye made, at the breaking of which the operator controlling the mega-robot loses all the threads of the battle situation control. Well, such a huge battle robot is also destroyed with just one grenade, easily and simply. This is a movie after all.
findings
So, what we have in the end: a beautifully reflective police droid with a complete absence of the useful function of a moving shield, equipped with ridiculous software, having communicative ears (removable with a screwdriver), an external damaged weapon, and the absence of a 360 degree panorama. For a work of art that pursues its goals and objectives, this is certainly not a failure at all, however, the purpose of this article is to prevent real software developers and interfaces from blindly copying such purely artistic Hollywood crafts and any cinema ridiculous design created to produce for the viewer. wow effect ", but not to be real acting devices. I would also like to see the interface consultants and UX appear in the staffing table when filming the next blockbusters, along with historical and military consultants, which would certainly add to the films of the future more realism and involvement of the viewer.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/367193/
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