Rossum's universal robots: not the machines

Journal of Endourology
Michael E Moran

Abstract

One assumes in the era of rapidly expanding technology that robot implies mechanical beings. This is not how the word was used initially and represents one of those metamorphoses to another conceptualization. This is an investigation into Capek's original play, Rossum's Universal Robots, for an understanding of his intended meaning. Karel Capek was Czechoslovakian. His play was written in 1920, first performed in 1921, and presented in New York in 1922. It has come to symbolize Western society's feelings about robots. Capek's writing and the original play might clarify the definition of robot for the record, in light of some controversy as to whether the da Vinci Surgical System is a robot or not. THE PLAY: Rossum was a great physiologist who chemically synthesized living protoplasm and was capable of constructing artificial life forms: first, a dog; then, a man. His son was an engineer who quickly was able to manufacture large numbers of humanoids at lower costs " ... producing a robot has been brought down within 15 years from $10,000 to $150." This is the first foreshadowing of Moore's Law. But critically, these are not machines, even though his robots outperform humans. The story turns sinister as the robots eventually revo...Continue Reading

References

Aug 21, 2007·Journal of Endourology·Michael E Moran

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Citations

Aug 7, 2008·Journal of Endourology·Michael Moran
Aug 15, 2015·Journal of Surgical Oncology·Hossam Eldin Mohamed, Emad Kandil

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