Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

Phobos · 2002-06-22 14:59:57

Considering that most of the more intelligent and popular pets people have on Earth are carnivores that would be hard to feed on Mars, do you think furry robotic companions might make a substitute? With advances in artificial intelligence it's probably safe to assume they could be made to act less like machines and more like the real thing with their conniving antics and need for attention. Such robotic pets could also serve as useful companions on outings as backup safety sentinels, navigators, etc. And with nueral network technology that learns like humans do instead of through strict programming, they could develop personalities all their own based on their environmental conditions. Even though you'd need a super-computer for such a pet, it's possible in the future such power will be available cheaply and small. If I were going to build a robocat and had the computing power to pull it off convincingly, I'd try to copy the skeleton and supple nature of a real cat to add to the artificial copy. You could add sensors to its body so it replies to touch also.

Byron · 2002-06-22 16:06:49

Considering that most of the more intelligent and popular pets people have on Earth are carnivores that would be hard to feed on Mars, do you think furry robotic companions might make a substitute? With advances in artificial intelligence it's probably safe to assume they could be made to act less like machines and more like the real thing with their conniving antics and need for attention. Such robotic pets could also serve as useful companions on outings as backup safety sentinels, navigators, etc. And with nueral network technology that learns like humans do instead of through strict programming, they could develop personalities all their own based on their environmental conditions. Even though you'd need a super-computer for such a pet, it's possible in the future such power will be available cheaply and small. If I were going to build a robocat and had the computing power to pull it off convincingly, I'd try to copy the skeleton and supple nature of a real cat to add to the artificial copy. You could add sensors to its body so it replies to touch also.

Heck, they have electronic "pets" now...although these are just toys now, it'll be a short leap to making realistic-looking cats and dogs, and with the continuing rapid increases in computer power, they're probably not as far off as you think.

I don't think robotic pets will be a complete subsitute for real pets, even on Mars...you'll never get that "warm, fuzzy" feeling as a you would from real, live animals. I do like the idea of them being used for practical, labor-saving tasks, however..and I think they will play a valuable role in this regard on Mars, as human labor will be in very short supply.

B

Aetius · 2002-06-22 16:19:54

I'm a 'cat person'. Nothing could substitute for them, ever.

But having little robot dudes to help out around the house would be just awesome, especially if I was pulling 14-hour shifts in a factory or mine.

Real, live cats provide so much joy to their owners that they'd certainly worth the expense to feed. Since few people would pay to transport them from Earth, pet stores might become very profitable businesses on Mars.

I just hope Martians have enough sense to enact some spay/neuter laws.

Palomar · 2002-06-22 19:23:21

Considering that most of the more intelligent and popular pets people have on Earth are carnivores that would be hard to feed on Mars, do you think furry robotic companions might make a substitute?

*Actually, I think a cat may be the most inexpensive ::and:: practical option in having a real pet; even for the *first* astronauts to Mars (provided they all like, or at least can tolerate, a cat...and provided none of them are allergic to cat hair).

1. Cats keep themselves clean.

2. Cats can be trained to use a toilet; no need to bother with kitty litter, which is a lot of extra weight.

3. Cats are small, independent, and excellent at entertaining themselves.

4. Cats are nocturnal; thus, while the astronauts are busy during the "day," Ms. Meow will be snoozing away in her favorite little nook or cranny (and thus will be out of the way and not underfoot) -- this is, of course, provided her "inner clock" doesn't get screwed up on a space flight.

5. She can drink the same water as the astronauts, of course.

6. The cat could eat scraps from the astronaut's meals, supplemented with bits of regular cat food (save on money and weight in the ship).

7. If the ship is rotating to mimic Marsian gravity, a little weighted "cat sweater" could be made for her prior to take-off; light, to keep her comfy, yet with enough weight to keep her muscles working at near-Earth gravity.

Of course, this may not be feasible. I think pets are important, and I know I'd miss having them. I love both dogs and cats equally, but cats are obviously the better option in this scenario...at least in the early days of Mars exploration, etc.

--Cindy

Phobos · 2002-06-23 11:47:25

But would it be feasible for a colony to spare land to produce food for what are essentially meat-eating animals? Their dietary restraints could make them very expensive in terms of resources to maintain. It might be worth it though considering how important to morale pets could prove.

Palomar · 2002-06-25 15:53:45

But would it be feasible for a colony to spare land to produce food for what are essentially meat-eating animals? Their dietary restraints could make them very expensive in terms of resources to maintain. It might be worth it though considering how important to morale pets could prove.

*Hmmmmm. I don't think robotic pets could replace real ones. I suppose a carnivorous animal may be more expensive to keep than a non-carnivorous one.

Robotic pets would require cost, too: The parts, upkeep, repairs, etc. I suppose a person wanting a robotic cat would like for it to have false fur, false eyeballs (where will you get those on Mars? Would have to ship them in from Earth, I suppose), and rig up a way for it to say "meow."

To be honest, I don't know which is the better ::financial:: option for settlers or colonists.

As for astronauts on missions, I do think a cat as a pet would be the best option [as I outlined in my last post in this thread].

--Cindy

Phobos · 2002-06-25 18:59:19

Robotic pets would require cost, too: The parts, upkeep, repairs, etc. I suppose a person wanting a robotic cat would like for it to have false fur, false eyeballs (where will you get those on Mars? Would have to ship them in from Earth, I suppose), and rig up a way for it to say "meow."
To be honest, I don't know which is the better ::financial:: option for settlers or colonists.
As for astronauts on missions, I do think a cat as a pet would be the best option [as I outlined in my last post in this thread].

The type of pets I'm talking about aren't rigidly programmed toys that have a very limited range of actions. I'm assuming that by time a sizable Mars colony becomes a reality we'll have the technology to compress millions of artificial nuerons with processors that could maybe do trillions of calculations per second in something the size of a cat. Such a beast would learn from its environment much the same way a real animal does and it could be programmed with a rudimentary set of "instincts" so it knows when it needs to meet bodily requirements. Such an animal would be a far cry from something you'd pick up at Toys R Us. It's possible such an artificial creature would be virtually indistinguishable from the real thing if its body could be made realistic enough. I guess it could be something of a feline Turing test.
It's true also that artificial pets would require upkeep, but I'd imagine the resources they need for power and repairs would be easier to obtain from the Martian environment.

Palomar · 2002-06-26 09:41:56

The type of pets I'm talking about aren't rigidly programmed toys that have a very limited range of actions. I'm assuming that by time a sizable Mars colony becomes a reality we'll have the technology to compress millions of artificial nuerons with processors that could maybe do trillions of calculations per second in something the size of a cat. Such a beast would learn from its environment much the same way a real animal does and it could be programmed with a rudimentary set of "instincts" so it knows when it needs to meet bodily requirements. Such an animal would be a far cry from something you'd pick up at Toys R Us.

*Well, that puts a finer line on the matter [robotics isn't my strong suit, apparently] Yes, I suppose what you foresee could work.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2002-10-05 14:06:20

But would it be feasible for a colony to spare land to produce food for what are essentially meat-eating animals? Their dietary restraints could make them very expensive in terms of resources to maintain. It might be worth it though considering how important to morale pets could prove.

*This came to mind again last evening, when I was cleaning my cat's teeth. The only "solution" I can offer regarding feeding cats on Mars, particularly in the earliest settlements, is to feed them the bones and scraps from whatever of those Japanese hens might be butchered for food, after they are through producing eggs [the small hens Zubrin refers to in _The Case for Mars_]. While producing eggs, the cat could eat eggs. There would also be reconstituted powdered milk to enrich kitty's diet.

I know this doesn't sound like a "real selling" idea, but I thought of it. ::shrugs::

--Cindy

AltToWar · 2002-10-05 15:24:04

you have seen sony's Aibo, right?

Palomar · 2002-10-05 15:45:52

you have seen sony's Aibo, right?

*Nope. ???

Please do tell.

--Cindy

AltToWar · 2002-10-05 16:30:44

I thought Aibo was the initial inspiration for this post.

http://www.aibo.com/
http://www.us.aibo.com/clubaibo/video.php

The toys cost over a grand, but are rather amazing.

Feature list:

Voice Recognition:

AIBO has a 75 voice commands

Recognizes its name and owner?s name

Sensors:

Infrared distance sensor

Acceleration sensor

Switches (head, face, legs, paws, tail) [touch sensors]

Vibration sensor

Temperature sensor

Digital Photos:

Take digital snapshots by voice command

Save as JPEG image to the ?Memory Stick?

Motion Detection photography (* AIBO Explorer AIBO-ware required)

Communication Between AIBOs and Owners:

Interacts and responds to/with other AIBO?s

Expresses a wide variety of emotions ( happiness, sadness, fear, dislike, surprise, anger) and instincts (play, search, hunger, sleep)

RobS · 2002-10-05 23:12:49

There's a long history of agricultural people making pets out of the animals they eat. Rabbit pets, anyone? They may be the first non-human mammals going to Mars.

As for non-food animals, I'd favor some canaries; they sing beautifully, and people will miss bird songs.

-- RobS

AltToWar · 2002-10-06 15:55:05

Could this be the future of pets on mars?
http://www.rathergood.com/punk_kittens/

Mars_B4_Moon · 2023-05-18 10:59:39

Dog laps up the attention of mountain rescuers

Mountain rescue called to carry tired dog 'Rocky' down Scafell Pike
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/0 … -district/
Crew of 13 volunteers carried the 33kg Akita down the Lake District mountain on a 'sled stretcher'

Not sure if 'Robots' will ever get the attitude of Cats or Dogs, maybe something less emotional like fish are one of the most popular pets in Canada, the pet Birds are also a popular pet in Canada, also in Canada and Europe mammals, such as guinea pigs, rabbits, Reptiles are the sixth most common pet in the U.S.A it might be a while before Mars has enough Biodomes formed with space to own horses.

Japanese Rice Fish
https://aquariumstoredepot.com/blogs/ne … -rice-fish

Mars_B4_Moon · 2023-05-30 07:09:59

Laika the type Soviet space dog probably would have made a good Pet on Mars, there have been a few reports of Pet chimpanzee going crazy and have strength where they are known for 'ripping people's face off' there was also Félicette was a stray Parisian cat who went to space. These animals were not really pets but 'test subjects'.
911 CALL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj12FzM1s7I
'Do A Head Shot!': Bodycam Shows Owner Asking Police To Kill Pet Chimpanzee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUMkyida6yk

'Ham the Chimp' seemed to be of good temperament, there were originally 40 chimpanzee flight candidates. Some animals might take resources or be trouble However I know pets give people comfort.What is the policy on Earth, for example on Pets in Antarctica? I know working dogs and other working animals have been brought to the South Pole for exploration.

Huskies were finally removed from Antarctica a a consequence of The "Madrid Protocol" - Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty

Dogs in Antarctica - Huskies
https://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarcti … uskies.php

"The departure of the last remaining huskies from Antarctica marks the end of an era . . . It will always be difficult for those who have not shared the experience to understand the pure delight of driving behind dogs and being utterly dependent on them for life itself . . . "
HRH the Prince of Wales - foreword to the book "Of Dogs and Men" by Kevin Walton and Rick Atkinson
Dogs first arrived in Antarctica on the 17th of February 1899 when 75 were landed by the ship Southern Cross of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1898 - 1900 at Cape Adare in the Ross Sea area. The landing was followed by a four day blizzard which trapped seven men ashore, they had a large tent and survived by bringing all of the dogs in to lie on top of them to keep them warm, dogs in Antarctica proved their worth from the outset.

A snigger dog, a sheep dog, a huskie pulling a ride, any kind of working dog is not a Pet.

In the case of dogs, specifically because distemper (a disease of dogs) could potentially spread from the dogs to the native seals of Antarctica.

the breed of working dog

In the 1950's the scientific method began to be applied to sledge dogs and sledging, especially nutrition. A scientist from Cambridge was appointed as a dog physiologist to the British Antarctic Survey base at Hope Bay. He found that a smaller more sturdily built dog could out-pull a heavier one and came up with an "optimal" sledge dog:
Height at shoulder - 23" (58.5cm)
Nose to tail - 60" (152.5cm)
Width at shoulder - 10" (25.5cm)
Width at hip - 8" (20cm)
Weight, around: 90lb (41kg)
A sledge load of 120 lb (54.5kg) per dog was considered to be a fair maximum, this was confirmed with strain gauges measuring the pull a dog could exert, though this could vary by 50% from day to day dependent on a number of factors such as temperature, diet, snow surface and even the mental effects of a long monotonous journey on the dog.
A dog team would usually consist of nine dogs often led by a bitch. Lighter dogs went at the front and heavier workers to the rear. The dogs gave the appearance of enjoying human company and attention and enjoyed their jobs pulling sledges. The center trace was most commonly used, though at other times a fan trace would be used to good effect. In good conditions a team on the Antarctic Peninsula might average 16 miles (26 km day)

The Pitbull, perhaps one day the culling will come, or they might even see something in the dog to be saved and attempt restart the breed. I can perfectly understand why some nations ban them.
Which species or breed is going to win this unnamed war, the Human or the Pitbull? Maybe a Robotic Pet would never substitute for the violence and insanity of an unpredictable human aggressive Pit.
They as a dog personality seem to be the Taliban, BLM, Antifa, Al-Qaeda of the 'Dog World' I wonder how much these breed and family of bloodsport 'Canidae' cost the US economy each year?

Christchurch dog owner ignores requests to muzzle pitbull, woman’s dog killed
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/christchu … ZNEHEEGOQ/

Teenager left needing operation after ‘pitbull’ attack
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/teenag … 00847.html

UP: Pitbull Mauls Policeman's 8-Year-old Daughter In Meerut, Critically Injures Her
https://www.msn.com/

Couple unmasked after their pitbull ripped schoolboy's face apart in savage attack
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-new … d-30068350

Woman mauled by pit bull as she tries to save dog leaving her needing 100 stitches
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-new … 012393.amp

Dog is stung 800 times by swarm of bees after owner tried removing nest from his yard in California
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl … ornia.html

Kitty for its small size did ok here, a pity it did not remove the dogs eyes and ears

https://youtube.com/shorts/l2_cbcW-MYs

People falls for stories of cat pics or dog pics, $10,600 USD raised from the United States economy for this stupid mutt
https://www.gofundme.com/f/dog-attacked-by-bees

I almost found the report one was attacked by a swarm of bees a kind of 'uplifting news' I almost thought it a feel good story but the dog might have been innocent here.

However if you take in the 'facts' this story doesn't make sense, the guy says he 'found' the bee hive while doing yard work and yet he already had a professional looking bee suit ready? How many people do you know stumble upon bee hives in their own backyard while randomly having professional bee suit equipment ready?

So here is what I think happened the guy had an unprofessional hive and was almost in control of some out-of-control hive, some bad breed of 'killer bees' he did not report this to his neighbor and they bees fly in next door. the Pitbull being an aggressive animal decided not to run once the first sting hits and probably ran around in a circle at the bees biting and barking like crazy or tried to bite into a swarm of bees like a stupid crazy Pit would do, the owner of the home that 'found' the hive set up a 'go fund me' knowing he is probably guilty of something stupid. GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that takes bitcoin type cash or credit card payment and allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as 'celebrations' or social justice causes or an event with sad pix of some cat or dog.

and the dog died anyways, waste of time, waste of effort, waste of tv media space, waste of 10 K
https://www.foxla.com/news/dog-dies-aft … bee-attack

Bees are not 'Pets' but people are known for Keeping 'ant colonies' as pets, when some Ants escape and Expand they can become pests eating through everything and very difficult to 'Get Rid of Ants'

and Robotic Bees?
Also no substitute for the real thing!

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-05-30 07:56:36)

Mars_B4_Moon · 2023-06-11 07:26:29

Robot pets improving residents’ wellbeing
https://www.australianageingagenda.com. … wellbeing/

The various types of exotic pets
https://www.thederrick.com/news/feature … 9e1b1.html
Cats and dogs may never be knocked off their perch as the most popular pets.

However a Robot could never be a replacement for the crazy and trouble and problems of the real thing on Earth.

'A larger dog grabs a puppy off of a woman's lap while she is eating lunch'
https://twitter.com/TSFights/status/1663944128705740800

Always be ready to kill a Pit, you need to land a fatal hit with the first blow.

Here is a Pit dog grabbing a small dog off of a woman's lap while she is eating lunch and trying to kill the little one by mauling it to death, the dog seems to have gone psycho all of a sudden seeing red without any reason.

One woman screeches

another younger person says they need to put the dog down...perhaps they plan on waiting for the government or vet to do something and then asking 'Why is he not letting go'? Perhaps the young person even thinks its like her own dog or her grandpa or auntie and uncle well trained dogs and thinks the dog can be reasoned with like a 'debate' or not knowing it comes from a line of bloodsport in Europe and America, the breed is a mix originally dog killing dog, it gets into pit gambling areas in London gangs and New York gangs now we have a human aggressive Pit bull Dog was used by Gangsters and Drug Dealers in gambling fights was used to kill other dogs in blood sport and the breed was known for 'Not Letting Go'. Thsi dog is from a different city era, when Dog fighting, Bear fights in pit and bull baiting was often to the death, for the purposes of gambling or entertainment. In recent years in the USA the ASPCA participated in one of the largest federal dog fighting raids in U.S. history. Most of the aggressive blood sport dogs a human aggressive Pit breed made for dog fighting, this is no longer part of US culture and class as illegal activity and animal cruelty. The raid in recent years took place in eight states and had 26 arrests, of which two defendants are required to spend at least 10 years in prison, some prisons in the USA have hard labor. Gambling was done in the past when dog would fight, people would gamble on which dog would win and kill the other.

So what's interesting here is the guy trying to free the little dog is able to kick, he plays football or maybe did a little kick boxing but his kick strikes have little effect on the blood lusted dog. Maybe if he had aimed his kick at the small ribs or into the dogs neck he might have done a little better but it is best to just kill with the first strike. He seem to have kicked at the groin but perhaps missed that 'sweet spot' or the dog is a very strong 'game dog' from bloodsports and continues attack while kicked in the 'ball sack'. To win you can also grab the dogs testicle and leg, testicles with one hand squeezing and pull with full force until its balls rip right off but be ready for the dog to turn and bite. That's why I would say just fill it with bullets or grab it by the neck, maybe by scruff of the neck and lift and keep stabbing until the dog stops moving, it is a bloodsport 'game dog' so there will be a lot of blood everywhere but you need to keep stabbing until the threat is over, the owners will be worthless and only get in the way and perhaps try prevent you from winning but if on a Mars colony and in an attack like this you must win to save your animals or save other humans from the attack.
How do you deal with such a dog quick, you take your gun and you aim for the body, putting enough bullets into it or if its possible if you don't have a sharp knife on the table you can flip a fork or spoon the other way and use the stabbing screwdriver part of the handle to go through the Mutt's rib-cage if you hit with enough force, aim for the heart area you might also break glass, or use a bit of a broken plate and open the dogs neck. The dog is a fighting breed and might continue going for another 10 seconds after you open its neck, the Pit is known to lock on and there have been pix of its laws locked in even after it was been 'tranquilized' by vets. I have seen dogs like this continue to fight after taking gun shots and seen vids of Cops having to empty their guns into the dog, you don't want to tranquilize a dog like this. You just need to out right kill it, for example outright separating its head from it body with a blow from a large axe.

Because so much negative story follows this dog 'breed' of sorts around I would recommend a preemptive ban on Pits on Mars.

The owner has created chaos among his people by not being responsible for an aggressive dog, the owner needs to work off his debt to the victim, perhaps if he continues to be attracted to such breeds and unable to control them live his life somewhere away from citizens, behind a wall away from the public for a while or banned from owning dogs ever again. Always try to turn a negative into a positive, on Mars you could make the worthless Pit owner one of your penal colony slaves to increase economic production and the dog can be turned into dog meat.

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-06-11 08:20:40)

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#1 2002-06-22 14:59:57

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#2 2002-06-22 16:06:49

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#3 2002-06-22 16:19:54

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#4 2002-06-22 19:23:21

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#5 2002-06-23 11:47:25

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#6 2002-06-25 15:53:45

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#7 2002-06-25 18:59:19

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#8 2002-06-26 09:41:56

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#9 2002-10-05 14:06:20

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#10 2002-10-05 15:24:04

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#11 2002-10-05 15:45:52

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#12 2002-10-05 16:30:44

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#13 2002-10-05 23:12:49

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#14 2002-10-06 15:55:05

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#15 2023-05-18 10:59:39

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#16 2023-05-30 07:09:59

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

#17 2023-06-11 07:26:29

Re: Robotic Pets? - Could they substitute for the real thing

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