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From: smith@umn-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.ai
Subject: Re: Re: Robot Safety and Sensationalism
Message-ID: <12000003@umn-cs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 1-May-85 12:42:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: umn-cs.12000003
Posted: Wed May  1 12:42:00 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 3-May-85 04:24:35 EDT
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Nf-From: umn-cs!smith    May  1 11:42:00 1985


  My apologies to anyone who thought the submission was an attempt at press
sensationalism.  I submitted the item for two reasons.  First, because there
hadn't been (to my knowledge) any news announcement of the event.  The death
occurred last summer, but I didn't see any mention of it until my wife
stumbled over the report in an obscure medical newsletter.
  The other reason I submitted it is because robot arms such as the one in
the accident are the subject of lots of research in computer control, by
myself and presumably by others who read this list.  Implicit in the report
is a question 'Could we make the robot smart enough not to do that?'

Rick.