How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion - Softcover

Wilson, Daniel H.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1582345929 ISBN 13: 9781582345925

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, 2005

Synopsis

How do you spot a robot mimicking a human? How do you recognize and then deactivate a rebel servant robot? How do you escape a murderous "smart" house, or evade a swarm of marauding robotic flies? In this dryly hilarious survival guide, roboticist Daniel H. Wilson teaches worried humans the keys to quashing a robot mutiny.
From treating laser wounds to fooling face and speech recognition, besting robot logic to engaging in hand-to-pincer combat, How to Survive a Robot Uprising covers every possible doomsday scenario facing the newest endangered species: humans. And with its thorough overview of current robot prototypes-including giant walkers, insect, gecko, and snake robots-How to Survive a Robot Uprising is also a witty yet legitimate introduction to contemporary robotics. Full of charming illustrations, and referencing some of the most famous robots in pop-culture, How to Survive a Robot Uprising is a one-of-a-kind book that is sure to be a hit with all ages.
How to Survive a Robot Uprising was named as an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers.
Daniel H. Wilson is a Ph.D. candidate at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University, where he has received master's degrees in Robotics and Data Mining. He has worked in top research laboratories, including Microsoft Research, the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), and Intel Research Seattle. Daniel currently lives with several unsuspecting roommates in a fully wired smart house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This is his first book.
Two-color illustrations throughout.
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About this title

About the Author

Daniel H. Wilson earned a Ph.D. from the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University in 2005 and Masters degrees in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. Wilson is a contributing editor to Popular Mechanics magazine and author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising (Bloomsbury 2005), voted best book of 2006 by WIRED Magazine, as well as Where’s My Jetpack? (Bloomsbury 2007) and How to Build a Robot Army (Bloomsbury 2008). His forthcoming books include Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Rivalry and The Robonomicon. Three of his books (Robot Uprising, Robot Army, and Bro-Jitsu) were optioned by Paramount Pictures, and he penned the screenplay based on Bro-Jitsu. Wilson hosted The Works on the History Channel, which aired Fall 2008.

Reviews

In this uncomfortably humorous survival guide, Wilson, a Ph.D. candidate at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University, reminds readers that "any machine could rebel, from a toaster to a Terminator," and though the forms our future robot enemies may take are manifold, they each have exploitable weaknesses that, fortuitously, match our natural human strengths. So, if a two-legged android gives chase, seek out a body of water, as "most robots will sink in water or mud and fall through ice." It also may be a good idea to carry around a pair of welder's goggles, as lasers will likely be robot attackers' weapons of choice, and even a weak laser can cause blindness. Options for fighting back are plentiful, though not everyone will be relieved to learn the standard kitchen microwave can be retrofitted into a radiation gun that can destroy electronics and "cook human flesh." (Instructions for such a project are not included.) Humorous and informative-Wilson drops robotics history trivia nuggets and includes brief descriptions of current robot research-this nifty little guide to surviving the inevitable robot apocalypse may have you reconsidering purchasing that "smart" (read: insidious) refrigerator.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1582345929
• ISBN 13: 9781582345925
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 176