Robots Are Feeling Up our Women

Yes, someone made a robot specifically to grope human breasts. As if there weren’t enough volunteers for the job. But it turns out scientists were hoping to discover breast cancer earlier, and not just more efficiently cop a feel. From Duke Engineering News:

For their experiments, the [Dule bio-]engineers started with a rudimentary tabletop robot whose “eyes” used a novel 3-D ultrasound technology developed at Duke. An artificial intelligence program served as the robot’s “brain” by taking the real-time 3-D information, processing it, and giving the robot specific commands to perform. Since the researchers achieved positive results using a rudimentary robot and a basic artificial intelligence program, they are encouraged that simple and reasonably safe procedures will become routine in the near future as robot and artificial intelligence technology improves.

“The technology behind robotic surgery has grown dramatically, as evidenced by the Da Vinci robot system, which is widely used in U.S. hospitals,” [director Stephen]Smith said. “The same is true of artificial intelligence, which was unknown 20 years ago, and is now the standard in screening pathology samples.

“Based on the results we’ve seen in our laboratory, I am confident that within five to ten years, robots will be performing routine breast biopsies,” Smith said.

As Topless Robot, I’m not sure how I should feel about this technology. Impressed? Outraged? Jealous? Aroused? Maybe all of the above? Thanks to Dukie1993 for the tip.