Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"In 1970 I found little difficulty staying 30 years ahead of the man in the street, and now I find it difficult to stay 18 months ahead of the man on the street."
- Vernor Vinge
 |
| Carer-Type Robot | ||
| A general-purpose robot designed to help care for humans. |
| “Got a new one for you,” the mover said. Small man, in neat overalls, wheeling the box on the stacker. That’s what the robot saw when they opened the box and let it out. It stepped cautiously out into sunshine. An unfamiliar city skyline, a boxy whitewashed building in front of him, a busy-looking woman in a blue dress examining the manifesto.
“Can it cook?” she said. “Cook, clean, sing lullabies,” the mover said. “I gotta go, I have another half-dozen to deliver.” “All right, Sami. See you,” the woman said. She turned to the robot. “Do you have a name?” she said. “R76-2,” the robot said. It was the first time it had spoken since the tests in the lab. “R76?” the woman said. “Dash two.” “I’m going to call you Orson,” the woman said. “I’m Mrs. Abbas. Do you know where you are?” “I do not, Mrs. Abbas,” the robot—Orson—said. “This is Neom. You are a general purpose, carer-type, correct?” “Yes, Mrs. Abbas.” “Then you should know what to do.” |
| Technovelgy from The Robot,
by Lavie Tidhar. Published by Uncanny Magazine in 2024 Additional resources -
|
This excerpt shows the carer-type robot at work:
Compare to the robant from The Impossible Planet (1953) by Philip K. Dick.
“I’m dying, you know,” Mr. Hammid said.
“I know, Baba,” the robot said. It wiped the sweat from Mr. Hammid’s face gently with the cloth. It was dark in the room, the ceiling fan turning lazily overhead. The lights of the city rose outside, beyond the window, skyscrapers and minarets and floating street lanterns, but their light remained outside where it belonged.
“I don’t want to die,’ Mr. Hammid said. “I have so much still to do.”
“I know, Baba,” the robot said.
“It hurts,” Mr. Hammid said. “I didn’t think it would hurt so much.”
The robot wondered at this concept, pain. It dipped the cloth in cool water and touched it to Mr. Hammid’s forehead. Mr. Hammid closed his eyes. His breathing was shallow.
“Sing me a song,” Mr. Hammid said.
“Of course.”
The robot had sung the song many times, to many patients. It seemed to please them. It began. “Hush now, my baby, sleep now has come, sleep now, my baby, may all your dreams be kind…”
When the robot stopped singing Mr. Hammid’s breath had left his body, and he was still. The robot had seen many humans die, but the why of it remained a mystery to both it and them. It wheeled Mr. Hammid’s body to the Room of Final Rest and contemplated mortality.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Robot
More Ideas
and Technology by Lavie Tidhar
Tech news articles related to The Robot
Tech news articles related to works by Lavie Tidhar
| Epirus High-Power Microwave Defeats Drones |
| It's A Giant Robot! You Reporters Have Been Warned! |
| Tactile Skin Supplier Map |
| Robot Bees 3D Printed By Festo |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'Space-sickness is one of the most unpleasant sensations that a human being can experience. Not all are subject to it...'
'...I saw a nice black heavy-looking cloud sailing by just now, and I can get the electrical machine out in five minutes to draw it down.'
'From a distance it could resolve the cosmic rays reflected from various substances.'
'The answer to the dumb student's prayer.'
'He had travelled the space-lanes of the solar system for the greater part of his life...'
'The dinner was excellent. It was completely vegetarian — grown in specially prepared gardens in this Moon base...'
'Telepaths had their sensitiveness enlarged to an immense range by the pin-sets, which were telepathic amplifiers adapted to the mammal mind.'
'It was a relief to enter one of the comfortable autos, whisper a direction down the tube, and just know that you would be taken to your destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest manner.'
'But he didn't get very far with it before another noise in his ear radio scattered his thoughts. George winced...'
