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
"I went [to the top of] Vehicle Assembly Building and looked down, and tears burst from my eyes. The size of this cathedral where the Rockets take off to go to the moon is so amazing."
- Ray Bradbury
 |
| Purza the Pukha | ||
| A toy with sensors used to monitor children in hospitals. |
Pukhas are described in the novel as "specially programmed stabilizing surrogate devices."
| Pukhas, deriving their name from the imaginary companions discovered by needful children, had become widely used in pediatrics. They could be programmed for a variety of uses, but more often were used in surgical and long-term care with great effect and as surrogates for intense dependency cases. ...thought had been given to its programming: its long soft hair was composed of receptors, monitoring the child's physical and psychic health. It could, receiving danger signals from the Rowan, initiate pacifying sentiments, encourage conversation and, of paramount importance, moderate the little girl's mental "voice." It also responded with its soothing, rumbling purr when the little girl became restless or distressed. |
| From The Rowan,
by Anne McCaffrey. Published by Penguin Putnam in 1990 Additional resources -
|
This does not appear to be a robotic device capable of independent movement.
Compare to the electric sheep and other pets in Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 1 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Rowan
More Ideas
and Technology by Anne McCaffrey
Tech news articles related to The Rowan
Tech news articles related to works by Anne McCaffrey
Purza the Pukha-related
news articles:
- Huggable Robotic Bear Companion From MIT
- Huggable Robotic Bear Video
- Paro Robot Seal Helps Grandma
- Auti Interactive Toy For Autistic Children
- MEDi Robot Calms The Nervous Patient
- Qoobo Headless Robotic Therapy Cat Was Anne McCaffrey's Idea
- Cute Teddy Bear Robot Favorite Of Hospitalized Children
| PEDOT Polymer Could Enhance Brain-Machine Interfaces |
| BioVYZR Is Ready, Anti-Covid19 PAPR Lovers |
| Healight Ultraviolet Endotracheal Device Has Covid-19 Treatment Potential |
| Beat Covid-19 With AIR By MicroClimate - At Last I Get My PAPR |
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 Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
'...just a steady velvety whirr as the taxi sped along.'
'..a wide sheet of clear material suddenly flared with light and swirling colour.'
"I went to the control room where the three other men were manipulating their mechanical men...'
'The legs are long, curled way up to deliver power...'
Okay, sf fans. If you could have some art created from a science fiction sentence, what sentence would you pick?
'There were the cleaners, with large padded feet, who were apparently polishing their way the whole length...'
It's fascinating to me how the Apollo program forced people to think outside their usual boxes.
'Some will combine in place to form more complicated structures, like excavators or centipedes.'
'the hair-fine wire going deep into Owen's brain, down into the pleasure center.'
