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"[Science fiction] is the only kind of writing that allows you to look at the world we live in and change one piece at a time."
- Frederik Pohl
 |
| Automatic Massager | ||
| An autonomous massage machine with robotic arms and hands. |
After being asleep for decades while traveling between the stars, some manipulations of the body are helpful.
| Slowly, I pushed my hand toward the edge of the bed. Click! My fingers pressed the button that was there. There was a faint hum. The automatic massager began to fumble gently over my naked form.
 (Massage robot from Far Centaurus) First, it rubbed my arms; then it moved to my legs and so on over my body. As it progressed, I could feel the fine slick of oil that oozed from it working into my dry skin. A dozen times I could have screamed from the pain of life returning. But in an hour I was able to sit up and turn on the lights. |
| Technovelgy from Far Centaurus,
by A.E. van Vogt. Published by Astounding Science-Fiction in 1944 Additional resources -
|
In another part of the story, they are described as having "gentle, padded hands."
The gentle, padded hands had been working on me for about fifteen minutes when my door opened...
In his earlier novel (1941) Methuselah's Children, Robert Heinlein wrote about care needed by somnolents in cold sleep.
Cautiously, I turned on the massager.
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Far Centaurus
More Ideas
and Technology by A.E. van Vogt
Tech news articles related to Far Centaurus
Tech news articles related to works by A.E. van Vogt
Automatic Massager-related
news articles:
- Massage Robot Has Soft Hands, Er, Pads
- RehaBot Physical Therapy Robot Proposed
- Motorika Robot Therapy Helps Stroke Patients
- Prototype Robotic Masseur Has The Touch
| Drug To Regenerate Teeth In Humans |
| Illustrating Classic Heinlein With AI |
| Brainoware Reservoir Computation Of Biological Neural Networks |
| Forward CarePod The AI Doctor's Office |
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'What would you do,' Eric asked the robot cabdriver, 'if your wife had turned to stone, your best friend were a toad, and you had lost your job?'
'those suits they wear -- call them 'stillsuits' -- that reclaim the body's own water...'
'Now, except for weight and heat, the same conditions prevail in this chamber as in space.'
'there were so many worms and counterworms loose in the data-net...'
'Now, look, let's start with the three fundamental Rules of Robotics...'
'..the synthetic intellects at the Place of Knowledge had far outstripped the minds of men.'
'But after washing and drying clothes had to be smooth - free from fine lines and wrinkles ...'
