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"It was [H.G. Wells'] adolescent fiction, his imaginative stories, that live forever - and yet are not acknowledged in literature classes as being great literature. So to hell with the academics!"
- Greg Bear
 |
| Robot Snake Spy | ||
| A small robot in the shape of a snake, used for field work by spies. |
How to retrieve a small amount of material from a person held captive in a small cottage?
| The coil on the table appeared to be a snake - tan and brown with black specks and a spade-shaped head. It did not look alive and it did not look dead.
...He reached down and partially uncoiled the snake, then squeezed its middle. A small hatch popped open, giving a glimpse of gleaming steel ribs and wires. He placed the tube inside the snake, then closed the hatch. "The snake has hi-res terrain mapping tied in with augmented GPS, and in this model, face and voice recognition... Within sight of a targeted individual - I mean, the intended individual - it will make an audible announcement and open its hatch." |
| From Mariposa,
by Greg Bear. Published by Vanguard Press in 2009 Additional resources -
|
Interesting science-fictional predecessors to this idea include the mining worm robot from Love Among the Robots (1946) by Emmett McDowell, the robot snake from Bait for the Tiger (1952) by Lee Chaytor, the robot earthworm from War with the Robots (1962) by Harry Harrison, the mechanical cobra from Lord of Light (1967) by Roger Zelazny and the digger worm from With Friends Like These (1985) by Connie Willis.
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Additional
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More Ideas
and Technology from Mariposa
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and Technology by Greg Bear
Tech news articles related to Mariposa
Tech news articles related to works by Greg Bear
Robot Snake Spy-related
news articles:
- Snakebot Conquers Obstacle Course
- Terrifying Robot Snake's Flying, Coiling Attack
- Robot Snakes Now With Partitioned Gait
| Florida Man Felt Harassed By Drone, Shoots It Down |
| Guard Dog Robot Security Check |
| Portsmouth, OH Residents Don't All Favor Drone Surveillance |
| Airport Security Now Using Predator-Style Heat Vision Helmets |
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'Webb Foster had built his space laboratory... It was a great crystal sphere, a thousand feet in diameter.'
'It's illegal to hold back information during a psyche test,' the machine said peevishly.'
Perfect for exploring ancient artifacts on distant planets.
'a walking balloon proceeded with long strides of its aluminum legs over a slant of steep upland.'
'This was as close as a robot could get to a cop in uniform.'
