Taking over for humans is nothing new for robots, which long have been developed to perform dangerous work, or to save money by replacing skilled labor. Nowadays, however, robots are replacing low-wage workers. They’re also getting involved in criminal schemes, and even getting their own Internet.

 

Seeking to share knowledge and advance the field’s science, European researchers are developing an Internet for robots to use so that they can develop skills faster and more efficiently.

 

Called RoboEarth, the system will allow robots to communicate with one another and share information they acquire after mastering particular duties. Researchers anticipate RoboEarth will function similarly to Wikipedia by allowing users to contribute knowledge. It also will provide maps so robots can locate the locations of their counterparts.

 

Funded by the European Union, the project has about 35 researchers working on it. They hope to have something in place within four years.

 

As robots increasingly take over duties once fulfilled by humans, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when these robotic fill-ins become ensnared in criminal schemes by unscrupulous types.

 

Such is the case in Dubai, where the camel racing world has been rocked by scandal. Traditionally, the owners of race camels used little boys as jockeys. But following accusations of child abuse, the practice has been gradually discontinued, beginning with a law that took effect in the United Arab Emirates in 2005 banning the use of jockeys younger than 16. Camel owners began using robot jockeys controlled remotely by trainers.

 

Now authorities in Dubai have uncovered a conspiracy to fit robot jockeys with electric stun guns used to prod camels to run faster during races.

 

Generated by remote control, the electric shocks emanate from special kits costing $8,000 a piece that are fitted inside the mechanical jockeys.

 

Police have reportedly arrested three suspects of “Asian nationality” in connection with the scheme.

 

It’s getting so that a guy can’t even hold a sign for a living without a robot taking his place.

 

Entrepreneur Karl Wondra has created robotic Sign Dancers that can be rented by businesses for about $1,000 a month. The idea is catching on, and Wondra expects not only to sell his robo-dancers across the United States, but overseas as well. They’re considerably cheaper than human sign wavers and are a safer alternative, says Wondra, who once was hit by a car. If an automobile is going to careen onto a sidewalk, better it hit a mechanized mannequin than a real human, he insists.

 

Robots to Get Their Own Internet (by Mark Ward, BBC News)

Camel Racing Thrown into Disrepute (by Richard Spencer, The Telegraph)

Three Men Arrested for Selling Illegal Robot Jockeys (by Sara Janahi, GulfNews.com)

Holding Signs on the Side of the Road – Robots Take That Job, Too (Singularity Hub)

-Noel Brinkerhoff