[I retrieved this one from the past to fix a few problems. It was originally posted back in April of 2007.]
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[Close Encounters of the Worst Kind is on hiatus for a week]
At the Naval research center's Smart Ship Lab in the near future . . . .
Dr. Meyers is at his desk keeping an eye on his is workstation while the new multi-purpose systems are running their trials behind him. The four systems are designed to work on repetitive task. They are about 5 feet 9 inches tall robots. They move around on small tank tread type of chassis with movable mounting for climbing over bulkheads, above they look like the machine from the movie "Short Circuit" from back in the 1980s. There wasn't money in the budget to make them look too human and the boxy mechanical appearance is perfectly utilitarian. They are currently doing a rather important test: Laundry.
The first machine is folding towels, the second is ironing class a uniforms putting them on hangers and placing the hangers on a pipe. The third is sorting dark wash from light wash, while the fourth is running the washer and dryer. Today the fourth one is trying out a new sensor on its hands that can determine if the wash in the dryer is still wet by just touching it. The machines have done nearly a ton of laundry today and hopefully this laundry doing software package and these artificially intelligent machines will be ready to go to the fleet starting in the next budget cycle.
Another machine sitting in a chair at a desk across from Dr. Meyers is filling out reports on a PC. Suddenly the telephone rings and the machine taps the telephone's speaker button and answers it.
"Laundry lab, this is Beta-12 speaking."
"Beta, is Dr. Meyers there?"
"Yes, can I transfer you?"
"Please."
Beta-12 punches the transfer code and Dr. Meyers picks up his phone.
"Hello."
"Mike, the Congressional visitors are going to be here any minute."
"Don't worry, the guys are ready. They have just about finished the laundry, and they did well with the sweeping and swabbing yesterday."
"Good, the director is still a little annoyed about you sending Able-27 out last week to get pizza, but he's agreed not to write you up if you promise to let him know ahead of time next time you do it so he can have get some pizza too.
"That's fine."
"Also Mike about the painting software I think we . . .," Dr. Meyers listens for a second and hears Dr. Strange talking to another robot, ". . . Mike, Critter just told me that the delegation is at the main gate, gotta run."
Dr Meyers turns to Beta-12 and tells him to pass the word to all the systems. He turns and sees the signal flash on the machine's binary communication channel. He pulls out his comb straightens up his hair then his tie, and gets up and ask Beta-12 to come with him and they go out the door.
Dr. Meyers and Beta-12 enter the lobby and meet with Director and other lab scientist. The group of 5 Congressmen walk in and are introduced by Vice-Admiral Victor to the staff of the lab. Vice Admiral Victor introduces them to Beta-12 last. The Senator from Oregon shakes Beta-12's "hand" when Beta offers it to him and the delightfully amused Senators from Maine and Michigan do so also. The Senator from Texas is shocked for a second then also joins in. The Senator from West Virginia scowls at Beta and says something nasty. Beta pulls back and looks at Dr. Meyers and ask if the Senator malfunctioning. Some muffled snickering and laughing is heard from several parties, and Beta's protocol program determines that it is a topic not worth pursuing. The Director speaks up and the inspection tour continues.
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[Close Encounters of the Worst Kind is on hiatus for a week]
Smart Ship Development Center #1
At the Naval research center's Smart Ship Lab in the near future . . . .
Dr. Meyers is at his desk keeping an eye on his is workstation while the new multi-purpose systems are running their trials behind him. The four systems are designed to work on repetitive task. They are about 5 feet 9 inches tall robots. They move around on small tank tread type of chassis with movable mounting for climbing over bulkheads, above they look like the machine from the movie "Short Circuit" from back in the 1980s. There wasn't money in the budget to make them look too human and the boxy mechanical appearance is perfectly utilitarian. They are currently doing a rather important test: Laundry.
The first machine is folding towels, the second is ironing class a uniforms putting them on hangers and placing the hangers on a pipe. The third is sorting dark wash from light wash, while the fourth is running the washer and dryer. Today the fourth one is trying out a new sensor on its hands that can determine if the wash in the dryer is still wet by just touching it. The machines have done nearly a ton of laundry today and hopefully this laundry doing software package and these artificially intelligent machines will be ready to go to the fleet starting in the next budget cycle.
Another machine sitting in a chair at a desk across from Dr. Meyers is filling out reports on a PC. Suddenly the telephone rings and the machine taps the telephone's speaker button and answers it.
"Laundry lab, this is Beta-12 speaking."
"Beta, is Dr. Meyers there?"
"Yes, can I transfer you?"
"Please."
Beta-12 punches the transfer code and Dr. Meyers picks up his phone.
"Hello."
"Mike, the Congressional visitors are going to be here any minute."
"Don't worry, the guys are ready. They have just about finished the laundry, and they did well with the sweeping and swabbing yesterday."
"Good, the director is still a little annoyed about you sending Able-27 out last week to get pizza, but he's agreed not to write you up if you promise to let him know ahead of time next time you do it so he can have get some pizza too.
"That's fine."
"Also Mike about the painting software I think we . . .," Dr. Meyers listens for a second and hears Dr. Strange talking to another robot, ". . . Mike, Critter just told me that the delegation is at the main gate, gotta run."
Dr Meyers turns to Beta-12 and tells him to pass the word to all the systems. He turns and sees the signal flash on the machine's binary communication channel. He pulls out his comb straightens up his hair then his tie, and gets up and ask Beta-12 to come with him and they go out the door.
Dr. Meyers and Beta-12 enter the lobby and meet with Director and other lab scientist. The group of 5 Congressmen walk in and are introduced by Vice-Admiral Victor to the staff of the lab. Vice Admiral Victor introduces them to Beta-12 last. The Senator from Oregon shakes Beta-12's "hand" when Beta offers it to him and the delightfully amused Senators from Maine and Michigan do so also. The Senator from Texas is shocked for a second then also joins in. The Senator from West Virginia scowls at Beta and says something nasty. Beta pulls back and looks at Dr. Meyers and ask if the Senator malfunctioning. Some muffled snickering and laughing is heard from several parties, and Beta's protocol program determines that it is a topic not worth pursuing. The Director speaks up and the inspection tour continues.
