Right out of science fiction, Boston Dynamics presents the newest addition to its robotic family. Remarkable videos of the robot's capability were widely advertised on YouTube. Even now, people can watch footage of the Atlas robot doing summersaults and dancing with its fellow robotic companions.
Where will this technology take us?
The ATLAS robot wasn't considered for research or purchase at my job. It was still under development, and the cost of implementation would be too high. Thus, the ATLAS robot fell out of my interest, that is, until I was asked to look into it.
The cost of Atlas is rumored to start at 150,000 USD. All the bells and whistles would raise the price upwards of about 500,000 USD or more.
Any technology like this always benefits from getting the highest capabilities possible AFTER the technology gets vetted by the various industries that use it.
For example, one robot I saw for sale was advertised as being used by different power plants in the industry. I find out who in the industry has purchased it, and then I call them to get details on how they use it and how much they paid. I'll always hear stories about wanting to purchase additional components or services. The lead time and costs for future upgrades may exceed a company's tolerance for the new purchase. I'll pursue purchasing all the features I can directly tie into work activities.
Let's say ATLAS WAS available, and your company purchased it. What then? You must apply the new technology to existing company policies and procedures. It's not enough to spend a small fortune on a device, hoping it will integrate seamlessly with your work environment. You have to demonstrate that it performs as expected and justifies the cost.
High-Reliability Organizations (HROs), like nuclear power plants, require a certain degree of project management to implement the tech. You must develop protocols to put the robot in regular work activities and iron out all the kinks. Otherwise, your new purchase will amount to nothing more than an impressive paperweight.
Is the purchase worth it? Consider that the robot you're purchasing will eliminate the need for two personnel to physically perform a daily inspection. In this scenario, the inspection can be done remotely with your new robot:
An inspection-capable SPOT robot would cost approximately USD 170,000. Implementing the robot would save about 109,500 USD per year. We've eliminated the need for local human inspection. We'll save a little less as we'd still need to evaluate the data. In about 2-3 years, the use of the robot will pay for itself.
However, a return on investment does not necessarily need to be measured in terms of cost. Using a new robotic technology could be a return in and of itself.
Depending on the type of spinal cord injury and other qualifying factors, you may be fit to utilize Rewalk's exoskeleton.
Rewalk's device is an example of a battery-powered exoskeleton reported to aid people who either have difficulty walking or can't usually walk, to move around again in Rewalk's device. If you, or your insurance, is capable of paying around 70,000 - 90,000 USD it may be an excellent buy for you.
The SARCOS Guardian XO is a full-body battery-powered exoskeleton capable of operating for 8-hrs straight. Reported to be capable of sustaining loads up to 200 lbs (90.7 kg) continuously while it's running. Their report seems outlandish, but I've worked in environments requiring constant load lifting throughout the workday. This would help immensely in keeping the average worker safe over the long term.
Offloading and transporting crates, for example, could easily be aided by this device. Workers would need to worry less about how their bodies will be impacted by the constant stress of material movement under a deadline. At the cost of $100,000 per suit, however, I don't see wide-spread implementation of this device any time soon.
The brain-computer-interface (BCI) exoskeleton in development by Clinatec promises control of their device with nothing more than your thoughts. Their technology purports to convert the electrical signals of your motor cortex into readable digital outputs that can be converted into their machine's movement.
Imagine if, by just thinking about it, you could stand, lift, or maneuver this powered beast just by thinking about it. At the estimated cost of 250,000 USD after release, it's sure to be a benefit in whatever application it can be applied to. The catch, apart from the price, is that you require surgery to install an implant at the surface of your head.
The implant serves as an intermediary between the signals generated by your motor cortex and the exoskeleton. The implant helps to both sense the signals generated by the cortex and transmit them to the tech that predicts the anticipated movement of the skeleton. If, for example, you're thinking about moving a limb, the tech would interpret this signal and then move the limb.
Upgrades are in progress for the Serfdom and Sorcery game following the catastrophic destruction of 
I think the pillager class is fine where they're at.
However, newer players require the protections warranted for people just starting the game. I recall a conversation with Ritzbitz on the game where I felt new players should get more protection until they reach a certain level. Now, if, for example, I logged off the game with 10K DBLN just sitting there, then yeah, game on with my holdings. Someone new to the game? Maybe, give them time to grow.
Ultimately, the decision isn't mine. I certainly don't have access to all the data to know if ill-tactics are employed against newcomers.
The game is still in its alpha phase.
Hopping on the discord, you expect a fun time now with people you're learning to play. The other day, I accidentally typed deliberate commands causing me to steal coin from 
So, what are you waiting for?
Join the
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