Terminators, Transformers and Other Robots Assignment 5-1

Robots have found their place in our industries, homes and pop culture movies. The robotics scientists, dream of a day when robots will assist us in every way. We have seen the concept of self sufficient robot in movies such as, Blade Runner with Harrison Ford, I-Robot with Will Smith, Star Wars with Harrison Ford, the Terminator movie series with Arnold Swartzenneger, and the recently released Transformer movies. The movies are all classified as science fiction/adventure films. These films depict a world future view, where technology in and robotics have created a fatal conflict between humans and machines. The main theme of these movies revolves around the human struggle to survive by destroying robots or face being killed by one.

In addition, I have watched all of these movies and find them to all have something to offer sci-fi adventurists. Harrison Ford’s Blade Runner movie, dealt with advanced humanoid robots that had definite servitude purpose to humans. These android robots struggled with the idea that they would expire upon their programmed end date. These robots would kill to survive. They seemed human even in their emotional desires to live.

Similarly, the I-Robot movie with actor Will Smith in a similar fashion depicts robots that reach a kind of human consciousness. They wished to live and began to kill the humans they were made to serve as well.

Next, the popular Star Wars films depicted many kinds or droids and robots. Most famously known androids were the human shaped android named C-3PO, and his loyal trash can looking sidekick R2-D2.

Next, were the Terminator movies by Arnold Swartzenneger. These movies depicted robots as advanced killing machines. These robots were called, “Terminators,” hence the name speaks for itself. These robots were created to terminate all humans and the human race.

Finally, the Transformer movies arrived in 2007 and 2009, after many years as animated cartoons. I used to watch the Transformers cartoons as kid thirty five years ago. These robots in the Transformer series were not really known to kill humans in the cartoons. However, when they arrived in a feature length movie; they began to kill thousands of humans on the big screen.

In summary, Hollywood producers have many negative views of technological advances when it comes to androids, robots and their future relationship to humans. Most of the intelligent machines in these movies are granted special human like attributes. Then, it seems they desire survival enough to kill off their human creators. People tend to have negative view of robots due to these depictions. Many Robots today are used for good like building cars, exploding bombs, underwater exploratory, space travel, and providing life saving surgical procedures. Eventually, we all may have a robot servant hanging around our homes. Who knows, the doctors are talking about nanobots. These nanobots are tiny microscopic robots that will travel through your body to repair it; so humans won’t go through expensive and evasive surgeries. In short, I don’t believe our future with robots is about being dominated by them; but using them as tools to help us live more efficiently.

References

Film site (2009) Robots in films. Retrieved, June 19, 2009 from http://www.filmsite.org/robotsinfilm6.html