Yes, that’s an android of [Phillip K. Dick]. While you don’t necessarily need to be familir with [Phillip K. Dick] to find this story amusing, we highly recommend that you take a few minutes to learn about him if you don’t recognize the name. [Phillip K. Dick], or [PKD] was a science fiction author and created many of the ideas and even base stereotypes for the science fiction movies you are probably very familiar with.
Most of that, however, isn’t completely relevant to the story here. Someone decided to build an android [Phillip K. Dick]. A move that generally results in expeditions deep into the uncanny valley and causes people to want to keep their distance. In this case, however, the fancy android head of [P.K.D] was left in an overhead compartment in an airplane for a short time by accident. During this short time, someone took it and it has not been seen since.
The story of the entire build and design process is actually quite intriguing. Not only did they sculpt a likeness of [P.K.D.] and add some motion to it, they compiled a database of his essays and writings from which it will create answers that are at least tinted with his thoughts. A method very similar to something he himself wrote about back in 1964.
http://books.google.com/books/about/Do_Anything.html?id=ZcT2QwAACAAJ
The robot head of comic book legend Jack Kirby lives on Warren Ellis’ desk! (Actually, it’s the stolen and repurposed head of the missing Philip K. Dick robot, which Mr. Ellis confesses to swiping off the back of a plane.)
Looks kinda like the big Lebowski
Haha, as soon as I saw it I thought it was Jeff Bridges.
As it happens, this android is fully functional and is programmed in many “techniques”.
Yes but is it anatomically correct?
Of course!
I’m the author of Jess, the Java rule engine that was reported to have been used as part of this project. This old blog entry talks about the hacking that was done to get it integrated for the demo mentioned in the BoingBoing article. I wasn’t actually involved in working on the PKD android itself, but I always feel a little thrill when this project is mentioned.
Arrrgghhhh run!
Hackaday readers, let’s see if someone can find the missing head..
Easy, just do a google search for “Dick head”!
MOD EDIT: I know I shouldn’t approve this, but that’s too good of a joke.
I want to see someone give it a Voight-Kampff test.
That’s the same bot from NOVAScience “What’s the next big thing” right?
Not sure how many Phillip L. Dick robots are out there, but it looks pretty much the same. I only see a few differences.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hW2vhkCOFc
But does it dream of electric sheep?
Android Dick should have quit while he was a head!
Bring Me the Head of
Alfredo GarciaPhillip K. Dick.