ROBOAT

This summer we began work on the third of three autonomous entities we’ve been developing with a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation and Renew Media. It’s an “unmanned surface vehicle,” or water robot, made for protests on or near aqueous points of interest . Of course, it’s too dangerous for people to do such protests, so we need robots.

It’s early days on the project, which is essentially control systems, power, and software to convert a commercially available $400 kayak. We are hoping for DIY imitations, and encouraging other technologists to get involved, as our resources are pretty limited. If you’re thinking about joining the effort, let me just assure you that nothing makes your month like building a robot kayak that demands the restoration of habeas corpus.

The project isn’t flip: there has been a lot of chatter that parts of the executive branch of the US Government are interested in closing down Guantanamo. It’s important that we keep this in the public consciousness, as — without pressure — it would be easy for the Bush administration to simply pack people up to various black sites to be tortured. I’d argue that it’s better that they come to the US, and we end this shell game. I’ve heard wingnuts argue that it’s too dangerous to bring “terrorists” to US soil, but I don’t understand that argument as we seem to be doing alright with the ones we already have.

Video of first tests here.