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August 22, 2012

The Robot Hall of Fame: Vote Rosey 2012

Screenshot from The Jetsons episode “Rosey’s Boyfriend” (originally aired November 11, 1962)

Americans are gearing up for the presidential election this coming November, but many people are sadly unaware of an even more important vote taking place right now: 2012 inductees to the Robot Hall of Fame.

For the first time since its founding in 2003, Carnegie Mellon University’s Robot Hall of Fame is allowing the public to vote on which robots will be inducted. The robots are divided into four categories: Education and Consumer, Entertainment, Industry & Service, and Research. The final decision on which robots make the cut will be based half on the public vote and half on a “survey of experts.” You can place your vote here until September 30, 2012.

Past inductees to the Robot Hall of Fame have included HAL 9000, Gort, and the Mars Pathfinder Sojourner Rover. This year’s nominees are listed below. Every category is incredibly competitive, with some tough choices all around. Don’t be shy about sharing your picks in the comments.

Education and Consumer

Entertainment

Industry & Space

Research

As a sidenote, I may have to give up on my campaign to get people to spell Rosey’s name the proper way. After the Robot Hall of Fame spells it “Rosie,” it seems my case for the original spelling is that much harder. (It appears as “Rosey” in the opening slate of the first episode, The Jetsons: The Official Guide, as well as on toys and memorabilia from the 1960s.)



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11 Comments »

  1. Wesley says:

    What, no Data on there? Data is the greatest robot (or android) ever.

  2. d4l3d says:

    Regarding your sidenote, I imagine SAG would require a proper spelling. :)

  3. Why not IBM’s Watson who soundly beat humans in Jeopardy and is now helping with medical applications?

  4. Chris says:

    HAL 9000? That is a sophisticated AI computer not a robot unless we are counting the entire Discovery One? Wait then should not the Discover One be the robot and the HAL 9000 is just the program?

  5. Naomi says:

    NXT/RCX – Lego programming should make a strong showing under under education. FIRST FLL Jr/FLL/FTC/FRC are all connected to it.

  6. Rad Geek says:

    @Wesley: Data was already inducted in 2008. [1]

    As for myself, I am boycotting this election, because I cannot in good conscience participate in a process that nominates johnny-come-latelies like WALL-E or Johnny 5 before even giving R. Daneel Olivaw a chance.

  7. Mark says:

    Better choice for research robots would be the iCub and the Ecce robots, instead of the Robonaut and the Big Dog.

  8. Ray says:

    Uh hello… name me another robot who smokes cigars, drinks like a fish, and has a simple wish to kill all humans? Yeah Bender should be in this!

  9. Pep says:

    6.@Wesley is absolutely right. R Daneel Olivaw should be there together with R Giskard Reventlov, discoverer of the zero law of robotics (it cost him his live). Those two are the greatest robots that ever were.

  10. Barry says:

    It’s nice to know that the submission form does not include Australia as a choice of location. Was the list compiled by an American with a geography degree?

  11. Le says:

    Hmm missing loads of great bots:

    K9- faithful companion of Dr Who (I’d like to say Daleks but I guess they have an Alien operator so probably don’t count as a full robot).
    Bishop- the android who saves Ripley in Aliens
    Terminator- What is not to love about a searing red eye light (or the T1000- Scary liquid metal)
    Kryton- from Red Dwarf
    Rachael or any of the Nexus-6 replicants from Blade Runner.
    And not even a nom for Mars Curiosity???
    Oh well next year I guess.
    :-D

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