They Are Coming For Us!

Could Honda’s breakthrough in mind-controlled robotics have been a hoax? According to Richard Chang at the NYTimes.com Wheels Blog, it most certainly was.

From the post:

[Regarding the demonstration video] Hard to swallow, right, especially around April 1. Indeed, there were several pranks going around the auto world Wednesday morning, including a press release from Mini announcing the development of a “perpetual motion” magnetic propulsion system, a new “Green Roof” option from Subaru that’s literally a roof made out of grass and Car & Driver’s online news item on President Obama’s had order to General Motors and Dodge to pull out of Nascar (an article that seems to have been disabled). So in that environment, I was sure Honda’s announcement had to be an April Fool’s joke.

“You know us at Honda; we don’t joke around,” said Chuck Schifsky at Honda’s Detroit office, whom I’ve known for more than 10 years. He laughed and insisted it was a real technology. But only 90 percent of me believes him. What do you think? Is Honda pulling our legs?

I’d like to agree with Mr. Chang, but years of preparation for the robot armageddon have left me wary of any and all robot news. Plus, if this was a joke played by Honda, then that company is truly sick. Don’t they know that people’s lives are at stake!?!