Imagine going to a Wal-Mart and instead of a car or pickup with a rotating orange light on top a little robot scurries across he parking lot with an orange hat. As it moves it leaks water on the ground, not very much, but just enough to look like it is leaking a little. What is that water trail? It is vapor or exhaust, the exhaust of a fuel cell running an electric motor. The Robot video tapes the parking lot, patrols the red zones and attempts to save your brand new SUV from runaway shopping cart therapy?

It rolls by and says; "Thank you for shopping at Wal-mart" as it patrols. It looks for all kinds of stuff such as babies in cars with the windows rolled up or cars doing burnouts in the parking lot as it maneuvers to get it all on tape and send the video feed in real time to the local police department. The more energy it uses the more vapor water is left behind. The fuel cells generate electricity to power up an electric motor and the surveillance video cameras and of course the robots brains. A chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen is making all this happen using the fuel cell technologies. Occasionally as the robot moves over a speed bump you might see a little vapor or fog poof out the back, but all in all this is an alternative fueled robot, which is environmentally friendly.

In fact this is not science fiction, as researchers in Tokyo have created such a robot and it is ready for sale now. Imagine Wal-Marts cost savings by letting go if its security guard contracts and greeters at its 8,000 outlets. Surely from an economies of scale scenario this is better than RFID tags on its pallets. One company; Sohgo Security Services Co. is working on a robot which can go one week without recharge and they are looking at more than just security. Receptionists, car wash personal, warehouse labor and mos manufacturing jobs will soon be things of the past. Robot gardeners, landscapers, pool cleaning, house maids are nearly all coming to market now and the mass marketing potential of a strong US based middle class has many a consumer willing to put their money where they desires are. Sohgo has a robot they call C-4, Guard Robo and today it goes 2.5 hours on a lead battery, similar to those ride on wheel chairs. It can work as a receptionist while charging and then do a perimeter sweep and go back and charge again.

The Robot is completely wire-less sending back a complete video and alarms signals. Robots, which often use ultrasound waves sensors, lidar and infrared to work, do not need actual light and if made quiet enough can scare the ever living bejesus out of an intruder. With all the work at the major robotic research Universities, robots can have faces, body parts and communicate as they patrol with the humans they interact with.

The future is here, you are just not paying attention to all the latest developments.

Lance Winslow

Currently Lance is retired at age 40 and is running an Online Think Tank Forum while traveling North America. Perhaps considering something extremely challenging to do that will exercise his mind and utilize all his experiences, observations and skills. Any ideas?