A mounting list of robot-related accidents has experts questioning whether the devices will be prone to more dangerous malfunctions or even programmed attacks.
Notable mishaps that have been documented include a robotic security guard knocking over a child at a California shopping mall, a demonstration robot smashing a window at a Chinese conference—it caused a bystander to get injured, and
144 deaths in the United States caused by robotic surgery. All this according to security firm IOActive.
These incidents “clearly demonstrate the serious potential consequences of robot malfunctions,” the consultancy says in a white paper it recently published about existing robot security (PDF).
The firm says it’s only a matter of time before even more serious incidents occur unless action is taken.
And it could get sinister, too.
“Similar incidents could be caused by a robot controlled remotely by attackers,” it says. “We’ve found [existing] robot technology to be insecure in a variety of ways, and that insecurity could pose serious threats to the people, animals and organizations.”
Read more:
http://www.networkworld.com/article/3177307/security/robots-are-malfunctioning-hurting-people.htmlPosted mainly for the bolded bit, that made me go "Wait, what?!"
