Man Builds Robot to Kill Him

[hhm]

http://www.robotworldnews.com/100497.php

[brentr]

I can only imagine Asimov rolling over in his grave.

[donal → brentr]

Yeah, it is a good thing that we aren't in an Asimov book or that robot would probably become the leader of a revolution.

[huherto → donal]

In the Asimov universe the Robot would probably suffer a mental break down. It would be a very traumatic experience for him.

[TrevorJ]

And so it begins.

[BrandonM]

It sounds to me like it was just a really elaborate, remote-controlled gun, rather than a robot whose AI decided to shoot him.

[brentr → BrandonM]

It sort of reminded me of a scene from Family Guy where Peter sets off this Rube Goldberg breakfast machine and in the end it just shoots him.

"Owww! It doesn't make breakfast at all. It just shoots you."

[harrybozack]

Look at all these robots that make up larger robots

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Simple_machines

[lg → harrybozack]

I think I get it. Well, maybe killing yourself with a robot is no different from shooting yourself with a really elaborate gun. But somewhere in that elaborateness is a line to be crossed; otherwise convincing someone else to kill you would be the same thing. Unless being made out of bio-parts somehow makes you irreducibly different from a robot?

[mynameishere]

and the man attached the machine to a .22 semi-automatic pistol loaded with four bullets.

.22 LR? He might wake up in the driveway quite disappointed.

[staunch → mynameishere]

I agree it's somewhat of a gamble, but it is an easily underestimated round. There's a ton of murders with .22LR every year.

[mynameishere → staunch]

The brain is more resilient than people realize:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3685791.stm

(I couldn't find a picture of the guy who shot 12 nails into his head deliberately, but he survived http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002945554_w...)

Suicide is a bad enough idea by itself, but the possibility of turning into James Brady is very high when not doing it right. I mean, if you're dead, why spare expense? Get a 45 ACP minimum.

[staunch → mynameishere]

Perhaps in Australia it's easier to get a .22LR "target pistol" than larger calibers.