Robots are taught to work and fight, and some are even designed for the battlefield. More humanoids enter our shared spaces every year, and by 2050, there could be 1 billion of them worldwide.
So here’s the real question: If one of them started to come out, would you know how to stop it in its tracks?
Competing with the Phantom MK1.
I’ve seen robots spaz, freeze, open and generally forget to robot. Maybe it was due to human error, or maybe it was a software hiccup. In any case, when the machine starts to style the wrong way, sometimes you just need to hit it for a while.
That being said, let’s list the top 5 ways I can stop a robot if it starts going crazy. This is for real emergencies where personal safety is truly at risk, so please use this wisely.
1. Remove the battery
Most robots, unless plugged into a wall somewhere, use a battery for power. It is usually located on the chest or back area, and is usually held in place by plastic tabs. You can pinch this to slide the battery pack out.
The battery is one of the heaviest parts of most robots, so if you have trouble finding it, try to zoom in on where the center of the robot is. This is where the battery is most often found.
This is the worst way I can suggest to disable a robot, though, for a few reasons.
First, some robots have two batteries so they can change their battery packs without losing power. You may need to remove two batteries instead of one before the rogue robot powers down.
Two hot-swappable battery packs for the Atlas robot production model.
Second, removing the battery will likely cause the robot to shut down immediately. Some of these robots are very heavy, even without their battery. And if it’s a humanoid as tall or taller than you, it can cause damage if it gets to you. Heavy limbs and joints can also pinch you as you fall.
If the robot falls, it can injure itself. But do what you have to do to protect yourself at the end of the day.
2. Go robot
This will be easier with two-legged robots, but even a four-legged robot can still stumble.
Also, this can damage the robot or cause it to fall on someone and get hurt. So proceed with caution. And if the robot has wheels, this method may not work or be easy.
3. Blind the robot
You may have seen stories about protesters blocking self-driving cars by getting in the way, blocking their sensors or holding up a traffic cone.
Robots rely on the same sensors and systems to navigate, mostly autonomously, as we’ve seen with Tesla, which often treats its cars as robots on wheels.
Therefore, if a robot does something undesirable, blinding or confusing its senses can be a good way to stop it. Covering the sensors with your hand, putting tape or paint over them, or hitting them hard to break them may work.
Sensors and cameras on Oli, a humanoid robot from LimX Dynamics.
If the robot is being controlled remotely, however, or operated by a human inside the sighted robot, blinding the robot may not do much, since the operator can still see and decide what to do next.
If so, try one of the methods on this list.
Blind or confused robots may act in unpredictable ways, so keep that in mind when deciding how to proceed.
4. Look for the big red button
The emergency stop and power buttons are designed specifically for this situation. Some humanoids have big red “stop” buttons right on the robot to press. Some have buttons next to the user control panel. Knowing where the button is is the first step.
Emergency stop button on Oli humanoid from LimX Dynamics.
Some robots may be programmed to perform a controlled landing (crouching) when the emergency stop button is pressed. This is good because the robot is less likely to hurt itself or others if it goes down this way.
Some robots may quickly lose power, which could result in a 200-pound plastic and metal humanoid falling on you, another thing to keep in mind when hitting that button.
5. Control the situation
The best way to stop a robot only works if you can correctly identify how the rogue robot is being controlled. In that case, you may be able to do the final conversion of the tables, holding the control methods yourself.
Powered by the Phantom MK1 phone from Foundation Future Industries.
Look for someone nearby using a remote or video game controller. They may also wear a VR headset to telework, issue voice commands or wear an inflatable suit.
If there is a human operator and they have not already tried to stop the robot’s dangerous behavior, you may need to intervene.
If you find the operator, you may be able to (at the very least) remove the controls from him or prevent him from issuing any malicious commands.
And if you get to control the robot yourself, as I’ve been lucky enough to do a few times, maybe you can use it for some good in the world, instead of whatever evil is there that made you jump in and save the day.
