# Japan is making zombie robots?!! We're DOOMED! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 10, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369 "2011-05-10T03:28:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/1 "2011-05-10T03:28:26Z")
Yep, it’s true. Freaking [zombie robots](http://www.botjunkie.com/2009/07/20/zombie-moth-head-controls-robot/) controlled by a severed head. There have been competing viewpoints even on this board about whether the zombie apocalypse or the inevitable war with the machines would end humanity, but did any of us think that it would be both and that the SkyNet terminators would be metallic zombies? Quote from the linked article: > [@](#): > > The robot in the picture above is controlled by a severed moth head. The still functional antennae receive scent information and relay it to the moth’s brain, which does the data processing and sends signals to muscles, which are picked up by sensors and used to steer the robot. O.K. so it’s just a dead moth’s head that’s running the machine. Nothing to worry about. Just an inhuman severed head brought back to an undead existence to control an emotionless machine. We’re dooooooooooomed! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/2 "2011-05-10T03:50:09Z")
Japan’s obsession with robots is getting out of hand. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/3 "2011-05-10T05:00:22Z")
Oh Jeez, they’re in for it now! When Mothra comes looking for her baby… ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/4 "2011-05-10T05:29:55Z")
Don’t be silly, y’all, there’s no threat here. All we’ll have to do is rig up some giant searchlights and the Zombie-Moth Cyborgs will helplessly circle around them until we pick them off at our leisure. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/5 "2011-05-10T06:27:19Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Don’t be silly, y’all, there’s no threat here. All we’ll have to do is rig up some giant searchlights and the Zombie-Moth Cyborgs will helplessly circle around them until we pick them off at our leisure. You didn’t read the entire article. One of the scientists behind the project said this: > [@](#): > > “It isn’t interesting to make a robo-worm that crawls as slowly as the real one. We want to design a machine which is far more powerful than the living body.” The search lights will do nothing when the giant zombie robot worms come. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/6 "2011-05-10T06:59:30Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > The search lights will do nothing when the giant zombie robot worms come. Umm…but for giant zombie robot worms, we can just wait until it rains. And then we can skoosh them while they’re wriggling around on the sidewalk. (Maybe the Army can send in the tanks.) ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/7 "2011-05-10T08:49:39Z")
On a slightly more serious note, this does fascinate me. I’ve read about numerous projects where an animal’s (rats, monkeys, insects) brain is used to control something mechanical, but this is a bit different. The brain on this one isn’t attached to it’s body - its brain no longer has a natural life support system. It’s dead, and yet they can still use it as a processor. How? ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/8 "2011-05-10T10:59:08Z")
Naze naraba, gambatta kara da. (How? They tried their best and sucked it up. Heh, it loses all humor in English and probably wasn’t funny in Japanese either but I’m tipsy soooo bring on the terminators, punk!) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/9 "2011-05-10T11:12:54Z")
It’s just like _Futurama_, but with a moth instead of Nixon! ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/10 "2011-05-10T11:58:13Z")
I, for one, welcome our new zombie robot overlords. ---
**Author:** ![markm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@markm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markm)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/11 "2011-05-10T14:14:33Z")
[QUOTE=A Monkey with a Gun] On a slightly more serious note, this does fascinate me. I’ve read about numerous projects where an animal’s (rats, monkeys, insects) brain is used to control something mechanical, but this is a bit different. The brain on this one isn’t attached to it’s body - its brain no longer has a natural life support system. It’s dead, and yet they can still use it as a processor. How? [/quote] If you’re really interested in some of the research that’s been done, you might want to see the following. It’s creepy, disturbing, yet fascinating: [Warning: Do not click if you don’t want to see severed dog head acting like non-severed dog head](http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/offbeat-news/how-russian-scientists-kept-a-dogs-severed-head-alive/1315) ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/12 "2011-05-10T15:20:05Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > its brain no longer has a natural life support system. It’s dead, and yet they can still use it as a processor. How? I don’t really know much about moths, but from what I remember from high school biology most insects don’t have brains per se - not in the sense we do. What they have is a string of interconnected nervous clusters that essentially function on pure reflex - stimuli goes in, automated response goes out, action is triggered. At the very basic level it’s just an electrical relay network, except the switches are stuff like “there’s light over there” or “air is blowing on hair this side of the body”. And, again AFAIR neurons don’t need any external energy input to transmit their binary data, although I suppose that they’re subject to decay over time like any other cell. I’m sure a bio major Doper will come along shortly to call me an idiot and debunk every last part of what I just said :). But yeah, like you I admit to being kinda fascinated by the idea. I mean, of course in the fullness of time the giant moth robots will be weaponized and humanity as we know it will be burned to cinders by undead monstrosities motivated by pure murder instinct and wielding giant wave motion guns, that’s a given. But the process is still cool as hell. When it happens, we won’t have anything to regret 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DHMO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@DHMO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DHMO)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/13 "2011-05-10T15:42:06Z")
The part of the article which I found absolutely blood-curdling was: > [@](#): > > an insect brain may be able to drive a car like we can. I have encountered many fellow motorists who are on the roads driving with, at best, a moth’s brain. God help us if they start putting actual insects behind the wheel! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/14 "2011-05-10T15:53:53Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > O.K. so it’s just a dead moth’s head that’s running the machine. Nothing to worry about. Oh, won’t somebody think of the robots! ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/15 "2011-05-10T17:05:18Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Umm…but for giant zombie robot worms, we can just wait until it rains. And then we can skoosh them while they’re wriggling around on the sidewalk. (Maybe the Army can send in the tanks.) Tanks, nothin’… by then, American technology will have the ultimate deterrent - Giant Robin Aerial Bot Zombies (Code Name GRABZ). Take that, you viscous vermiformes! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/16 "2011-05-10T18:04:57Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Oh, won’t somebody think of the robots! A moth made me type that. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-is-making-zombie-robots-were-doomed/581369/17 "2011-05-10T19:53:34Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > Nothing to worry about. Just an inhuman severed head brought back to an undead existence to control an emotionless machine. > > We’re dooooooooooomed! [Doomed!](http://the-real-alpha2.com/images/bnw/zombierobit.jpg)