Termibot robot exterminator kills termites, heralds terrifying future

Termites be warned: Australian outfit Termicam is bringing the noise Predator-style with the Termibot, a dual-tread thermal imaging robot designed to eliminate insects. The bot scoots around inside walls and under houses relaying information from its thermal camera and moisture sensors back to an operator, and when termite (or other insect) activity is detected, it uses a probe to smash the nest and inject pesticides directly where they're needed. While we're not certain we need to help robots perfect the techniques they'll use to ferret out the last remnants of the human resistance, we're not too worried yet -- the Termibot is currently tethered to its operator with a long cable. The designer says a fully wireless version is in the works and will be brought to market later this year, however -- it's being held up while the business experiences some growing pains. Termicam also says they're also looking to expand the uses for the bot to other applications where that thermal camera might come in handy, like bomb disposal and search and rescue -- looks like the PackBot's got some competition.

[Via Crave]

[Ken @ May 9th 2007 7:33AM]

You want to see the "MPAAbot as it scoots around aisles and under seats relaying information from its thermal camera and moisture sensors back to an teenager with a remote, and when camera activity is detected, it uses a probe to smash the camera and inject pesticides directly where they're needed. While we're not certain we need to help robots perfect the techniques they'll use to ferret out the last remnants of the human resistance"

Wow... Canadians are much harder on their theate-goers with cameras than us in US are. We just subject our audiences to stories from the grip operators, who tell you when you steal a movie, you're stealing from them.

[Chuckles McGee @ May 8th 2007 8:59PM]

I for one, welcome our coming Termibot overlords.

[Digital1 @ May 8th 2007 9:12PM]

I for welcome our robotic-bug-killing overlords.

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ May 8th 2007 9:35PM]

Can't wait for nanobots to do that kind of job, getting rid of pests in the house... Go to store, buy packet of pest-killing nanobots, go home, sprinkle on the floor and send to work through wireless app on computer, then recall back home to storage packet when job is done. Take that, you awful little pests!

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ May 8th 2007 9:38PM]

BTW congrats to Engadget for being featured in the May 14 New Yorker, in the Mossberg article...

[Just Passing By @ May 9th 2007 10:02AM]

It's not as cute as HoiHoi-san...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichigeki_Sacchu!!_HoiHoi-san

[segovia101 @ May 10th 2007 3:31AM]

The bugs will survive long after the last of the human slaves have outlived their usefulness and are expurgated from the face of the planet. Oh, the irony. Long live the robot masters! And just to be sure, long live the insect masters! Phew, bases covered.

Hmmm, on a more serious note, why in hell does this thing have to be remote controlled? It still requires a human operator so I fail to see the advantage.