University Robot Project Copies Cheap Toy
Massey University student Tom Yu Guan lashed a mobile-broadband-connected web cam to an off-the-shelf RC toy car, and called it the Smart Eyes robot for his honors engineering project. The project is basically the Spy Video Car from Wild Planet, which I told you about way back on March 29, 2006. The only difference is that Guan's project uses a cell phone, rather than an RC device, to control the car and watch the video. The best part: Guan flies a little Chinese flag on the car, a "gesture acknowledging Mr Guan’s homeland," but which doubles as a symbol for INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT.
1:01 PM * PERMALINK * 3 comments
Comments:
mike, this entry seems a bit too harsh considering two things:
1. it's an "honors" project, not a research project. honors project doesn't entail something new. it usually means you design something on your own and learn from what you build.
2. this guy's an undergraduate. the university is trying to advertise what their students can do.
(see the original article at the university's site:
http://masseynews.massey.ac.nz/2007/Press_Releases/11-26-07.html
)
Your summary implies that this guy blatantly ripped off the idea from another company. Now, although I also dislike China myself, you also tried to twist in some "anti-Chinese" propaganda into something that isn't even related to the Chinese. This is what we call the precursor to "racism" and stereotyping.
Now, unless you have some proof that this guy bought the product you refer to and just used that as his honors project, that would be a different story. But it looks to me that he actually built something.
Mate, I completely agree...You're way too harsh on the guy. Regardless of whether or not his idea is a truly original one, I'm sure this is a fantastic application of 3G - And is a wee more complex than yout aforementioned r/c operated "cheap toy". So, stop trying to find faults with this guys work and cut the racist bullshit - this is not a race issue...you don't see people condemning america for flying patriotic colours on things they're proud of.
How can I say all these things? Tom's my classmate.
Who said anything about race? I'm talking -- as I often do on this blog -- about the Communist-controlled Chinese government and the culture of intellectual property theft (and many other forms of theft) that it encourages.
I'm also slamming nationalism. Here's a guy who has been received with open arms by New Zealand, and thanks them with bullshit flag-waving on his research project.
Mostly, however, this posting is about humor and irony. Here's a guy who plants a Chinese flag on his research project, and -- shock! -- the research is a copy of somebody else's research.
I think that's funny.
Mike Elgan
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