Scientists make a real-life mechanical squirrel

by Mike Schramm May 5th 2008 at 2:30PM

This one is just barely related to World of Warcraft, but it's just too good to pass up: behold, Engineers of all races. Our real-life scientists are working on your favorite companion. Animal behavior scientists at Hampshire College have created a real-life mechanical squirrel.

And "Rocky," as they call him, is a lot more helpful than the noncombat version in Azeroth -- apparently by using the robot squirrel to mimic real-life squirrel behavior, they can "decode" what squirrels are saying. And supposedly that will help them figure out the same behavior (or at least parallels) in humans.

Their mechanical squirrel looks a little more realistic than ours -- they must have added some wool in with the Malachite and the Copper Modulator. But if science can do this with a mechanical squirrel, just think what could be accomplished with an exploding sheep!

[Via WoW Ladies LJ]

Tags: animal-behavior, engineering, funny, hampshire-college, humor, mechanical-squirrel, science

Filed under: Engineering, Items, Odds and ends, Humor

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

peaglemancer May 5th 2008 2:46PM

This is how it begins..

May 5th, Mechanical Squirrel activated, advanced
July 10th, Advanced nut foraging techniques observed
August 13th, Mechanical Squirrel becomes self-aware
November 15th, Mechanical Squirrel eliminates Sarah Connor
December 30th, Mankind enslaved and restricted to forced peanut shelling camps forever.

/Make your time.

Badger May 5th 2008 3:55PM

[booming mechanical voice] "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO NUTS"

Daimon May 5th 2008 3:42PM

TOM TOM TOTOM...
TOM TOM TOTOM...

BZZZZZZ...BZZZZZ..BZZZZZ
PEWPEW
PEWPEW

Badger May 5th 2008 3:56PM

"[J]ust think what could be accomplished with an exploding sheep!"

Jesus, Mike, keep your voice down! Do you *WANT* the terrorists to win?!

MechChef May 5th 2008 4:27PM

My prediction for WoTLK:

"Engineering will be getting some love. And by love, we mean a new mechanical squirrel."

Ametrine May 5th 2008 4:51PM

And... It's FUZZY.

Psychosis May 5th 2008 6:36PM

"just think what could be accomplished with an exploding sheep!" You Mr. Schramm have not heard of my ingenious wool covered pipe bomb, i tested it out the other day... people wondered why there was a sheep in the middle of a shopping center, i then threw down a smoke bomb and dissapeared.

Destron May 5th 2008 11:08PM

But do they dream of electric sheep?

I'm pretty sure that lifelike mechanical toads do.

akw May 7th 2008 3:00PM

"by using the robot squirrel to mimic real-life squirrel behavior, they can "decode" what squirrels are saying. And supposedly that will help them figure out the same behavior (or at least parallels) in humans."

So what you're saying is, they've built a mechanical squirrel to figure out what humans are saying? GG Science.