Backtracking: robots that fly, part II

Abstract

Airport as the supervisor of the security checkpoint removed the little Rug Warrior™ robot's printed manual from its box. Reading directly from the cover he said, very slowly, and very seriously, " Rug Warrior? " My initial surprise in his reading ability was quickly replaced by horror as I realized the contextual implications of the phrase. " It's just a name… " I stammered. " It's not mili-tary…it doesn't fight…the best it can do is act like a moth! " My interrogator offered no sign of sympathy. " Turn it on, please, " he ordered in the same serious monotone. I turned it on. By sheer chance, the program running at the moment it was switched on was one which beeped at a different frequency depending on the amount of light detected by the photo sensors on the robot. More light, lower frequency beeping. " beep, beep… " the robot chirped. The security supervisor leaned over the table to get a closer look at the robot. As he did so, he cast a shadow on the robot. Less light, higher frequency beeping. " BEEP, BEEP! " the robot cried. He immediately jumped back and up about ten feet, with the skill of a gymnast. We all know, after all, that bombs beep louder when they're about to explode. " TURN IT OFF! " he commanded, a trace of panic in his voice. Now I'm screwed. I desperately tried to explain that it was just beeping in response to the amount of light. " You see these little yellow things here are photoresistors, which detect…. " " Turn it off! " he repeated. I obeyed. " You're going to have to get a representative from your airline to clear you through security , " he stated, adamantly. " How do I do that? " They didn't teach us this in terrorist school. " Go to the gate and get someone to come here. " By this point, the airline had finished paging our flight, and was paging me. I ran to the gate. " I'm Chris Welty, " I said. " They won't let me through security unless someone from the airline clears me. " She looked up from the boarding passes she was sorting manually, with a quizzical look on her face. " Didn't you already clear airport security? " Of course she was an innocent bystander, it was not …