The Winter Olympics are cool and all, but have you heard of robot Olympics? At a snow park just miles away from Pyeongchang, a group of robots competed against each other in a "Ski Robot Challenge" for a grand prize of $10,000 and a chance to show off Korea's robotic achievements. Let's call it a sneak peek at our dystopian future.
To compete in the challenge, the robots had to be humanoid, with arms and legs and joints, and they had to be at least 50 centimeters tall, according to the Verge. Then they took on an 80-meter alpine ski course with obstacles, which they had to use sensors and robo-vision to avoid.
Yeah, it turns out these robots weren't exactly natural athletes. The robot that ended up winning, named Taekwon V, wiped out almost immediately during earlier practice runs. You can see his POV here.
Apparently the freezing cold temperatures in Korea prevented the robots from functioning as well as they normally would, making them look like tiny buffoons on skis and not Lindsey Vonn. If you want some seriously creepy robot tricks, check out Boston Dynamics newest video, featuring velociraptor-like machines that communicate with each other to open a door:
The good news is that maybe they won't chase us if we escape to the frozen temperatures of Pyeongchang.
Sarah Rense is the Lifestyle Editor at Esquire, where she covers tech, food, drinks, home, and more.
