Robots are being taught to work and fight, and some are even made for the battlefield. More humanoids are stepping into our shared spaces every year, and by 2050, there could be 1 billion of them worldwide.
So here's the real question: If one of them started glitching out, would you know how to stop it in its tracks?
Squaring up with the Phantom MK1. Celso Bulgatti/CNET
I've seen robots spaz, freeze, flail and generally forget how to robot. Maybe it was due to human error, or maybe it was a software hiccup. Either way, when a machine starts freestyling in the wrong direction, sometimes you just need to hit pause.
With that said, let's count down the top 5 ways I'd stop a robot if it starts to go rogue. This is strictly for real emergency situations when someone's safety is genuinely at risk, so please use this wisely.
1. Remove the battery
Most robots, unless they're plugged into a wall somewhere, use a battery for power. It's often in the chest or backside area, and it's usually held in by plastic tabs. You can usually pinch these to slide the battery pack out.
The battery is one of the heaviest components of most robots, so if you're struggling to locate it, try to size up where the robot's center of mass is. That's often where the battery is located.
This is the worst way I'd suggest disabling a robot, though, for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, some robots have two batteries so that they can swap their own battery packs without losing power. You may need to remove two batteries instead of one before the rogue robot powers down.
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