3 chapters across the catalog
The discussion of modern robotics prompted a retrospective on Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese. In 1983, Bushnell introduced the Topo robot, which was marketed as a breakthrough in personal robotics capable of navigating to a refrigerator to retrieve beverages. Despite the hype of the "year of the robot" in the early 1980s, these early machines remained largely gimmicks compared to modern AI ambitions.
The Global Quantum Forum in Chicago highlighted Illinois' bid to become a world capital for quantum technology, with Governor JB Pritzker announcing a new microelectronics park. Companies like Inflection are developing "neutral atom" quantum computers that could enable navigation without GPS. The technology draws comparisons to the 1980s Etak system, an early dead-reckoning automotive navigator.
Media reports on "personal assistant robots" in San Jose stores are identified as a public relations campaign for the upcoming movie "Chappie." John C. Dvorak recalls similar "Year of the Robot" predictions from 1982 involving Nolan Bushnell's AND Robot company. The segment critiques the recurring "beer-fetching robot" trope as a solution in search of a problem.
