Please Put Down Your Weapon. You Have 20 Seconds To Comply.

Tim Cavanaugh | March 4, 2005

Maybe it's a chilling vision of the total security state; maybe it's a cool combination of realistic computer graphics and location foootage; maybe it's just a parody of COPS-style docu-squalor. Whatever it is, the celebrated Tetra Vaal commercial answers The Onion's old question: If they can put a man on the moon, why can't they make killer robot police?

It doesn't make a very good case for the robocop's effectiveness, though: The violent crime rate seems to be going up as the ad goes on.

Comments

|3.4.05 @ 10:10AM|#

The progress of computer animation (the robot was animated?!?) never ceases to astound me.

[PARANOIA FILTER OFF] However, how far would one have to go from using realistic effects in a television commercial to, say, fabricating an event passed off as "real" news? How effective a propaganda tool would that be? Perhaps it's being used already! [PARANOIA FILTER ON]

Wag The Dog, anyone?

|3.4.05 @ 10:28AM|#

Fantastic effects; I'd assumed it was a real robot albeit remote operated by a human in a second skin. I am a techie, so that says a lot.

I saw a program on tv a year or so ago where a small robot was demonstrated walking, running and jumping perfectly (on a flat surface) so the technology does exist to keep it upright.

|3.4.05 @ 10:31AM|#

Up until the part where the robot is running on the treadmill I took that commercial seriously.

It's not as far off as you might think.

|3.4.05 @ 10:31AM|#

I thought the first truly convincing animated robot was the AWESOM-O 4000.

|3.4.05 @ 10:36AM|#

Up until the part where the robot is running on the treadmill I took that commercial seriously.

Ok, now I really have to see this....I tried watching it on my work computer, but I can only get the audio (no visuals). Alas, I am unable to add software/plug-ins without Administrator status...

It did sound like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was in the background music montage, though, which is really cool in itself....

|3.4.05 @ 10:48AM|#

Part II. will follow our robot to his aerobics class and watch as it dispenses some serious Beach Justice.

|3.4.05 @ 10:49AM|#

Oh, yeah... "Gumbel to Gumbel," baby!

|3.4.05 @ 11:55AM|#

SPD--between the gumble to gumble comment and your "Did he find it" comment on the thread below this one you are hitting them out of the park today.

|3.4.05 @ 12:51PM|#

Thanks. I have my moments. Gotta thank my meds.

|3.4.05 @ 1:53PM|#

Actually, I've never thought this was meant to depict a robo-cop so much as some sort of robo-peacekeeper or other anti-insurgency robot.

Very well done, and disturbing on many levels.

|3.4.05 @ 1:56PM|#

Here's an alternate link to a much higher quality version the movie (16 mb, Quicktime).

Mark Draughn|3.4.05 @ 3:46PM|#

Now this is what I want Half-Life 3 to look like!

|3.4.05 @ 8:19PM|#

Where have you been? This video is at least a year old. I am now losing faith in your nerd skills.

|3.5.05 @ 12:19AM|#

"This is a police control..."