Why a mini-treatise on Android Making? If it is here, then
there must be a reason already stated or addressed. If not, then
that reason can be as simple as to provide rudimentary or basic
knowledge of the topic for understanding and later purposes.
The organization of this treatise is near as can be to:
. Definitions,
. Words from the Holy Scriptures,
. Fictional Characteristics and History (interwoven),
. State of the Art
and
. Summary/Conclusions.
DEFINITIONS
What is an android?
Android (n) By dictionary definition is: ``a. "Resembling man, in
human form." (also) androides n. "Machine or automaton in
human form, which, by means of springs, performs natural motions of a living man."'' [Whitehall, Harold, sup., WEBSTER'S
New Twentieth Century DICTIONARY of the English Language, The
World Publishing Company, Cleveland and New York, 1950.]
That 1950 era definition is so conventionally, industrially
robotic ! That associated technology is far too crude for the purposes of making a most presentable android. Note that "it" may be
a suitable pronoun for a common android which is less human-like
than my android. My Hatfield Type Android should be so much like
a human that the masculine or feminine pronouns would not only be
appropriate, but required.
Although "automaton" does not sound "warm and fuzzy," it is
true by definition of being created by human and capable of some
special movement. My android could serve some limited robotic
functions, be a test bed for prosthesis design, be an animated
mannequin, doll, or replacement actor, or ... almost whatever you
need or desire.
A definition of my android:
Android, Hatfield-Type (HTA) (n) An android whose handiwork as
near to the image of a (particular) human and as like a human
in size, motion, texture of materials, etc, as possible. Note
the personal pronoun "whose." A suitable synonym, in a sample
data set, could be; "femdroid" or "dolldroid." The appearance
may be very individualistic because of the attempt to make a
`particular' android to an image.
This is my definition to clearly differentiate my androids
from others'. Clearly, the dictionary definition is inadequate.
The scope of this mini-treatise is fairly narrow, but deep, to
cover specific concepts of this matter that may not be addressed
otherwise. Hopefully, the structure as depicted previously will
accomplish the goal or purpose of providing information as needed
to:
. Increase awareness of this phenomenon.
. Provide unbiased, as much as possible and identified where
possible if not, information regarding this curiosity within
the scope of this mini-treatise.
. Define or show a taxonomy so that others may conduct their own
investigation to meet their needs better. Hopefully, there
will be enough information to point or aid their search.
The next item addresses some of what the Holy Scriptures has
about some of the potential, inclusive concepts. The GOOD NEWS
BIBLE: Today's English Version, by the American Bible Society is
the source for Holy Scriptures. This is believed to be the most
accurate copy of the Word of God available in this language.
WORDS FROM THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
What does the Bible say about topics that may be within the
taxonomy of making an android? Salient passages of some points
follow:
Genesis 1:26-27 & 31 Then God said, "And now we will make human
beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They
will have power over the fish, the birds, and all
animals, domestic and wild, large and small." 27 So
God created human beings, making them to be like
himself. He created them male and female, ...
31 God looked at everything he had made, and he
was very pleased.
The "image," "likeness," or "resemblance" parallel
is unmistakable and undeniable. An android must appear
to be male or female; by extension.
Genesis 2:7, 21-23 Then the Lord God took some soil from the
ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed
lifegiving breath into his nostrils and the man
began to live. ...
21 Then the Lord God made the man fall into a
deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out
one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh.
22 He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her
to him. 23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one
of my own kind.Bone taken from my bone, and flesh
from my flesh. `Woman' is her name because she was
taken out of man."
God created man's body first, breathed life into it
and then it began as a living soul. Next God used a part
of the man's body to create a woman. The relevance is
that androids must be made from materials that originally
come from the earth. Metals, plastics, ceramics, etc.
all are either mined or cultivated.
Genesis 3:16 And he [the Lord God] said to the woman, "I will
increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in
giving birth."
Here is one explanation of why a woman would want to
avoid childbirth and the precedents thereof. Admittedly,
this pertains to me more than my android.
Exodus 20:4-6 "Do not make for yourselves images of anything in
heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth.
5 Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no
rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me
and on their descendants down to the third and
fourth generation. 6 But I show my love to thousands of those who love me and obey my laws."
Exodus 34:17 "Do not make gods of metal and worship them."
Leviticus 26:1 The Lord said, "Do not make idols or set up statues, stone pillars, or carved stones to worship.
I am the Lord your God."
Deuteronomy 4:16 "... that you do not sin by making for yourselves an idol in any form at all.whether man or
woman," (... [through verse 40])
Deuteronomy 27:15 "God's curse on anyone who makes an idol of
stone, wood, or metal and secretly worships it; the
LORD hates idolatry."
Idolatry is clearly condemned. There are many more citations
not listed. However, making a doll or an android for most purposes
is not likely to be idolatry. If they become a god, then that is
where the problem begins. Anything tangible or intangible can be
a false god or an idol when it becomes more important than it
should.
FICTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY
Androids in early Sci-Fi movies and serials were more robotic
than androtic. In fact, the term android was rarely used. Some
had bipedal motion, but they were still recognized as robots. The
robot in Forbidden Planet, a cult classic, is a good example of
this trait.
Episodes of Star Trek changed that. I am not saying that Gene
Roddenberry; the creator; invented the concepts of androids for
some stories, but he was the first one that I can identify. He may
have been responsible for our image of an android.
Roddenberry's original Star Trek series (airing 1965-66 and in
perpetual syndication) had a few episodes involving androids in the
twenty-second century although none were a regular. For example,
Rayna of the episode A Requiem for a Methusala was a legal ward.
Another episode, What Are Little Girls Made Of? constructed
androids like magic from some putty-like material. Also, the
second humorous episode with Harcourt (Harry) Fenton Mudd deals
with a planet of androids (and some a "bevy of beauties") led by
the one man-like Norman.
The series spun off descendants and movies; with a rumor that
the seventh was to be the last. The first one, accused of being a
"motionless picture," is the one that comes to mind as having a
near android character. The image of Ileah is reconstructed in a
cellular based android using her memory for programming after VeeGer's (Voyager) probe apparently inadvertently destroys the real
humanoid Ileah. Of course, the seventh movie, Generations, has
Commander Data because the captains of both the original and its
heir interacted.
Star Trek's descendent, by allusion to Captain Kirk and the
inclusion of an aged Dr. McCoy in their debut episode, Mystery at
Far Point Station; Star Trek: The Next Generation, from the beginning in the twenty-third century has an android character as part
of the crew. The producers may occasionally flash-back to a scene
of Commander Data's assembly so this is perhaps the best example of
portraying android construction in contemporary visual fiction.
Commander Data, a SeungSee footnote 1 Type Android, is depicted as being
assembled in a mannequin-like method. His head, arms, etc. seem to
be detachable with a simple, correct twist and pull. And yet, he
is so very advanced and more powerful than any android I could
build.
In one episode, Offspring, Data perceived the need to reproduce himself by making his child, Lahl. She started her existence
androgynous, the way that Data had made her, so that she could and
she did choose to have her female form and finish. Some would say
that would be a handy function or capability for humans. Sadly,
Lahl could not continue her existence.
In a later episode, Inheritance, Commander Data meets his
"mother;" Mrs. Juliana O'Donnell Seung Taynor. She even saw a picture of Lahl, her "grand-daughter." However, who Data met was not
a flesh-and-blood mother, but another; albeit newer and more sophisticated; Seung-type android. The original Mrs. Seung died prematurely, but not before Dr. Seung got a synaptic image of his wife's
memories. Post mortem, he put a copy of her memories into an android; more accurately a "femdroid;" so far advanced and human-like
in every way, including aging and the infirmities thereof, that she
was not aware herself that she was not born of and with human
flesh!
However, Dr. Seung did not make for himself a "Stepford wife"See footnote 2
although he easily could have. As a result, he experienced the
same interpersonal relationship problems that he had with the real
Juliana.
The Star Trek episodes, movies, and the descendants are not
the only fictional inspiration for androids. Cherry 2000 is a
movie about the trials and tribulations of an android owner who
must find parts to repair his artificial concubine. The title is
a make and model that is an android lover, obviously best for inept
suitors. The male character abandons his parts quest when he finds
an amiable human partner.
" Eve" (portrayed by Yancy Butler) from the twenty-first century-placed series Mann and Machine (aired circa 1992) was an
android. Eve is a very fine example of androtics at its best because of her human likeness and her naivete versus her super-human
prowess and capabilities. It is regrettable that the series, even
during its short run, did not depict more of her construction methods and details other than a few allusions which was very
tantalizing.
A depiction of androids aired in the Fall of 1995. An Outer
Limits episode, Valerie 23,See footnote 3 showed an "inorganic human companion"
of great strength and human likeness. This must be because the
producers had no androids to study in order to accurately portray
their true capabilities. Likewise, that program did not show much
of her construction details, but they did try to represent her
maintenance dock. She was made so faithful to the human model that
her human likeness proved to be her undoing.
There may have been a few other salient androids in fiction;
on the teley or in the movies. My lack of enumerating them herein
is not meaningful.
STATE OF THE ART
Androids in reality are another matter. In a short statement,
they do not exist in any form in fiction.
However, a look at the state of the art may be informative.
There seem to be two primary views:
and
The movie industry has used models since the beginning of the
trade. As movie making technology advanced, the models and props
have improved. These models have included puppets, clay, dolls,
animatronics, etc.
Animatronics is the nearest android technology used. It uses
robotics, electronics, materials sciences, actors, and some puppet
influence. The puppet input is the covering put over a robotic
frame, or "armatureSee footnote 4." The various furs, plastics, foams, etc.
make very convincing critters on the screen and in displays.
Sometimes, only a part of a "creature" is made, but that is
for the purposes of the movie making. The incomplete use of a
technology is not a shortcoming of such.
"Other" real androids are few and far between. The only "real
android" off the "drawing board" as of this writing is more properly a bipedal robot. Honda has a huge, bipedal, semi-autonomous
robot that can wander around their corporate headquarters. Clearly
it serves to prove out their level of robotic technology.
Some technology should be improving prosthesis. There should
be better artificial limbs than Captain Hook's hook and Long John
Silver's peg leg. There are some artificial legs, even with "hair
follicles," for women and artificial hands that look better than a
hook.
The state of the art should be coming to the point where an
android could be made. The engineering, modeling, materials,
parts, software, and hardware are coming for androids. There are
some who fancy making their android, and there may be some success
using animatronics and some refinements of current procedures and
materials and billets.
. Props in the movie industry
. "Other;" for want of a better term.
There should be a many technologies near ready to integrate
and refine into a fruit harvesting machine. Certain spectroscopy
technologies can be eyes to discriminate between green or ripe
fruit. Conventional robotics should be able to move the machine
around as needed. Near androtic technology can make manipulators
to pick and handle the fruit.
SUMMARY/CONCLUSIONS
What are the manifestations of androids? Androids in fiction
appear to range from bipedal robots to being indistinguishable from
a born human. In general, they have great strength and computing
ability.
The conclusion of other androids in fiction is that the characters they are is more important than how they came to be. Any
allusions to other android's creation is incorporated only when it
is part and parcel, or unavoidable in support, of the respective
story line.
This seems unusual. Film makers have plastics, model makers,
electronics, robotics, "animatronics," puppeteers and other "imagineers" as resources. In fact, some of the tools of their trade
could contribute to creating an android.
A major critique of android making is that it could be construed as idolatry. Perhaps making any technological advancement
could likewise. In both cases, a stretch of motivations must be
made and in some cases and regarding some people the accusations
could be true. However, we are all held accountable for our motivations before a Holy Judge of all.