If you're reading this then you're the resistance. Well, you will be, anyway. That's because every Terminator you'll see in Terminator Salvation already exists in some form. It's just a matter of time before a high-tech company called Cyberdyne emerges and turns them into weapons for our destruction.
Oh wait, Cyberdyne exists, and they make exoskeletons. The moment that prefix turns into "endo-" we're screwed.
Click Continue to see five real robots that are Terminators in the making.
1. Tmsuk Enryu, the HarvesterIn today's world, the Tmsuk T-52 "Enryu" (which, c'mon, it already sounds like a Terminator!) serves Japan as a prototype for what could be a very helpful robot in an emergency, clearing heavy debris with its claws and rescuing survivors. Toss some legs on it and make it a little bigger, though, and you've basically got yourself a Harvester from
Salvation. Yeah, that'd be this guy right here:
2. CardioArm robotic snake, the Hydrobot
The CardioArm is an ultra-flexible, ultra-scary jointed robotic limb created by Carnegie Mellon University that allows doctors to perform heart surgeries with as few incisions as possible. Of course, as a Terminator, it'll make
as many incisions as it can, once it's head is equipped with big bad blades. Say hello to the Hydrobot:
3. Ghostrider, the Moto-terminator
The Ghostrider robotic motorcycle was created as part of
Skynet's DARPA's Grand Challenge. It's equipped with a control system that helps it automatically right itself if it starts to tip, and has side-mounted arms that deploy and lift it up after a spill. Let's hope it never meets this
minigun-nosed motorcycle or else we'll have some Moto-terminators on our hands:
4. Predator UAV, the Hunter/Killer
We could really credit any UAV with leading us along the path toward the fearsome Hunter/Killer. The Predator, pictured above, is one of America's most widely used unmanned aerial vehicles for recon and surveillance missions. The Predator-B (also known as the MQ-9 Reaper), is even loaded out with weapons. Give the Predator a little VTOL love, make it larger, and you've got yourself a Hunter/Killer that'd make any Terminator proud:
5. Actroid, the T-600
Who knew T-600s had a little "Made in Japan" marking on them? Designed and built by Japanese robotics firm Kokoro, Actroids are programmed to take the place of their human counterparts as hosts, receptionists, tour guides, or any other profession that involves standing somewhere and talking. In the future, they'll evolve to include "standing somewhere and shooting" on their resumes as T-600s:
6. Asimo, the T-800
Honda's amazing little Asimo needs no introduction. Unfortunately, neither does the fellow pictured below. With all the human mannerisms Honda's been teaching its bipedal 'bot to mimic, however, I guess we shouldn't be surprised at what it's destined to be. Oh, Asimo. You'll kill us all.
