US Marines Defeat DARPA Robot by Hiding Under a Cardboard Box

QuoteIn the excerpt, Scharre describes a week during which DARPA calibrated its robot's human recognition algorithm alongside a group of US Marines. The Marines and a team of DARPA engineers spent six days walking around the robot, training it to identify the moving human form. On the seventh day, the engineers placed the robot at the center of a traffic circle and devised a little game: The Marines had to approach the robot from a distance and touch the robot without being detected.

DARPA was quickly humbled. Scharre writes that all eight Marines were able to defeat the robot using techniques that could have come straight out of a Looney Tunes episode. Two of the Marines somersaulted toward the center of the traffic circle, thus using a form of movement the robot hadn't been trained to identify. Another pair shuffled toward the robot under a cardboard box. One Marine even stripped a nearby fir tree and was able to reach the robot by walking "like a fir tree" (the meaning of which Twitter users are still working to figure out).

I love it.  Click the title for the article and an image of the box with feet that fooled the bot. 

Good job!  Extra crayon ration to all involved.

From what I understand, the Marines under the cardboard box could be heard giggling the entire time they made their way to the traffic circle.

And I'd be disappointed if they didn't say "Be vewy, vewy quiet. I'm hunting wobots!" at least one time!

Also, why am I not surprised it was a bunch of Marines coming up with goofy ways to defeat an AI ?

Like, Marines don't need an excuse to do goofy crap, they're just happy to get one.

I'm having flashbacks to 'Skippy's List'!

So it failed the "Fool a 5th grader test."

That also means it failed to stop a combined IQ of 54.

this is from a video game.



There's a video game or video game mode where some players 'hide' by turning themselves into cardboard boxes or equipment and placing themselves on the game map. I think its called PROP HUNT in COD  WWII, I haven't played it, just seen some videos.

But the jist I get is that players need to know the map very well to recognize that, that box, fire hydrant, crate, sink, doesn't belong there. and then you shoot it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0--SoAL0hk

Quote from: MacWa77ace on February 02, 2023, 09:41:50 AMthis is from a video game.



There's a video game or video game mode where some players 'hide' by turning themselves into cardboard boxes or equipment and placing themselves on the game map. I think its called PROP HUNT in COD  WWII, I haven't played it, just seen some videos.

But the jist I get is that players need to know the map very well to recognize that, that box, fire hydrant, crate, sink, doesn't belong there. and then you shoot it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0--SoAL0hk

Thats hilarious! I played several versions on pc. And then stepped away from what was a pretty solid addiction. But then watched my boys play alot. Over the intervening years. But never saw that. Thats awesome! 

Quote from: 'Moab'Thats hilarious! I played several versions on pc. And then stepped away from what was a pretty solid addiction. But then watched my boys play alot. Over the intervening years. But never saw that. Thats awesome!

For Marines to have defeated the AI, I figured they must have played a game like this to come up with the idea, they are at a disadvantage from eating all those green crayons you know. Engineers probably thought 'cause of this it would be an easy win for the AI. They forgot Marines play a lot of video games.

Otherwise the story would have headlined, 'Marines defeated by kindergarden AI'

Quote from: MacWa77ace on February 02, 2023, 11:53:59 AM

Quote from: MoabThats hilarious! I played several versions on pc. And then stepped away from what was a pretty solid addiction. But then watched my boys play alot. Over the intervening years. But never saw that. Thats awesome!

For Marines to have defeated the AI, I figured they must have played a game like this to come up with the idea, they are at a disadvantage from eating all those green crayons you know. Engineers probably thought 'cause of this it would be an easy win for the AI. They forgot Marines play a lot of video games.

Otherwise the story would have headlined, 'Marines defeated by kindergarden AI'

I saw a pic of a box of crayons in an mre the other day. Is that real or just a joke? I was in way prior to the crayon jokes. 

That's wild that it's from a game and explains why the image had that cgi feel to it.  Now I want real pictures!

Quote from: Moab on February 02, 2023, 12:10:37 PM

Quote from: MacWa77ace on February 02, 2023, 11:53:59 AM

Quote from: MoabThats hilarious! I played several versions on pc. And then stepped away from what was a pretty solid addiction. But then watched my boys play alot. Over the intervening years. But never saw that. Thats awesome!

For Marines to have defeated the AI, I figured they must have played a game like this to come up with the idea, they are at a disadvantage from eating all those green crayons you know. Engineers probably thought 'cause of this it would be an easy win for the AI. They forgot Marines play a lot of video games.

Otherwise the story would have headlined, 'Marines defeated by kindergarden AI'

I saw a pic of a box of crayons in an mre the other day. Is that real or just a joke? I was in way prior to the crayon jokes.

Pretty sure it's a joke, Moab.

Every military MRE I've ever had never had crayons in them.

Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on February 02, 2023, 01:12:04 PM

Quote from: Moab on February 02, 2023, 12:10:37 PM

Quote from: MacWa77ace on February 02, 2023, 11:53:59 AM

Quote from: MoabThats hilarious! I played several versions on pc. And then stepped away from what was a pretty solid addiction. But then watched my boys play alot. Over the intervening years. But never saw that. Thats awesome!

For Marines to have defeated the AI, I figured they must have played a game like this to come up with the idea, they are at a disadvantage from eating all those green crayons you know. Engineers probably thought 'cause of this it would be an easy win for the AI. They forgot Marines play a lot of video games.

Otherwise the story would have headlined, 'Marines defeated by kindergarden AI'

I saw a pic of a box of crayons in an mre the other day. Is that real or just a joke? I was in way prior to the crayon jokes.

Pretty sure it's a joke, Moab.

Every military MRE I've ever had never had crayons in them.

Where did that joke come from? Just curious. I've heard it alot. But it was never a joke when I was in in the early 80s.

Quote from: Moab on February 02, 2023, 01:20:33 PM

Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on February 02, 2023, 01:12:04 PM

Quote from: Moab on February 02, 2023, 12:10:37 PM

Quote from: MacWa77ace on February 02, 2023, 11:53:59 AM

Quote from: MoabThats hilarious! I played several versions on pc. And then stepped away from what was a pretty solid addiction. But then watched my boys play alot. Over the intervening years. But never saw that. Thats awesome!

For Marines to have defeated the AI, I figured they must have played a game like this to come up with the idea, they are at a disadvantage from eating all those green crayons you know. Engineers probably thought 'cause of this it would be an easy win for the AI. They forgot Marines play a lot of video games.

Otherwise the story would have headlined, 'Marines defeated by kindergarden AI'

I saw a pic of a box of crayons in an mre the other day. Is that real or just a joke? I was in way prior to the crayon jokes.

Pretty sure it's a joke, Moab.

Every military MRE I've ever had never had crayons in them.

Where did that joke come from? Just curious. I've heard it alot. But it was never a joke when I was in in the early 80s.

That I don't know, Moab.

The whole "Marines eat crayons" thing has been around since I was a kid and I have no idea where it got started.

Quote from: Moab on February 02, 2023, 01:20:33 PM

Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on February 02, 2023, 01:12:04 PM

Quote from: Moab on February 02, 2023, 12:10:37 PM

Quote from: MacWa77ace on February 02, 2023, 11:53:59 AM

Quote from: MoabThats hilarious! I played several versions on pc. And then stepped away from what was a pretty solid addiction. But then watched my boys play alot. Over the intervening years. But never saw that. Thats awesome!

For Marines to have defeated the AI, I figured they must have played a game like this to come up with the idea, they are at a disadvantage from eating all those green crayons you know. Engineers probably thought 'cause of this it would be an easy win for the AI. They forgot Marines play a lot of video games.

Otherwise the story would have headlined, 'Marines defeated by kindergarden AI'

I saw a pic of a box of crayons in an mre the other day. Is that real or just a joke? I was in way prior to the crayon jokes.

Pretty sure it's a joke, Moab.

Every military MRE I've ever had never had crayons in them.

Where did that joke come from? Just curious. I've heard it alot. But it was never a joke when I was in in the early 80s.

I heard it when I was in, back in the 70s.  Then again, I was Navy and on an amphib that regularly carried a full MAU, so we had a lot of terms and stories about you guys. 

Like Marine being an acronym for "My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment" ?

I looked it up. Origin is unknown. It started as a meme. So at least since the internet has been around. Its just another joke about marines being stupid. Which isn't a complete stretch. And there are hundreds of jokes like that. Probably told mostly by marines themselves. Lol.

I literally knew a guy in the corps with a 54 IQ. I don't know why but it was popular back then to take iq tests. I had something around 120. 

The corps didnt give you one. But they did have a test to see if you were smart enough to be an officer. I had a guy in bootcamp that passed the test and was sent to offericer training right after boot camp. 

The threshhold was a score of 120 or something. And I got a 119. I felt dissappointed for awhile. But then realized I would have never gone to officer training school. My father and grandfather would have kicked me out of the family if I ever became an officer. Lmao. Both were war vets. 

Unless it was some sort of battlefield accomodation. Then they might have accepted it. Lol. 

The one marine insult i liked the best. Was the marine corps test.

You held up your hand and said "this is my thumb." Pointing to it. Then you vigorously shook your hand around. Held it back up. Fingers spread. And then said "ok. Which ones my thumb?" 

Do you still screw your hat on, Moab?   

Quote from: Moab on February 02, 2023, 01:51:57 PMI literally knew a guy in the corps with a 54 IQ. I don't know why but it was popular back then to take iq tests. I had something around 120.

The corps didnt give you one. But they did have a test to see if you were smart enough to be an officer. I had a guy in bootcamp that passed the test and was sent to offericer training right after boot camp.

The threshhold was a score of 120 or something. And I got a 119. I felt dissappointed for awhile. But then realized I would have never gone to officer training school. My father and grandfather would have kicked me out of the family if I ever became an officer. Lmao. Both were war vets.

Unless it was some sort of battlefield accomodation. Then they might have accepted it. Lol.

The one marine insult i liked the best. Was the marine corps test.

You held up your hand and said "this is my thumb." Pointing to it. Then you vigorously shook your hand around. Held it back up. Fingers spread. And then said "ok. Which ones my thumb?"

IQ test is a requirement to get in.

During Vietnam they lowered the standard from 83 IQ minimum to IIRC 54, in a program to increase the number of recruits. It failed badly as most had to have a 'babysitter' to help them with everything.

Project 100,000, also known as McNamara's 100,000, McNamara's Folly, McNamara's Morons, and McNamara's Misfits, was a controversial 1960s program by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to recruit soldiers who would previously have been below military mental or medical standards. Project 100,000 was initiated by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara in October 1966 to meet the escalating manpower requirements of the American government's involvement in the Vietnam War. According to Hamilton Gregory, author of the book McNamara's Folly: The Use of Low-IQ Troops in the Vietnam War, inductees of the project died at triple the rate[1] of other Americans serving in Vietnam and following their service had lower incomes and higher rates of divorce than their non-veteran counterparts. The project was ended in December 1971 and has been the subject of controversy, especially during the manpower shortages of the Iraq War.