Mini 50 robot conversion project. [via MeFi] Amazing. Look closely, though, for not all is as it seems. Perusing the MeFi thread may illuminate.
Mini 50 robot conversion project. [via MeFi] Amazing. Look closely, though, for not all is as it seems. Perusing the MeFi thread may illuminate.
What’s with the book “Men Of Metal” by Rowland Samuel then? It that also part of a marketing campaign? A portion of it is in the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine (with Quentin and Uma on the cover). No where does it state that it is based on factual findings and also no where does it state to be fiction.
It is understandable, given the amount of information that is available both in the book [excerpt] you reference and on the website referenced in the aforementioned book, that the accounts are real. As an example, you should review the following URL’s.
First, look at the mpeg’s contained on the site referenced by the book. In fact, look closely for shadowing, lighting and the robustness of the textures on the “robot” as it is in motion in the “car stopping Nov 4” mpeg sample. Notice how the vehicle seems to slow a fraction of a second before the “robot” seems to have a good hold on the vehicle. The mpegs are most likely cgi. Good, but in many respects too good in my opinion.
Next, check out the whois listing of the individual registered as the owner of the domain r50rd.co.uk (http://www.r50rd.co.uk/research/internal/v2i/engin/), one David Mayhew. You can use this link to view the Whois – http://www.namesarecheap.com/cgi/whois2.cgi?fqdn=r50rd.co.uk. The address listed in the whois is actually the address of a sound and multi-media post production company for film and television in London – Martin Gould Productions. See this site for this reference information to the company – http://www.kftv.com/company-28453.html
Finally, check out http://www.cassonpublishing.co.uk/ – the Casson Publishing website – the publisher of the book “Men of Metal – Eyewitness Accounts of Humaniod Robots. This book is listed, as well as others on unexplained subject matter. You will note that the publishing of the book has been delayed. Note the statement that says “New information has recently come to light…”
At this point it may seem that it would be a lot of effort and expense to create such an elaborate ruse. And why would one go to such lengths?
The soap opera is an excellent example of a way to combine mediums to generate interst in topics that target specific groups of consumers and get their attention in a way they can relate to. In fact, if you can put your product in a position of controversy using some means of suspense, the message will carry further – possibly ending up in chat groups or posted on message boards where they are destined to become urban legends.
Therefore it seems to me that, while I admit I have no solid evidence to prove it is or isn’t an elaborate advetising scheme, sales and marketing forces frequently combine efforts to spread advertising costs across mulitple business entities to minimize expense and maximize exposure. This type of advertising – corperate cooperation to market products that are complementary to each other – is used on a regular basis.
“At this point it may seem that it would be a lot of effort and expense to create such an elaborate ruse. And why would one go to such lengths?”
Dont you remember “The Blair Witch Poject”?
hello. i just finished reading men of metal, an excerpt, at least from my new rolling stone. i am very curious about this and can’t wait til’ the book is published, as for the blair witch thing…
it was a movie, and the people proved they were still alive by showing up at award shows, but this, this is different, i think this is 100% true, true enough, that i would save the money up and go over to Mr. Mayhews home, just to see what is up. It says in the book, that no one has seen Colin Mayhew for 6 months, but apparently, his house lights switch on and off, and his house uses 10 times the amount of power than anyone elses. Weird, huh? And, lastly, why don’t the police search his home? It is legal, as long as they have suspicion, that something wrong is going on, and robots, that have the potential to harm, and or save people isn’t wrong, but should be investigated.
im out.
skeet skeet skeet
This is the 21st century’s ‘War of the Worlds’.
‘Men of Metal’ is a brilliant advertising scheme using 21st century technology (internet, digital photos, digitally altered film, etc) to create an altered reality.
‘War of the Worlds’ used the latest technologies of radio and sound effects to present an amazing reality as does ‘Men of Metal’.
Absolutely brilliant, but hardly real. Great job , but it won’t fool all of us all the time.
I researched the publisher-surprise no such business exists in a London Yellow Pages-type directory.
Also, this book was being discussed on another website. Those guys found it in an auto enthusiasts mag. I got mine in Rolling Stone also.
This has marketing written all over it.
Look on the 1st page, the “Publisher” also says he does these book for “sales promotions, premiums, fund raisings,…customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs.”
Just my two cents.
The url listed in the book excerpt (www.r50rd.co.uk/research/internal/v2i/engin/) is real, but the base (www.r50rd.co.uk) does not exist. This makes it seem as though the website address was created this way to make it seem real, but is in fact just an advertising campaign. Also, the fact that it keeps talking about BMW’s and Mini’s overengineering of their cars seems to give it away.
fuck you all. it’s fucking real you bloody faggots. suck my cunt you whore-humping dildos.
Score one for the blokes in the match vs. the eggheads!
(Don’t you people have your own country to do this sort of thing in? KIDDING! Limeys welcome! Irish too, this is the new world, no distinctions here!
*Sniff*
MMMh, can you smell that California coast? I sure can!)
This has to be the very very very best advertising campaign I have ever seen.
Now watch it unfold… and revel in the
brilliance of it’s creation. wow.
like mini coopers needed to be any hotter.
jf
Alright, this may be just me but has anyone noticed this is the 2nd time someone has used robots to sell something? As seen here ( http://www.irobotnow.com/index.php ) was thought to be real because it wasent stated as fact or fiction but it turns out this is a new Will Smith movie. *Clap* There will probably be more I mean it tricked most of us. But if these robots were true theyd probably be enterd into that 1 million dollar race with self intellegent robots wouldent they? Maybe thats just for the college kids but seriously…I want to make a robot
Also note hehe Men Of Metal is also alot like transformer dont you think? But Im unsure. It true no doubt there is a robot because its much to real to be fake (forgot name…), but it could just be a computer telling it to bend down and reach its arm out.
Hey?? The other 3 pictures dont work if anyone has them please let me have um you can reach me at email = Characternamee1@yahoo.com
Aim – Characternamee
Yahoo – Characternamee1
(also look in it could be marketing by looking at it saying BMW is best cars and putting all trust in them and he was offerd to do with other car companys, if so someone should find out which companys)
Btw.. there are already robots like that little midget dude who follows you around, knows who you are so why is this a big deal? There more intellegent then this one? The robot didnt even speak it just moved around a little bit. How did the robot arm know where to go? If the docter lives in the house where is that giant garage with BMW’s, where is the robot? And how come the robot always has cords strapped to him if it can just go run off and save people cars. I mean match its body with the dented door there are no parts.
Also another thing is this just isent in England. live in Aizona, USA and I got the book.
Hmmm I wonder how far Goverments have gotten in robots also, Japanese say they have a surgeon robot that helps docters in surgery.
There are also cyborgs. (They have things that connect to ur brain or sumtin which connects to your eye and allows you to see if you are blind)
Alright I read rest half of book n it answerd most of my Q’s, cept who was taking pictures and videos
I have watched the Cooper Mini ads evolve over time. There is a ton of money involved with this advertising campaign. The last isue of Maxim had a Mini ad that was a series of cones that you popped out and set up to drive through… it was almost as thick as the magazine (well… thick anyway) That had to cost a bundle. Please be logical. This is clearly the latest episode of the Mini ads.
One of the best ad campaigns yet. Look, it has you talking and genuinely wondering. And “rocker” not if you were the last viginia on earth.
Welcome, farkers!
the tailpipe is fake. the pic on r50rd.com has giant pincher things which cover the “tailpipe fingers”………That mini ad stuff is expensive I get automobile mag and mini puts out a thick thing in there everytime….except this time the excerpt book thing took it’s place
Heh heh.
You said ‘thick thing.’
Monkey ice cream. Greenbelt fandango. Gringo alfredo!
Mr. Stevens is a real person however Horace is a different story…there is a biker named Horace Burrowes
The light test in dark is terrible animation with the lights on the backround is off-white……with the lights off and the robot’s on the backround is pure white
look at the picture on the front cover (and also on the inside). the speedometer indicates that the car is moving, but how could the background look as though the car is not moving? also, how could that guy have enough sense to snap a picture and drive right after he got raped by a huge robot?
this is a brilliant marketing scheme. bravo.
It is indeed a brilliant marketing scheme. If you go through the authors and the books on “Casson’s” website, none of them exist anywhere, nor can you actually purchase any of them. Mini does a lot of advertising in Rolling Stone. Also, the cost for a very small and specialized publishing company like “Casson” to print the excerpt seperately and have it tipped into Rolling Stone would be TREMENDOUSLY cost prohibitive. Think about it!
This is a clever ad campagin that is well within bmw’s circle of thought. Remember the Driver short films. BMW hid a game in it and on several major internet sight that if you were willing to follow you would eventually learn to me at a certain place and time. Last time, everyone met in Las Vegas and ten people won a z4 identical to the one used in season two. Although you have to give BMW credit, they do cook up some kickass ad campagins.
on the website the pic of the big robot he says “I hope I didn’t give away too many secrets” while he has all of his sketches on how he built the robot
“Casson” would have to have alot of money
hello all who have been here and now are coming.
I feel like this could be easily a campagin as well. Just take a look at the web sites, full of these chat boards “is it real or fake?” Go to google.com and type in r50r and hundreds of stuff comes up all relating to the robot. i do feel as a digital illustrator that the robot looks to real to be CGI, how ever the video images are alittle blurry and to small of a size to blow up which would hide that it is CGI. It is just that the shadows of the robot actually fits its surroundings unlike CGI’s today. And, answer to the other person question about who did the videos, you can always put a camcorder on a tripod.
No, I think this is definately real, because back in 1985 some friends of mine and me built a similar robot out of an 74 amc gremlin. It couldn’t track people in the dark, but it could stop trucks n o p r o b l e m o.
My ma still has it in her garage, and I’m guessing it still works. We’d have to replace the battery and oil her up, but I think she could hold her own against the r50r.
If you’re reading this Mr. Colin Mayhew, what do you say to a little one on one action ?
if the robot is involved in the late-night buggery, it’s a simple matter of weight ratios. a 5 oz. swallow…no seriously, what’s a cooper weight, 1.5 tons? especially with it’s upright stance the robot would not be plucking and tossing even little euro-coupes around.
i’m sorry. if the r50r did exist, was this well known, had the dexterity shown in the vids, the government would have had that thing underground by now…at least the US gov’t would.
i’m a skeptic by nature. the videos are good (asider from the built in grainy-ness) but it points to Mini marketing scheme. they nver missed a phat ad packet in Rolling Stone.
cmon, anybody who has watched sfx films for the last twenty years can tell this is fake.
The shadows of the robot point in a different direction from the shadows of the both the car and the traffic cones in the car stopping video.
also the shadows cast are obvious manipulations.
BTW when was the last time a book on the paranormal was condensed into twenty or so pages and bundled into high turnover magazines internationally?
too bad, it had me convinced until i actually saw that video.
One thing that struck me as odd was the fact that he uses an emoticon in his writings. 🙂 In general, the writing on his site seems not as detailed or formal as it would be for someone building such a engineering marvel. How many aging robotic engineers would stoop to such an informal means of documentation?
This is obviously a BMW ruse. And they want you to figure it out. Duh!
Im doing a research project on the topic. I was wondering two things: Can anyone understand the gibberish in his notes, and verify if they make relavent sense? Second, some things are unclear. Is the robot meant to be like a transformer, a car down the road forms itself into the final r5or? I didnt think so. But, then, is it just that Mayhew built the r50r with the cooper r50 as nothing but a BASE or used the PARTS? Please post, e-mail me, or respond using aim at: AkiraBlaid
Thank you
akira, if this is true, which i do not believe it is, the book states that he overengineered parts of the car so he can then use these “over engineered” parts on his robots. these over engineered parts were perfect for the robot, like the suspension and the smart airbags and such. my suspicion however is all this over engineer talk sounds like a plug for their car. it is a great marketing tool, i will give em that.
Sorry Jim, didn’t mean to kill the comments. Should be back now.
I fianlly got around to reading my Mens Journal, I don’t know why I have a subscription they just send it ,I saw the excerpt for a book and started reading. I didn’t really want to at first because if it were any good I would probably go out and buy the damn book. I thought it kind of odd that it didn’t leave me with a cliff hanger. So I thought I would check out the web site. Never once believing any of it were true.
After looking at the web site and reading several comments here and on other boards I’m positive it isn’t true. However I have to give BMW and the Mini kudos for creating such a creative ad campaign.
They left no stone unturned in creating a realistic true story, but never once postulated that it was true. They left that part up to the imagination of the reader.
I especially liked the attention to detail in creating a web site, but obviously that is the proof of a hoax. If this Colin guy were to disappear for 6 months and disconnect his phone then he would also remove his web site, and perhaps move if he could.
Of course the attention to detail still says wonderful things about the quality of the cars then doesn’t it?
I liked Minis. I liked them more after seeing “The Italian Job”. I don’t like someone trying to trick me into liking their product. Thanks to a deceitful ad campaign, I wouldn’t take a mini for free now (unless I could use it in a crash test against R2D2… I mean r5or)
And it was deceitful. They may never have “said” the robot was real, but they implied it. I don’t like it when someone thinks they are smart enough to get over on me. They usually aren’t.
ok, I’m not an expert, but one look at the MPEG gives it away. While it’s very well done, it still looks very noticeably computer generated to me.
Look, if youall really want to know if it is real, someone is going to have to get true definitive proof of its existence. Anything else is but speculation.
Fake for sure, nice advertising though.
If you look at the video of where it stops the car, look at the side of the car facing the robot. The windows show a reflection of the lighting in the building, not the machine. And besides, if the machine is stopping the car, wouldn’t there be some tire screeching? Looks to me like the car stops itself. Not to mention the useless mini panels and the wheels on the “shoulders” left on during testing.
LOOK ALSO at the video of the darkness testing for the robot. based on the shadows and where the robot is standing, the light source SHOULD be just about behind where the guys elbow was in the beginning…. but its NOT. and the DISTRESSED VEHICLE RECOGNITION system looks a little familiar… hmm maybe robot cop? and about the tracking test, im sure that giant robot enjoys that pretty arrow path animation.
hey i would just like to say i found another similar animation on the internet ( http://www.digitalinsomnia.cc/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=getit&lid=5 ) it is of a VW Beetle transforming. same onimators possibly ? the r50r does have more detailed animation
the robot looks too clean and shiny to not be cgi, and so do the shadows. also, the motion tracking test is screwed up, why is there a box around the person and arrows following the balls? and why the HELL are there wheels on it’s shoulders? I really dont see the point to that, aside from making it look like a transformer
After reading all of your comments I believe you most of your comments to be true regarding the CGI of the video’s. However I am a mechanical engineer and know that it is possible to build a robot such as this but not capable of what they claim. The rotating wheels on the shoulders would be critical to balance. Hold a spinning wheel between your hands then try to turn around. Stop the wheel and you can turn easily. Notice the wheels stop when it changes it’s direction. I believe that BMW enlisted one of the best minds in robotics to create this marvelous machine then created through CGI some cool video’s. I bet we will see a commercial in the future of a Mini transforming and doing something not possible for a machine this size.
Just a thought, can anyone see an actual purpose for putting tires on this so-called robots shoulders?? Even if there was a need for them, why would you pick the obviously more expensive chrome rimmed ones instead of a stock set? As much as I want to believe this, I think this is a well played ad for the mini cooper.
IF YOU LIVE NEAR COLLIN GO BY HIS PLACE AND ASK TO SEE THE ROBOT
R50R seems to be a kind of Audio/Video cable … coïncidence ?
Here is why I think this is an advertisng ploy: The software needed to make the robot funcion independently (which the “inventor” invites us to believe was simple re-programming of the Mini’s inboard computer) is light-years ahead of published Artifical Intelligence developments to date. Honda recently created a robot that can climb stairs. Period. That’s all it does, and it took hundreds of thousands of man-hours to get it working right. As one contribuor sort-of asked, why isn’t the “inventor” being involuntarily debriefed by robotics experts deep in the bowles of Britian’s M.I. (Military Intellligence) this very minute? “Autonomous,” eh? As an earlier contributor noted, the robot appears to be connected to a heavy cable, and could be operated by a horde of off-screen techncians (as in Speilber’s recent robot movie)–or by pre-recorded signals on a computer, like the Animamatronic Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland. Also, as one contributor implied, a robot with these supposed capabilities would have won the recent Armed Forces-sponsored contest for self-guiding vehicle hands down. Teams of America’s best and brightest can’t match a crackpot in rural England? (To be fair, two Ohio bicycle-shop tinkerers succeded where all the world-class experts had failed in heavier-than-air flight). I also agree with several earlier contributors who wonder why the robot has wheels on its shoulders? It makes sense to put them there if you’re marketing a car, but not if you want a functioning robot!
The Mad Librarian.
Here is why I think this is an advertisng ploy: The software needed to make the robot funcion independently (which the “inventor” invites us to believe was simple re-programming of the Mini’s inboard computer) is light-years ahead of published Artifical Intelligence developments to date. Honda recently created a robot that can climb stairs. Period. That’s all it does, and it took hundreds of thousands of man-hours to get it working right. As one contribuor sort-of asked, why isn’t the “inventor” being involuntarily debriefed by robotics experts deep in the bowles of Britian’s M.I. (Military Intellligence) this very minute? “Autonomous,” eh? As an earlier contributor noted, the robot appears to be connected to a heavy cable, and could be operated by a horde of off-screen techncians (as in Speilberg’s recent robot movie)–or by pre-recorded signals on a computer, like the Animamatronic Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland. Also, as one contributor implied, a robot with these supposed capabilities would have won the recent Armed Forces-sponsored contest for self-guiding vehicle hands down. Teams of America’s best and brightest can’t match a crackpot in rural England? (To be fair, two Ohio bicycle-shop tinkerers succeded where all the world-class experts had failed in heavier-than-air flight). I also agree with several earlier contributors who wonder why the robot has wheels on its shoulders? It makes sense to put them there if you’re marketing a car, but not if you want a functioning robot!
The Mad Librarian.
The wheels in question are put on the shoulders for balance of a gyroscopic nature. chrome is used for looks and weight. if you notice in the “Car Stopping: 4 November, 2002” video, you will see the wheels move according to the balance/center of gravity.
I love it. Some great integration work but a second year animation student can easily tell that the robot is cgi. The shadows are a dead giveaway. But I commend the company who did it ’cause at first glance it is quite believable.
I read the pullout article in Mens Health & was intrigued by the story.Until I found the website…..I have to assume that it is CGI, The shadowing is different from the other objects in the warehouse (pylons, Rover) and when the ROBOT makes contact with the jeep there is no visible impact such as a shift in the jeeps stance and same when the robot releases the jeep, even If I held on to a truck with a few Lbs of pressure the jeep would show so sway or movement when I released it…..Unfortunetly I’d say HOAX!!!
I read the pullout article in Mens Health & was intrigued by the story.Until I found the website…..I have to assume that it is CGI, The shadowing is different from the other objects in the warehouse (pylons, Rover) and when the ROBOT makes contact with the jeep there is no visible impact such as a shift in the jeeps stance and same when the robot releases the jeep, even If I held on to a truck with a few Lbs of pressure the jeep would show so sway or movement when I released it…..Unfortunetly I’d say HOAX!!!
do u guys really think its a hoax?
too bad i was hoping maybe it was true
imagine the posibilities with such an invention
but still would any one spend so much money to try and make people beleive something like this
its just incredible
also does anyone know this guys email his yahoo account does not exist anymore
discouraged 14 year old
This thing has kept me wondering for day’s!!
It’s obviously it’s a hoax but some where inside wants it to be real!
And why would you build a robot to stop cars from crashing?
And spend weeks if not years developing a computer system to detect “Stresses Cars?”
it’s gotta be a hoax!
This is a hoax,
and I’ve got some evidence to prove it…
1) Take a look who registered r50rd.co.uk
http://www.namesarecheap.com/cgi/whois2.cgi?fqdn=r50rd.co.uk
2) The address given is almost the same as :
Martyn Gould Productions, 6 D’Arblay Street, London, W1F 8DN, UK
(A TV & Film Production Company)
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cache:QRQtP9NMWIEJ:www.kftv.com/product-country-35-GBR.html+Martyn+Gould+Productions+Ltd+at&hl=en
3) http://www.cassonpublishing.co.uk
The company does not exist!
If you do a search on google for the book titles listed on that page you won’t find a thing – why?, they do not exist!
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=%22The+Lincolnshire+Crop+Circles+%22&meta=
4) The whois search on cassonpublishing.co.uk
http://www.namesarecheap.com/cgi/whois2.cgi?fqdn=cassonpublishing.co.uk&submit=Whois
Note the registrant’s agent & date for both cassonpublishing.co.uk, & r50rd.co.uk
It’s the same company and both sites were registered in just a few days of each other.
What’s the chances of that?
is it even possible to buy the book in the USA, cuz i sure cant find it
It can be done I have done similer feets in my backyard you people are too simple minded to figure out something like r50r for your selves.you cannot grasp that the technology is there,open your eyes and your mind.If you people were as smart as you think you are you would know that it can be done.my machine is not atonamous but i am working on it, it willbe once i get the correct hardware to plug into her.This kind of project is not acomplished in one day it has taken me just going on 3years to get a working prototype. I AM A BELIEVER BECAUSE I ACOMPLISHED THIS FEET FOR MYSELF.