I would love fold into fetal ball and cry silently in fear if I ever saw a large number of these interacting with pac-like behavior. Once they become tools for the state people will look at those with the same bigotry as illegal immigrants multiplied by the enmity we feel for tax collectors.
Anyone else feel a little uncomfortable when they kicked it? I know it's just a machine, but the way it moves is very lifelike.
Yes, there is no doubt that it is difficult not to anthropomorphize these things. When I saw the guy kick it, I literally thought to myself, "what a dick." I recall seeing an early prototype of these things a few years back. It was the larger ones and I believe it was an article about how they could trek gear etc for soldiers.
First of all... can you imagine driving your car by two mechanical dogs around 2:02 in the video? Also, if you remember the early days of Boston Dynamics, here's a hilarious parody of an old prototype.
Fun facts, almost this exact interaction happened on reddit 6 hours before your comment: http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/2vclxb/how_rude/cogf6gd