"Turn Sequence and the First Law of Robotics" Topic

News article today.
link

If you read the article carefully, it would appear that the prodigy was attempting to move on the robot's turn when the robot broke the kid's finger. We may need to think about this.

Hmmm, robots using their intelligence to literally disable the opposition already?

This does NOT bode well for the survival of mankind.

Next we'll let one run our national defense systems. Wait, haven't we already done that? Never mind, just movies. Right?

I love the Chess Federation's response: "This is of course bad."
I suspect there are some chess players out there who needed to hear this, and not just the robot!

Seriously, somebody didn't think through allowing open, unmonitored access to the robot for the public!

Ha, that'll teach'em!
Pesky prodigies.

Brave New World, toddler trampling in Silicon Valley 2016

Robert Williams, the first casualty of the Human Robot War, 1979

On the other hand, kids are cruel little monsters:
Children Beating Up Robot Inspires New Escape Maneuver System – ON IEEE Spectrum

Is it OK to torture or murder a robot? – On BBC future

The robot should be punished accordingly.
It only needs an inner model of the world, a reinforcement function and a pain system for emotional motivation.

Return of the Jedi – Motivating Robots – On Youtube

I bet it comes out that the 'robot' was being controlled by somebody in a back room, and the guy got ticked off at the 'prodigy' and grabbed the kid's finger (it's okay, he can still play even if he's missing one… ;-)

No one seems to have asked the robot for its side of the story. There wasn't even anything from a responsible spokesrobot.

I'm perplexed that a robot that was built to lift and move chess pieces would be built with enough grip strength to inflict injury.

They are particularly hefty chess pieces?

Wait, so are you saying that breaking your opponent's fingers is not a legitimate chess move?

OSL, I'm willing to bet there is nothing in the "official rules" of chess specifically preventing that.

Provided that the game was subject to FIDE rules see
Article 11: The conduct of the players

I would say, it is annoying to break a finger:

11.5 It is forbidden to distract or annoy the opponent in any manner whatsoever. This includes unreasonable claims, unreasonable offers of a draw or the introduction of a source of noise into the playing area.

But, I find it even more annoying to bring a prodigy brat to a robot chess match.

Finally, a mechanical that can hold its' own at Dejarik against a Wookie.

In a serious response, the adults who planned the event were incredibly stupid, putting an automated machine in with no safeguards to prevent the machine from functioning when anything else was in its zone of operation.

Potential solutions:
1.) The robotic arm is locked in place until the human player "locks in" his/her move— could be tied to an electronic "chess clock". (This is just a simple starting system, not entirely sufficient, but rather obvious. Should be combined with the following suggestions.)

2.) Four recessed, movable "safety" walls (say about 4" high) on each side of the chessboard which rise into place after the human player's move, preventing human hands from entering the arc of movement of the robotic arm. The walls could have pressure sensors to stop the walls from moving if one strikes a foreign object (as a child's hand or arm). The robot itself is locked in place until the walls have reached their full height.

3.) A simple motion sensor overlooking the board, with some overlap around the edges. The robotic arm is immediately locked in place if any movement other than its own is detected in the "play zone" covered by the sensor. This one is dead easy.

4.) A motion sensor or obstacle sensor at the end of the robotic arm that immediately detects anything other than a chess piece in its arc of movement and locks the arm instantly. We have these in cars!!!

I'm sure more could be done.

It wasn't the child's fault. It was the adults'.

"Wait, so are you saying that breaking your opponent's fingers is not a legitimate chess move?"

Well, it depends on which finger was used… ;-)

Since the incident took place in Moscow, was the kid by any chance… Ukrainian? ;-)