The other day I just saw this video of robot penguins [link] , unveiled at the Hannover Trade exhibition by the same people who brought us the robot jellyfish. I thought the flying penguins (which looks like a blimp with fins) were especially cool. Whomever said that Germans have no imagination or sense of humor?

Some of my first thoughts of possible applications was either some wacky world domination plan or a new batman movie with a certain beak-nosed villains, but I was rather dissappointed as I was not able to find these for sale on the Festo (the name of the firm who made them) website - thus I was unable to work out how much a penguin-based world domination plan would cost. And I don't think sufficient time has passed since I can't find any on ebay either. I mean, one of those flying penguins I think would make for an awesome pet, and thus any cash-strapped mad scientist would make a killing putting them up on ebay.

Since laser weapons are getting closer and closer to reality (although they are still non-lethal with a bulky, stargate-esque design [link] instead of the compact phasers of star trek), I presume if these company have any ounce of megalomania in them that the next course of developments for these technologies are clear: giant flying penguins with laser beams raining hot, invisible electromagnetic death.

"awwww... it's a penguin"
*ZZZAAAAPPP!!

And who wouldn't want to build a penguin with laser beams? I mean, why else do you build robot penguins? Some skeptic may say they build it just to show off their pneumatic technology, but we all know better. Robot penguins are simply another step towards world domination (they are, after all, Germans), because the only other reason to build robots is if you're really, really, lonely, in which case you'll want to talk to this dude [link] or buy a "Saya" [link] [link] , who started as a receptionist and has recently added "teaching" to her CV .

At first there was the robo-jellyfish, now it's the robo-penguins, next year I'm expecting robot sharks, Festo! With laser beams!!