Data gets his due

From syfyportal, Lt. Cmdr. Data from the USS Enterprise has been inducted into Carnegie Mellon University's Robot Hall of Fame for 2007.

The popular android from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" has been added this year along with the one-legged Raibert Hopper, the NavLab 5 self-steering vehicle, and the Lego Mindstorms NXT robotic kit. They join past honorees, which include the Mars Pathfinder Rover, C-3PO, R2-D2, Astro Boy, and the HAL 9000 computer from "2001: A Space Odyssey."

The Robot Hall of Fame recognizes excellence in robotics technology worldwide and honors the fictional and real robots that have inspired and made breakthrough accomplishments in robotics. Created by Carnegie Mellon University in April 2003, the Robot Hall of Fame calls attention to the increasing contributions from robots to human society.

Each year, Carnegie Mellon University assembles a jury of scholars, researchers, writers, designers, and entrepreneurs to select real and fictional robots for recognition and induction into the Robot Hall of Fame.

"This is the first time since we established the Robot Hall of Fame in 2003 that most of the inductees are real robots rather than those of science fiction," said Matt Mason, director of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute. "As much as we love fictional robots such as Data, those of us in the robotics field take heart when the real accomplishments of our colleagues get this well-deserved recognition."

Robot Hall of Fame inductees are chosen by an international jury of leading thinkers and technology developers. Members of the first three induction classes include the Mars Pathfinder Rover; Honda's ASIMO robot; the HAL 9000 computer from "2001: A Space Odyssey;" the "Star Wars" duo of R2-D2 and C-3PO; and Gort, the metallic giant from "The Day the Earth Stood Still."

Portrayed by actor Brent Spiner during the 1987 to 1994 run of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Data was the head science officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise. "Data played a pivotal role on questions of robot 'right to life' matters and human/machine philosophies," said juror Ray Jarvis, director of the Intelligent Robotics Research Centre at the Australian National University.

Why include fictional robots in the Hall of Fame? In the Data's case, the character is famous for his efforts to defend android rights as sentient beings. In several Star Trek episodes, especially "The Measure of a Man" and "The Offspring," the jurors felt that despite Data's claims of not being a robot, the question of how to define him was part of his appeal.

"In one episode," recalled juror Anne Balsamo, "Data is put on trial to determine whether he has the right to refuse to submit to a procedure that would disassemble him. During the trial, it is determined that Data is not 'property,' like a computer or a toaster, but rather a sentient life form entitled to rights of self-determination," said Balsamo, managing director of the Institute for Multimedia Literacy at the University of Southern California.

Inductees have a powerful hold on people's imaginations, according to Don Marinelli, executive producer of Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center. In an interview on MSNBC.com, Marinelli felt Data richly deserved the honor because he "spurred on the philosophical dynamic of artificial life making us reflect upon what life is in general."

Marinelli pointed out that the effort to have an Austrian chimpanzee declared a person covers much of the same philosophical ground. "That's a pretty damn good discussion to have. ... And if anything, Data led the way."

This honor will add to the celebration of "Star Trek: The Next Generation's" 20th anniversary this year.