News about robot:
Robocup Golf Ball Return Robot
You know what? If you love practicing your putting, then you had better be a good shot – otherwise you would end up spending more time retrieving those wayward golf balls instead of “celebrating” your successes. Of course, there is always the option of training a dog to let it do all the retrieving, but it doesn’t really help in a way since you will end up with dog slobber all over your balls.
DON-8r robot raises money for charities
Who would have thought that a simple robot could actually be used for raising money for charities? Then again, that is not so strange. After all, we have seen skeptical looks dropping on normal folks who go from table to table in public places, wearing a badge that endorses where they came from, which organization they are representing in order to collect money from the public. Many of us have felt cheated in the past after giving our money away, only to read of a particular money-collecting scam in the papers a few days later. With the DON-8r, this coin powered robot might be more appealing to have us part with our money.
Babyloid is just plain creepy
There are a few things that you need to know about Japan – it has been in recession for the longest time, banks don’t pay interest, it has been the 2nd largest economy in the world for eons before China took over that mantle, and “boasts” of the world’s oldest society since 20% of the population is at least 65 years old. Well, apart from that, how about something more cheerful, like it is the top robot nation in the world?
ReCon 6.0 Programmable Rover
If you want to introduce your little ones to the world of robots and robotics, then you might be interested to check out what the ReCon 6.0 Programmable Rover is capable of doing. Retailing for a pretty decent $69.99 to get your child off the right footing, the Programmable Rover largely depends on your imagination – it can be a toy, a robot, and a tool for learning.
Robotic Velociraptor – Steven Spielberg gets no royalties
Remember when you first watched Jurassic Park in the theatres, and was mesmerized at how Steven Spielberg held everything together without that much CGI compared to today? Well, the velociraptor certainly brought chills down my spine, which would make me approach this Robotic Velociraptor with a little bit of apprehension. At least I can always kick this around if it ever goes violent on me, since it is a whole lot smaller compared to the real deal. In the velociraptor’s snout lies an infrared sensor which enables it to detect movement or objects. The moment it is locked onto its “prey,” the dinosaur will then charge forward with feral howls and dervish-like spins. Should you choose to close its jaws by hand, it will remain tames but for a while, and if held closed for too long, it will start to whimper angrily. Want to enrage it like the Hulk? Just double-clicking its jaws and you will see tooth-filled jaws make a menace of itself. Powered by a quartet of AA and a trio of AAA batteries, the Robotic Velociraptor would make for a decent Christmas present for $49.95. Read the rest of this entry »
Emotive Robotic Avatar for the rich
What happens when you have a little bit of extra money in your bank account? OK, so now isn’t the wisest time to drop $65,000 on the Emotive Robotic Avatar due to the worldwide economic malaise, but at least it is something worth having in your living room or home if you already have virtually everything else you want and need, and are looking for something a little bit different. This Emotive Robotic Avatar is different from any other ordinary robot, since it conveys nuanced emotions controlled by its operator from a remote command center. It will rely on a combination of eye expressions, antenna colors, body language, where the digitally modulated voice of its operator is capable of expressesing all five feelings at the moment, comprising of happy, confused, angry, sad, and embarrassed. Standing on its integrated stage which hides 19 motors that control the puppet’s realistic animated movements, it can be remotely controlled by an included tablet PC from up to 30 feet away. You can adjust the emotions of the puppet simply by tapping the tablet’s screen with a stylus. Other hardware thrown into the mix include a microphone and pinhole camera for you to see and hear what’s happening over the PC’s screen. All Emotive Robotic Avatars are built to order, so you don’t have to worry about yours being not unique. Read the rest of this entry »
Bananas Apebot to entertain kids (and adults)
Want to get aboard the robot revolution bandwagon? Let the Bananas Apebot help you out – boasting technological pedigree from Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute, it relies on a special method of locomotion to enable it to balance on its spiraling arms, resulting in exceptional speed and power on carpet, hardwood, or even dirt. The Bananas Apebot is also full well capable of amusing itself via tap dancing, humming a song, and occasionally breaking wind – perfect for those who want a gag gift. Of course, just like any other human being, should its sleep be disturbed or if it is tipped over, the rambunctious simian “goes bananas” so to speak, exhibiting aggresive behavior like the pounding of fists, flashing of laser eyes and roaring menacingly – the only way to calm it down would be through a belly tickle. The Bananas Apebot runs off eight AA batteries with another 3 AAA batteries required for the remote control. We believe even adults will find its $79.95 agreeable. Read the rest of this entry »
Look out Will Smith – the first robot to develop and show human emotions has been invented!
Scientists from the University of Herefordshire have today unveiled a robot which has being designed to not only show human emotion, but to actually develop them on its own. … [visit site to read more]
Autom, the robot weight loss coach: we’ll just keep the friends that lie to us, thanks
Autom is a tiny robot, and he’s getting closer than ever to availability. His whole job? To coach you to lose weight… that’s right, Autom is a dieting robot. You start off by entering the details of your diet, fitness level, and exercise into Autom’s databank, and then he sits on your countertop and has daily ‘conversations’ with you — which we assume are full of a lot of reassuring aphorisms and ‘go get ‘em’ talk. Developed by Cory Kidd (who built the first iteration by hand) while studying at MIT, Autom is set to go into trials in the US sometime next year with a major insurance company. Now, we’re all for healthy living, and everyone knows we love robots, but we’re inclined to take a pass on Autom… if only because we can’t stand to hear the truth 100 percent of the time. If you hit up the source link, you can see a video of the little guy in action. A video of an earlier version of Autom is after the break. Read the rest of this entry »
Transformable Wall-E gets recreated with some love, Lego and DIY skills (video)
Sure, you’ll have seen Lego-based Wall-E imitators before, but few recreate both the cuteness and the basic functionality of the drone quite like this one here. Programmed using Lego Mindstorms, this adorable little creation can transform itself into a box (like the real Wall-E!), pick up and carry objects, look up and down, and even produce and respond to sounds. It can be controlled remotely or left to do things by itself. Follow the break to see it on video. Read the rest of this entry »
Rex, the robotic exoskeleton, aims to make wheelchairs obsolete
New Zealand isn’t exactly known for being a hotbed of tech innovation, but this set of bionic legs might just realign that perception a little bit. The product of seven years of development work, the Rex exoskeleton is capable of supporting the full weight of a person — making it suitable for paraplegics — and moving him or her around in a familiar bipedal fashion. It’s operated using a joystick and control pad and is simple enough for handicapped users to self-transfer in and out of. The best news, perhaps, is that it’s about to go on sale in its home country this year, with an international launch following in 2011. The worst news? Probably the $150,000 (US) initial asking price, but then we’d hardly say we’re qualified to judge the value of being able to walk again. Video and full press release after the break.
Kondo aims lower down the food chain with cute turtle robot kit (video)
Kondo’s bipedal robots have always filled us with a sense of awe, whether they’re duking it out in the arena or practicing touchscreen moves. However, we’d never quite seen a Kondo bot that we’d classify as cute until this robot turtle came along. The Kame Robotto is apparently the first in the Kondo Animal series, and it’s honestly a pretty simple kit — nine servos, a tiny board and a 10.8V, 300mAh NiMH battery pack , plus software and a simple frame. That said, it’s pretty amazing how tightly these off-the-shelf components come together to create a scuttling, waving little thing, and we dare you to watch the video after the break without feeling the slightest twinge of compassion for the bot. RT Robot Shop wants ¥39,900 (about $450) for the creature, which is reportedly limited to 100 pieces — if you happen to live in Japan, get your preorder (for July 15) in at the source link. Read the rest of this entry »
Revenge of the quadrocopters: now they move in packs (video)
In case you didn’t find the original quadrocopter chilling enough, the GRASP Lab out of the University of Pennsylvania has gone and added a bit of cooperative logic to the recipe so that now multiple little drones can work together. Also upgraded with a “claw-like” gripper that allows it to pick up and transport objects, the newer quadrocopter can team up on its prey payload with its buddies, all while maintaining its exquisite balance and agility. Skip past the break to see it on video. Read the rest of this entry »
Bina48 is one humanoid robot you’re going to want to hang out with
Hey, Lego my Droid, you remote-controlled fiend! (video)
That original Motorola Droid looking long in tooth? Not sure what to do with it once you upgrade to Incredible, X, or even the progenitor’s most direct descendant? Take a cue from Mike Partain, who threw in a Lego NXT Robot kit and some ingenuity to create a rather clever proof of concept. The building blocks serve as the bulk of the structure and motor skills, the phone serves as camera, GPS, and compass. The missing links between these two elements and Partain’s remote controlling are three little pieces of complex software… so maybe it’s not in your immediate future, but having a few dreams and vicariously living through the videos after the break should get you through the weekend, right? And if you really want to fiddle with one yourself, the source code has been provided. Read the rest of this entry »
Kokonatchi bots are really, incredibly excited about your Twitter stream
Just when we were about to give up hope in ever finding a convenient way to check out Twitter-happenings, some students at the University of Tokyo and Waseda University have come to our rescue. Their bizarre creation is the Kokonatchi, a cuddly, gyrating robot of sorts, much in the vein of Nabaztag, that flashes multicolor LEDs and wiggles in an adorable seizure when you’ve got a new Tweet to look at. We’re a little unclear on the software side, but it appears you can assign certain alerts and even spoken words to certain Tweet-ers or Tweet-agories. They’ll be retailing this fall for around $45 a pop, and you can check them out in action after the break. Read the rest of this entry »
Beer-fetching robot promises to make your significant other obsolete
The thing about the future is this: we’ll still have to do menial things like answer the door, or take out the trash, or get up off our couches to get our own brews after a long, hard day at the office… unless we’re smart enough to invent robots to do such menial things, that is. Well, Willow Garage has spent some time building a “Beer Me” application for its PR2 robot which gets at least one of these tasks under its belt. They added a a four-holed foam block placed behind the robot’s navigation laser so that it can safely carry four bottles across the terrain, and equipped their refrigerator with a tilted “self-stocking” shelf. Check out its operation in the video below. Read the rest of this entry »
AQUA2 amphibious robot is super cute and fast, less annoying than most pets because it has no head
The AQUA2, built at McGill University in Montreal, is the first of its kind. You see, the AQUA2 is a robot that can both dive and swim in water, and move about on land. The amphibious bot can explore water up to 120 feet and is tethered to a remote control via ethernet or fiber optics. The ‘headless’ robot’s flippers make it a pretty impressive swimmer, and it’s also strikingly fast on even rough terrain. Check out the video after the break. Read the rest of this entry »
Robonaut 2 enters final preparations before flying off into space
Tests, upgrades and final checks are being carried out on the Robonaut 2, the humanoid spacefaring robot that has been in the works since 2007. The baby of NASA and General Motors, this sack of metal and wires has already produced a catalog of 34 new patents and, according to GM, is setting the stage for new safety features in forthcoming generations of its road vehicles. Sensor technology being developed in the R2 could deliver better lane departure warning systems, adaptive cruise control, and more intelligent parking assistance. That’s good news and all, but can we ship it out to the ISS already — we’d rather it be off-world when its instruction set switches from “serve humans” to “serve human meat.” Read the rest of this entry »
Kokonatchi is your Japanese USB Twitter peanut [Video]
We’re not quite sure what it is that makes tech designers think that everyone wants a gelatinous flashing blob sat on their desk, changing color and shivering to communicate Twitter updates, but they keep cropping up every so often. Students at the University of Tokyo and Waseda University are the latest to attempt it, with their peanut-shaped Kokonatchi robot changing color depending on the tone and mood of your incoming Twitter messages and even vibrating if “frightened”.
FURO robot waitstaff lull Koreans into a sense of complacency
