Filed under: Robots

Researchers at Future University in Hakodate, Japan have either been spending way too much of their own time and money or have the best gig ever, recently unveiling a dancing robot squid they’ve created to to help celebrate an upcoming harbor festival. More specifically, the bot’s supposed to be a cuttlefish, a fellow cephalopod native to the area that may or may not be able to bust a move, although its robot counterpart certainly can. Measuring about 2.2 meters (or 86 inches) tall, the cuttlefish bot uses air pressure to get its limbs into a groove and is apparently controllable via cellphone — no doubt in order to keep a safe distance away from it. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until next August to see it in action, although that should give it plenty of time to perfect its routine.

[Via Plastic Bamboo]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Robots, Transportation

Back before we got this cushy blogger gig, we were looking into a rewarding career as lion bait. Good thing we didn’t go ahead with that, since we hear the mortality rate isn’t exactly top-rate, and now it looks like we’d be having our jobs replaced by a few infernal robots anyways. Some students over at Strathclyde University in the UK have developed an RC “LionDrover” vehicle that can hit speeds up to 30 MPH and is designed to give bored, captive lions the thrill of the chase. To heighten the realism — last time we checked, most lions don’t chase small 4-wheeled vehicles with hunks of meat tied on top in the wild — the little vehicle sports some sweet zebra stripes. The LionDrover is a successor to the Lionrover, which has been around for a couple of years, and apparently a new version is in the works, too. Currently the bot is being tested out at Blair Drummond Safari Park, and should be joined soon by six similarly-fated companions once the funding is procured. There will also be versions for wolves and African wild dogs — sounds like these are glorious days indeed to be a captive carnivore.

[Via MobileWhack]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Filed under: Robots

All the hip-cool robot researchers these days are building their own robot clone minions to carry out their evil bidding, and Zou Renti of the Xi’an Supermen Sculpture Institution has sure done his up right. The model, with a skin of silica gel which supposedly moves with lifelike movements, apparently doesn’t have a name, but with looks like these we suppose it just passes itself off as Zou Renti when performing its nefarious deeds. In fact, we’d almost go so far as to suggest this bot has successfully navigated the uncanny valley, ’cause we’re having a pretty dang hard time telling which of these guys is which here. Renti and his clone are currently hanging out at the 2006 China Robot Expo in Beijing — tomorrow the world!

[Via The Raw Feed]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Filed under: Robots

It was only a matter of time. What started as harmless-but-creepy animatronic presidents and Disney characters has now vaulted into the realm of autonomous, albeit tiny, robot actors. While this particular Japanese performer lacks one key thespian ability — namely, speech — it can apparently put on a bitchin’ dance routine, and hold its own on stage next to its carbon-based counterparts. Take a peek under that stylin’ outfit, however, and you’ll find a somewhat familiar-looking robo-skeleton: a Kondo KHR-1. Just clap politely at the end of the play and no one gets hurt.

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Filed under: Household, Robots

It might not look too fancy, but China’s first cooking robot, cleverly named “AICookingrobot” or AIC for short, can manage Sichuan, Shandong and Canton cuisines, with a repertory of thousands of dishes. Four years in development, AIC cost 2 million yuan to build — about $253,000 US — and will supposedly help “standardize Chinese fast food.” The bot mimics the actions of those lame-o human chefs that are always asking for “raises,” “bathroom breaks” and “sleep,” and was recently demonstrated on Sunday cooking “beautifully-flavored, attractive-looking shrimp” in five minutes. We’re not quite sure how far the talents of the bot reach, since we know the bot can fry, bake, boil and steam stuff, but there’s no word on chopping or measuring or other minor details like that. Still, the AIC — which will go on sale in 2007 and even should reach the home in the not-so-distant future — is clearly a pre-cursor to the day when we can all sit back with our Nintendo DS-based cooking simulators while all the real work gets done by a Chinese cookbot in the kitchen. What a world that will be.

[Via Robot Gossip]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Robots

We’ve marvelled at this little beauty from afar, but now it appears KNG America is bringing the FUNKit Animated Speaker System to the States this October, at that same $100 pricepoint we’d been hearing. The folks at iLounge managed to get their hands on one a little bit early, and they seem plenty entertained. Along with his wax scratching prowess, the FUNKit announces your tracks with appropriately lame DJ lines like “here’s another FUNKit exclusive,” which is sure to prove entertaining for 30-45 seconds before you kick the thing across the room. A hundie well spent, in our book. Be sure to peep the read link for lots more action shots.

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Robots

While it’s not exactly a life-sized humanoid companion, ZMP is rolling out (literally) a new robot destined to awe psychics and engineering students everywhere. While the company has dabbled in robotics for academia before, the new e-nuvo WHEEL is a learning tool (be it science or anger management) through and through. Designed to challenge your MATLAB / Simulink skills, the two wheeled machine won’t stay put (or stand straight up) without your programming efforts mastering its motion. Sporting an unmistakable nuvo body on an “inverted pendulum,” the company even has supporting textbooks that explain how Newton’s “equation of motion” can be tweaked and implemented in order to get your ‘bot up and about. While there’s no apparent pricing available, the e-nuvo WHEEL is still currently “in development,” but should be wheeling around (or laying flat on its back) in campus laboratories soon.

[Via GoRobotics]

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Robots

With all the world domination posturing by robots, you wouldn’t think they’d be so dang good all this humanitarian and safety-related stuff, but it seems if they aren’t busy pulling somebody out of a building, they’re inspecting those very buildings for structural integrity. These new bots by the University of Strathclyde fall into that latter category, and use bat-inspired echolocation to navigate and inspect their surroundings. The robots report back to a mission control computer which manages the group of robo-inspectors based on the collective findings. There’s also a camera on board each bot, along with a magnet to test for corrosion. It doesn’t look like these bots will make it to market for another 10 years, but when they do they’re expected to make the job of inspecting nuclear installations and gas pipelines a whole lot more fun.

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Filed under: Desktops, Robots

Sure, those infernally cute desktop-bound Mac minis might get all the ladies, but this here Mobile Mac mini bot hopes to make something of himself in the big city. His wheels are made for rolling, and that’s just what he’ll do, but he’s also got a free-roaming video camera for beaming grainy webcam shots back to mission control. Along for the ride is a 7-inch touch screen, spiffy headlight, and IR range sensors to keep from bumping into things. The bot can be controlled via WiFi or Apple IR remote, and while there isn’t much AI to speak of yet, there’s plenty of potential with that plucky Mac mini at the helm.

[Via Hack-A-Day]

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Filed under: Robots

A computer program called WebCrow, shown at the European Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Italy, has completed two crosswords from the New York Times and Washington Post in less time than the 25 attendees and 50 people competing over the internet. Linguistics have, to date, been the great leveler between AI and human intelligence: creating software that can complete crosswords (one of the most complex types of linguistic puzzles) faster than humans is a notable milestone on the journey towards true artificial intelligence. The program works by cross-referencing each word from the clue with previously solved crosswords, a dictionary, and the internet. It then records words of the correct length, and combines the suggestions generated from each referenced source: the program then uses trial and error until the answers interlock and the grid is complete. Although the process amounts to not much more than an extremely complicated guess, feeble humans are still left in the dust by the speed of the program. Fortunately, when the inevitable linguistically-aware robot uprising arrives, there will still exist a glimmer of hope for humanity: at the moment, WebCrow takes a long time to complete crosswords with clues that contain puns and politics. In light of this, we’d strongly advise that you keep a political crossword handy at all times: when the robots and computers do decide to take over, at least we’ll be able to keep them occupied for a while.

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You know, in the future, people will shout from their rooftops: “A robot! A robot! My kingdom for a robot!” Ok, maybe not, but with apologies to our favorite playwright, robots seem to be everywhere these days. We just came across this video of a very child-like Robonova that drops to its knees, wields a mean marker, and draws a crude happy face, and then scratches it out. Not the most useful of robots, but a good first step. Next thing you know, they’ll be teething and speaking in complete — oh, wait. Maybe Robonova and Actroid should get together, producing a robot that would recite our RSS feed and draw the Engadget logo. Now that would be a robot.

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Filed under: Storage

Because we can’t seem to get enough of robots, so how about we show you one that actually does something useful? Too boring, you say? What if we handed you a stack of 50 DVDs and CDs and told you to rip the image, archive ‘em and, while you’re at it, take a picture of each label. Now you want a robot to lord over, don’t you? Lucky for you, our favorite Kansas hard drive maker and friend of forensics analysts everywhere, James Wiebe has come to your rescue with the WiebeTech CD/DVD Imager. So remember kids, this new bot may not be as fun to say as the robotic “welly wanger”, but it’s probably a bit more practical if you’re about to fire off a few hundred copies of your latest tape (on CD) and can front the $2399 one of these will set you back.

[Via MacMinute]

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Filed under: Robots

Korean start-up D2E Robotics looks to be aiming to take down WowWee‘s RoboSapien (ED-209-style) with its upcoming programmable robot, the decidedly less-catchily-named D2V-ZN. Set to retail for close to $750 US when it launches this October, the one-foot-tall programmable mech comes loaded with a built-in camera and will recognize voice commands.. While it’s certainly a bit pricey to start with, the company says the price should come down to a more reasonable 300,000 Won, or just over $300US, once/if the robot starts selling in large quantities (emphasis on if). Either way, we’re guessing it’s going to be a Korea-only thing for a while yet, meaning you’ll still have to pay quite a premium to actually get your mitts on one. Unless you’re Omni Consumer Products, in which case you probably already own thousands.

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Filed under: Robots

Following recent developments in robot cooperation between virtual bots, AIBOs and military bots, researchers at Örebro University in Sweden have created yet more progenitors of our future overlords that can get buddy buddy with each other. These bots work by tapping into each others sensors and computers, allowing them to perform tasks that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to do on their own, such as navigating past difficult obstacles — a door, for instance. In one test, two robots balanced a piece of wood between them, relaying information about speed and direction to each other in order to keep it balanced. Sure, today it’s only wood… tomorrow, it could be you.

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Filed under: Robots

We can’t really say this is the most exciting bot with two “legs” we’ve spotted recently, but the new “NeeBo” bot from Robot Force is well-priced kit for robot hobbyists on a budget. Beyond a bit of manic biped waddling, the robot can rotate and tilt its upper body for more effective knockout blows in the arena, but the functionality stops there. The unit runs on 4 AA batteries, and can be programmed over USB with a Windows XP computer, with an optional wireless control available. Be sure to peep the videos to find out exactly what we mean by “manic” waddling.

[Via Impress]

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Filed under: Robots

Those humanoid robots are all well and good if you’ve got 30 minutes to watch ASIMO manage a 360 degree turn, but some researchers at Carnegie Mellon have been spending some time trying to figure out a bot that could actually be useful in the here and now. Their result is the Ballbot, a 95 pound unit that balances on a single metal sphere, and is tall enough to look a person in the eye. The robot can manage a smooth floor easily, and is designed for navigating human environments. When it isn’t moving, the Ballbot has retractable “kickstands” to hold it up. The next step for the Ballbot is a head and pair of arms to help the robot balance and turn, and the eventual goal is a robot that is a useful helper to the elderly, disabled, or those in an office environment. We’re just looking forward to shouting “Ballbot, beer me!”

[Via CNET]

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Filed under: Robots

If having your own personal life sized Gundam model just isn’t glamorous for you, we’re thinking the Land Walker may just fit the bill. Last year we caught wind of Sakakibara Kikai’s terrorizing mobile robot, but figured it was just another fantastic use of scrap metal and spare time. Apparently Masaaki Nagumo, the machine’s inventor, thought otherwise — the 3.4 meter tall robotic transporter is reportedly now on sale (made-to-order, of course) in Japan for about 36 million yen. For us Americans pondering this investment, that’s over $300,000, and it’s highly unlikely this 1 ton beast would get through customs even if the company were offering shipment outside of Japan. Although it’s not likely to catch any robotic villains (nor bicyclists, actually) at 1.5 km/h, there’s always the dueling guns that are locked and loaded with squishy pellets to show them you mean business. Outrageous though this bot may be, we’re sure a few of you are still thinking over a purchase, so maybe this five minute demonstration can help you pull the trigger.

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Filed under: Robots

French start-up Aldebaran Robotics has recently gone public with its plans to deliver a humanoid household robot by 2007, although judging from their website, they still seem to be milking the mystery aspect pretty well, complete with tantalizing close-ups of unidentifiable robot parts. If it ever becomes a reality, Aldebaran's "Nao" robot looks like it could be a big brother to Kyosho's Manoi AT01, standing a full 22 inches tall and, from its silhouette at least, looking like it rolled off the same assembly line. The bot should also please homebrew aficionado's, running on Linux and controllable via its built-in WiFi, with customization possible using the open source URBI programming language. Best of all, it appears that Nao comes complete with kung-fu grip action, although we're guessing it'll be too expensive to risk an updated bout of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.

[Via Linux Devices]

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Filed under: Robots

We're not entirely sure it jibes with the guide to robot ethics, but there's no denying that the flamethrower add-on is one of the most impressive Robosapien hacks we've ever seen. The folks at Evosapien.com must've sensed our enthusiasm, because they posted a step-by-step tutorial showing how the potentially home destroying bot was built. Because of the incredible risk involved, we don't recommend anyone actually build their own, but we encourage you to read along as a barbecue lighter and some cheap electronic parts transform an otherwise friendly robot into the ultimate enemy of eyebrows. Just hope some overzealous enthusiast doesn't teach his Lego brained bot to read internet tutorials, as that could be very bad for humankind as we know it.

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Filed under: Robots

A smorgasbord of new medical devices are on display through tomorrow at the International Modern Hospital Show 2006 in Toyko, Japan, and we’re seeing some impressive robots get face time at the expo. Specifically, a lovable teardrop-shaped unit caught our, um, eye; the Muu Socia 3.0 is a brilliant social mediator that facilitates conversation between the care giver and care taker by adding interjections and livening up the chat (saywha?). This little fella is pretty advanced, too: voice recognition, voice synthesis, speech recognition, and even facial recognition aren’t beyond its abilities. Who wouldn’t want a colorful cyclopic raindrop around in case the small talk gets stale? And don’t even think of turning your back on it; just watch it get a little jumpy when something gets in the line of duty.

[Via Pink Tentacle]

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Filed under: Robots

As any mad scientist can tell you, all things natural can be improved upon through robotics. In homage to this axiom we bring you the robotic tree, Breeze, the horrific robotonous embodiment of juvenescent nightmares. Described as an ambient robot inhabiting the body of a Japanese Maple, Breeze can “visually sense” and react “allowing her to reach out to you and others whenever you are near.” Its “subtle and artistic” movement is created through Nitinol wires which flex like muscles when electrical current is applied. Of course, it’s only a matter of time until DARPA advances the technology into a forest of seemingly passive attack trees with razor sharp leaves and poisonous needles. Lorax, can you look into this… Lorax?

[Via Robot Gossip]

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Filed under: Robots

If you're looking to delve a little deeper into the world of robotics, but don't exactly have the time or soldering skills to build your own, you'll be glad to know that you'll be able to hack away at your lovable Robosapien RS Media using Lego's Mindstorm NXT system. Thanks to Robosapien designer Mark Tilden's affinity for Legos, the Mindstorm brain fits perfectly into the bot's backpack, allowing you to program a host of new movements into its already robust and customizable repertoire. We suggest you start with something easy like dancing then move your way up to teaching your Robo to destroy the evil imposter, Robone. The source link goes on to mention a few other interesting projects being worked on at Wowwee headquarters, including a four-foot, Segway wheel toting Robosapien model with voice technology and an internet connection, as well as a robotic spider and dragonfly. It all sounds very exciting to us, and we, for one, would like to welcome our new robot overlords (beat you to it).

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Filed under: Robots

Now this is what we’ve been waiting for ever since Takara and TOMY joined forces; a robot! Temporarily dubbed Micromachine, this 5.9-inch tall, 0.66-pound programmable robot is a prototype of the mass produced bipedal ‘bot due for release in March 2007. For less than ¥40,000 (about $349) you’ll get a fully tricked-out model with Bluetooth and camera modules. Details are sketchy at this point and anything could happen between now and product launch anyway. And since this is Tomy and Takara, we mean anything.

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Filed under: Household, Robots

We hope you’re taking notes, kids. Only when you have a large Samsung display, powered by a Samsung A/V receiver, powered by a Samsung Blu-ray drive, and accompanied by a Samsung speaker system — so that you can watch vegetation in HD with your children while a robot does your housework — then and only then will you be happy. To help complete that picture of domestic bliss, Samsung is releasing some new robo-vacs, and they’re not looking too shabby. With design by Zairo, whomever that is, Samsung is putting those bulky curves to good use, since the bots are a bit smarter than average. Not only can they map out their cleaning area to optimize cleaning times, but they’ll return home to their charger when they’re getting low on juice, and can even be remotely activated for the ultimate in geeky housekeeping fun. Samsung’s vacuums, the VC-RS60 and VC-RS60H (to be honest, we don’t know the difference other than the “premium” title), run at a relatively speedy 1.3-feet per second, and can manage about an hour of work before a charge. The two models go for $936 and $1,042 respectively, with no word on availability in the States, but we think we’d be waiting for a price drop anyways.

[Via Akihabara]

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Filed under: Robots

Sure, Spider-Man is great and all, but is all the emotional, moral and relational drama really worth it when you could just spend a few thousand on this here City Climber which does about the same thing? The robot, being developed by Jizhong Xiao and his team at the City College of New York, is targeted at New York City’s mandate that requires building facades to be inspected every five years. Manual inspection usually involves suspended scaffolding and costs around $5000 a day, more than Jizhong hopes to sell his City Climber for outright. The bot clings to all sorts of surfaces using a vacuum motor to create the pressure it needs to hold on. Weighing in at 2.2 pounds, the device can carry a payload up to four times its own weight, so it shouldn’t have much trouble towing along a camera or two for building inspections. By linking dual Climber modules with a hinged arm, the bot is capable of rounding 90 degree corners, or moving from a wall to the roof. Test runs should be happening this summer, spidey sense to follow next year.

[Thanks, William]

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