Gizmag: Robotics

Innovative anchor takes inspiration from the Ferrari of underwater diggers

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:33:54 -0600

Researchers at MIT have taken inspiration from the simple razor clam to design a “smart” anchor that burrows through the ocean floor. The so-called RoboClam could prove useful as tethers for small robotic submarines that are routinely repositioned to monitor variables such as currents and temperatures. The device can burrow into the seabed, be directed to a specific location and can also operate in reverse, making them easier to recover. ..

Tags: Design, MIT, Robot, Robotic, Underwater

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Retrofit kit allows cars to drive themselves

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:32:56 -0600

Let’s say you want to go for a ride in your car, but you don’t feel like driving it. Or perhaps you want to drive your car, but you don’t want to go for a ride in it. These two seemingly contradictory scenarios are probably not what Kairos Autonomi had in mind when it developed the Pronto4 Agnostic Autonomy System. The Pronto4 is a drive-by-wire system that when installed in a vehicle, provides self-driving capability as well as remote control. The system is “agnostic” because it is a retrofit kit that the manufacturer claims can be installed in any steering-wheel based vehicle...

Tags: autonomous, DARPA, GPS, Remote Control, Unmanned

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More robotic fish spawned to monitor water quality

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:32:31 -0600

Although fish numbers are in decline in oceans all around the globe, the same can’t be said for their robotic brethren. Like the “Robotuna” from MIT and the robots developed by a team at the University of Essex, the latest robotic fish from Michigan State University also take inspiration from nature. The aim is to give researchers more precise data on aquatic conditions and provide a deeper understanding of critical water supplies and habitats... and hopefully help improve the outlook for fish of the biological variety...

Tags: Environmental, Monitoring, motion, Prototype, Robot, Robotic, Swimming, Underwater, Water

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I am what I am, I’m Popeye the audio-visual robot

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:12:12 -0600

The ease with which human beings make sense of their environment through a range of sensory signals belies the complex processing involved. Approaches to give robots the same purposeful perception we take for granted have typically involved studying visual and auditory processes independently. By combining data from both sound and vision European researchers have developed technology that could facilitate robotic understanding and responses to human behavior and even conversations, bringing us closer to a future where humanoid robots can act as guides, mix with people, or use perception to infer appropriate actions...

Tags: Audio, Humanoid, Perception, Research, Robot, Robotic, Vision

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MIT and Audi developing friendly robotic co-driver

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:56:54 -0600

Vehicles are slowly but surely heading towards a future where the driver is almost irrelevant. A raft of new technologies will be employed to control a vehicle’s performance, speed and steering. Eventually leading to vehicles that drive themselves. Many Technologies designed to assist drivers are already reaching fruition including systems that recognize tiredness in drivers or control the throttle and brakes for the duration of a journey. The latest driver assist technology to catch our eye comes out of the Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT), where researchers are creating an in-car personal robot that is designed to offer the same kind of guidance as “an informed and friendly companion.”..

Tags: Audi, Driver, Driving, MIT, Robot, Robotic, Vehicle

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Cyclops - the visually-impaired robot

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:32:42 -0500

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have created a remote-controlled robot to help test the effectiveness of visual prostheses, such as an artificial retina, which are implanted into visually-impaired patients. Cyclops the robot - or, rather, the mobile robotic platform, or rover - lets scientists “see” the results that human patients could expect without having to test the device on them first. It is hoped that this approach may spare them some unnecessary procedures and one day lead to giving blind people the freedom of independence...

Tags: artificial, Blind, Camera, Prosthesis, retina, Robot, Sight, Vision

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ChemBot: the shape-shifting robot that is the stuff of nightmares

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:22:23 -0500

We’ve looked at robots that use a variety of ways to get around, from caterpillar treads, to wheels, legs, wings and even combustion-driven pistons. But the title of weirdest (not to mention unsettling) method of robot propulsion we’ve come across has to go to the shape-shifting ChemBot from iRobot. The ChemBot, which looks more like the Blob than most people’s preconceived ideas of what a robot should be, moves around by changing its shape in a process its creators call, “jamming skin enabled locomotion.”..

Tags: DARPA, iRobot, motion, Research, Robot

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Household robots – a burglar's man on the inside?

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:34:56 -0500

Until robots rise up and overthrow their puny human creators, one of the main risks comes from the people using the robots. A new study warns that the current crop of household robots presents a serious safety and privacy risk. They make it all too easy for nefarious types to hijack control of the robots and access valuable data - even giving them the ability to watch and listen in on private conversations, and perform remote reconnaissance on a house...

Tags: Remote Control, Robot, Security, Surveillance, University of Washington, Wireless

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KUKA RoboSim 4-D Simulator ready to shake, rattle and roll theme park patrons

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:53:06 -0500

Jaded theme park aficionados looking for a new thrill will want to get along to the Innoventions pavilion in Epcot at Disney World, Florida, to experience The Sun of All Thrills. On display will be the new KUKA RoboSim 4-D Simulator, a robotic ride that not only puts thrill-seekers at the mercy of a 3-D motion robotic arm, but also adds “wind” by controlling air movements to provide a more realistic simulation experience...

Tags: Entertainment, Kuka, motion, Ride, Robot, Robotic

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MIT's robo-fish swims like the real thing

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:23:31 -0500

What is it with scientists and robotic animals? Did they not have pets as children? This year alone, we’ve seen robot ferrets, penguins, dogs, locusts, moles and bats. And now, scientists at MIT have come up with a robotic fish. Although we’ve seen mechanical fish before, this one is different in a very significant way – the robofish truly mimics the natural swimming action of real fish, flexing mechanical muscles to propel itself through the water. ..

Tags: MIT, Robo-fish, Robot, Robotics, Swimming

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Get away from her you b#%$@ - the Power Loader suit to become a reality

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:27:05 -0500

Science-fiction is well on the way to becoming science fact with engineers from Activelink, a Kyoto-based subsidiary of Panasonic, developing an exoskeleton suit inspired by the "Power Loader" suit Ripley wore in her climactic battle with the Queen Alien in Aliens. And, just like in the movie, the Power Loader suit is designed to give its wearer superhuman strength for the lifting of heavy objects – in the movie it was cargo, but Activelink also has construction and disaster relief operations in its sights...

Tags: exoskeleton, Panasonic, Robot, Robotics, Wearable

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Video: the state of the art in robot perception and dexterity

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:02:28 -0500

Don't watch the video after the jump if you've recently seen a Terminator movie - because it's becoming clear that if the robots come after us, there'll be no stopping them. The video shows an incredible array of three-fingered robot hand/eye co-ordination exercises, including throwing and catching, spinning pens, tying knots and dribbling a ping-pong ball. The Ishikawa Komuro laboratory at the University of Tokyo put these videos together to demonstrate the incredibly quick parallel processing they are achieving with a mix of visual and tactile sensory inputs. Astounding stuff. Sarah Connor, you're in deep trouble...

Tags: Design, Dexterity, Ishikawa Komuro, Perception, Robot, Robotic, Sensory

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DUSTBOT collaborative, multifunctional robots keep your town clean

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:14:00 -0500

A group of European companies and universities have collaborated to produce a series of multifunctional robots for urban hygiene tasks. With abilities ranging from door-to-door garbage pickup and transportation, to automated street cleaning, the DUSTBOTs recently demonstrated their skills at a station in the town of Atxuri, Portugal...

Tags: Carbon monoxide, Cleaning, Dustbot, Engineering, Humanoid, Robot, Robotic, Sensors, Shopping, Touch Screen, Transport, Vehicle

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Panasonic's robotic-bed-cum-wheelchair helps maintain independent lifestyle

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:32:49 -0500

Panasonic has developed a robotic bed which easily transforms to a wheelchair - and back again - without the user needing to move. The Robotic Bed eliminates the need for those with limited mobility to transfer between bed and wheelchair, reducing the need for assistance and helping them retain their independence and mobility...

Tags: Bed, Mobility, Panasonic, Robotic, Wheelchair

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Sandia hoppers have robots jumping for joy

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:23:08 -0500

Whether they use wheels, treads, or even legs, robots often have trouble extricating themselves from situations they may encounter on a space mission. Their design can also prevent them from easily navigating around certain obstacles. The chances of hitting a roadblock only increase when human control is removed, as in the case of autonomous robots. Hopping robots inspired by the clumsy jumping of grasshoppers could prove to be the answer to giving robots unprecedented mobility for exploring other planets, gathering battlefield intelligence, and assisting police during standoffs or surveillance operations...

Tags: Mars, Moon, Robot, Robotics

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Work out with Taizo the exercising robot

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:42:27 -0500

‘Taizo’ is a humanoid robot designed to lead the elderly in physical exercises. He stands just 72cm (28") tall and has 26 degrees of freedom that enables him to smoothly demonstrate around 30 different moves for his followers to imitate. Since his primary assignment is to help the elderly, most of his exercise regime centers around chair-bound activities, but he can stand up to demonstrate some actions...

Tags: Exercise, Humanoid, Robot, Robotics, Taizo

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The Polaris mobile handset robot

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:34:11 -0500

Despite having limited success in other countries, Japan enjoys nothing more than coming up with progressively weird and wacky designs for robots, and it doesn’t seem to matter whether they have any real practical application.The latest entry into this category is the Polaris mobile phone robot, a spherical, mobile device designed to house a handset that, when not docked, will be busy recording data based on a user’s day-to-day activity...

Tags: Contactless, Mobile Phone, Polaris, Prototype, Robot, television

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RIBA the friendly robot nurse

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:39:59 -0500

It might look like a cross between a snowman and a badly-designed toy polar bear, but the nursing fraternity should appreciate RIBA, a robot that can lift patients in and out of beds and wheelchairs on command, while at the same time saving nurses’ backs and improving patient care and safety...

Tags: Care, Lifting, Patient, Robot

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iRobot Warrior 700 designed to deliver... more robots

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:14:17 -0500

The new iRobot Warrior 700 robot looks like the (much) bigger brother of the company’s PackBot. In fact the Warrior is a much larger, more powerful platform designed to deliver, well, PackBots (among other missions). The Warrior 700 can carry a PackBot at the end of an articulated arm, and insert the it through a window for reconnaissance, explosive ordnance disposal, rescue, or other missions...

Tags: iRobot, PackBot, Robot, Surveillance, Warrior

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Robotic gaming gets on a roll

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:42:39 -0500

Robots have uses beyond packaging, production lines and the imminent overthrowing of humanity - or at least South African/U.S. start up Robonica thinks so. It’s aiming to ‘redefine the entertainment robotics market’ with a line of robotic gaming products that fuse elements of robotics, remote controlled vehicles and electronic gaming. The core of the Robonica’s introductory product, Roboni-i Action Games, is a fully programmable remote controlled robot with sensors that make it aware of its environment and that enable it to interact with other robots...

Tags: Electronic, Games, Gaming, Remote Control, Roboni-i, Robonica, Robot, Robotics, Sensors, USB, Wireless

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Intelligent harvesting robot could lead to cheaper food at the checkout

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:37:14 -0500

Researchers in the U.K. are working at turning newly developed imaging technology into an intelligent harvesting machine. Using microwave measurement, the system can look beneath the leafy layers of a crop, identify the differing materials, and enable precise size identification. Such a machine could minimize wastage in crops like cauliflower and solve an impending labor shortage for U.K. farmers caused by a fall in the number of migrant workers...

Tags: Farming, food, Imaging, microwave, Productivity, Research, Robot, Robotics

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Robotic Moles deliver goods through the sewers

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:23:37 -0500

Although the first sewers date back to ancient times, concerns about public health in the 19th century saw many cities construct extensive underground sewer systems to help control outbreaks of disease. Some of these sewers evolved from open drains along the center of streets that were covered to provide, not only cleaner, but also wider and therefore less crowded streets. Now designer Phillip Hermes has come up with a concept that could also reduce traffic congestion on crowded city roads by turning the sewerage system into a system for transporting goods...

Tags: Concept, Robot, Transport

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Astrorobotic rover aims to visit Apollo 11 site after 40 years

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:40:11 -0500

Forty years after Apollo 11 touched down on the moon, plans are afoot to revisit the site to see how the remains have stood up to four decades of radiation and micrometeorite bombardment. One vehicle that may well be used for this expedition is the third prototype lunar robot from Lunar X Prize entrant Astrobotic. The rover is one tough nut - it's designed to survive the blistering heat of the lunar ‘noontime extreme’, which sees temperatures reach 270 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as the minus 240 degree Fahrenheit temperatures of the lunar night...

Tags: Apollo 11, Concept, Expedition, Moon, Robot

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Learning robot puts on a happy face

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:18:17 -0500

Robots generally aren’t the most expressive of entities, but their faces are becoming increasingly realistic as the number of artificial muscles controlling them rises. Today, a highly trained person must manually set up these kinds of realistic robots so that the servos pull in the right combination to make specific facial expressions, but researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are looking to automate the process by giving robots the ability to learn realistic facial expressions...

Tags: IEEE, Learning, Robot, Robotics

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Metal muscles drive ‘robo-bat’ Micro Aerial Vehicle

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:05:41 -0500

Researchers are increasingly looking to nature for design inspiration in a wide range of mechanical devices. Doing so allows them to draw on the millions of years of evolution that have resulted in designs offering superior performance and efficiency. Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) is one field that has recognized the maneuverability and performance virtue of nature’s small flyers, with various attempts being made to mimic these designs and produce vehicles that outperform traditional fixed-wing or rotary-wing craft. We’ve seen the development of a tiny a ‘nano air vehicle’ inspired by the hummingbird, a UAV based on a Pterodactyl and a six-inch long robotic spy plane that, like this new design from North Carolina University, draws on the physical characteristics of a bat. ..

Tags: Aerodynamics, Mechanical, Robot, Surveillance, UAV, Vehicle

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