Gizmag: Robotics

iRobot launches new 710 Warrior robot

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:52:08 -0600

iRobot, the company behind household helpers, such as the Roomba and Scooba, and military and police robots, such as the PackBot and Negotiator, has released an updated version of its Warrior 700 robot. Like its predecessor, the newly launched 710 Warrior is designed for EOD (explosive ordnance disposal), reconnaissance and surveillance missions and can lift loads of up to 220 lbs (100 kg) and carry payloads of more than 150 pounds (68 kg) over rough terrain... Continue Reading iRobot launches new 710 Warrior robot

Section: Robotics

Tags: iRobot, Reconnaissance, Robot, Surveillance

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Meet Geminoid-F, Professor Ishiguro's latest uncanny android

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:38:59 -0600

Visitors to Tokyo's Shinjuku ward my find themselves figuratively transported to the uncanny valley, if they take a stroll past Takashimaya department store, that is. Until Valentine's Day, a prominent display window there will play glassy prison cell to the impressive and unnerving Geminoid-F android. Geminoid-F is so strikingly lifelike in appearance, yet so thoroughly inhuman in many respects (head and eye movement among them), that it can only be the work of that master of the uncanny, Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro... Continue Reading Meet Geminoid-F, Professor Ishiguro's latest uncanny android

Section: Robotics

Tags: Humanoid, Japan, Robots

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UPenn's GRASP lab unleashes a swarm of Nano Quadrotors

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:28:05 -0600

Remote-controlled quadrotor robots have been around for some time, but in the following video just released by a research team at the University of Pennsylvania's General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab, science fiction edges much closer to science fact. Displaying complex autonomous swarm behavior, the miniature craft perform some astounding maneuvers and provide an interesting glimpse into what the future may hold for surveillance, search and rescue, light construction and warfare. .. Continue Reading UPenn's GRASP lab unleashes a swarm of Nano Quadrotors

Section: Robotics

Tags: Quadrocopter, Remote-controlled, Robotics, Robots, University of Pennsylvania

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Novatiq enters robotics market with SCORP throwable robot

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:37:11 -0600

After 15 months of development, privately-owned Swiss company Novatiq is set to enter the robotics market with its first offering, SCORP. Designed for scouting and surveillance applications, SCORP is a Micro Unmanned Ground Vehicle (MUGV) that joins the growing ranks of throwable robots. As such, it is small, rugged and lightweight enough to be carried in a backpack and thrown into buildings or over rough terrain... Continue Reading Novatiq enters robotics market with SCORP throwable robot

Section: Robotics

Tags: Reconnaissance, Robot, Robotics, Surveillance

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Tiny magnetically-levitated robots could change the game for robotics

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:56:02 -0600

The past five to ten years have seen the birth of microbotics. A whole range of components that are vital for building robots, such as actuators, motors or batteries, became available in micro-scale only fairly recently. Finally enthusiasts got what they needed to put their own systems together, and the whole field benefited from their work. But there are obvious limitations to scaling down robots full of sensors, motors, and other mechanisms. That is, unless you make the machines extremely simple, which is exactly what Ron Pelrine of SRI International has done. His work on levitated microrobots may have powerful implications for robotics, and is likely to bring us a step closer towards fast, precise and affordable robotic systems comprising thousands, if not millions of microrobots... Continue Reading Tiny magnetically-levitated robots could change the game for robotics

Section: Robotics

Tags: Nanotechnology, Robots

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Snake’s rectilinear locomotion inspires more efficient all-terrain robot design

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:24:03 -0600

While you might think its lack of limbs might limit how it gets around, snakes have actually developed several different forms of locomotion. One of these is “rectilinear locomotion,” and while most snakes are capable of it, it is most commonly associated with large pythons and boas. Although it is the slowest form of snake locomotion, it is also very efficient and allows the snakes to crawl into tight spaces. It is these latter two qualities that appealed to Georgia Tech researchers when developing a new all-terrain robot called Scalybot 2... Continue Reading Snake’s rectilinear locomotion inspires more efficient all-terrain robot design

Section: Robotics

Tags: Biomimicry, Georgia Tech, Motion, Robot

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Open-source project intends to advance robotic surgery

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:03:14 -0600

A couple of years ago, the Willow Garage robotics company gave ten of its PR2 robots away to deserving research groups. The idea behind the project was that these groups would use the PR2s for robotics research, then share their discoveries with each other, thus advancing the field farther than would be possible if they each had to build their own unique robots from scratch. Now, a similar but unrelated project is underway, and this time the robots are designed specifically to perform surgery... Continue Reading Open-source project intends to advance robotic surgery

Section: Robotics

Tags: Robots, Surgery, University of California, University of Washington

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Leaping lizards inspire new robot design

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:53:27 -0600

For some time now, scientists have assumed that dinosaurs’ tails didn’t simply drag on the group behind them, but were instead held out to serve as a counterweight for the giant reptiles’ heavy front ends when running. More recently, however, researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered that modern-day lizards also use their tails to control the orientation of their bodies when leaping through the air. It’s a discovery that could be applied to devices such as search-and-rescue robots, and in fact already has been. Based on their observations, the UC Berkeley team created a small, tailed robot known as Tailbot... Continue Reading Leaping lizards inspire new robot design

Section: Robotics

Tags: Animals, Biomimicry, Gyro, Robots, University of California

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Remotely grooming a cat using a Kinect, Wiimote, treadmill and Nao robot

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:33 -0600

The Kinectimals video game lets players pet a virtual pet on their TV screen, but Tokyo-based software engineer Taylor Veltrop has gone one step further. By pairing a Kinect sensor, a Wiimote, a treadmill and a Nao humanoid robot together, Veltrop has cobbled together a teleoperation system that allows him to groom his real life feline friend remotely. .. Continue Reading Remotely grooming a cat using a Kinect, Wiimote, treadmill and Nao robot

Section: Robotics

Tags: Kinect, Robotics, Tele-operation, Treadmill, Wiimote

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Video update: Flying robots build a 6-meter tower

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:42:08 -0600

We were pretty impressed by the potential of these flying robots when we first covered this story in late November. Now the FRAC Centre in Orléans, France has released a video of the robot swarm in action during its current exhibition. Titled "Flight Assembled Architecture," the live installation showcases a fleet of quadrocopters building a six meter-high tower made up of 1,500 prefabricated polystyrene foam modules. .. Continue Reading Video update: Flying robots build a 6-meter tower

Section: Robotics

Tags: Architecture, Exhibition, Flying, Quadrocopter, Robotics, Robots

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Japanese researchers develop six-legged "Asterisk" robot that can pick up objects

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:28:06 -0600

Fans of the sci-fi film Minority Report will no doubt recall the autonomous insect-like searcher robots deployed to find Tom Cruise's character mid-way through the flick. While not as elegant (or sinister) as its film counterparts, the Asterisk robot being developed by the Arai Robotics Lab at Osaka University in Japan does an excellent job of resembling a big, mechanical bug with some interesting skills. After over six years of development, this unusual "limb-mechanism" robot now boasts an impressive array of functions that may soon find it performing vital tasks in numerous areas of society, including search and rescue... Continue Reading Japanese researchers develop six-legged "Asterisk" robot that can pick up objects

Section: Robotics

Tags: Biomimicry, Osaka University, Robotics

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Oculus telepresence robot incorporates user's existing netbook

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:15:25 -0600

When you think about it, telepresence robots are quite a neat idea. Not only do they allow you to see and converse with people in another location through video conferencing, but you can also move them about within that location – almost as if you were there in person, walking down the halls. Such devices typically don’t come cheap, however. As with other robots, part of what you’re paying for are their computerized “brains,” along with all of their input/output peripherals. The Oculus Telepresence Robot, however, takes a different approach. It utilizes a user-supplied netbook to serve as its brains, eyes, ears and vocal cords. This results in a lower price, potentially opening up telepresence technology to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it... Continue Reading Oculus telepresence robot incorporates user's existing netbook

Section: Robotics

Tags: Laptops, Robots, Security, Telepresence

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Brainlink adds new capabilities to store-bought robots

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:17:08 -0600

While “toy” robots such as WowWee’s Robosapien already have some pretty impressive capabilities, they can now do even more ... if they have a Brainlink module installed. Brainlink is made by BirdBrain Technologies, which is a Carnegie Mellon University spin-off company. When attached to an existing infrared remote-controlled household robot, it will add a built-in light sensor and accelerometer to that device’s quiver, along with the possibility of various other user-supplied sensors that can be plugged into its input ports. The Bluetooth-equipped Brainlink also allows robots to be controlled via the user’s laptop or Android smartphone, which opens up all sorts of possibilities... Continue Reading Brainlink adds new capabilities to store-bought robots

Section: Robotics

Tags: Bluetooth, Carnegie Mellon, Infrared, Remote-controlled, Robots

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Aldebaran Robotics' NAO Next Gen is smarter but still cute

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:57:37 -0600

Remember NAO, the robot that stole the show at the recent Robotville event? Well, NAO's already impressive set of abilities have just been extended with Aldebaran Robotics releasing a new version of its cute little humanoid robot. Around two thousand NAOs are used for research and education purposes all around the world but now that the NAO Next Gen is ready, the founder and chairman of Aldebaran Robotics, Bruno Maisonnier, hopes to see it become useful to humans in a more direct sense. It's new abilities are to make it even more versatile and, among other things, prepare it for working with autistic children and the elderly. .. Continue Reading Aldebaran Robotics' NAO Next Gen is smarter but still cute

Section: Robotics

Tags: Aldebaran Robotics, Humanoid, Robot

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Dual-robot system designed to help with brain surgery

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:26:34 -0600

In keyhole neurosurgery, a small “burr hole” is drilled in the patient’s skull, and their brain is then accessed through that hole. The procedure is much less invasive than many other types of brain surgery, and can be used for things such as exploratory endoscopy, biopsies, blood and fluid sampling, cryogenic and electrolytic ablation (tissue removal), and deep brain stimulation. It is used to treat conditions including tumors, hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain), Parkinson's disease, Tourette syndrome, and epilepsy. For a neurosurgeon, however, it can sometimes be extremely exacting work – a slip of even a fraction of a millimeter can cause permanent brain damage. That’s why the European Union’s ROBOCAST (ROBOt and sensors integration for Computer Assisted Surgery and Therapy) Project is developing a robotic system to help out. .. Continue Reading Dual-robot system designed to help with brain surgery

Section: Robotics

Tags: Brain, Neurological, Robots, Surgery

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Robotville: the androids are coming

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:19:34 -0600

There's an infestation of robots at London's Science Museum this weekend. Robotville has set up camp in a darkened room on the second floor, where visitors to the museum can drop by to say hello to their mechanized counterparts. There are 23 robots all told, from toy dinosaurs to pressure-sensing fish and all-terrain robot cockroaches (though, being purely remote controlled, the latter isn't a robot in the strict sense). Most captivating, though, were the nine androids that struck Gizmag as being, in one way or another, the most human. Say hello to the robots that might help shape our future... Continue Reading Robotville: the androids are coming

Section: Robotics

Tags: Aldebaran Robotics, Autonomous, Exhibition, Robots

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Soft-bodied robot owes its moves to starfish and squid

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:15:52 -0600

More and more, it’s looking like many of the robots in the not-too-distant future won’t be hard, humanoid C-3PO-like affairs, but will instead be squishy, soft-bodied devices. Not only would such robots be better able to withstand mechanical shock, vibration and compression, but they would also be able to do things like squeezing through small spaces – an ability which come in very handy in settings like disaster sites or battlefields. Previous experiments with soft-bodied robots have included Tufts University’s GoQBot, which was clearly inspired by caterpillars. More recently, scientists from Harvard University demonstrated a squishy creation of their own, which could probably best be likened to a robotic starfish ... although it was apparently also inspired by squids... Continue Reading Soft-bodied robot owes its moves to starfish and squid

Section: Robotics

Tags: Biomimicry, Harvard, Robots

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Flying robots to build a 6-meter tower

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:53:30 -0600

The FRAC Centre in Orléans, France will for the first time host an exhibition to be built entirely by flying robots. Titled "Flight Assembled Architecture," the six meter-high tower will be made up of 1,500 prefabricated polystyrene foam modules. The exhibition has been developed by Swiss architect Gramazio & Kohler and Italian robot designer Raffaello D'Andrea, to inspire new methods of thinking about architecture as a "physical process of dynamic formation.".. Continue Reading Flying robots to build a 6-meter tower

Section: Robotics

Tags: Architecture, Fleet Management, Flight, Quadrocopter, Robots, UAV

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Ant-Roach illustrates potential for inflatable robots

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:02:38 -0600

What weighs a little under 70 pounds, has six legs, and is full of air? No, it's not conjoined monkey triplets with gas - as you've doubtless already gathered from the picture, it's a walking inflatable robot known as Ant-Roach. Earning its name by looking like a cross between an anteater and a cockroach, the wonderfully-kooky beast is the creation of San Francisco-based engineering/design group Otherlab. Besides providing amusement, the device was built to showcase the high strength-to-weight ratios and carrying capacities that are possible with inflatable robots... Continue Reading Ant-Roach illustrates potential for inflatable robots

Section: Robotics

Tags: DARPA, Inflatable, Robots

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Harvesting energy from insects in quest to create tiny cyborg first responders

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 01:12:06 -0600

Insects have served as the inspiration for a number of Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) that could be deployed to monitor hazardous situations without putting humans in harm’s way. Now researchers at the University of Michigan College of Engineering are proposing using actual live insects enhanced with electronic sensors to achieve the same result. The insect cyborgs would use biological energy harvested from their body heat or movements to potentially power small sensors implanted on their bodies in order to gather vital information from hazardous environments. .. Continue Reading Harvesting energy from insects in quest to create tiny cyborg first responders

Section: Robotics

Tags: Biomimicry, Cyborg, Insect, Piezoelectric, Prototype, University of Michigan

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Tiny Kilobots to go on sale

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:13:59 -0600

Do you think that you’ll never be able to afford a robot of your own that isn’t a toy? Well, if you can get Swiss robot-maker K-Team Corporation to sell you one, chances are you can easily afford a Kilobot – perhaps even a whole bunch of them. Designed and first built by Harvard University’s Self-Organizing Systems Research Group, the three-legged robots aren’t much larger than the 3.4-volt button cell batteries that power them, and move by vibrating across smooth, flat surfaces. They were created to study robotic swarming behavior, with the intention that tens, hundreds or even thousands of them could be used simultaneously in one experiment. Harvard has just announced that it has licensed the Kilobot technology to K-Team, which will commercially manufacture the robots so that other groups and institutions can purchase them for their own research... Continue Reading Tiny Kilobots to go on sale

Section: Robotics

Tags: Autonomous, Cooperation, Harvard, Robots

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Autonomous Wave Gliders begin their Pacific crossing

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:12:53 -0600

It may sound like the premise for the latest Pixar movie, but it’s actually happening – four small autonomous aquatic robots have embarked on a 60,000-kilometer (37,000-mile) journey across the Pacific ocean. The Wave Gliders, built by California-based Liquid Robotics, left San Francisco last Thursday. All four will travel together to Hawaii, at which point they will split into two pairs – one of those pairs will proceed to Australia, with the other heading for Japan. Called PacX (for “Pacific Crossing”), the project will constitute the longest voyage ever completed by an unmanned ocean vessel... Continue Reading Autonomous Wave Gliders begin their Pacific crossing

Section: Robotics

Tags: Autonomous, Navigation, Ocean, Watercraft

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NSK develops four-legged robot "guide dog"

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:55:27 -0600

Guide dogs for the visually impaired provide an important service and help provide a welcome sense of autonomy to physically-challenged individuals. Unfortunately, the highly-skilled canines require about US$30,000 in training over several months, and always seem to be in short supply. The growing demand for these specialized animal companions gave a group of engineers from Japan's NSK corporation and the University of Electro-Communications just the impetus they needed to design a mechanical solution, and the robotic guide dog was born... Continue Reading NSK develops four-legged robot "guide dog"

Section: Robotics

Tags: Blind, Disability, guide dog, Kinect, NSK, Robots

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Titanoboa is 50 feet of slithering electromechanical art

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:32:23 -0600

Robotic snakes are - perhaps surprisingly - nothing all that new. In the past several years, we've seen ones designed to swim through debris, help out at construction sites, perform surveillance, and inspect the inside of pipes. People seem to be captivated by the little guys, which begs the question: has an artist ever made one? If they did, it would have to stand out from its more utilitarian counterparts, perhaps by being enormous and incorporating colored lights. Evoking prehistory wouldn't hurt, either. Well, it turns out that there is a creation that ticks all those boxes. It's time to meet Titanoboa... Continue Reading Titanoboa is 50 feet of slithering electromechanical art

Section: Robotics

Tags: Art, Biomimicry, Robots

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DARPA's FastRunner robotic ostrich is in the works

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:38:16 -0600

Fast as the FastRunner may become, it will never be able to escape the comparison to an ostrich. One day, thanks to a joint effort by MIT and the Florida Institute of Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), this bipedal sprinting robot is going to assume its rightful place in the DARPA-funded robotic zoo, right next to the robotic cheetah and the mule-like BigDog. Thanks to an innovative, self-stabilizing leg design, the movements of this flightless robotic bird are going to be not only very efficient, but also extremely fast. The legs are already capable of hitting 27 mph (43.4 km/h), matching the fastest of humans. The researchers hope to see FastRunner reach speeds of up to 50 mph (80.4 km/h). That, plus the ability to negotiate fairly rough, uneven terrain, potentially makes it a force to be reckoned with, on the battlefield and elsewhere. .. Continue Reading DARPA's FastRunner robotic ostrich is in the works

Section: Robotics

Tags: Biomimicry, DARPA, IHMC, Military, MIT, Robots

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