Posts Tagged ‘Robots’
The Body of a Tank, the Brain of an Android [Android]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on March 7th, 2010
We've come across plenty of robots that were controlled by phones before, but usually those phones were being controlled by human hands. Some California hackers, however, are building bots that put Android to work for their robo-brainpower.
Their first creation, the TruckBot, uses a HTC G1 as a brain and has a chassis that they made for $30 in parts. It's not too advanced yet—it can use the phone's compass to head in a particular direction—but they're working on incorporating the bot more fully with the phone and the Android software. Some ideas they're kicking around that wouldn't be possible with a dinky Arduino brain: face and voice recognition and location awareness.
If you're interested in putting together a Cellbot of your own—can you even conceive of a cooler dock for your Android phone?—the team's development blog has some more information. The possibilities here are manifold; mad scientists, feel free to share your Android-bot schemes in the comments. [Wired]
Image credit Miran Pavic / Wired.com
Speaker Bot: The Iron Giant Reimagined as an Artsy iPod Dock [Art]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on January 1st, 2010
This Speaker Bot is a handmade, Etsy-fied robot seemingly designed around one of those little pocket guitar amps. It's maybe not the most technologically advanced iPod dock around, but it's about as cute as robots ever get.
It's a fair-sized sculpture, the only one of its kind, about a foot and a half tall. It seems to be constructed from recycled materials, which gives it a nice weathered look. It also costs $500, which is okay for a unique sculpture but as much as a pretty decent full-sized stereo, so it's probably more for the art crowd than the omg cool robot! crowd. [Etsy via Coolest Gadgets]
Action-Generalizing Robot Is a Crucial Step Towards Robot Butlers [Robots]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 30th, 2009
Willow Garage's PR2 robot already knew how to find its own electrical outlet. Now that it's also learning how to generalize actions, it's only a matter of time before it's mixing me the perfect highball.
Basically, PR2 has been programmed such that when you teach it how to perform an action—such as pouring a beverage out of a can and into a cup—it will then be able to repeat that action regardless of the size and relative position of the objects involved. This is a huge step forward in robotics development, since it saves you the trouble of having to program, in the poured beverage example, every permutation of can and cup size. The robot learns on its own how to deal with each unique situation. Situations like, say, two parts whiskey, splash of soda. Hop to it, PR2! [Willow Garage via Bot Junkie]
Remo humanoid hobby robot now available, wherever adorably creepy gifts are sold
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 29th, 2009
Remo humanoid hobby robot now available, wherever adorably creepy gifts are sold originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tsukumo Robot Kingdom | Email this | Comments Video: When a Toy Robot Gets Weaponized [Robots]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 29th, 2009
This Tomy i-Sobot's owner has seen fit to arm the little red eyed robot with an unbelievable assortment of mini replicas weapons. [Engadget China via Engadget]
This is a $2.1 Million Robot Hummingbird and It Could Save Your Life [Robots]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 29th, 2009
This tiny, flying robot flaps its wings 30 times per second—just like a real hummingbird—and will one day save lives by searching for survivors in wreckage and spots not easily accessible by humans.
So far, the development of this hummingbird has cost $2.1 million and that number's growing. Japanese researchers are hoping to make the robot hover at a point in mid-air—just like the bird which inspired it—as they control it using infrared sensors. Once they manage that and add a tiny camera, they imagine that the robot will "be used to help rescue people trapped in destroyed buildings, search for criminals or even operate as a probe vehicle on Mars."
A space-exploring, human-saving, crime-stopping robot bird? Brilliant. [PhysOrg via Engadget]
This is a $2.1 Million Robot Hummingbird and It Could Save Your Life [Robots]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 29th, 2009
This tiny, flying robot flaps its wings 30 times per second—just like a real hummingbird—and will one day save lives by searching for survivors in wreckage and spots not easily accessible by humans.
So far, the development of this hummingbird has cost $2.1 million and that number's growing. Japanese researchers are hoping to make the robot hover at a point in mid-air—just like the bird which inspired it—as they control it using infrared sensors. Once they manage that and add a tiny camera, they imagine that the robot will "be used to help rescue people trapped in destroyed buildings, search for criminals or even operate as a probe vehicle on Mars."
A space-exploring, human-saving, crime-stopping robot bird? Brilliant. [PhysOrg via Engadget]
Remo Robot Channels Silent Hill for Extra-Terrifying Visage [Robots]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 29th, 2009
At this point, it seems passe to accuse every robot post-Roomba of trying to kill you, but if this one isn’t a homicidal psychokiller, somebody should tell its face.
Remo (short for Remote Brain (shouldn’t it be Remob? Or RemBra?)) is actual a robot kit that’s impressively advanced, even considering its $4,350 price. Its custom CPU talks to a PC over Bluetooth (hence the name) and gives dual color CCD cameras as well as pressure sensors in the feet for better balance. [RobotsSFX via PlasticPals via Botropolis]
Japanese researchers develop robotic, heroic hummingbird
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 28th, 2009
This is not the first time we’ve heard about a robotic hummingbird, but they’re still a rare enough species to warrant our attention. Japanese researchers at Chiba University near Tokyo have developed a new bot which behaves much like the quick-winged bird, which is controlled by an infrared sensor. The little birdie weighs in at less than an ounce and can fly in a figure eight, moving up, down, left and right. Next steps for its development — which the researchers say will arrive by 2011 — include the ability for it to hover mid-air, and have a small camera attached to it. Ultimately, its creators see the robot (which has cost around 2 million dollars to develop) being able to help search for people in dangerous situations, such as destroyed buildings, or aiding in the search for criminals. We haven’t gotten a look at the little guy yet (the above photo is merely to whet your imagination), but we anxiously await its arrival.
Japanese researchers develop robotic, heroic hummingbird originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Robot Gymnast Needs Robot Bela Karolyi [Robots]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 28th, 2009
Okay, robot athletes. You've bested our professional wrestlers. But until you learn how to stick your landings, humans will remain masters of the gymnasium.
Not a lot of details are available on the little guy's performance, other than that it seems to be number four in a series and that it got a surprising 9.6 from the Russian judge. [Robot Dreams via Bot Junkie]
