Robot Definition

A robot is a mechanical or virtual, artificial agent. A robot is usually an electromechanical system, which, by its appearance or movements, conveys a sense that it has intent or agency of its own. The word robot can refer to both physical robots and virtual software agents, but the latter are often shortened to bots.

While there is still discussion about which machines qualify as robots, a typical robot will have several, though not necessarily all of the following properties: (more…)

Innovation First Brings Robotics to the Classroom

With robotics playing an ever more integral role in STEM education, Innovation First, the company behind a wide range of robotics initiatives, has launched a new online resource targeted directly toward K-12 and post-secondary education.

Innovation First provides robotics programs to about 140,000 students around the world (making up about 12,000 teams), and just last month the company launched robotevents.com in an effort to provide a resource for those interested in robotics competitions. The new resource, Vex Robotics Education, hosted on the Vex Robotics site, is designed as a resource for educators looking to introduce robotics into STEM curricula. It includes free education and classroom support materials for download and also introduces custom classroom lab kits based on the Vex Robotics Design System. The kits include components for building radio-controlled robots. (more…)

Why can?t American consumers handle the future that robotics is willing to offer?

Someday the robots will rise up and kill us all. They’ll record our lives, obliterate our privacy, set off nuclear war, and eventually turn on us and eat our brains. If any of this ever did happen, it would serve us right. We, at least American consumers, don’t deserve the future that robots really have to offer.

Recent evidence abounds. What’s more appalling?a television commercial depicting an industrial automotive robot committing suicide or the public outcry that followed? We have a robot psychiatrist (more on her later) and an entire country?South Korea, not the U.S. (for now)?committed to the “ethical treatment” of robots.Talk about putting the cart before the horse.
It isn’t all the fault of U.S. consumers. Our robotics expectations buckle under the massive burden of fantasy robotics. Our conception of consumer robotics is steered, almost entirely, by science fiction. We confer personalities and cognitive thought on robots before we even see them. We assume that they’ll have human emotions and foibles. (more…)

WowWee Roboreptile Robotic Reptile

Wowwee’s Roboreptile is an often startling robotic toy that, once you get the hang of its wonky controls, is actually pretty fun. Like other Wowwee robots, there’s a preprogrammed animation that goes off when it is first powered up. It’s impressive: growling, snapping jaws and a whipping tail. In short, Roboreptile looks like something out of the future and moves like something out of the past.

The Roboreptile has infrared “vision” sensors where its eyes would be and stereo “hearing” sensors on the sides of its face. Its sounds, though a bit tinny, are menacing. During a tail swipe, it lets out a sort of Eagle cry, harkening back to the shared avian/reptile ancestry.

Controlling the Monster
Controlling the Roboreptile with the remote is a bit of a strain. First, because the remote uses an infrared beam and the pick-up sensor is located in its head. You won’t be able to control it from far away, and it’s difficult to control while walking away from you. (more…)

Whole New Ball Game As A Robot Makes I-Contact

ASIMO, the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, can’t drive his own car yet, but he is helping manufacturers make vehicles safer.
Twenty-one years of technology have allowed the all-seeing, all-hearing and sometimes-dancing Asimo to evolve from a disembodied set of legs that took up to 20 seconds to pace a single step into a robot that can slalom through road cones and run at 6 kmh.
The latest version of the Asimo robot is touring Australia and will be in Sydney until December 2.
Its engineering achievements have required scientists for the car maker Honda, the company behind Asimo, to master the skills that govern locomotion, such as how humans shift their weight as they walk. This technology has subsequently been adapted to help prevent vehicles from swerving, according to Hongsiri Suesattabongkot, a Honda engineer and former robotics student at the University of NSW.
The mechanical midget, which at 1.3 metres tall would barely be able to peer over a steering wheel, has also been responsible for a technology that warns drivers about impending collisions. (more…)

Hitec 77003 Robonova I Humanoid Robot Kit

The Robonova I offers educators, students and robotic hobbyists a complete robot package. The advanced and stable Robonova I can walk, run, do flips, cartwheels, dance moves and once programmed, is ready to compete in any Robo One Class “J” competition. This kit version of the Robonova I allows you to enjoy building your new friend from the ground up. The Robonova I kit was designed for easy assembly in six to eight hours using only a screwdriver. On the other hand, if you prefer instant gratification, you can choose the Robonova I in a pre-built, ready-to-walk version.

Built Tough

The custom gold anodized metal servo brackets serve as a strong and lightweight exoskeleton. Robonova I also features durable plastic body case components that protect the control board and battery from damage. (more…)

WowWee Robosapien Version 2 Humanoid Robot

Robosapien Version 2 is the next generation of Robosapien technology and personality from Wowwee. This new member of the robotic family comes with more advanced dynamic motion, interactive sensors, new program functions, speech capability, and a personality all his own. It’s clear from the start that he enjoys bowling, dancing, and having conversations.

Movement

RobosapienV2 is able to walk forward in four different styles, or gaits. He normally uses his IR vision and touch sensors built into his feet and hands to avoid obstacles, but if put into bulldozer mode, he will walk forward or backward and try to push his way through anything.
Beyond controlling him manually with the included remote controller, RobosapienV2 can explore his environment independently in free roam mode. You can also direct his movements by using the remote’s targeting feature–just point the beam to a spot on the floor and he will walk toward it.
RobosapienV2 has been designed with a full range of motion. He can turn his head just like humans. So, too, can he turn at the hips and can move them forward and back and from side to side. RobosapienV2 can move each arm independently, and his hands can grab, pick up, and throw light objects, such as the included bowling balls and pins. He even comes preprogrammed with a selection of dance moves. (more…)

Visitors look at REEM-B, the new humanoid robot unveiled by Pal Technology Robotics, at its launch in Reem Island in Abu Dhabi, June 11, 2008. The 1.47-meter tall robot, which is able to walk dynamically, grasp objects, navigate within buildings, accept voice commands and recognize faces, is one of the most advanced in the world, manufacturers said. Developed by Pal Technology Robotics, REEM-B supercedes the older REEM-A robot, which was launched last year.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan hands a gift to the new humanoid robot REEM-B

Hyper-redundant Discrete Robotic Articulated Serpentine

The news originally come from www.gizmag.com. Posted at December 13, 2008.

Researchers at the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory at Virginia Tech have designed a series of serpentine robots that are able to climb poles and inspect structures too dangerous or inaccessible for humans. The robots coil themselves around a beam and roll upward using an oscillating joint motion, gathering important structural data with cameras and sensors.
A 2006 US Bureau of Labor Statistics report listed 809 fatal falls from raised structures and scaffolding. The RoMeLa team hope that by increasing the use of autonomous robots in construction, humans can work in safer conditions. The HyDRAS models (Hyper-redundant Discrete Robotic Articulated Serpentine for climbing) use electric motors , while the CIRCA (Climbing Inspection Robot with Compressed Air) uses a compressed air muscle. Currently the robots are tethered to laptops, but future designs will incorporate a microprocessor and power source, allowing them to operate independently. All robots in the series are roughly three feet long, though the CIRCA is lighter than the HyDRAS.
Dennis Hong, director of Virginia Tech?s Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory, said ?The use of compressed air makes this approach feasible by enabling it to be light weight, providing compliant actuation force for generating the gripping force for traction, and allowing it to use a simple discrete control scheme to activate the muscles in a predetermined sequence.?
?These are really wicked cool robots,? Hong said. ?Unlike inchworm type gaits often being developed for serpentine robot locomotion, this novel climbing gait requires the serpentine robot to wrap around the structure in a helical shape, and twist its whole body to climb or descend by rolling up or down the structure.?
The HyDRAS-Ascent, HyDRAS-Ascent II, and CIRCA recently earned recognition at the 2008 International Symposium on Educational Excellence.

Artificial Intelligence in Robot War

The robots are not so much coming; they have arrived. But instead of dominating humanity with superior logic and strength, they threaten to create an underclass of people who are left without human contact.
The rise of robots in the home, in the workplace and in warfare needs to be supervised and controlled by ethical guidelines which limit how they can be used in sensitive scenarios such as baby-sitting, caring for the elderly, and combat, a leading scientist warns today.
Sales of professional and personal service robots worldwide were estimated to have reached about 5.5 million this year ? and are expected to more than double to 11.5 million by 2011 ? yet there is little or no control over how these machines are used. Some help busy professionals entertain children; other machines feed and bathe the elderly and incapacitated.
Professor Noel Sharkey, an expert on artificial intelligence based at the University of Sheffield, warns that robots are being introduced to potentially sensitive situations that could lead to isolation and lack of human contact, because of the tendency to leave robots alone with their charges for long periods.
“We need to look at guidelines for a cut-off so we have a limit to the contact with robots,” Professor Sharkey said. “Some robots designed to look after children now are so safe that parents can leave their children with them for hours, or even days.”
More than a dozen companies based in Japan and South Korea manufacture robot “companions” and carers for children. For example, NEC has tested its cute-looking personal robot PaPeRo on children: the device lives at home with a family, recognises their faces, can mimic their behaviour and be programmed to tell jokes, all the while exploring the house. Many robots are designed as toys, but they can also take on childcare roles by monitoring the movements of a child and communicating with a parent in another room, or even another building, through wireless computer connection or mobile phone.
“Research into service robots has demonstrated a close bonding and attachment by children, who, in most cases, prefer a robot to a teddy bear,” Professor Sharkey said. “Short-term exposure can provide an enjoyable and entertaining experience that creates interest and curiosity. But because of the physical safety that robot minders provide, children could be left without human contact for many hours a day or perhaps several days, and the possible psychological impact of the varying degrees of social isolation on development is unknown.” Less playful robots are being developed to look after elderly people. Secom makes a computer called My Spoon which helps disabled people to eat food from a table. Sanyo has built an electric bathtub robot that automatically washes and rinses someone suffering from movement disability.
“At the other end of the age spectrum [to child care], the relative increase in many countries in the population of the elderly relative to available younger care-givers has spurred the development of elder-care robots,” Professor Sharkey said.
“These robots can help the elderly to maintain independence in their own homes, but their presence could lead to the risk of leaving the elderly in the exclusive care of machines without sufficient human contact. The elderly need the human contact that is often provided only by caregivers and people performing day-to-day tasks for them.”
In the journal Science, Professor Sharkey calls for ethical guidelines to cover all aspects of robotic technology, not just in the home and workplace, but also on the battlefield, where lethal robots such as the missile-armed Predator drones used in Iraq and Afghanistan are already deployed with lethal effect. The US Future Combat Systems project aims to use robots as “force multipliers”, with a single soldier initiating large-scale ground and aerial attacks by a robot droid army. “Robots for care and for war represent just two of many ethically problematic areas that will soon arise from the rapid increase and spreading diversity of robotics applications,” Professor Sharkey said. “Scientists and engineers working in robotics must be mindful of the potential dangers of their work, and public and international discussion is vital in order to set policy guidelines for ethical and safe application before the guidelines set themselves.”
The call for controls over robots goes back to the 1940s when the science-fiction author Isaac Asimov drew up his famous three laws of robotics. The first rule stated that robots must not harm people; the second that they must obey the commands of people provided they does not conflict with the first law; and the third law was that robots must attempt to avoid harming themselves provided this was not in conflict with the two other laws.
Asimov wrote a collection of science fiction stories called I, Robot which exploited the issue of machines and morality. He wanted to counter the long history of fictional accounts of dangerous automatons ? from the Jewish Golem to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein ? and used his three laws as a literary device to exploit the ethical issues arising from the human interaction with non-human, intelligent beings. But late 20th-century predictions about the rise of machines endowed with superior artificial intelligence have not been realised, although robot scientists have given their mechanical protégés quasi-intelligent traits such as simple speech recognition, emotional expression and face recognition.
Professor Starkey believes that even dumb robots need to be controlled. “I’m not suggesting like Asimov to put ethical rules into robots, but to just to have guidelines on how robots are used,” he said. “Current robots are not bright enough even to be called stupid. If I even thought they would be superior in intelligence, I would not have these concerns. They are dumb machines not much brighter than the average washing machine, and that’s the problem.”
Isaac Asimov: The three laws of robotics
The science fiction author Isaac Asimov, who died in 1992, coined the phrase “robotics” to describe the study of robots. In 1940, Asimov drew up his three laws of robotics, partly as a literary device to exploit the ethical issues arising from the interaction with intelligent machines.
* First Law: a robot must not harm a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to be harmed.
* Second Law: a robot must obey the commands of human beings, except where the orders conflict with the first law.
* Third Law: a robot must protect its own existence so long as this does not conflict with the first two laws.
Later on, Asimov amended the laws by adding two more. The “zeroth” law stated that a robot must not harm humanity, which deals with the ethical problem arising from following the first law but in the process putting other human beings at risk.
Asimov also added a final “law of procreation” stating that robots must not make other robots that do not follow the laws of robotics.

Amatrol-Robotics

Robotics is the science and technology of robots, their design, manufacture, and application. Robotics requires a working knowledge of electronics, mechanics, and software. A person working in the field is a roboticist. The word robotics was first used in print by Isaac Asimov, in his science fiction short story "Runaround" (1941). Although the appearance and capabilities of robots vary vastly, all robots share the features of a mechanical, movable structure under some form of control. The structure of a robot is usually mostly mechanical and can be called a kinematic chain (its functionality being akin to the skeleton of the human body). The chain is formed of links (its bones), actuators (its muscles) and joints which can allow one or more degrees of freedom. Most contemporary robots use open serial chains in which each link connects the one before to the one after it. These robots are called serial robots and often resemble the human arm. Some robots, such as the Stewart platform, use closed parallel kinematic chains. Other structures, such as those that mimic the mechanical structure of humans, various animals and insects, are comparatively rare. However, the development and use of such structures in robots is an active area of research (e.g. biomechanics). Robots used as manipulators have an end effector mounted on the last link. This end effector can be anything from a welding device to a mechanical hand used to manipulate the environment. The mechanical structure of a robot must be controlled to perform tasks. The control of a robot involves three distinct phases - perception, processing and action (robotic paradigms). Sensors give information about the environment or the robot itself (e.g. the position of its joints or its end effector). Using strategies from the field of control theory, this information is processed to calculate the appropriate signals to the actuators (motors) which move the mechanical structure. The control of a robot involves various aspects such as path planning, pattern recognition, obstacle avoidance, etc. More complex and adaptable control strategies can be referred to as artificial intelligence. EVER Any task involves the motion of the robot. The study of motion can be divided into kinematics and dynamics. Direct kinematics refers to the calculation of end effector position, orientation, velocity and acceleration when the corresponding joint values are known. Inverse kinematics refers to the opposite case in which required joint values are calculated for given end effector values, as done in path planning. Some special aspects of kinematics include handling of redundancy (different possibilities of performing the same movement), collision avoidance and singularity avoidance. Once all relevant positions, velocities and accelerations have been calculated using kinematics, methods from the field of dynamics are used to study the effect of forces upon these movements. Direct dynamics refers to the calculation of accelerations in the robot once the applied forces are known. Direct dynamics is used in computer simulations of the robot. Inverse dynamics refers to the calculation of the actuator forces necessary to create a prescribed end effector acceleration. This information can be used to improve the control algorithms of a robot. In each area mentioned above, researchers strive to develop new concepts and strategies, improve existing ones and improve the interaction between these areas. To do this, criteria for "optimal" performance and ways to optimize design, structure and control of robots must be developed and implemented.

Meet Zeno: The Emotional Robot By Hanson Robotics

Meet Zeno. He can’t walk or talk yet, but his blinking eyes will track people and his face will captivate you with a range of expressions. Measuring at 17 inches tall and weighing 6 pounds, Zeno is the culmination of five years of work by Hanson Robotics.

At Hanson Robotics, they believe there’s an emerging business in the design and sale of lifelike robotic companions, or social robots. David Hanson believes that Zeno is much more than an artificial robot toy, he says Zeno is an interactive learning companion who can engage in conversation and convey human emotion through a face made of a skin-like material which Hanson has names frubber.

Talking about his latest creation, Hanson says,

“It’s a representation of robotics as a character animation medium, one that is intelligent. It sees you and recognizes your face. It learns your name and can build a relationship with you.”

If the whole thing sounds a little Sci-Fi to you then it’s probably because that’s where the inspiration from Zeno came from. Hanson said he was inspired by the same sort of realism found in the book ‘Supertoys Last All Summer Long” by Brian Aldiss.

David Hanson aims to make his little Zeno’s available to consumers within the next three years for $200-$300.

RoboKriti - Basic Robotics Workshop

“RoboKriti - The art of Building Robots” is a workshop especially designed for newbie’s and robotics enthusiasts of all disciplines from diploma Institutes to Engineering Colleges of all the branches like Electronics, Telecommunication, Mechanical, Computer Science, Production, Metallurgy etc.The students will learn the basics concepts and will gain the practical experience while working on the RoboKriti kit. They will be introduced to the basic fundamentals of robotics and will learn to apply them in real life. Hands-on sessions will help them understand the practical aspects too.The RoboKriti Kit is specially designed and developed by Team Technophilia. Using this kit, students will make a robotic vehicle which can be controlled via two mediums, viz:

• Wired Remote control
• Wireless Remote Control (RC Control)
  

Fully-Assembled Robots

I was given one of these last holiday season to review. At the time, I was pretty impressed that TOMY was able to offer such a sophisticated mini-humanoid for the price (which was then around $250 street). Now, sadly, after a year, TOMY has decided to discontinue the product. But that means we can offer them in the Maker Shed for $106!. That's a very attractive price for a very hackable little robot, making it the perfect gift for any techno-tinkerer on your list. This 6 1/2"-tall humanoid uses 17 servomotors to somersault, stand on one leg, do push-ups, perform martial arts. It has 180 pre-programmed movements, responds to verbal commands, and performs up to 240 movements in sequence, allowing you to design countless routines, such as programming the device to say "hello," introduce himself, play an air guitar, bow to his audience, and say "good night." Using the included action chart as a guide, you simply enter the alphanumeric codes into the remote control and i-SOBOT reacts in earnest with acrobatics, verbal phrases, and greetings, or you can control his movements manually using the dual joysticks and trigger buttons on the remote. In voice recognition mode, the robot moves in response to ten verbal prompts, such as "Go forward" or "Back up," and acknowledges questions like "How are you?" with appropriate retorts. Ages 10+.Price: $105.95.
Robots-Dreams.com has some links to i-SOBOT hacking-related resources here.

Wow Wee Rovio Mobile Webcam

Product code : RB-Wow-23

WiFi equipped mobile robot with streaming audio and video

Easily control Rovio remotely 24/7 from anywhere in the world!

Manual control and autonomous waypoint navigation

Advanced users will love the Rovio API

The Wow Wee Rovio Mobile Webcam is a WiFi remote controlled surveillance robot that can be controlled by any device with a web browser, even web enabled cell phones. Rovio can also patrol a pre-programmed path and check for intruders. Rovio provides telepresence, with audio and vidéo streaming, so you can check on your home or office from anywhere a web connection exists. When Rovio’s batteries become weak, he automatically returns to his docking station to recharge if it is in his field of view. Using a state of the art TrueTrack localization system, similar to GPS but for indoors, Rovio will be the most advanced mobile webcam on the market.

Wow Wee Rovio Mobile Webcam features:

• WiFi equipped mobile robot with webcam.
• Built-in LED headlight to help with navigation in dimly lit locations.
• IR sensors for obstacle avoidance.
• Microphone and Speaker for 2-way communication.
• Omni-directional wheels.
• Charging dock and self-docking function.
• Rovio even has an API for advanced users.
• TrueTrack System for autonomous waypoint navigation (Store waypoints that can be navigated to with one click).
• System Requirements: Windows XP/Vista, Wireless Access Point (Wireless Router), CD/DVD drive (Note: For Mac users, Ad hoc setup requires a WiFi Card).
  
  
  

Robotics Technology Integration

• SSC San Diego’s robotics program uses CCAT-supported technologies to enhance existing unmanned ground vehicle platforms (UGVs)
• UGVs are currently used in Iraq during potentially hostile operations
• CCAT-supported technologies will be used to provide capabilities with the potential of saving the lives of American soldiers

When you say the word "robot," most people think of a mechanical man, or even sinister machines that aspire to destroy the human race and take over the world. History, however, tells us that the first robot was invented in 1938 as a programmable device used to apply spray paint. Since then, robots have been increasingly used to take over many of the dangerous or tedious jobs once done by humans.





From a military perspective, one very dangerous job is that of an American warfighter patrolling in hostile territory. There are an estimated 5,000 ground robots currently taking on this function in Iraq and saving many lives in the process. In fact, Congress has recently mandated that one third of all U.S. ground military vehicles be unmanned by 2015. In meeting this ambitious goal, current remote-controlled systems will require more functionality with less operator involvement to effectively perform a wide range of missions under varying conditions.

The Robotics Tech Transfer (TechTXFR) project is managed by Estrellina Pacis of the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego (SSC San Diego). The objective of this effort is to expedite enhanced capabilities for robots that are currently in the field through transfer of applicable technologies from other government labs, academia, and private industry. The individual technology readiness levels are evaluated by SSC San Diego and further matured, as necessary, for testing in relevant operational environments.

The Robotics TechTXFR team sought out assistance in locating relevant technologies through another Department of Defense-funded program, the Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT).

In the winter of 2006, CCAT San Diego provided the Robotics TechTXFR effort with $50,000 for optimizing the navigation and mapping software of man-portable UGVs. "The CCAT funding of our Robotics TechTXFR program helped pave the way for improved functionalities, such as enhanced mobility and situational awareness, and significantly increased autonomy," said Bart Everett, chief engineer for robotics at SSC San Diego. "This allows the robot to become much more of an asset and far less dependent upon the operator."


Shortly thereafter, CCAT San Diego began accepting proposals from technologists who had engineered devices and software products that could potentially provide additional enhancements to the UGVs. In October 2006, CCAT San Diego provided funding and services to five organizations to package their technologies for integration and evaluation on test platforms by SSC San Diego. The grants resulted in varying capabilities, such as visual odometry (vision-assisted navigation) and radiological source identification and tracking. CCAT San Bernardino followed suit in early 2007 by announcing three more awards pursuing application payloads that provide the robots with leave-behind sensors, trip-wire detection, and explosives detection capabilities.

"The CCAT program offers the agility, speed and technical expertise needed to get new technologies into the hands of the Robotics TechXFR program so that UGVs are much more effective in theatre," said Pacis. "This translates into more mechanical soldiers on the front lines and fewer American lives lost."

Anybot

Saturday, 17 February 2007

The Personal Robot species is broad, growing and gets is evolutionairy force from Japanese and Korean companies. One of these companies is Mostitech, which is located in Korea and has developed several personal robots over the past few years. Their latest design is Anybot (also called 'Mir-H' on their website). Anybot is a so-called Ubiquitous Robot, which simply means that the product combines robotics technology with Internet technology in order to provide the user online services.

Anybot supports four applications. First the robot brings you Security. The built-in camera is able to detect intruders and takes pictures that are sent to your cell phone. Secondly, the robot can be controlled via some network by a cell phone, providing the user a Remote-control Monitoring application. Entertainment applications is the third class of applications supported by this robot. Voice recognition, playing mp3 files, games, and real-time information including news and weather are all present. Finally, the robot supports Home Networking applications so that a user can control home electronics by giving Anybot commands.

Raytheon Acquired Sarcos' Robotics technology

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has acquired the robotics technologies and capabilities of Sarcos, a company specializing in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and robotics for the entertainment and medical industries. "We look forward to being part of the [Raytheon] IDS team," said Dr. Stephen Jacobsen, president of Sarcos. he added that by joining with Raytheon Sarcos will be better positioned to move our technology from research and development to execution." Integrated Defense Systems is Raytheon's leader in Joint Battlespace Integration.

Sarcos was incorporated in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1983 as an R&D company and is active in the field of robotics since 1992. Sarcos was one of two contractors pursuing DARPA's Exoskeleton program, a futuristic concept enabling warfighters to "run faster, leap further and carry up to 150 lbs or more".
This capability could enable soldiers operating at high risk conditions to carry significantly heavier body armor than is presently possible. Sarcos is expected to deliver a prototype exoskeleton for US Army testing by next year (2008). Following these tests, DARPA plans to transition the technology to the US Army PEO Soldier for further development.

First woman gets bionic arm

by Donald Melanson, posted Sep 14th 2007 at 11:36AM

As The Washington Post reports, 26-year old Claudia Mitchell has become the fourth person and first woman to get outfitted with a bionic arm (well, besides Lindsay Wagner), with which she's able to perform functions simply by thinking about them. The arm was designed by researchers at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago -- who are part of a larger project funded by DARPA -- and works by detecting the movement's of Mitchell's chest muscle, which has been rewired to the nerves that once served her left arm. Eventually, researchers say, the arm could even give Mitchell the sense of touch, with electrodes in the hand sending signals to her chest skin, which her brain would recognize as a sensation. This being part of a DARPA project though, we're sure they're also working on things they're not telling us, like crazy swinging grappling hook action.[Thanks, Spluch]

Real transformer robot: two legs good, eight legs better

Real transformer robot: two legs good, eight legs better
July 26th, 2008

Robotics fans who are also entomologists should get a kick out of the latest high-tech machine from Japan – a shiny multi-legged robot that can walk like an insect.
Although the Halluc II from the Future Robotics Technology Center (Furo) at Chiba Institute of Technology and Leading Edge Design in Tokyo has eight limbs, one of its three modes of locomotion is based on the way some insects walk. The other two see it move on wheels like a car and in a way similar to a quadrupedal mammal, albeit with twice the complement of limbs.
The point of developing a robot that can get around in such differing ways is to create machines that can traverse any kind of surface. Halluc II can’t handle stairs when trundling around on its wheels, but break out the crawling insect legs or stepping mammalian feet and it can scurry or stomp with the best of them.
If all that sounds a little esoteric, we advise you to check out the excellent videos over at Japanese site Robot Watch, particularly the insect mode here and the transition between insect and mammal here.
Future applications for such technology could also see, for example, cars that can park in tight spaces by sprouting legs and simply stepping sideways into the gap. We can’t wait.

5th EURON/EUnited Robotics Technology Transfer Award

5th EURON/EUnited Robotics Technology Transfer Award

The EURON/EUnited Robotics Technology Transfer Award is jointly presented each year in recognition of outstanding achievements in EUropean robot technology.

This year the jury - a team of six robotics experts coming from academia and industry - received seven applications of high quality. Three finalists were invited to present their technology transfer products during the EURON II Annual Meeting on 28 March 2008 in Prague.

The three winners are:

1. Price: ROBOTECH (Italy) – for I-Droid 01, small edutainment robot (which can be seen in the picture attached)

2. Price: Bluebotics (Switzerland) for ANT (Autonomous Navigatin Technology)

3. Price: DELFOi (Sweden) for Cost Efficient Drilling