Until now, quadraped robots have been a bit like terrifying mechanical sprinters: They go and go and go, but if they run into an obstacle, they’re gonna fall like a tangle-legged AT-AT. So because the prospect of bots that can throw cinderblocks and climb buildings wasn’t terrifying enough, Italian researchers are teaching robots how not to trip.
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Welcome to The After Math, where we attempt to summarize this week’s tech news through numbers, decimal places and percentages.
Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress may have formed the backbone for this week’s news but there was also notable news elsewhere — like the fact that Boston Dynamics’ upgraded quadruped robot can now throw cinder blocks. We’ll be sticking closer to the (safer) events in Spain, however, so take a look for yourself after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Robots, Mobile, Alt
We have seen our fair share of videos in the past where the BigDog robotic mule is concerned, and have also spotted changes made to this robotic pack mule that might eventually be an indispensable battlefield assistant for our men and women who spearhead charges into enemy territory. The BigDog is wonderful to carry loads of equipment without tiring out, and has a special sense of balance in addition to not complaining about working conditions.
Thing is, BigDog is noisy when moving, so it cannot be used for covert missions. Still, another advancement has been made to the BigDog recently, where the BigDog has been given the ability to make use of its arm that was capable of picking up a lying cinder block, while carefully using the strength of the legs and torso to maintain its balance. Enemies of the good ol’ US of A, beware! There are far more terrors on the battlefield that you might soon face other than the battle hardened Marines. If only there were retractable arms in the BigDog to make it a six-limbed monster…
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Pentagon Opens Networks To iOS Devices Next Year, Robot Octopus Developed By Army,
Of all the robots we fear will one day rise up and subjugate humanity to an unyielding reign of terror, none is closer to our hearts than Boston Dynamic’s awesome — and terrifying, as seen in its 2008 video — BigDog. This Army Research Laboratory-funded project that aims to navigate uneven terrain for up to 24 hours while carrying hundreds of pounds of equipment is showing off an all-new ability: throwing. In a tryout video (embedded after the break) that comes just a little too late for the NFL Combine, Boston Dynamics demonstrates how BigDog uses its arm to not only pick up an unsuspecting cinder block, but coordinate the strength of the legs and torso to step into a toss. The robot isn’t throwing 100mph heat just yet, but after previously displaying its horns, even this short teaser is adding a fresh twist to our nightmares.
Filed under: Robots
Source: Boston Dynamics (YouTube)
It’s the sort of ceremony that’s so magical it can only occur on even-numbered years. Inventors, educators, entertainers, college students and media folk gathered at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA tonight for the 2012 inductions to the Robot Hall of Fame, a Carnegie Mellon-sponsored event created to celebrate the best of our mechanical betters.
This year, the field included four categories, judged by both a jury of 107 writers, designs, entrepreneurs and academics and the public at large, each faction constituting half the voting total. The show kicked off, however, with the induction of 2010 winners, the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers, the da Vinci Surgical System, iRobot’s Roomba, the Terminator and Huey, Dewey and Louie, a trio of robots from 1971’s Silent Running.
The first ‘bot to secure its spot in the class of 2012, was the programmable humaoid Nao, from Aldebaran Robotics, which beat out the iRobot Create and Vex Robotics Design System in the Educational category. The PackBot military robot from iRobot took the Industrial and Service category, beating out the Kiva Mobile Robotic Fulfillment System and Woods Hole Oceanographic’s Jason. Boston Dynamic’s Big Dog ran over some stiff competition in the form of Willow Garage’s PR2 and NASA’s Robonaut to win the Research title. And WALL-E triumphed over doppelganger Johnny Five and the Jetsons‘ Rosie in the Entertainment category. Relive the festivities in four minutes after the break.
Continue reading Robot Hall of Fame inducts Big Dog, PackBot, Nao and WALL-E (video)
Filed under: Robots
Robot Hall of Fame inducts Big Dog, PackBot, Nao and WALL-E (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 23:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It’s that time again: time for Carnegie Mellon to roll out the red carpet and welcome the crème de la crème of the robotics world into its halls. Since 2003 the school has been selecting the best of the best and inducting them into the Robot Hall of Fame. Past honorees have included everything from LEGO Mindstorms to the Terminator. This year’s list of nominees is no less impressive, with celebrity bots Johnny 5 and WALL-E pitted against each other in the entertainment category, while NASA’s Robonaut takes on the PR2 and BigDog under the banner of research bots. There will also be two other inductees awarded a spot in the hall in the consumer and education category and the industrial and service field. Best of all, for the first time ever, Carnegie Mellon is letting the public vote on the inductees. And, while PETMAN was snubbed yet again, he’s not letting that get him down — the Boston Dymanic’s biped just keeps on struttin’. Hit up the source link to cast your vote before the September 30th deadline and check back on October 23rd to see who’s granted a podium speech.
Filed under: Robots
Robot Hall of Fame voting begins for class of 2012, Johnny 5 learns where BigDogs sit originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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