Hasta La Gadget!

Claptrap is kind of annoying. Cute, but annoying. The robot from Borderlands has a grating voice, he follows you everywhere, and spends way too much time beatboxing. I complain, but the game wouldn’t be the same without him. The folks over at Our Nerd Home must feel the same way because they made a Claptrap trash can.

I would say that is entirely warranted. They also have a tutorial for you to follow along and build a Claptrap disposal unit of your very own if you want one in your home. And who wouldn’t? You’ll need a step-on trash can, cables, cardboard, and some other stuff, but the end result looks pretty amazing.

It would feel great to throw trash in this guy after having to deal with him in game for a few hours. Take that, you bucket of bolts!

[via Nerd Approved]

Google has invested in another robotics firm, with Google Ventures taking a stake in a mysterious new robo startup called Savioke that was launched by the tech guy behind the … Continue reading

When it comes to modern day technology, especially in the field of war, you know that plenty of advances have been made, so much so that what used to be thought up of as science fiction can actually pass off for something real in this day and age. Well, surely all of the high tech military equipment that we have seen so far would have had to be tested, and do live soldiers actually have a role to play in all of it? Fret not, we have robots to get the job done for us. Case in point – the Porton Man, which is a robotic mannequin that is capable of running, sitting down, kneeling, and even mimic the movement of a soldier.

Recently unveiled by the Ministry of Defence, the Porton Man costs £1.1 million a pop, where it has been specially developed using Formula 1 technology, with the main purpose of its existence being to test out protective suits and equipment. Sporting more than a hundred sensors that are strategically located all over its body, these sensors would be used to record data during tests. Developers of the Porton Man claim that it would be able to help them come up with the next generation of protective equipment.

According to the Ministry of Defence, such an animatronic mannequin happens to be unique to the UK. It was developed for the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), where clothing systems for soldiers were tested against chemical warfare agents. The Porton Man robot mannequin is flexible enough to raise its arms to imitate signals given by soldiers, with the ability to march and kneel, too. I wonder just how lifelike its movement would be, and is it capable of bring the viewers into the uncanny valley? The Ministry of Defence has kept their fingers crossed that the latest generation of robot mannequins will be able to do its bit in helping produce a new, lighter protective suit for the military.

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[ Porton Man takes all the knocks so soldiers won’t need to copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Have you ever hopped on a Segway before? Those who have given it a go would realize what fun it is to not walk any more, although after a while (and when the batteries run out), you would have realized that one of the small pleasures in life would include walking, taking in the scenery around you, not to mention being able to get some exercise going on. Still, it is an engineering marvel to see the Segway balance a human without toppling over. The £99.99 MiP is one robot that has been inspired by the Segway I believe, since it lays claim to being the world’s first balancing robot.

Arriving in either black or white shades, it balances all by itself, and can be controlled using a futuristic manner – via hand gestures, instead of a normal remote control. Hmmm, I wonder whether it would short circuit itself if you were to flip the bird? Anyways, the MiP robot is full well capable of balancing all by itself, all the while carrying its own bodyweight that is roughly equivalent to that of a can drink. Not only that, it will also boast of 7 unique and exciting game modes, where the free app can be used to have it drive, dance, balance and battle. It will run on a quartet of AAA batteries, so using rechargeables might be a good idea in the long run.
[ MiP is world’s first balancing robot copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Ah, robots. Don’t you feel great that such entities are around to help humanity, especially in tasks that get extremely repetitive such as at the assembly line? Well, there are also other kinds of robots at home, although we might not seem them that way, such as a vacuum cleaner or a window washer. Well, the $119.95 Grill Cleaning Robot is pretty much self explanatory – this particular robot would be able to automatically clean barbecue grill grates, thanks to a trio of electric motors that propel it around to complete its assigned task by a built-in CPU.

This CPU would do its bit to rotate the three cylindrical brushes as the robot moves across the grill grates, doing its bit to remove burnt bits of food and grease in but a few passes. The brushes’ brass bristles will not cause any kind of damage to your stainless steel or porcelain surface, and they can also be removed and are dishwasher safe for added peace of mind and easy maintenance. You can set the Grill Cleaning Robot to clean for 10, 20, or 30 minutes, where it sports a rechargeable battery that delivers up to four hours of power, taking an equal amount of time to juice up via an AC adapter.
[ Grill Cleaning Robot lets you relax after a BBQ copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]