Jan 06
A company called Keecker is on hand at CES 2014 with an interesting connected robot device. The Keecker robot is described as the first connected computer for lifestyle and entertainment. … Continue reading
Dec 23
We’ve seen robots that move about using wheels, two legs, four legs and even ones that slither like snakes. The Cubli can move despite being just a cube. Actually it does have wheels, but they’re inside its body.
The Cubli was developed by researchers at the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, led by Gajamohan Mohanarajah and Dr. Raffaello D’Andrea. It has three wheels powered by a small electric motor, a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope, a servo for braking and a STM3210E microcontroller.
By taking advantage of angular momentum and torque reaction, the 5.9 cu.in. cube can jump from a stable position, then stop and balance itself on one of its edges or even one of its corners. It can keep balancing even if you push or disturb the surface that it’s on. It can also be commanded to fall in a particular direction. By performing all three actions successively – jumping up, balancing and falling – the Cubli can be made to move around. It cannot speak though. At least not yet.
Read the researchers’ paper (pdf) on Cubli or head to RoboHub to find out more about the robot.
Dec 16
Carnegie Mellon CHIMP robot to participate in DARPA Robotics Challenge trials this month
Posted in: Today's ChiliCarnegie Mellon University has been working on its CHIMP robot that will participate in the DARPA Robotic Challenge for a long time. The first time we talked about the robot was in March of this year when CHIMP was first announced. The university has announced that CHIMP will be taking part in the DARPA Robotics […]
Dec 14
Google has acquired robotics engineering firm Boston Dynamics, known for its animal-like BigDog, WildCat, Cheetah, and Atlas robots, as former Android chief turned Google-robot lead Andy Rubin increases the search giant’s “moonshot” efforts into the field. The deal was confirmed late Friday, the NYTimes reports, and will see Boston Dynamics continue its existing military contracts; […]
Dec 13
The DARPA Robotics Challenge is all about encouraging the development of humanoid robots that can complete the same tasks we humans do, but in more dangerous conditions – a robot that can get the job done when we don’t want to. When those participating in the challenge were announced last year, one entry really stood out. And today, NASA’s DRC robot actually exists. It’s called Valkyrie 1.
This robot looks a bit like Iron Man, but in white. It has a 1.9-meter-tall frame that weighs in at 125kg. That’s almost 6-feet-tall. Valkyrie 1 has 44 degrees of freedom, so it is very flexible. The arms alone have seven degrees of freedom and the legs six. Valkyrie 1 and the other entrants will have to perform tasks like climbing a ladder, driving a utility vehicle, and using tools. Therefore the design must be up to par.
Valkyrie 1 has cameras in its head, wrists, torso, and legs. This way the operator can get a view from almost any angle when controlling the robot. Its limbs are interchangeable, and most of the components can be removed in minutes, so this robot is easy to repair as well. You can see Valkyrie 1 in action in the clip below:
[via Geek]
Dec 12
David Rogan, CEO, Anybots with the new Anybots Q(X)
Last week I was invited to Polycom’s annual Holiday event where the Anybots Q(X) Virtual Presence was shown for the first time. We all remember Anybots cute QB robot that featured a very small display and 2 big “eyes” where the camera was hidden.
The new Q(X) is going away from the human-like shape and features a relatively austere form factor; however we can appreciate the large display that delivers a better telecommunication experience. Anybots partnered with Polycom to integrate its RealPresence Group 500 video conferencing solution in a metallic gray flat panel on wheels (see photo in the complete article, wheels are not visible).
Polycom RealPresence in the new Anybots Q(X) Virtual Presence original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Dec 11
DARPA has been hosting a Robotics Challenge since last year that challenged some participants to create robots that can be used in the real world. The official name for the Valkyrie robot given to it by NASA is R5. The bot stands 1.9 meters tall and weighs in at 125 kilograms. The robot has 44 […]
Dec 09
Robots might not be at a Terminator level of sophistication, but the technology is growing rapidly, and NASA has revealed what it calls “another milestone” in humanoid space robotics: legs for the Robonaut 2, more commonly called R2. The agency’s engineers are presently working on the climbing legs, which will give the robot a new […]
Dec 04
DARPA, which caught widespread attention when its Cheetah-based Wild Cat robot went viral, has announced that a total of seventeen teams have qualified for the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials. With this latest statement, four additional teams have built complete robotic systems, joining thirteen existing teams later this month to have their robots tested at the […]
Dec 04
Google’s Andy Rubin is the father of Android, but he is no longer working on the Android operating system. Rubin is now the engineer in charge of a new undertaking at Google that the company is calling a moonshot. Rubin is now in charge of Google’s robotics effort. Google has been buying up robotics firms […]
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