Hasta La Gadget!

The world of robotics has advanced to a point where we can even enjoy telepresence communications, and the Botiful is one of such devices that oozes with a cuteness level of unprecedented nature. Basically, the Botiful telepresence robot’s looks are extremely hard to resist, where it will hook you up to your loved ones and friends over a smartphone. Sporting a trio of wheels, the Botiful will enable remote users to control it over Skype, and the three wheels will help propel it around. Not only that, it is tiny enough to fit in your computer bag, making it a highly portable device wherever you go.

Similar to a computer mouse that runs on wheels, the Botiful is more than just another spot for your smartphone to rest. Functioning as a standalone device, whenever one places a Skype video call over it with the user, the Botiful telepresence robot will work to its primary ability. The caller is able to check out all of the directional controls which enable them to manipulate the Botiful so that it functions as an active segment of the conversation. As the handset is held in place using a magnet, it will communicate over a Bluetooth connection. On-screen directional controls also allows users to move it around so that there are different perspectives to view from. There is nearly half the amount of time left on the clock to raise the relevant funds.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nao robot climbs a staircase autonomously, iRobot announces Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant (RP-VITA),

Our society seems to be making that shift to the world of robots more and more, but robots are still very much underdeveloped compared to us humans. How do you tell a robot to hold an egg with its fingers with a different amount of pressure compared to say, a dumb-bell of the same circumference? Well, even running and walking up stairs prove difficult – but not impossible for robots, as the Nao humanoid robot is showcased in the video above, climbing up a spiral staircase.

Good thing the video has been speeded up in some parts, otherwise this would have been pretty much yawn inducing. The thing is, at least the Nao robot can not climb up stairs – but will it be able to bring you breakfast in bed down the road sometime? Only the future will tell, so for the moment, we will just have to sit down and wait patiently for future robot developments.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: NAO robot avoids obstacles autonomously, Aldebaran robotics wants Nao to be more helpful in disastrous situations,

Thank the heavens for this thing known as acronyms in the English language – iRobot has just announced the Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant, or if you prefer to not get your tongue all notched up in twists, then RP-VITA would do just fine. Basically, the RP-VITA project intends to merge the best of iRobot’s AVA telepresence units with InTouch health’s own bots, resulting in an extremely dummy-proof system that enables physicians to perform care for patients remotely – without having to read through tome after tome of manuals so that they can figure out the complicated technology behind such an idea.

The RP-VITA will come with a modern day mapping and obstacle detection and avoidance technology, where one relies on an iPad user interface to achieve control and to interact with various diagnostic devices, not to mention access electronic medical records along the way. This remote rig will also be able to navigate to specified target destinations autonomously, although it still requires FDA clearance at press time.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Honda Asimo upgraded to new model, Robot helps disarm suspect’s booby-trapped apartment,

Honda is definitely famous for their cars and motorbikes around the world, but there is another aspect of the company that we have come to know and love as well – that is, its ability to delve into the world of robots. Case in point, the Honda Asimo was recently demonstrated in the form of an all new model, where it is said to be able to perform in a semi-autonomous mode. This particular version has also gone to the fat house so to speak, as it will tip the scales at approximately 6kg lighter compared to its predecessor, boasting individually-actuated fingers to boot.

Capable of running around at a top speed of 9 km/h (a mark that surely will not win any gold medals at the Olympics, let alone make it through the first heat), Honda demonstrated some old school stuff that never seemed to get tired – the Asimo hopped around on a single leg, managed to kick a ball around and so forth. The question is, when will the Honda Asimo actually end up as particularly useful to the masses?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Honda unveils all-new ASIMO humanoid robot, ASIMO visits Johannesburg, South Africa,

We’ve all seen a Roomba at one point or another, be it picking up debris around our feet in a friend’s living room or chauffeuring a courageous kitty for an entertaining clip on YouTube. Likely far less familiar, however, is iRobot’s gadget-filled Massachusetts headquarters, including the museum-like “cool stuff room” in the lobby. There you’ll find a large variety of autonomous devices, ranging from an early Roomba prototype that subs in a removable cloth for the vacuum to the relatively creepy My Real Baby — an $89 doll that cries for food and offers realistic reactions to tickling. There’s also plenty of industrial and military gear on hand, including a long cylindrical bot used for repairing oil rigs as they continue to operate, a full-size self-driving vehicle and a wall-climbing robot that uses suction cup wheels to ascend vertically. Some of the exhibits are downright creepy, such as a crab-like prototype which an iRobot employee referenced as being “inspired by nature,” though the company’s familiar household gadgets help to balance out the eerie. Sadly, the collection doesn’t appear to be open to the public, though IEEE was granted a tour, which it graciously filmed for your enjoyment — you’ll find that video walkthrough just past the break.

Continue reading Visualized: a look inside iRobot’s gadget-filled ‘cool stuff room’ (video)

Filed under: Robots

Visualized: a look inside iRobot’s gadget-filled ‘cool stuff room’ (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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