Hasta La Gadget!

The world of robotics is definitely getting smaller and smaller, not to mention making inroads into the medical field. Desperate Debra is not an 18-year old who is at her wits’ end because she still has no date to go with to tonight’s prom, but rather, Desperate Debra is touted to be a first-of-its-kind simulator that will train doctors at London’s St Thomas’ hospital so that they will no longer have the jitters in dealing with late-stage emergency caesarean procedures. This is a creepy, life-like pregnancy simulator which actually replicates a real woman in distress when giving birth.

Desperate Debra was named that way in order to reflect the potential seriousness of a patient’s situation down the road, where it has been stated that “across the board maybe one-in-three women now are getting a caesarean and a majority of those are emergency – meaning they’re done during labour.” Not only that, they tend to be performed at night, a time where senior doctors are not always readily available.

The baby’s head found in Desperate Debra actually replicates the soft tissue that is found on an infant’s skull, so that the trainee doctor will be able to figure out the correct degree of force required to free the baby without causing harm to either mother or child.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Solar-powered Wave Glider robot tracks down sharks, Squishy robot changes color for camouflage purposes,

Remember those colorful sticky hands that you used to buy for a quarter from grocery store vending machines? Yeah, this is kind of like that — except that it’s a freaking robot. DARPA is currently working to develop low-cost silicone robots that use both air and fluid to control movement, color and temperature. In the following video, you can see one of these soft contraptions as it journeys onto a bed of rocks and then uses colored liquid to blend into its surroundings. Don’t expect this glorious sticky hand to break any land speed records, however; the silicone bot can travel approximately 40 meters per hour, or up to 67 meters per hour without the fluid. (Even the 30 second video, which goes at a snail’s pace, has been sped up five fold.)

The current demonstration implements a tethered solution as the robot’s source of power, pumps, gasses and liquids, but future developments may allow for a self-contained system. Further, rather than improving the robot’s speed, its developers will instead focus on its flexibility as a means for navigating within tight spaces. Be sure to peep the video below, and we think you’ll agree that DARPA’s creation easily puts those sticky hands to shame.

Continue reading DARPA’s low-cost silicone robot cloaks like a chameleon, treks like a snail (video)

Filed under: Robots

DARPA’s low-cost silicone robot cloaks like a chameleon, treks like a snail (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 01:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  DARPAtv (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments

Curiosity, the NASA space rover that recently landed on Mars, has caught the attention of our nation. If for some reason you didn’t watch the Curiosity landing live, JPL News has posted an exciting video of the landing experience.

The video’s description is as follows: “Relive the worldwide sensation of the Curiosity rover’s historic landing on Mars with audiences across the country who watched the live events unfold.” You’ll get a nice insight into the launch center in Pasadena, CA and get to see all of the Nasa engineers’ reactions to the landing as it is happening. You’ll also get to see the reactions of live audiences around the nation ranging from New York City to Hampton, Virginia. It’s an inspiring video for those who haven’t yet seen the landing and will hopefully spark more interest in science for students nationwide. Let us know what you think of the video in the comments section below.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: NASA plans Curiosity’s path using gaming technology, Curiosity rover on Mars receives software update,

We have seen our fair share of devices from Sandia National Laboratories in the past, and here we are with their latest device that might just keep you interested and wanting more – a highly affordable robotic hand which is capable of disarming improvised explosive devices, or better known as IEDs. Simply called the Sandia Hand, it boasts unprecedented levels of dexterity and modularity compared to previous robot hands. Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Sandia Hand is capable of moving its different fingers individually thanks to a modular structure, where you can also replace the finger(s) with tools for select missions on the battlefield – or perhaps to make less of a mess in the kitchen as it whips up the relevant ingredients, waiting for you to put all of them together. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Robot sewing machines in the US might result in cheaper clothes, Cheetah robot achieves new land speed record,

If you’re a fan of robotic pets like Aibo, then the Keitai Wanko might be worth taking a look at. While it might not be as functional as Aibo, it is a lot furrier which makes it pretty cuddly as well. Using a “biscuit” and a faux smartphone will cause the robotic dog to emit a variety of sounds, over 300 puppy sounds to be exact. We’re not sure why we even need that many puppy sounds, but we guess it might have a place with dog lovers. Running on two AA batteries, the Keitai Wanko will be available in either brown or pink and can be purchased via the Japan Trend Shop for $85 – $63 for the robotic dog and an additional $22 for shipping. Sounds like a good buy for your child since it bundles a “smartphone” and a “pet” at the same time.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Hector robot is not quite the companion you are looking for, Roomba 650 and Looj 300 cleaning robots launched by iRobot,