The original Pacific Rim was released this summer – it was met with mixed reviews by critics, but more than a little bit of a positive response from those key to the success of a potential series: the fans. This week it’s been revealed by the director of Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro, that he’s […]
If there is one reason (or perhaps, in this case, a few reasons) that employers might prefer robots to be their employees rather than humans, it could be due to the fact that robots do not whine and groan, they do not go on strike and neither do they ask for a raise every single year. Sure, they need maintenance, but they do not claim to be on medical leave and lie about it. Best of all is, they do not tire out, and need just the right algorithm to get working as efficiently as possible without having to train. The Briggo coffee kiosk could provide some intense competition to baristas in the future, as it can memorize every single order from the customer, and neither will there be a line for its perfectly turned-out drinks.
Kevin Nater, CEO of the company that rolls out the Briggo coffee kiosk, is seen to be an instrument that folks are able to use to create their ideal coffee experience, sort of as a “out-of-home coffee drinkers” experience. The Briggo coffee kiosk will also come covered in fake wood paneling and a touchscreen display, where it is roughly the same size as a pair of phone booths.
Briggo Coffee Kiosk Could Be Your Future Barista original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Most debuts would have been thought through and through so that nothing untoward happens, but sometimes, even the best preparations made cannot sniff out an impending disaster. I guess with the Atlas robot that we first mentioned about sometime in the middle of this year, its debut at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) proved to be less than stellar – especially when it broke its ankle during a demonstration.
This robot is no ballet dancer by any means, since it tips the scales at a whopping 150kg, standing tall at 1.9 meters, while costing HK$15 million in the process. That amount of money would buy you what is deemed to be the most advanced humanoid robot at this point in time, and the HKU so happens to be the first institution outside the United States to own one. A short tai chi routine went as expected, but shortly afterwards, it lost its balance and fell, breaking its right ankle in the process. Not exactly the most auspicious of beginnings, but better have it screw up during a demonstration than when it is already on the field without living up to expectations, right? Hopefully the folks at DARPA would be able to fix things in due time.
Atlas Robot Breaks Ankle Upon Debut original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Conveyor belt sushi restaurants are usually only worth going to once in your life. The sushi is hardly ever amazing since it spins on the belt over and over again while the dishes you actually want might be snatched ahead of you so you never get to eat it. Not to mention plates stacking on your table, plastic covers getting in your way and the lack of personalized orders. It’s a gimmick! It’s okay though, Japan has figured out those problems with this next generation conveyor belt sushi restaurant.
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Robots might be fantastic when it comes to repetitive tasks, especially those that require a whole lot of concentration. After all, robots do not get tired, and neither will they go on strike just like the government in some countries. If they decide to disobey you, just threaten to pull their plug, and upload a more compliant algorithm, and you’re good to go yet again. Well, when it comes to art, robots too, would be a wee bit more difficult in churning out work on the artistic front.
However, Limor Schweitzer, founder & director at Robosavvy, begs to differ with the introduction of a certain “Fonzie”, known as a dancing robot. Fonzie is being researched and developed even further so that it could be used as a research platform for human-robot interaction. Enjoy the video above, and who knows? We might just end up checking out a robotic competitor on America’s Got Talent one of these days. Do you think that something like that would eventually happen?
Fonzie The Dancing Robot original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Science often receives inspiration from nature, and here we are again with yet another piece of technology that will feature an inspired bit from snakes and their movement. These reptiles normally travel by bending their bodies in an S-pattern that we are all familiar with, but whenever they stalk their prey, snakes are able to move in a straight line by expanding and contracting their bodies. This particular “rectilinear gait” might be slow, but it is also quiet and could prove to be rather difficult to detect, making it the ideal ambush move.
Roboticists have decided to represent such “limbless locomotion” is a highly effective method, so that a robot can move through cluttered and confined spaces. Thanks to University of Maryland Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. student James Hopkins, he has come up with a robot known as “R2G2″ (Robot with Rectilinear Gait for Ground operations), with a dramatically exaggerated gait so that its speed will increase.
Hopkins shared, “Our current R2G2 model has a maximum forward velocity of one mile per hour, bringing it close to human walking speed.Our goal is to develop a gait and a mechanical architecture that will enable high-speed limbless locomotion to support applications such as search and rescue.” Hopefully Hopkins will be able to achieve his dream!
R2G2 Is Yet Another Snake-Like Robot original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey have been known to stay aloft for hours on end using a strategic mix of flapping and gliding. Robotic birds can do the same, except that they can’t replenish their batteries by snatching a mid-flight snack. However, researchers at the University of Maryland are perfecting a set of flexible solar cell wings that could allow flying bots to stay aloft indefinitely, as long as they get a peek at the sun every so often.
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Titanfall is an upcoming online multiplayer FPS for the Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC. It seems to be one of the better launch titles for the Xbox One, putting an emphasis on agility and speed while rockin’ some sweet-looking mecha. A Japanese custom toy maker appears to have the same strengths. He managed to make a replica of the game’s giant robot, even though the game isn’t out yet.
I could very well be mistaken, but I’m guessing the toy maker uses the moniker nammkkyys. What I gleaned from his blog is that he based his replica on the publicly available trailers and images of Titanfall, as well as the large Titan bust that was shown at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. What makes his feat even more impressive is that he made it from scratch; it’s not a mod of an existing action figure. I think he took a few liberties here and there, but overall he did a great job. The action figure is about 9.5″ tall, which by the toy maker’s estimate makes it a 1/30 scale replica.
Check out nammkkyys’ blog for more images of the impressive Titan action figure. Be sure to check his previous posts to see his work in progress images; those will give you a better idea of his skill and dedication. Seeing as Respawn Entertainment i.e. Titanfall’s developer itself was the one who spread the word about nammkkyys’ work, I wouldn’t be surprised if he scores a free copy of the game for his work.
[via Game Informer]
According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of every 20 patients would be on the receiving end of an infection whenever they stay at the hospital. That sounds like a pretty high chance – 5%, to be exact. Well, for a certain hospital over in Fort Worth, the hospital intends to fight this particular issue with an ultraviolet light machine which resembles a droid from the world of science fiction. Over at the Texas Health Resources Southwest Fort Worth, a robot known as Xenex will move around operating rooms on its routine, sending out ultraviolet light in order to kill potentially dangerous microbes.
Kathy Rhodes, the infection prevention co-ordinator, shared, “We put this in the room, close the door and it gives a pulsated ultraviolet light that actually essentially ruptures the bacteria and viruses and kills them on the spot.” The Xenex robot was purchased over a year ago where it came with a $82,000 price tag. The Xenex robot stands at 3 feet in height, where it will raise its round head for approximately two feet as it turns its head 360 degrees while emitting the pulses of UV light, performing what is known as environmental cleaning. Do you think that all hospitals should employ such robots to get the job done?
Xenex Robot Does Its Rounds At The Hospital original content from Ubergizmo. 
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With every sugar water-selling corporation directly targeting kids, it’s hard to convince the young’ns that water is really their best source of hydration. But what kid in their right mind would choose to sip from an aluminum can when this wonderful robot-shaped bottle could be lurking in their lunchbox?
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