Hasta La Gadget!

The United Nations spends a lot of time considering things that could be used against humans during times of war. One of the things that the UN has been considering recently are the use of automated robots with weapon systems on the battlefield. The UN is strongly against any use of autonomous robots with the ability to end human life.

While many of us immediately think of science fiction when it comes to robots with the ability to kill humans with no input from a human operator, we’re not talking about far-fetched Terminator style robots. What the UN is worried about are automomous robots such as aerial drones able to identify targets and launch missiles or drop bombs with no human interaction.

The UN is also concerned about weapons such as small mobile robots using tank-like treads that are equipped with guns and other weapons systems that can roll through an environment engaging targets on their own volition. It is worth noting that most of these weapon systems are available, but they are typically controlled by a human operator from afar.

The UN recently issued a 22 page report talking about lethal autonomous robotics or LARs weapon systems. The UN wants member states to work to articulate a policy for the international community that would ban robots and robotic systems from being able to take human life without human intervention. The human report says, “[LARs] deployment may be unacceptable because no adequate system of legal accountability can be devised, and because robots should not have the power of life and death over human beings.”

[via Inventorspot]

UN denounces killer autonomous robots is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Robot hands seem to get more and more agile these days, and the future might eventually see a robot butler around your home that is not only capable of delivering your favorite drink to you on a tray, but also to wrestle with those pesky cans and bottles by pulling the tab or twisting the cap open, respectively. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and iRobot have come together to work on a new 3-fingered model of a robotic hand, where it the final prototype allows it to pick up a 50-pound weight with ease, and is also agile enough to make use of a small set of keys and is tough enough to get hit by a baseball bat without cracking. Hmmm, sounds like we are edging closer to a replacement hand for a bionic man, no? At least robotic hands do not shiver or shake whenever you are nervous.

Instead of mimicking a human hand, the three pronged approach was chosen with a useable palm so that it is easier for the robot to achieve a fluid motion. This is part of DARPA’s Autonomous Robotic Manipulation (ARM-H) program, where its objective lies in developing low-cost and agile robotic hand hardware. DARPA mentioned that should this 3-finger robot hand be manufactured in batches of 1,000, the cost could drop to as low as $3,000 per hand, which is a far cry from current robotic hands on the market that could cost up to a whopping $50,000.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: RoboBee The Flying Robot Insect, Robot Bird Fools Real Birds In Flight,

They’re a source of fascination for some and paranoia for others – robot insects, which are about the size of your standard house fly and capable of flying in mostly the same fashion. This week the first flight of robotic insects in a Harvard lab was detailed in the journal Science, along with an image of one of the tiny creatures in action, which we have after the jump.

The first flight, according to the Harvard announcement, took place at 3AM one day in the summer of 2012 at the helm of grad student Pakpong Chirarattananon. The robot measured in at half the size of a paperclip, and took flight through a pre-destined route established by presets. This flight was recorded by the student and promptly shared with colleagues.

Such a seemingly small project is the by-product of a lot of work – to the tune of over a decade, according to Harvard. This represents the first controlled flight of a robot as small as an insect; so-called “insect robots”. Its design is inspired by a fly, using two wings that beat 120 times per second. From here, work will be started on things like wireless flight, autonomy, and colony coordination.

Said SEAS professor of engineering and applied sciences Robert J. Wood: “This is what I have been trying to do for literally the last 12 years. It’s really only because of this lab’s recent breakthroughs in manufacturing, materials, and design that we have even been able to try this. And it just worked, spectacularly well.”

[via Harvard]

Harvard’s robotic insects fly for the first time is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The world of robotics has certainly come a long way from its humble beginnings, but this still cannot retract the fact that there is plenty left to do to move forward. When it comes to care givers for the ailing and sick, any kind of positive help is welcomed, so it is encouraging to hear that the Japanese government is currently looking into introducing a special kind of “nursing robot” which will offer the relevant assistance to care givers, while preparing the country to meet the demands of an aging population where nearly 40% of folks living there are 65 or older.

These robots are meant to offer assistance in different ways, including lifting and supporting elderly patients and residents who find it difficult to stand or walk on their own. Would such robots cost a bomb? Apparently not, as you do not have to fork out tens of thousands of dollars each, as the Japanese government intends to roll out robots that have watered down functionality for approximately $1,030 after conversion, with plans to rent them out on a monthly basis if long term ownership is not on the agenda. Pretty neat idea, no?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Robot Bird Fools Real Birds In Flight, Japan Plans To Build Robot Nurses To Help Care Givers Assist Elderly Patients,

We have seen plenty of robot snakes before. Sometimes they climb trees, or slither in the grass, maybe take a swim in the pool. I’m always on the lookout for them, since I know they will strangle me if they catch me off guard. But now things are just getting crazy. Soft snakes are coming! This shiz just got real!

This prototype is powered by air and can attain amazing speeds up to 19 millimeters per second. It’s muscles are tiny tubes made from soft polymers that line the snake’s four segments. The on-board computer in the tail controls a compressor that changes air pressure in the elastomer tubes, mimicking a snake’s movement.

So when air passes through the body, it creates a wave. Valves at the joints open and close to make it undulate. Yeah, stuff just got wayyyy more creepy. I look forward to it’s soft skin around my neck as it squeezes. The upside is that the softer the skin, the easier it is to slice with a knife. How do you like that soft snake?

Haha. Soft snake. Sounds like you’re just pushing rope. Bring it on.

[via Botropolis]