Jun 12

Robots make breakfast for scientists, bide time (video)

Posted in: robot, RobotApocalypse, robotics, Robots, Today's Chili, video

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a growing robot — it’s also an easy and relatively quick way to lull a group of scientists into a false sense of security. Now, we’re not saying that James and Rosie here had an ulterior motive when they put together a breakfast of Bavarian sausage and baguettes for a group of researchers at Munich’s CoTeSys lab — as far as robotic couples go, they seem very nice. James, a US-designed PR2 robot, sliced the bread, while German-designed Rosie boiled up some sausages, as some hungry roboticists looked on patiently. Oddly, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a robot prepare a morning meal — it’s nice to know, however, that after the robot apocalypse, at least we’ll all still be well fed. Super sped up video of cooking robots after the break.

Continue reading Robots make breakfast for scientists, bide time (video)

Robots make breakfast for scientists, bide time (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Jun 2011 22:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceIEEE Spectrum  | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Jun 10

Japanese ball drone knows how to make an entrance (video)

Posted in: Japan, japanese, remote control, RemoteControl, robot, Today's Chili, video

Japan’s Ministry of Defense is pretty good at its hovering drones, but we’re not entirely convinced that this one will be fit for purpose. The RC reconnaissance scout reminds us of a spherical Iain M. Banks Culture drone, which is neat, except that this one’s more conspicuous, dies after just eight minutes and was constructed not by an intergalactic artificial consciousness, but by a bunch of geeks who went foraging for parts in Akihabara. Nevertheless, it can do 40MPH and is surprisingly agile, as you’ll see in the video — watch out for the kissogram moment.

Continue reading Japanese ball drone knows how to make an entrance (video)

Japanese ball drone knows how to make an entrance (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceYouTube, Wired  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Jun 09

Adorable CanBot chills in your fridge, quietly biding its time (video)

Posted in: diy, robot, Robots, Today's Chili, video

What’s the point of a robot disguised as a tank or, uh, a clothes dryer? If you really want to infiltrate human society, you need robots that can hide in plain sight. Thankfully for would-be robotic conquerors, Ron Tajima brings us the aptly named CanBot, which hides batteries, an embedded control board, and three RC-servo legs beneath its beer-can exterior. Tajimi controls it with a Wiimote, and in the video above you can see it walking and rolling. His son seems less than impressed, but he probably sees this stuff all the time. We’re mightily excited, and look forward to picking up a six pack. Of robots.

[Thanks, Robotbling]

Adorable CanBot chills in your fridge, quietly biding its time (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GetRobo  |  sourcelongjie0723 (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Jun 09

Condiment transporting SWITL robot arm gets a gig moving meat, packing boxes (video)

Posted in: robot, shipping, Today's Chili, video

Way back in March, we spotted video of the SWITL, a robotic hand with a penchant for picking up globs of condiments without changing their shape. Neat, yes, but what sort of applications might such a device have in real life, beyond rather inefficient cleanups of Burger King floors? Manufacturer Furukawa Kikou has put the electronic appendage to work, folding meat and packing boxes with bags full of sol-gel substances, without losing the shape of either material. The size of the company is prohibiting sales of SWITL machines overseas at present, but Furukawa Kikou is happy to discuss partnerships, should someone approach it for its raw meat and ketchup moving needs. Exceedingly unappetizing video after the break.

Continue reading Condiment transporting SWITL robot arm gets a gig moving meat, packing boxes (video)

Condiment transporting SWITL robot arm gets a gig moving meat, packing boxes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDigInfo  | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Jun 06

Steve Wozniak calls us all dogs, in a nice way

Posted in: Apple, robot, RobotApocalypse, Robots, Today's Chili

You can stop worrying about the robot apocalypse now. Steve Wozniak has weighed in on the matter, and it turns out we’ve pretty much lost. The Apple co-founder / dancing star discussed the subject with an Australian business crowd, mapping out a future in which artificial intelligence equals our own, and mankind’s own input is meaningless. In other words, “We’re going to become the pets, the dogs of the house.” Woz added that his take on the whole war thing was, in part, a joke — it’s the part that wasn’t that we’re worried about. Though if our own dogs’ existences are any indication, things could be a lot worse.

[Thanks, Shaun]

Steve Wozniak calls us all dogs, in a nice way originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 07:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNews.com.au  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Jun 05

Dual-armed Teutonic robot plays pool, carefully learns to hustle foolish humans

Posted in: robot, Robots, Today's Chili
Sure, we’ve created interactive pool tables and digitally assisted billiards, but isn’t it time we completely outsourced our pool-playing to brutally efficient robots? The Germans obviously think so, using this year’s International Conference on Robotics and Automation to debut a dual-armed poolbot able to make “easier” shots about 80 percent of the time. Those misses sound a bit like hustling to us, and unlike Willow Garage’s friendly PR2 robot, the German version has a suitably intimidating, industrial look. It’s also a bit of a cheat, using an overhead camera to plan its shots. For the full lowdown on this shark, check the video after the break.

Continue reading Dual-armed Teutonic robot plays pool, carefully learns to hustle foolish humans

Dual-armed Teutonic robot plays pool, carefully learns to hustle foolish humans originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 05:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceIEEE Spectrum  | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Jun 03

Simple DIY cellbot ditches Arduino, jousts poorly (video)

Posted in: Android, arduino, diy, robot, robotics, Robots, Today's Chili, video




Want an adorable little Android cellbot to call your own, but aren’t quite ready to tackle Arduino code? Darrell Taylor’s got you covered with an audio-controlled, jousting cellbot: no muss, no fuss, no microcontroller. The Make project, called TRRSTAN, accepts commands via Google chat, web browser, or Wii remote piped through the headphone jack of your Android phone — the robot’s brain, of course. Tack on a few makeshift weapons procured at the local dollar store, and you’ve got a homemade warrior you can be proud of. Want one? Taylor has a ready-made kit available for just shy of $50, and offers a ‘fully assembled’ option for the extra-lazy robot enthusiast. Of course, you could always go back to playing Android-bots with your Legos if you aren’t quite ready to big-boy world of DIY. Just sayin’.

Simple DIY cellbot ditches Arduino, jousts poorly (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 23:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Make  |  sourceMake: Projects  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Jun 03

Microdrones’ flying robot films African wildlife, finds peace with nature

Posted in: robot, Today's Chili, TV, video

Sit back, relax and grab a cold one, because you’re about to take an aerial tour of the Serengeti, courtesy of that flying drone you’re staring at. Developed by Microdrones, this MD4-100 quadrotor was recently sent off to Kenya, where it gathered footage for a TV nature documentary produced by TBS Japan. By hovering over the terrain, the craft was able to get relatively up close and personal with zebras, elephants and other wildlife, without creating the same kind of disturbance that heavy duty, camera-laden trucks can wreak. Presumably, that’s because the animals have no idea what to make of a flying robot, though part of us wants to believe there’s some sort of full-circle, techno-evolutionary dynamic at work here, momentously bringing bot and beast together in some sort of pre-apocalyptic symbiosis. But that’s just us. Hover past the break to see the video for yourself.

Continue reading Microdrones’ flying robot films African wildlife, finds peace with nature

Microdrones’ flying robot films African wildlife, finds peace with nature originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 08:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink IEEE Spectrum  |  sourcemicrodronesGMBH (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Jun 01

Gecko-inspired water-powered robot scales glass, washes windows (sort of)

Posted in: robot, Robots, Today's Chili, video

We’ve seen some pretty impressive Spidey-like robots in our time, but honestly, crawling walls isn’t always enough to pique or interest. A robot that can scale buildings and wash windows — now that’s something to get excited about. Like this little wall climber, the gecko-inspired machine enlists the Bernoulli principle, using the flow of water through fluidic vacuum generators that allow the reptilian robot to get a grip on smooth surfaces. Next, the water is directed through a solenoid valve to a piston in the robot’s spine, and finally, the excess liquid is expelled and used to get glass gleaming. Currently, the little machine is capable of carrying twice its weight, and uses a small battery to power a “wireless communication system” and the servos used to control its direction. We’re definitely intrigued, but judging from the video (after the break), we’re pretty sure it’s no match for flesh and blood window washers.

Continue reading Gecko-inspired water-powered robot scales glass, washes windows (sort of)

Gecko-inspired water-powered robot scales glass, washes windows (sort of) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Coolest Gadgets, ieee spectrum  |  sourceICRA  | Email this | Comments

No Comments
May 31

Robots master delicate art of juggling, prep for clown college (video)

Posted in: robot, Robots, Today's Chili, video

Juggling Bot

Not to be outdone by their flying cousins, some less mobile bots are taking on the challenge of juggling. After the break you’ll find a pair of vids, including one featuring a creation from the Czech Technical Institute in Prague that can launch five balls between its two “hands” with the aide of a high-speed tracking camera. The other clip stars the “Blind Juggler,” a somewhat more impressive machine that has no sensors or cameras. Instead, it relies on mechanical feedback and some fancy math to control the trajectory of the ball and keep it airborne. The Blind Juggler debuted back in 2009, but creators Philipp Reist and Raffaello D’Andrea introduced an interesting wrinkle for version 2.0 by turning the entire thing into a pendulum that passes the ball to itself. Clearly, the next step is face paint and red, foam noses — bringing our most bed-wetting of night terrors to life.

Continue reading Robots master delicate art of juggling, prep for clown college (video)

Robots master delicate art of juggling, prep for clown college (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 01:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink IEEE Spectrum  |  sourceBlind Juggler, Czech Technical Institute in Prague  | Email this | Comments

No Comments