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May 30

Robot Ruby solves Rubik’s Cube in 10.69 seconds, still can’t beat humans (video)

There are a few robots smart enough to solve a Rubik’s Cube in seconds flat, but a group of students at Swinburne University of Technology think theirs may be the fastest on Earth. Their bot, named Ruby, recently mastered the puzzle in just 10.69 seconds, including the time spent analyzing the cube. To achieve this feat, the device scanned the toy with a webcam before its software processed the images to crank out a solution. According to the university, Ruby’s 10-second mark smashes the current world robot record of 18.2 seconds, unofficially making it the fastest cube-solving machine on the planet. But Ruby still has a long way to go before it catches Feliks Zemdegs — a 16-year-old Australian who solved a Rubik’s Cube in 6.24 seconds and continues to carry the torch for all of humanity. Twist and turn your way past the break for the full PR and a video of Ruby in action, as well as a clip of Zemdegs showing us how the pros do it.

Continue reading Robot Ruby solves Rubik’s Cube in 10.69 seconds, still can’t beat humans (video)

Robot Ruby solves Rubik’s Cube in 10.69 seconds, still can’t beat humans (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 20:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PhysOrg | | Email this | Comments

May 30

Japanese scientists create giant metal cilium, relief for Voltron’s giant metal lungs (video)

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

Why would a group of researchers develop a table full of rods that mimic the movements of microscopic hairs? It’s a fair question, and Keio University’s Yusuke Kamiyama certainly doesn’t offer up much in the way of real world applications for such technology. He is, however, happy to demonstrate the cool functionality of the metallic cilium, which appear to drift around as though underwater, until coming into contact with an external stimuli. The rods react to touch by congregating near the area of contact, with movements executed by biometal rods that communicate with an external PC. Scientists hope that research from the project will be useful at some point, but in the meantime, at least we know where to turn if we get a major mucus blockage. Video after the break.

Continue reading Japanese scientists create giant metal cilium, relief for Voltron’s giant metal lungs (video)

Japanese scientists create giant metal cilium, relief for Voltron’s giant metal lungs (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 18:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source DigInfo | Email this | Comments

May 29

Treebot climbs trees, is a robot (video)

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

Remember when you didn’t consider climbing trees a chore? Treebot doesn’t — but then, it wasn’t programmed to know boredom. The robot was designed by a team at The Chinese University of Hong Kong for the express purpose of shimmying up trees autonomously, figuring out the best route up a trunk using built-in touch sensors. The ‘bot’s body is designed like an inchworm, expanding and contracting as it works it way up — unlike other climbers we’ve seen. Treebot can carry up to 3.7 pounds as it inches along, opening up the possibility of using the machine to prune hard to reach leaves. It can also shuffle up a variety of different plants, including bamboo stems, as evidenced by the sped-up video after the break. Unwieldy foliage, you’ve been put on notice.

Continue reading Treebot climbs trees, is a robot (video)

Treebot climbs trees, is a robot (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 08:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink New Scientist | source The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Email this | Comments

May 27

NASA asteroid mission could explain how life began (and how ours might end)

Posted in: robot, Today's Chili, video

There’s a slight chance that the Earth could get hit by an asteroid in about 170 years, but don’t you worry — NASA‘s all over it. This week, the agency announced a new mouthful of a mission known as Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, for short. The $800 million initiative, part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, will send a spacecraft to link up with 1999 RQ36 — a nearby asteroid that’s likely rich in carbon and other organic molecules that could explain how life forms originated. After about four years of space travel, the craft should get close enough to map the asteroid’s surface, before using its robotic arm to extract at least two ounces of material and return it to Earth by 2023. Scientists will also pay close attention to something known as the Yarkovsky effect, which determines how an asteroid’s path changes as it absorbs and emits energy from the sun. OSIRIS-REx will attempt to measure this affect for the first time, perhaps allowing NASA to predict the trajectories of potentially hazardous asteroids — including the RQ36. The 1,900-foot wide rock is expected to approach Earth by the year 2182 and, according to recent estimates, there’s a one in a thousand chance that it could actually strike our planet. Now if you excuse us, we have to go prepare a bunker for our great-great-grandchildren. Head past the break for a video and full press release.

Continue reading NASA asteroid mission could explain how life began (and how ours might end)

NASA asteroid mission could explain how life began (and how ours might end) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 May 2011 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Space.com | | Email this | Comments

May 27

The Army Had Their Own AT-AT Years Before George Lucas Invented His

Posted in: Retro, robot, Robots, Star Wars, Today's Chili, top

Years before Lucasfilm created the AT-AT and Boston Dynamic’s Big Dog terrified the world, the US Army was working with General Electric on the “Walking Truck” project, basically a large walker which was controlled by a lever-pushing operator.

May 26

Amphibious Aquapod might be the clumsiest robot ever (video)

Posted in: research, robot, robotics, Today's Chili, video

It may look like nothing more than a random piece of seaside trash, but that ugly little creature you’re staring at is actually known as Aquapod — an amphibious robot that crawls around by falling over itself. Literally. Developed by researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Distributed Robotics, Aquapod uses two carbon fiber arms and a servo motor system to somersault itself around, like an inebriated horseshoe crab. It’s certainly not the swiftest of bots, but this guy’s durable enough to move across rough terrains and, per its nickname, is completely waterproof and in full control of its buoyancy. Creators Andrew Carlson and Nikos Papanikolopoulos say their $2,000 brainchild could one day be used to monitor fish populations and conduct underwater experiments — or to simply scare the bejesus out of beach-going children. Video after the break.

Continue reading Amphibious Aquapod might be the clumsiest robot ever (video)

Amphibious Aquapod might be the clumsiest robot ever (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 08:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink io9 | source IEEE Spectrum | Email this | Comments

May 25

Climbing robot can scale walls on a supersonic stream of air, won’t leave fingerprints behind

Posted in: research, robot, stream, Today's Chili, video

There are plenty of wall climbing robots roaming the Earth, but few can scale heights as gracefully as this little guy can. Developed by researchers at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, this bot can wind its way across any glass, metal or cloth terrain, without even touching its pods to the surface. The secret lies in Bernoulli’s Principle, which states that as the speed of a fluid increases, its pressure decreases. This phenomenon also applies to streams of air, which, when moving at high speeds around of a circular gripper, can create a vacuum strong enough to hold things without actually touching them. In this case, air shoots out of the robot’s feet at more than 2,000 miles per hour, creating enough pressure to lift the craft, while holding it close to the wall. The technology isn’t new, but rarely can it support the weight of an entire device — let alone the extra cargo that this climber’s non-contact adhesive pads can hold. Researchers say the supersonic grippers will be available in “some months” and will probably cost “a few hundred dollars.” As for the bot itself, Canterbury’s engineers envision it being used for industrial inspections — though the more we think about it, the more we realize just how dirty our windows are. Video after the break.

Continue reading Climbing robot can scale walls on a supersonic stream of air, won’t leave fingerprints behind

Climbing robot can scale walls on a supersonic stream of air, won’t leave fingerprints behind originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 12:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink DVice | source IEEE Spectrum | Email this | Comments

May 25

NASA abandons Mars rover Spirit, chooses to remember the good times

Posted in: launch, NASA, robot, space, Today's Chili

More than a year after it first lost contact with its Mars rover Spirit, NASA has finally decided to throw in the towel. Yesterday, the agency confirmed that it will end all planned communications with the robot on May 25th, effectively ending the craft’s seven-year mission. NASA was hoping that the approaching Martian spring would allow the Spirit to recharge its solar panels and re-establish radio contact, but it now appears that the craft sustained irreparable damage last winter, when it was forced to endure brutally cold temperatures. NASA executive David Lavery, however, says the rover team will remember the Spirit more for its achievements than its slow demise:

“I think we’ll all sit around and have a sip of Guinness and reminisce about when Spirit was a wee small little rover and look back at the accomplishments and successes rover had over its entire lifetime.”

So the Spirit’s spirit will live on, but what about NASA’s mission to Mars? Well, the Opportunity is still in good health and, later this year, will be joined by the next-generation, nuclear-powered rover Curiosity, which will investigate whether or not Mars ever supported life forms. Meanwhile, NASA’s network of orbiting spacecraft will continue to passively listen for signals from the Spirit, just in case it miraculously comes back to life. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading NASA abandons Mars rover Spirit, chooses to remember the good times

NASA abandons Mars rover Spirit, chooses to remember the good times originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 07:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source Space.com | Email this | Comments

May 23

ZMP RoboCar ditches driver, creates own map (video)

Posted in: Cars, electric vehicle, ElectricVehicle, ev, gps, Japan, robot, Today's Chili, video

How does a self-driving car know where it’s going? By using a map, of course — preferably a self-generated one. In yet another video exemplifying breakneck golf-cart-like speeds, the ZMP RoboCar shows us that it doesn’t need a driver to know where it’s going. At least, not the second time it goes there. After a few minutes with a fleshy friend behind the wheel, the autonomous automobile can safely steer itself around curves, roundabouts, and fountains. It may not be able to keep pace with Google’s tire-squealing, automated Prius, but at least we know it can see where it’s going.

ZMP RoboCar ditches driver, creates own map (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 11:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source ZMP | Email this | Comments

May 22

Maker Faire 2011, in pictures: Arduinos, Androids, and angry robots (video)

Posted in: Android, arduino, diy, electric vehicle, ElectricVehicle, ev, lego, robot, robotics, Robots, Star Wars, Today's Chili, video, videos

The rapture has come and gone, but the Maker Faire powers on. Despite warnings of a May 21st doomsday, folks came out in droves for the annual celebration of all things DIY, and we were there to bring you the best in homespun inventions. This year’s Maker Faire was light on robots and big on corporate sponsorship. Among the giants supporting the little guys were Google, ASUS, and HP, but El Goog’s presence extended beyond its dedicated tents. The new Android ADK was big with at-home tinkerers this year, spawning a number of little robots and at least one DIY alternative.

Perhaps no other trend proved more pervasive than 3D printing, however — every time we turned around there was another MakerBot or RapMan pumping out everything from statuettes of attendees to cutesy salt shakers. There were robotic building blocks, a Heineken-themed R2-D2, DIY drones, custom keyboards, and a ton of repurposed gadgets, but it was an arena of destructo-bots, tucked away in the farthest corner of the San Mateo County Event Center, that really blew us away. We came away sunburned and bedraggled, but lucky for you, we did all the dirty work so you don’t have to. To see what made this year’s Maker Faire, hop on past the break for a video of our favorite DIY finds.

Gallery: Maker Faire 2011