Hasta La Gadget!

Kondo’s bipedal robots have always filled us with a sense of awe, whether they’re duking it out in the arena or practicing touchscreen moves. However, we’d never quite seen a Kondo bot that we’d classify as cute until this robot turtle came along. The Kame Robotto is apparently the first in the Kondo Animal series, and it’s honestly a pretty simple kit — nine servos, a tiny board and a 10.8V, 300mAh NiMH battery pack , plus software and a simple frame. That said, it’s pretty amazing how tightly these off-the-shelf components come together to create a scuttling, waving little thing, and we dare you to watch the video after the break without feeling the slightest twinge of compassion for the bot. RT Robot Shop wants ¥39,900 (about $450) for the creature, which is reportedly limited to 100 pieces — if you happen to live in Japan, get your preorder (for July 15) in at the source link.

Continue reading Kondo aims lower down the food chain with cute turtle robot kit (video)

Kondo aims lower down the food chain with cute turtle robot kit (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Bina48 is one humanoid robot you’re going to want to hang out with

Bina48 is one humanoid robot you’re going to want to hang out with originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure you can make a drum machine out of Legos, but can you make an actual drummer out of Legos? Steve Averill couldn’t, but we think his rather more organic creation is even better than plastic bricks. It’s called the Spruce Deuce, a robot that, like the Spruce Goose, is actually made of birch plywood. He’s articulated by 11 radio servos tied to a MIDI controller and, amazingly, is pretty good — or, at least, he isn’t bad, able to hit the snare, tom tom, and cymbals. He’s even mastered the double bounce and sets the rhythm before the song starts, which you can see after the break. Sure, he’s a little more stiff than you might want for an average jazz percussionist, but when you’re dealing with something constructed from cross-ply wooden sheets you have to give up a little flex, man.

Continue reading Spruce Deuce robot drummer is a fleshbag percussionist’s worst nightmare (video)

Spruce Deuce robot drummer is a fleshbag percussionist’s worst nightmare (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The thing about the future is this: we’ll still have to do menial things like answer the door, or take out the trash, or get up off our couches to get our own brews after a long, hard day at the office… unless we’re smart enough to invent robots to do such menial things, that is. Well, Willow Garage has spent some time building a “Beer Me” application for its PR2 robot which gets at least one of these tasks under its belt. They added a four-holed foam block placed behind the robot’s navigation laser so that it can safely carry four bottles across the terrain, and equipped their refrigerator with a tilted “self-stocking” shelf. Check out its operation in the video below.

Continue reading Beer-fetching robot promises to make your significant other obsolete

Beer-fetching robot promises to make your significant other obsolete originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tests, upgrades and final checks are being carried out on the Robonaut 2, the humanoid spacefaring robot that has been in the works since 2007. The baby of NASA and General Motors, this sack of metal and wires has already produced a catalog of 34 new patents and, according to GM, is setting the stage for new safety features in forthcoming generations of its road vehicles. Sensor technology being developed in the R2 could deliver better lane departure warning systems, adaptive cruise control, and more intelligent parking assistance. That’s good news and all, but can we ship it out to the ISS already — we’d rather it be off-world when its instruction set switches from “serve humans” to “serve human meat.”

Continue reading Robonaut 2 enters final preparations before flying off into space

Robonaut 2 enters final preparations before flying off into space originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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