Apr 01

iCandy: The Project Apple Doesnt Want You to Know About

Posted in: Apple, robot, Today's Chili

brokenrobotgirl1-sm.jpg

Everyone is aware of Apple’s iPad release coming up soon, but could the much anticipated tablet just be a cover for Steve Jobs’ magnum opus?

When the iPad was announced in January, I was completely unconvinced that Mr. Jobs was feeding this unexciting piece of technology to his loyal fans. While others complained about the comedic brilliance of the iPad’s name and the lack of Flash, I dug deeper. After what I can only describe as an excruciatingly long X-Files montage, I stumbled across some employment records that didn’t add up.

Two names in particular stuck out to me, a Mr. Hans Gruber, who has been known for his advancements in Germany regarding the development of the male womb, and Tetsuo Shima, who is considered an expert in building life-like humanoid robots. The questions only kept piling up, like only an episode of Lost could do, but this was an episode of my life, and Steve Jobs was holding the screenplay.

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Mar 29

Inhabitat’s Week In Green: 3D printed veins, solar cell towers, and the Ingocar

Posted in: green, robot, solar, solar power, SolarPower, Today's Chili

At Inhabitat we’ve seen 3D printers that create entire buildings out of stone and complete meals out of simple ingredients, but this week we watched in awe as scientists used a 3D printer to create the world’s first “printed” human vein. And if advances in biotech get your blood flowing, you’ll be excited to hear that this week a team of researchers successfully tested a new type of nanobot that travels through the bloodstream to turn off tumor cells. Contact lenses are also getting a much needed upgrade as scientists unveiled a new type capable of fighting glaucoma and other diseases by dispensing a powerful dose of medication.

In other news, solar energy is lighting up the world at large as India gears up to power all of its cellphone towers with photovoltaic cells, saving 5 million tons of CO2 and $1.4 billion annually. And speaking of silicon cells, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently unveiled its latest creation: a super robot capable of assembling an entire photovoltaic cell in 35 minutes flat. We also looked at a prototype of a prismatic solar balloon that uses a colorful new type of solar cell to soak up the sun’s energy from high in the sky.

Finally, this week we took an in-depth look at the Ingocar, a hydraulic hybrid drive vehicle so light and efficient that it promises a mileage of 170MPG. This next-gen vehicle uses hydraulic fluid under pressure to accelerate, brake, and eliminate the need for a heavy mechanical drive train, making it 50% lighter than hybrid electric vehicles. And if you’ve ever experienced the maddening anxiety of circling for a parking spot on crammed city streets, relax – there’s an app for that!

Inhabitat’s Week In Green: 3D printed veins, solar cell towers, and the Ingocar originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 29

iPhone App Controls NASA Mars Robotic Rover

Posted in: iPhone, NASA, robot, Robots Robotics, science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili
NASA_EclipseCon_Mars_iPhone.jpg
We’ve seen examples before of the iPhone acting as a remote control for something–but EclipseCon 2010 attendees have gone a step further.
Conference attendees were challenged to create a robotic control system to drive a NASA-built robot across a prototype Mars landscape. As Slashdot reports, developers had to either prove their e4 programming skills by creating an e4-Rover client, or use an existing e4 client to operate the rover through a series of tasks to collect points.
The winning entry was designed by Peter Friese and Heiko Behrens, who together coded up an iPhone client that controls the robot using the iPhone’s accelerometer. Watch the video after the break for a short demonstration.
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Mar 28

International Space Station gets ‘Man Cave,’ Robonaut 2

Posted in: NASA, robot, Robots, space, Today's Chili, tweet, twitter

In the narrow confines of the International Space Station, every cubic inch counts, but that won’t necessarily keep NASA from building a rec room. When the Leonardo Pressurized Multipurpose Module (PMM) launches in September 2010, NASA is considering turning it into a internet-connected “man cave” isolated and quiet enough for astronauts to tweet in privacy. The connection’s nothing special — science officer T.J. Creamer compared it to that of a 14.4K modem capable of only tweets, text articles and basic browsing — but Universe Today reports that they will also have a robotic servant, the Robonaut 2, to play with. Imagine a cramped world without fresh water or YouTube, but where you can program a state-of-the-art robot to perform monotonous tasks… We think that’s a fair tradeoff, don’t you?

[Thanks, Robert P.]

International Space Station gets ‘Man Cave,’ Robonaut 2 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 25

Robovie-mR2’s puppy dog eyes make it the perfect spy

Posted in: ipod, ipod touch, IpodTouch, japanese, remote control, RemoteControl, robot, Robots, Today's Chili, wifi

This Robovie isn’t a dexterous grabber, a powerful computer or a walking tank like its Vstone counterparts. No, at first blush, the Robovie-mr2 is just your average designer Japanese cutebot, albeit one with an iPod Touch for a heart, but that’s exactly why this one foot tall bot makes the perfect spycam. No one would suspect it hides 18 servo motors, a miniature CCD camera, speakers and microphone inside its demure, puppy dog exterior (hear it speak Japanese after the break), much less that you can directly control every movement over WiFi. And even should they catch your Robovie eavesdropping, they’d be hard pressed to execute a being with such powerful charm. Hit up the gallery if you don’t believe us — this robot knows just how to beg for its life.

Gallery: Robovie-mR2 iPod-controlled robot

Continue reading Robovie-mR2’s puppy dog eyes make it the perfect spy

Robovie-mR2’s puppy dog eyes make it the perfect spy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 24

New ASIMO Robot Prototype Revealed

Posted in: robot, Robots Robotics, Today's Chili
Honda_Asimo_P4.jpg
Honda is continually tinkering with its ASIMO robot, with the latest prototype version weighing just 176 pounds–over one hundred pounds less than the prior model.
Engadget reports that ASIMO P4, as the latest iteration is known, sports 34 degrees of freedom, a more flexible waist design for improved walking and dancing, and a snazzy blue upper torso.
Honda just revealed the P4 prototype at the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi, Japan, the report said. No word on when we’re all going to get to try out controlling robots with our brains, but I still have my fingers crossed.
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Mar 24

MOTO touchscreen comparison recruits robotic implements for heightened precision (video)

Posted in: Apple, capacitive, droid, Google, HTC, iPhone, moto, motorola, nexus one, NexusOne, robot, Robots, Smartphones, Today's Chili, touchscreen

So you saw that the first MOTO smartphone touchscreen comparison was done with a fleshy humanoid controlling the testing finger and discounted it as scientifically flawed? Well, MOTO’s back and this time the arm of judgment is operated by a coldly mechanical and ruthlessly precise robot — a machine in itself, we’ll assume the robot is intrinsically immune to developing fanboy tendencies. Joining the iPhone, Droid Eris, Droid, and Nexus One of the earlier test are Palm’s Pre and RIM’s BlackBerry Storm 2, whose results you can see at the source link below. The full test methodology is also explained there, including a list of the drawing apps used, which were selected with a view to minimizing smoothing algorithms that may prejudice the outcome. We’re not gonna tell you who won, you have eyes of your own after all, and will just direct you after the break for the full robot-on-smartphone video action.

Continue reading MOTO touchscreen comparison recruits robotic implements for heightened precision (video)

MOTO touchscreen comparison recruits robotic implements for heightened precision (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 23

ASIMO slims down, gains new capabilities in latest revision

Posted in: robot, Today's Chili
We’ve been hearing about a few of ASIMO’s new tricks as of late, and it looks like Honda’s now finally showing off some of its hard work. The most noticeable change is that ASIMO (now sporting the P4 designation) has shed over one hundred pounds, and now weighs in at a slight 176 pounds — letting it slip into a stylish new blue cover for its torso. That weight loss also comes with some added mobility, with the P4 boasting 34 degrees of freedom (four more than its predecessor), and a more flexible waist that makes it more adept at walking and even dancing. Yeah, we’re as sad as everyone that there’s no video yet, but you can at least check out few more pics at the link below.

Update: It turns out this is not an updated ASIMO model, but rather an earlier ASIMO prototype that has only just been revealed at the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi, Japan. ASIMO’s current dancing ability remains a mystery.

ASIMO slims down, gains new capabilities in latest revision originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 22

Giant Gundam statue returns with beam saber to threaten Mt. Fuji

Posted in: Japan, robot, Today's Chili

Want to make a giant Gundam monument more better? Give it a beam saber and erect it just 45 minutes outside of Tokyo by bullet train. The resurrected 18-meter (59-foot) tall RX-78-2 mech will replace the dismantled 30th anniversary statue built at Shiokaze Park, complete with smoke, dramatic lighting effects, and animatronic head. Look for it outside of the Shizuoka station in July assuming the latest LHC collisions don’t delay things by inadvertently destroying the mecha in a cloud of Minovsky particles. One more mock-up after the break.

Continue reading Giant Gundam statue returns with beam saber to threaten Mt. Fuji

Giant Gundam statue returns with beam saber to threaten Mt. Fuji originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 07:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 22

Virtobot scanner performs ‘virtual autopsies,’ no body-slicing necessary (video)

Posted in: medical, Medicine, research, robot, Robots, Today's Chili, university

Grossed out easily? If so, we suggest you hand this article off to someone more calloused while you read all about our recent Windows Phone 7 Series discoveries. For those of you still here, the Virtobot is one of the more ominous robots we’ve seen; used currently at the University of Bern’s Institute of Forensic Medicine, the creature is capable of performing “virtual autopsies.” In other words, corpses can be slid within the 3D scanner for investigation, all without ever cracking open the skull or slicing the cold, pearly skin. The goal here is to provide investigators with information on deaths even years after they happen, possibly after new evidence is dug up. It’s hard to say what this means for you here on this Earth, but you can rest assured that 187 you were pondering might be a wee bit harder to get away with now. Video after the break, if you’re dark enough to handle it.

Continue reading Virtobot scanner performs ‘virtual autopsies,’ no body-slicing necessary (video)

Virtobot scanner performs ‘virtual autopsies,’ no body-slicing necessary (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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