Oct 31

Boston Dynamics PETMAN portends the pending robot apocalypse

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

If the sight of Boston Dynamics’ unstoppable Alpha Dog didn’t convince you of the coming robot apocalypse, then perhaps a glimpse of its bipedal relative, PETMAN, will. Last time we saw the two-legged bot, It was walking well enough, but it lacked the humanoid visage needed to infiltrate and overthrow. In the time since, however, PETMAN has gotten a more anatomically-correct body and some arms — giving it some push-up prowess to go with its jaunty gait. As the video below demonstrates, this robot isn’t a T1000 just yet, but is seems certain PETMAN and its progeny will be running and leaping over us meatbags on the way to the top of the evolutionary food chain soon enough. So our anthropomorphic replacements are on the way, but there’s no need for full-blown panic… yet.

Continue reading Boston Dynamics PETMAN portends the pending robot apocalypse

Boston Dynamics PETMAN portends the pending robot apocalypse originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBoston Dynamics  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 27

Self-moving robot leads automatons in impending robot apocalypse (video)

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

Just in time for All Hallow’s Eve shenanigans, scientists at MIT’s DARPA and Boeing funded Chembots program have just introduced an uber creepy self-propelling robot quite capable of leading the robot apocalypse single-handedly. The automaton moves with the help of a pneumatic battery — a power source that utilizes a hydrogen peroxide catalyst to inflate a soft silicone pod, in turn forcing the bot forward. With electropermanent magnets to regulate built-in valves, all it takes is a small current to activate the bot, which can regulate just how much H202 it will employ for a completely solo and super creepy zombie-like C-walk. Jump past the break to check out the video… if you dare.

Continue reading Self-moving robot leads automatons in impending robot apocalypse (video)

Self-moving robot leads automatons in impending robot apocalypse (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Ieee Spectrum  |  sourceMIT  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 25

BlueBiped robot needs no power to walk for miles, as long as it’s downhill (video)

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

The robots; they’re walking — and this one’s doing it under its own steam. This passive robotic frame requires no energy input, and is instead powered by its own weight and a gentle slope. The BlueBiped can be adjusted to match the proportions of any user, and researchers plan to use it to assist people who find it difficult to walk and transport unwieldy sports equipment. It already holds the Guinness world record for the longest distance walked by a bi-pedal robot, plodding 15 kilometers (9.32 miles) in a single 13-hour stroll. Those fearing the impending Robopocalypse can at least breathe a sigh of relief that — like some other homocidal robots — stairs still remain out of bounds.

Continue reading BlueBiped robot needs no power to walk for miles, as long as it’s downhill (video)

BlueBiped robot needs no power to walk for miles, as long as it’s downhill (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDigInfo  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 20

T.I.M. has a taste for passers-by, also fava beans and a nice chianti (video)

Posted in: arduino, RobotApocalypse, Today's Chili, video

Art school — incubator of tomorrow’s next great visionaries, or think tank for the Robot Apocalypse? Sorry folks, but this latest Arduino frankenconcept looks to be working against Team Humanity. Part of Art Institute of Chicago BFA student Daniel Jay Bertner’s recent oeuvre, the Tracking Interactive Mechanism (or T.I.M., for short) uses a webcam operating OpenCV to follow gallery-traipsing gawkers’ faces, and respond to their movements. Careful, though. T.I.M. here bites, or at least makes virtual attempts to pierce your flesh thanks to a hidden photocell mechanism triggered by a viewer’s proximity. There’s just one thing Daniel left out of his wall-mounted, predatory cyborg installation — the requisite Hannibal Lecter soundboard. Jump past the break to see this nightmarish, mixed media concept in motion.

Continue reading T.I.M. has a taste for passers-by, also fava beans and a nice chianti (video)

T.I.M. has a taste for passers-by, also fava beans and a nice chianti (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Hack A Day  |  sourceDaniel Jay Bertner  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 14

SimLab SQ1: Korea’s adorably unstable robot dog (video)

Posted in: robot, RobotApocalypse, Robots, Today's Chili, video
After the recent score of creepy robots, it’s great to see a mechanical creature that doesn’t look like it would trample you to death if you insulted its parentage. This is the SimLab SQ1, built by the Korean software company as a testbed for a Government-funded giant version to rival the AlphaDog. After the break you’ll find a little motion picture of the SQ1 comically tottering around. Have your laughs now: it won’t nearly be so funny when it comes for you in the night.

Continue reading SimLab SQ1: Korea’s adorably unstable robot dog (video)

SimLab SQ1: Korea’s adorably unstable robot dog (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Dvice  |  sourceSimLab  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 04

iCub crawls closer toward the Robopocalypse (video)

Posted in: RobotApocalypse, Today's Chili, video
Another day, another augur of doom for humanity — iCub has been spotted in the wilds of the IROS Expo in San Francisco. The cute (in a Demon Seed sorta way) robot is designed to replicate the trial-and-error learning process of a three year-old. We’ve already seen it learning how to speak and shoot arrows, and now it wants to show off it’s… erm, recently improved crawling abilities. Head down after the break and you can see it slowly navigating the dangerous carpets of the convention floor. That’s iCub, SkyNET drones, Cyborg Rats and Robotic Bulls all in the last month. Does anyone else think the Robopocalpyse will hit before Christmas?

Continue reading iCub crawls closer toward the Robopocalypse (video)

iCub crawls closer toward the Robopocalypse (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Technabob  |  sourceiCub  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 03

Tesla Model S to get faster Sport edition, leave sedan in the dust

Posted in: automobile, car, Cars, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, RobotApocalypse, tesla, Today's Chili

Tesla looks set to offer another slightly more aggressive, slightly faster model alongside its Model S sedan [pictured]. The high-performance, zero-emission (and tentatively-named) Model S Sport packs a larger battery, extending its single-charge range to 300 miles. Green Car Reports adds that it’ll even get optional aerodynamic wheels adding another 20 miles to the car’s range. Acceleration has also been boosted, with 0 to 60MPH cut to under 4.6 seconds in the sporty upgrade. This should be the perfect vehicle for evading capture in the gasoline-poor robopocalyptic future. The Sport is reportedly set to launch alongside the standard Model S next year.

Tesla Model S to get faster Sport edition, leave sedan in the dust originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AutoBlog  |  sourceGreen Car Reports  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 02

Boston Dynamics Alpha Dog makes Alyx Vance’s pet look like a toy (video)

Posted in: RobotApocalypse, Today's Chili, video
Boston Dynamics’ BigDog is one of our favorite insane-level DARPA projects; a robotic pack-mule that can carry 400 pounds of kit for troops. At some point, the Massachusetts mechanics decided the bot would be far better if it was the size of a bull, or, you know, an SUV. The Alpha Dog loses the un-stealthy buzzing noise of its predecessor, has a range of 20 miles and can take much more punishment. If you check out the video after the break, you’ll see two people unsuccessfully attempt a takedown on the monster — Half-Life 2 diehards might experience a combat flashback at the mere sight of it. AT-AT Jr is expected to see field testing sometime next year when it won’t have a test bed of rocks to contend with, but the US Marines. Mark our words: we expect ’em to appear in every nightmarish dystopia of the 2020s, and take a starring role in the forthcoming Robopocalypse.

Continue reading Boston Dynamics Alpha Dog makes Alyx Vance’s pet look like a toy (video)

Boston Dynamics Alpha Dog makes Alyx Vance’s pet look like a toy (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Oct 2011 13:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink IEEE Spectrum  |  sourceBoston Dynamics  | Email this | Comments

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Sep 28

Scientists build digital cerebellum for Roborat: to protect, serve and spook

Posted in: RobotApocalypse, Today's Chili
You’d be forgiven if talk about Cyborg Rats made you think about precision gaming mice, but in this case we’re yapping about the real thing. A team from Tel Aviv University has found a way to restore lost motor function in rodents by building a digital cerebellum. As the story goes, they anesthetized a rat, disabled its natural abilities and installed the device — and were able to teach the chip to make the rat blink when a sound was played. It’s all very early-days, but the hope is to develop implants to aid people with long-term disabilities — or to ensure our sewers are crime free. For those not paying attention, rat-brained innovations are on the up: in June, researchers at the University of Southern California were able to construct an artificial memory, not to mention last year’s Tokyo brain-car. After all this mistreatment, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Cyborg Rats sided with the machines in the forthcoming Robopocalypse. Which, you know, is exactly what we need weighing on our conscience.

Scientists build digital cerebellum for Roborat: to protect, serve and spook originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink New Scientist, Slashdot  |  sourceSENS Foundation  | Email this | Comments

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Sep 25

Autom lady-bot will help you lose weight, love you regardless

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

Aw, this little cutie is so adorable — until she denies you pizza and cheese fries. Autom, the 15-inch talking droid we first caught a glimpse of last year, is back and available for pre-order. Using the LCD touch screen, hungry dieters are prompted to enter daily calorie consumption and exercise habits — to which the robot will respond kindly to keep you motivated. With face-tracking capabilities and a killingly sweet death stare, Autom is always watching, which might just make you feel guilty enough to skip the dip. The lady bot costs $195 for the deposit and $670 for the device through company’s website. Slated to ship in 2012, apparently aiding the impending robot apocalypse doesn’t come cheap. Check out little Autom in action after the break.

Continue reading Autom lady-bot will help you lose weight, love you regardless

Autom lady-bot will help you lose weight, love you regardless originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceIntuitive Automata Inc.  | Email this | Comments

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