Oct 06

LadiesGents: The British Robot Bathroom Cartoonist

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

I’ve always wanted to write all of those words in a single headline–I was just never sure that such a pipedream would ever come to fruition. Thankfully, Ladies&Gents has just afforded me that opportunity.

What, precisely, is or are Ladies&Gents, you ask? Simple. It’s a British robot arm combo that draws a picture of you as you go to the bathroom (as in walk toward the bathroom, not actually, you know, go to the bathroom.

Stupid, you say? Admit it, you’re just jealous that you didn’t think it up first.

Ladies&Gents consists of two arms and two cameras. The cameras film you as you walk toward the restroom. Then one of the hands (gents on one side, ladies on the other, naturally) draws an image of you in either blue or pink marker. The image is then uploaded to a blog, because, frankly, who wouldn’t want a drawing of themselves walking to the bathroom up on the Internet for ever and ever?

Don’t expect large scale adoption of the technology any time soon. At the moment Ladies&Gents is an installation at Unleashed Devices exhibit in West London.

No Comments
Oct 05

ThinkGeek Celebrates Empire Strikes Back 30th Anniversary with Wampa Rug, C-3PO Backpack

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, Robots Robotics, Space Tech, Tech Toys, Today's Chili

thinkgeek_c3po-and-wampa.gifThere are two things we really love here at Gearlog: Star Wars, and ThinkGeek. The two have come together to release two new products for the 30th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. As of today, you can be the proud owner of the Wampa Rug, or the shiny C-3PO Bespin Backpack.

The Star Wars Wampa Rug is made of high-quality synthetic fur, has a plush pillow head, vinyl claws and measures 62-inches long by 30-inches wide. It sells for $99.99. Here’s the ThinkGeek’s description:

As you may recall from Empire, before Luke was preserved inside a dead tauntaun he had a fight with a hideous Wampa snow beast in the mountain caves of Hoth. Now you can catch your own Wampa and take him home to decorate your swank bachelor pad. The Star Wars fangirls will love the high-quality synthetic fur, plush pillow head and fearsome claws.

If you already bought a new backpack for this school year, it’s time to throw that one in the closet and grab the C-3PO Bespin Backpack. The pack is based on the classic scene from Empire Strikes Back when C-3PO was blown apart by stormtroopers. He’s carried around on the wookie’s back before Chewy is able to put him back together. The backpack features light-up flickering eyes, and is made from golden leatherette material. 

But, it’s not just a backpack — it comes with all the appendages to easily assemble a complete 3-foot-tall droid. Luckily, it’s not that large in backpack form; it measures 22-inches high, by 13-inches wide, by 8 inches deep. It sells for $59.99.

If you’re in the market for another space-related product, ThinkGeek recently released the Star Trek pizza cutter.

No Comments | Tags:
Oct 05

Japans New Rat-Car-Cyborg Army is Coming

Posted in: Robots, Robots Robotics, Today's Chili

ratcar.jpg

Rats and robots. Long have they been mankind’s greatest foes. Rats spread the Black Death which once wiped-out a third of Europe. While robots–if science fiction is to be believed–are biding their time, waiting for their chance to overthrow their human masters. No humans would ever be so foolish to combine the two in an unholy rodent-machine hybrid, right?

Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo recently unveiled the RatCar. It’s what it sounds like. The researchers implanted electrodes into a rat’s brain to monitor its neural activity. The rat was then placed in a car-like contraption (though its legs could still touch the ground). The transmitters fed data from the rat’s brain directly into the car’s computer which (attempted to) determined where the rat wished to “roll.”

Behold. Where was two is now one. Rodent and vehicle. RatCar.

In theory, the car and rat work together to navigate themselves. However, researches admit that since the rat is tethered into the car, determining if the software was able to accurately read the animal’s real intentions remains somewhat ambiguous.

As it develops, this is the kind of scientific research that will one day help the handicapped better maneuver through a world that may currently be off-limits to them. As surreal as it may appear in its current incarnation, the ability to directly connect the human brain to machines will lead to more fulfilled lives for the disabled and handicapped. Not to mention strange new interface possibilities for the rest of us.

So, while it goes against every shred of human instinct, on behalf of our species I say “Godspeed, fair RatCar. Godspeed.”

A scientifically detailed examination of the brain as told by singing cartoon rats after the jump.

via IEEE Spectrum 

No Comments | Tags:
Sep 28

Will Robot Elephants Force Subjugated Humans to do Circus Tricks?

Posted in: Robots Robotics, Today's Chili

robotelephant.png

An elephant never forgets. To hunt and destroy Sarah Connor.

Engineers have often molded their robotic creations on existent animal physiology. Nature has had millions of years in the R & D lab known as evolution to tweak its designs, so it makes sense for engineers to build upon this tried and tested groundwork.

One new example of Wild Kingdom-inspired robotics comes from German automated technology company Festo. They recently unveiled a robotic arm they’ve dubbed a “Bionic Handling Assistant.” The robotic arm is inspired by the natural world’s representatives to the
Republican party, the Elephant. The swaying cyber-trunk is a product of Festo’s inter-disciplinary Bionic Learning Network which was created with the specific aim of incorporating existent designs of the natural world into modern robotics.

The robot arm is able to move in a variety of directions and pick up small objects. The robotic trunk is also revolutionary in that it is complete free from any metal parts. Festo hopes the arm will find a role in medical technology, agriculture, and
“institutes of learning” (I don’t know if they thought that last one through).

So, anyway, yes, we now have robot elephants.

Videos of robo-Dumbos in action after the jump.

via SingularityHub

No Comments | Tags:
Sep 27

Ironman is Real and Hes Almost Ready to Kick Some Butt

Posted in: robotics, Robots Robotics, Today's Chili

Ironman ExoskeletonWhat is Marvel’s Ironman comic book hero but an average guy with a failing heart wearing a really awesome exoskeleton? It’s not as implausible as, say, a “man who can fly” or a dude who turns into a giant green body builder when he’s angry. So why should be surprised when we hear that a real-world “ironman” exoskeleton may be coming to a shipping yard or military operation near you?

According to a report on the Salt Lake Tribune, Massachusetts-based defense contractor Raytheon-Sarcos has developed a 195-lb, full-body suit, the XOS-2 that can make a 200 pound weight feel like 12 pounds and give the wearer the ability to punch through a roughly 6-inch-thick wood wall.

Despite the millions already spent developing the suit, Ratheon’s body suit looks nowhere near as impressive as the armor worn by Robert Downey Jr. in the Ironman movies; nor can it travel great distances without an external hydraulic power pack. That will all change, eventually, According to Raytheon executives, tethered industrial use could come as early as three years from now. Fully mobile, combat-ready use is at least five years away.

Even so, who doesn’t want to try one of these on today?

No Comments | Tags: ,
Sep 27

Robot Can Solve Rubiks Cube Really, Really Fast

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

This is RuBot II. Learn his name, you will be working for him some day–if you’re lucky. RuBot II can solve a Rubik’s Cube. Really, really fast. He can do the thing in under 23 seconds. Not bad, considering that the standard cube has some 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 permutations.

The robot, the second such ‘bot (as the name implies) created by Pete Redmond, was on display at the Hall of Science in Queens this weekend, as part of the first World Maker Faire held in New York.

Before RuBot II solves the cube, a technician calibrates him, mixes up the cube, and then places it into his cold metal claws. The robot scans a side of the cube to see how it’s mixed up and then proceeds to solve it. The robot actually made it into The Guinness Book of World Records for his cube-solving skills.

Check out a video of him in action this weekend, after the jump.

No Comments
Sep 24

Pac-Man As Played With Pimped-Out Roombas

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, Robots Robotics, Today's Chili

pacmanroomba.jpg

The beloved Roomba: Star of basic cable infomercials. Mechanized vanquisher of dust bunnies. Tormentor and companion of domestic cats throughout the YouTube-iverse. And now, it takes on its most important role: that of beloved 1980s digital pizza pie, Pac-Man.

Despite the campy concept, Roomba Pac-Man is the product of some serious engineering. It utilizes military grade Unmanned Aerial System software to monitor ol’ 2Pac, Blinky, Inky, and the rest of the crew and to alter their behavior accordingly. Pac-Man searches throughout the maze sweeping-up paper “pellets” and is chased by his undead stalkers. When the ghosts get close enough they “chase” him according to a set of rules. Of course, when Pac swiffers up some of those special pellets, the tables are turned and the hunters become the hunted.

It’s actually pretty impressive. But I can’t help but imagine that we’d have a flying car and a cure for the common cold had these guys not spent all this time and dedication on Roomba Pac-Man.

Video after the jump.

No Comments | Tags:
Sep 23

No, F#%k YOU! An Art Robot With a Potty Vocabulary

Posted in: diy, Miscellaneous Tech, Robots Robotics, Today's Chili

Yesterday we took a short break from needlessly in-depth coverage of the latest gossip surrounding rumored LCD flat screens and OS updates to take in a little art and culture when we took a look at a trippy techy water sculpture. And today we visit the gutter (of art!) with a video of a piece called Four Letter Words from NYC-based programmer/artist Rob Seward. (Both projects are featured in the “Captured” category of the upcoming Vimeo film festival).

The technology behind Words is an intricate solution to a simple task. And that’s what makes it so captivating to watch. Various gears and robotic fizzimajigs work in unison to arrange a set of fluorescent lights to form a changing list of different four-letter words. The machine runs through a list of words based on an algorithm developed by the University of South Florida that takes into account meaning, rhyme, letter sequencing, and association.

Living up to its name, Four Letter Words often veers into negative or scatological territory, which the artist attributes to the influence of various language studies used in the development of the algorithm. Crap, rape, kill, spit, among other visceral words come up in the course of this sample video.

So, be on the look out for any sudden changes in the gadgets in your life. Now that machines have finally mastered profanity, can drinking and smoking and talking back to teachers be so far behind?

No Comments | Tags: ,
Sep 14

Touch Sensitive E-Skin Developed–Screaming Robots on the Horizon

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

whywayiprogrammedtofeel.png

See the above robot? He was programmed to feel pain. Doesn’t look like he’s enjoy himself, does he? This is the direction we’re moving in however. Scientists at the University of California are working on something they have named “e-skin.” The stuff uses crystalline silicon, making the artificial skin touch-sensitive.

Can screaming fiery robots be far behind?

We’re probably jumping the gun here. Messing with machines isn’t actually on the researchers’ plates for the time being. At the moment, the main goal of the new technology is the ability for machine to distinguish the fragility of objects.

“Humans generally know how to hold a fragile egg without breaking it,” UC Berkley professor Ali Javey, said in statement. “If we ever wanted a robot that could unload the dishes, for instance, we’d want to make sure it doesn’t break the wine glasses in the process. But we’d also want the robot to be able to grip a stock pot without dropping it.”

It’s about time we got a dish washing robot that doesn’t totally suck at its job. What, after all, are restaurant owners supposed to do when robotic diners can’t pay the bill?

Also on the proverbial plate is the possibility of adding sensitivity to prosthetic limbs, though, in order to achieve that, the skin would have to be fused to nerve endings.

No Comments
Sep 10

Georgia Scientists Developing Lying Robot

Posted in: Robots, Robots Robotics, Today's Chili

lyingrobot.jpg

Wuh-oh. When does it officially become time for the human race to pack it in? How about when a group of scientists make a robot capable of deceiving humans? Seriously, friends, we’re getting into Hall 9000/Blade Runner territory, here. Since when did creating the perfect vacuum cleaning robot become an unacceptable option? Now it’s got to lie to us about which room it cleaned?

Okay, I’m probably overreacting here. Here’s the actual quote from Ronald Arkin, a Regents professor in the Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing, who was directly involved with the project,

We have developed algorithms that allow a robot to determine whether it should deceive a human or other intelligent machine and we have designed techniques that help the robot select the best deceptive strategy to reduce its chance of being discovered.

Nope, I stand by my original statement, Stanley Kubrick references and all. This is scary stuff. The scientist are attempt to soothe our fears before they go completely out of control (put your torches away–for now). Says, Alan Wagner, a co-author,

Most social robots will probably rarely use deception, but it’s still an important tool in the robot’s interactive arsenal because robots that recognize the need for deception have advantages in terms of outcome compared to robots that do not recognize the need for deception.

Sure Alan. That’s what they want us to thing.

No Comments