Hasta La Gadget!

Remember that nondescript space shuttle that launched about a month ago — you know, the one responsible for carrying this here nondescript humanoid robot into the outer reaches of our galaxy? Well, things went according to plan and the robot has been successfully deployed in the International Space Station, making way for the first ever robot-human space crew. R2, weighing in at 300 pounds with just a torso, head and two arms, costed NASA and GM a cool $2.5 million to build, and there’s no telling what kind of handling fees were applied when shoving him into his SLEEPR crate. Because of his dexterity, the bot is up above the clouds to help out with chores and assist crew members with science experiments and handling human tools — easy for us to say, but even easier for you to grok if you slam the play button just after the break.

Continue reading Robonaut 2 gets unboxed in space, plans for galactic domination

Robonaut 2 gets unboxed in space, plans for galactic domination originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While some bot makers are busying themselves designing AI to simulate humans’ natural and distinct lack of intelligence, it’s nice to see there are still old-fashioned researchers out there keeping the Skynet dream alive. Northrop Grumman‘s aeronautics gurus have paired together a Global Hawk unmanned aircraft with a manned Proteus ship way up in the skies — 45,000 feet, to be precise — with the vessels of ingenuity managing to fly in tandem at a distance as short as 40 feet. Unsurprisingly, this is the first time such intimacy has been reached between UAVs (the Proteus had a monitoring crew on board to ensure the insurance bill wasn’t through the roof) in high altitude, and the ultimate goal of having two Global Hawks doing the deed without any human intervention is said to be within reach by next year. That’s when these light and agile air drones will be able to refuel themselves and go on for a mighty 120 hours in the air… plenty of time to complete a well planned extermination down below, if one were so inclined.

Continue reading NASA’s Global Hawk completes unmanned airborne refueling simulation, will do it for real next year (video)

NASA’s Global Hawk completes unmanned airborne refueling simulation, will do it for real next year (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 03:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I don’t know about you, but I’ll never hear that song “Santa Monica” the same way again. Not after watching this video of Geminoid DK, a new Japanese robot that has made a home for himself smack dab in the middle of the uncanny valley. The robot was designed to look like an associate professor at Aalborg University in Denmark, but honestly, if you were standing on a rainy rooftop and had to either shoot this thing or the guy from Everclear, do you really think you could make the right call?

Did anyone catch 60 Minutes just now? Bob Simon—who always seems to get the really interesting international assignments—was invited to go along on a polar bear expedition at the top of the world. What he saw there was amazing and…robotic? More »

You pick up your first tan leather roundball at the age of 9, you practice religiously for a decade before you can even feel worthy of calling yourself a basketball player, and then you find a video online of a robotic seal that can shoot better than you after just a few weeks in the lab. Yep, some Taiwanese know-it-alls have put together a robo-seal that converts 99 percent of shots (admittedly with a toy ball launched at a toy hoop) within a three-meter range. It’s basically just an articulating arm with stereo vision for some good old depth perception, but it’s sophisticated enough to maintain its killer accuracy even if the target is moved from its spot. That’s more lethal that Shaq or Karl Malone’s elbows ever were. Video’s after the break, skip to the 1:05 mark if you don’t care about the details of how it’s done.

Continue reading Ball-throwing robot seal has a talent for basketball, embarrassing humans (video)

Ball-throwing robot seal has a talent for basketball, embarrassing humans (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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