Robots Play Pac-Man, Clean Floors

November 11, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

Here’s an interesting application for those old Roombas:  Adapt them to play a life-sized version of an old video game.  Some college students have done just that at the University of Colorado at Boulder.  They say this was intended to showoff some software the students had developed for another application.  I think it was just for fun.  Check out the stories at the links below.


CNET News

Playing giant Pac-Man with robot vacuum cleaners
Metro
Jack Elston, Cory Dixon, and Maciej Stachura used Roombas – the circular robot vacuum-cleaners which have revolutionised the world of robotic …
CU-Boulder students create vacuum Pac-Man game Colorado Daily
CU students create Pac-Man game with robotic vacuums Fox 31 KDVR.com
all 15 news articles »

Playing giant Pac-Man with robot vaccuum cleaners – Metro
(author unknown)
Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:06:15 GMT

Filed Under: Robots · Tagged With: , , ,

Robot Pets or Pet Robots

May 27, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

In a previous post here at RobotNext, I explored the idea of a pet for a robot.  Specifically, a robot dog for a robot-acting human.  Now, this article from CNET News explores, among other things, how real pets are adapting to robots in the home.  I do not have a iRobot Roomba or a Scooba in my home, but I can only imagine how my cat would react.  She would most likely be curious about this intruder into her territory, but just as with the non-robotic vacuum cleaner, she would doubtless run and hide when it began its cleaning.

Robots have definitely found a niche in cleaning floors.  However, they have not become a multitasking, one machine does all, robot.  Today’s robots are single function specialists.  Good at vacuuming or washing floors or cleaning pools, but not all three.

For a look at the future of robots and what may be coming next, take a look at the article link below.

Robotics is an industry in which managing simple tasks and goals is paving the way for the grand visions of science fiction. But first, the floors need to be cleaned. In this three-day special report, CNET News takes a look at the growing world of …

CNET News special report: – CNET News
Wed, 27 May 2009 13:21:00 GMT

Filed Under: Robots · Tagged With: , , ,
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