Weekly Newswrap

September 13, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

Here’s this week’s newswrap from RobotNext.  While there is no theme to tie this report together, the robots from the posts of the last seven days are interesting and varied.  From Friday, the Japanese are at it again.  They have released a robot to help the elderly exercise.  Lately, there seems to be a new health care robot coming out of that island nation every day.  Then, there is the clothes folding robot from Thursday’s story.  Actually, this laundry bot has been mentioned in several blogs and I just happened to pick this one.  Wednesday had yet another robot that mimics nature.  Now, it is robot bees.  Built to demonstrate communal behavior, these robo-bees join the robo-ants, robo-flies, and other robo-insects crossing the line from nature to mechanical.  Tuesday’s robot is the machine every couch potato craves.  The kegerator is a beer-pouring robot.  Maybe this would be perfect for the sports fanatic who doesn’t want to miss a moment of the game.  Finally, in RoboBath, NASA has developed a way to clean and sterilize a robot of bacteria and other living organisms, so that future robotic landers going to planets or moons won’t contaminate the surface with Earth lifeforms.  Check out the stories at the links below.  Let me know what you think.  Leave a comment.

Video: Sporty robot Taizou wants the elderly to exercise

Another week, another healthcare robot coming put of Japan (and this is generally a good thing). This new model, named Taizou [JP], is …
CrunchGear – http://www.crunchgear.com/

Video: Sporty robot Taizou wants the elderly to exercise
Serkan Toto
Friday, 11 Sep 2009 11:02:22 GMT

FOLD-E! Clothes-folding robot demonstrated at SIGGRAPH

Who wouldn't want one? Scatter your undies on the ground (if they're not there already), give FOLD-E the go-ahead, and scant minutes later, …
CrunchGear – http://www.crunchgear.com/

FOLD-E! Clothes-folding robot demoed at SIGGRAPH
Devin Coldewey
Thursday, 10 Sep 2009 11:43:24 GMT

Robot bees mimic communal feeding – The Engineer

Robot bees mimic communal feeding
The Engineer
A Northeastern University neurobiologist is to bring his expertise in animal robotics to a five-year, $10m (£6.1m) National Science Foundation (NSF) …

Robot bees mimic communal feeding – The Engineer
Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:01:53 GMT

The kegerator evolves into a beer robot

But we were scooped on a beer robot. The Asahi robot was part of a promotion for the Japanese brewer in 2006. The R2-D2-shaped bot would pour a tall cold …
See all stories on this topic

The kegerator evolves into a beer robot
Pitch Weekly
Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:45:51 GMT

RoboBath: NASA Studies The Cleanest Robot in the World – Popular Mechanics

RoboBath: NASA Studies The Cleanest Robot in the World
Popular Mechanics
Two other robots are tethered to the machine to let it access terrain as steep as 85 degrees. + Bot Specs: The rover is the size of a toy wagon, …

RoboBath: NASA Studies The Cleanest Robot in the World – Popular Mechanics
Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:57:37 GMT

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Robot Crawls the Seafloor to Explore Life

September 9, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

From New Scientist comes this story about a deep sea rover, called Benthic Rover, that is exploring the ocean’s depths.  Hard to believe that we know less about the ocean floor than is known about the surface of Mars.  This automobile-sized robot, developed by the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), is attempting to change that by traveling across the abyssal seafloor. In order to achieve this feat, engineers had to overcome several challenges.  Obviously, the biggest barrier to this type of exploration is the extreme pressure at depth.  To protect the sensitive electronics systems, custom titanium spheres were built to contain them.  In order to keep from sinking in the muddy seafloor, special flotation devices allow the rover to crawl across the marine sediment.  To prevent the tank-like threads on the robot from stirring up clouds of fine particles, a pair of off-the-shelf broom heads keep the threads clean. 

You can read all about this robot at the link below and at the New Scientist and at the MBARI website.

Benthic rover during test dive

Image: © 2007 MBARI

The Benthic Rover makes its way across the deep seafloor during a trial run in 2007. The "brains" of the vehicle are protected by a spherical titanium pressure housing. The orange and yellow objects are made of incompressible foam, whose buoyancy makes the Rover light enough underwater so that it won't sink into the soft deep-sea mud. 

Source: Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Like the robotic rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which wheeled tirelessly across the dusty surface of Mars, a new robot spent most of July traveling across the muddy ocean bottom, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) off the California coast. This robot, the Benthic Rover, has been providing scientists with an entirely new view of life on the deep seafloor. It will also give scientists a way to document the effects of climate change on the deep sea.

New Robot Travels Across The Seafloor To Monitor The Impact Of Climate Change On Deep-sea Ecosystems
Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:00:00 GMT

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iRobot Lights Up SPARK for Robotics Education

September 8, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

I have thought for some time now that iRobot could really make an impact in robotics education.  The Robot Stock News blog has this article about the new program sponsored by iRobot that may finally be the thing that promotes robotics education for the company.  After all, they are pioneers in robotics, and as such, it is to their advantage to promote the learning side of robotics.  The iRobot Create has long been touted as an education tool, but I far as I know, it has never lived up to its billing.  Too bad, since I personally like the Create as an education platform.  Lots of potential for development in that system.  So, this is a worthy effort and one deserving of wide-spread support.  One thing for sure is that there cannot be enough robotics education programs.  Students love robots and robots will be the hook to get kids into science, math, engineering, and technology fields.

The photo thumbnail below links to the CNET article from January 7, 2007 on robots built using the Create base platform.  If you look there, you will see a robot that can hand you a canned beverage, a hamster-steered robot, and an robot that serves up advertisements.

Create_back_angle_550x413

Photo Credit:  iRobot

Here's some real exciting news — iRobot is getting ready to debut a major new effort to kickstart robotics education. It's called SPARK, and iRobot is testing a new website to go along with the effort, with what looks like a dozen major partner. The website is at this link.

iRobot Launching "SPARK" Program to Ramp Up Robotics Education
thorn_stevens (noreply@blogger.com)
Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:26:00 GMT

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Weekly Newswrap: Military Robots

September 7, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

This week featured a number of stories on the “Robotics Rodeo” held at Fort Hood, Texas this week.  Here at RobotNext, I decided to feature some of these posts since they were not covered here during the week.  At the robot rodeo, the point was to see what machines have been developed with the research funds the military has provided to companies over the years.  So, about 30 exhibitors showed up to display their bots.  Read the stories below to see the wide range of robots that the armed forces are looking at for future service.  Also, the one story listed below that is not about the “Rodeo” is the one from iRobot on the new contract it has received to produce more robots for the military.  It is the featured story from Tuesday.

Robots gear up for duty in 'rodeo' at Fort Hood – Fort Worth Star Telegram


News 8 Austin

Robots gear up for duty in 'rodeo' at Fort Hood
Fort Worth Star Telegram
"If a robot gets blown up, all we have to do is get another one," he said. Thousands of robots are already working in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention …
Fort Hood shows off its robot armyTemple Daily Telegram
Photos: Robots on the road to safer convoysCNET News
Robot Gunslinger: Steady there, cowboy Mark Rutherford/CNETPopular Science
Killeen Daily Herald –ArmyTimes.com –CNET News
all 10 news articles »

Robots gear up for duty in 'rodeo' at Fort Hood – Fort Worth Star Telegram
Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:55:23 GMT

Fort Hood shows off its robot army – TDTNews.com – Temple Daily …

Kairos Autonomi demonstrates a double bot system at the Fort Hood Robot Rodeo on Thursday. The pickup has an autonomous navigation system so it can go driverless to an area where IED activity is suspected. The tank-like robot on the …
Temple Daily Telegram News Feed – http://www.tdtnews.com/

Fort Hood shows off its robot army – TDTNews.com – Temple Daily …
(author unknown)
Sun, 06 Sep 2009 11:29:57 GMT

Hood hosts ‘Robotics Rodeo’ – Army Times

Fort Hood, Texas, hosted a Robotics Rodeo to see what’s hot in the world of unmanned automation. The focus of the Sept. 1-4 event was to give more than 30 different exhibitors a chance to display the latest in autonomous robotics, a capability that …

Hood hosts ‘Robotics Rodeo’ – Army Times
Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:25:00 GMT

Companies showcase robots at Fort Hood Posted On: Friday, Sep. 4 …

By Matt Goodman FORT HOOD – They may cost millions to make, but when a robot deployed on the battlefield returns in pieces, it's hard for Lt. Col. …
See all stories on this topic

Companies showcase robots at Fort Hood Posted On: Friday, Sep. 4 …
Killeen Daily Herald
Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:17:27 GMT

Robots strut their stuff in military roundup

CNET News

Despite the hundreds of military robots that show up in concept or as prototypes on company Web sites and corporate reports, humans still do the fighting on …
See all stories on this topic

Robots strut their stuff in military roundup
CNET News
Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:48:19 GMT

John Deere goes olive-drab at Robotics Rodeo – CNET News


CNET News

John Deere's R-Gator autonomous utility vehicle in the back country at Fort Hood, Texas. (Credit: Mark Rutherford/CNET) FORT HOOD, Texas– John Deere , a household name in the Lone Star state, is hoping the brand will carry over into the market for …

John Deere goes olive-drab at Robotics Rodeo – CNET News
Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:39:00 GMT

 iRobot Receives Order from the US Army for $35.3 Million

One of the robot’s strengths is its adaptability. It is well-suited for use by combat engineers, route clearance companies and infantry brigades. …
See all stories on this topic

iRobot Receives Order from the US Army for $35.3 Million
Reuters
Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:18:21 GMT

Robots invading Fort Hood (Killeen Daily Herald)

FORT HOOD – The first-ever "Robotics Rodeo," which aims to encourage the development of autonomous systems in support of the nation's warfighters, is drawing the world's leading robotic designers and builders to the Texas-based event this week.

Robots invading Fort Hood (Killeen Daily Herald)
Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:44:01 GMT

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Drumming Robot Named Haile Follows the Beat

September 4, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

This Geogia Tech product can follow along with a human drummer and come up with its own rhythms.  From Neatorama, this story features the robot playing drums with a human musician and it is quite inventive in its musicality.  My wife found the drumming “irritating” and wanted it stopped, however, I found it sort of pleasant, if not exactly Buddy Rich.  An interesting display of a robot that is able to process information quickly and make creative decisions.  I know some will find the use of the word creative here somewhat inappropriate, but the robot’s programming is acting in a creative fashion to make rhythms that are following the general patterns laid-down by the human participant.  Listen to the drumming example on the You Tube link below.  You decide.

Gil Weinberg and Scott Driscoll of Georgia Tech developed a robot that can improvise rhythms as it hears music: Haile is a robotic percussionist that can listen to live players, analyze their music in real-time, and use the product of …
Neatorama – http://www.neatorama.com/

Haile the Drumming Robot – Neatorama
John
Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:48:34 GMT

Filed Under: Robots · Tagged With: , , ,

Robotic Fish Developed in Korea

September 3, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

A group of Korean scientists, led by Dr. Ryuh Young-sun, have developed a robotic fish. The team, located at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, debuted the fishbot in an aquarium at BEXCO. The researchers teleoperated the robotic fish.  Named "Ichthys," the Greek word for fish, the robot can swim for four hours on one charge of its power supply.  It is able to go to depths of 100 meters.  Furthermore, the robofish has an onboard GPS device which allows it to find locations for recharging its batteries.  It seems as if robotic fish are being developed everywhere.  RobotNext had an earlier story on the MIT robot fish.  It is beginning to look like fishbots are as popular as snakebots.  Check out the links to the original story below.

A robotic fish developed by Korean scientists

Credit: The Chosun IIbo

A robotic fish developed by Korean scientists

After the pollution sniffing fish , MIT did a school of robotic fish to let the mechanical geniuses take to the aquatic world.

Robotic fish from Korea, brilliance for shallow waters
Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:07:02 GMT

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Robots Get Magneto-Vision From Lobsters

September 1, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

Researchers at the University of OULU are building robots that see like lobsters.  Spiny lobsters have become the unlikely inspiration for a new type of vision system for robots.  The lobsters are endowed with a unique sense of direction–they use an internal map of local variations in the Earth's magnetic field to find their way around their surrounding.  This is a method that could give domestic robots low-cost navigational capabilities.  In the photo below, you can see how the robot would see in magneto-vision.  Building produce a unique pattern of magnetic variations that can be mapped by the robot and then stored onboard in memory.  This pattern can be used to navigate indoors.  This method is very inexpensive compared to an indoor GPS and so could become a way for robots to know where they are in a building.  Read the article below if you want the complete story.

lobster vision robot 

Image: Jnne Haverinen/University of OULU

Metal in buildings distorts the Earth's magnetic field in ways that could give indoor robots a low-cost map.

Lobsters teach robots magnetic mapping trick
Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:22:00 GMT

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Plasmobot: The First Organic Robot

August 31, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

The aim of these researchers is to create the first amorphous non-silicon biological robot, plasmobot, using plasmodium, the vegetative stage of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum, a commonly occurring mold.  Plasmodium respond to a variety of stimuli to move or grow in a certain direction.  The type of food that is supplied can also control the output of the mold.  For example, feeding the mold oat flakes cause them to grow tube-like structures.  Read the story at the PhysOrg link below.

Plasmobot

Photo Credit:  PhysOrg.com and University of the West of England

… span them in the shortest and best way possible, and transport tiny objects along pre-programmed directions. The robots will have parallel inputs and outputs, a network of sensors and the number crunching power of super computers. The plasmobot will …

Scientists design first robot using mould
Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:40:16 GMT

Filed Under: Nature, Robots · Tagged With: , , ,

Weekly Newswrap: The Leftovers

August 31, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

Here are this week’s leftovers in no particular order.  There are seven stories that made the newswrap this week and they cover an interesting range of topics.  If there is any theme in the stories of this past seven days, it is the relationship of robots to human life. 

Starting on Monday, there is the report that showed-up in many sites all over the web.  This is the one about the robot hand that is quicker than seems robotically or humanly possible.  Go to the original Ishikawa Komuro Laboratory article and see the video for yourself.  It is amazing to watch.    Another medical robot is featured in Tuesday’s entry.  Rather than blazing speed, this robot features a gentle touch that can find cancerous tumors in patients.  And, rounding out the leftovers from the first three days of the week are the kissing robots from Wednesday.  (Okay, this may not be related to human life, except for the fact they are featured in a show that people watch.)

Thursday, there was the story on two robots designed to be nurses for the elderly or provide childcare for the young.  You can see the video at this website. Then, there is the story about the robotic nurse that looks like a giant teddy bear from Friday.  A robot designed to take care of plants on Mars (or maybe here on Earth) is the choice from the entries on Saturday.  Finally, from today, there is the high-tech wheel chair for patients that looks like something from a science fiction movie.

Take a look at all the posts from this week at the links below.

Japan robotics experts unveil sci-fi … – Vancouver Sun

Japan robotics experts unveil sci-fi wheelchair
Vancouver Sun
Robotics and medical experts in Japan on Wednesday unveiled the prototype of a new hi-tech electric wheelchair that resembles a scooter and promises greater …
and more »

Japan robotics experts unveil sci-fi … – Vancouver Sun
Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:56:39 GMT

Le Petit Prince; robot to add plant life on Mars | OnlyGizmos

Le Petit Prince (or the 'little prince') is a robot concept designed to make plants from Earth sustainable on the planet Mars. The robot carries a plant.
OnlyGizmos – http://onlygizmos.com/

'Le Petit Prince' robot to add plant life on Mars | OnlyGizmos
Kunal
Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:10:28 GMT

Japanese create teddy bear robot nurse

CNET News

by Tim Hornyak Japanese researchers have created a robot nurse that can lift elderly patients from wheelchairs and beds. Naturally, it looks like a giant …
See all stories on this topic

Japanese create teddy bear robot nurse
CNET News
Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:49:31 GMT

Caring robots learn to relate (Herald Sun)

THEY may look more like vacuum cleaners with eyes, but Matilda and Jackson are the next generation of nurses and "emotionally intelligent" babysitters.

Caring robots learn to relate (Herald Sun)
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:45:26 GMT

The world’s first kissing robots (Crikey)

Cute AND creepy: robots Thomas and Janet are the stars of a Taiwanese robot production of Phantom of the Opera developed by the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.

The world’s first kissing robots (Crikey)
Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:56:57 GMT

Touchy Feely Robot Promises to be Gentle (and Check for Cancer) [Robots] (Gizmodo)

This won't hurt a bit! Researchers have developed a prototype robot that, through key-hole surgery, can detect cancer tumors in half the time, with less tissue damage, and with 40 percent more…

Touchy Feely Robot Promises to be Gentle (and Check for Cancer) [Robots] (Gizmodo)
Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:57:31 GMT

The Robot Hand Faster and Better Than a Human’s: The Gadget Blog …

So the braniacs at Ishikawa Komuro Lab have developed a high-speed robot hand that can do things very quickly. Now we have at least one robot that can run decently, and at least one robot hand that can do detailed manipulation tasks …
The Gadget Blog – http://www.everyjoe.com/thegadgetblog/

The Robot Hand Faster and Better Than a Human's : The Gadget Blog …
Rico Mossesgeld
Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:24:12 GMT

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Phasma the Insect Robot

August 27, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

Here is a story about an insect-modeled robot that runs like a real bug.  It is a bot that mimics the gait of an insect, if not the appearance.  When you look at the motion of this machine on a video, you will be amazed at the realism of the movements.  Phasma is based on iSprawl developed at BDML, Stanford University, USA.  The two machines have very similar insectoid motions.  If you click on the link for iSprawl, you can see it in action.  If you want to read more, then go to the Takram link in the next sentence. The following from the Takram Design Engineering website explains the background of this robot’s development in a very succinct way:  “Phasma is a hexapedal running robot that can run dynamically like a living organism. It is an attempt to depict life purely through its motion rather than its shape, by extracting the physics of running from living things and implementing that to the artifact. Phasma uses compliant components such as stainless steel springs and rubber joints to reproduce smooth and efficient locomotion seen in animals. Another interesting biomimicry applied in Phasma is the alternating tripod gait as seen in insects that provides excellent stability.”  Visit the link below or click on the photograph for more details.

phasma_02

Photo credit:  Takashi Mochizuki

… insectile robot reminds me of the running motion made by the CGI-based spider surveillance assistant robots from Stephen Spielberg's 2002 movie Minority Report : ( Minority Report spider robot swarm ) Fans of Michael Crichton's 1985 movie Runaway …

Phasma Insect Robot Runs Like A Bug
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:20:39 GMT

Filed Under: Nature, Robots · Tagged With: , , ,
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