Weekly Newswrap for Friday, December 11, 2009

The Newswrap is back and it is moving to Fridays. 

For the past several weeks, there has been no newswrap since my weekends have been busy with various robotics events.  Because this situation may continue for the next few months, I decided that the logical thing to do was to move this feature to Fridays.  As before, stories from the week past will be featured. 

This week the stories form a medicine-related theme.  Articles ranging from robotic surgery to robotic massage can be found for the last five days.  Certainly, today’s news about a robotic technology able to operate on a beating heart is the one that gets my vote for the best of the week.  It certainly fits the mission statement of this blog:  The next thing in robots.  This advancement might mean no more need for a heart-lung machine in heart surgery.  Many complications could be prevented with a such a surgical procedure.

What is your favorite?  Look over the stories at the links below.  Let me know by leaving a comment.

French team develops robotic technology to operate on a beating heart – News-Medical.Net

If you've been waiting for the day to arrive when computers actually start performing surgery, that moment might soon be upon us. A French team has developed a computerized 3D model that allows surgeons to use robotics to operate on a beating heart … 

(author unknown)
Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:50:00 GMT

Robots massaging your pain away – News 8 Austin


News 8 Austin
  

News 8's Todd Boatwright explains how a new robot is assisting physical therapists in healing patients. The National Library of Medicine also suggests
and more »

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:52:14 GMT

Cyberhand Controlled via Electrodes Directly Implanted into Arm Nerves

European researchers have successfully implanted tiny electrodes directly into motor and sensory nerves of an amputee's arm stump, allowing him to move and feel sensations from a robotic hand.

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:52:57 GMT

Robotics in Action: Dr. Samadi Demonstrates a Robotic Prostatectomy on … – Investors Business Daily

Alvarez, also the managing editor of Health News at Foxnews.com, touted Dr. Samadi as "the king of robotic surgery." Samadi, who has performed over 2,100 successful robotic prostatectomies in his practice, began working with the da Vinci robot in …

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:56:00 GMT

McKesson Unveils Pharmacy Automation System – InformationWeek 

InformationWeek
pharmaceutical distribution centers and hospital automation solutions," McKesson said. McKesson also introduced the CytoCare Robot for improving safety,

More: continued here

Post from: Tony Dyson Robotworld The most exciting robot community on line, sponsored by EVO2 The Unlimited Robot Promoter

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:12:49 GMT

Da Vinci Surgery Robot On Display At Augusta Mall Over The Weekend – WJBF-TV


WJBF-TV

Surgeons say the Da Vinci robot, that's already being used at Doctor's Hospital here, in Augusta, is invaluable. Dr. Rafael E. Jordan: “Through the robot we
and more »

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:38:35 GMT

Robot Uses Artificial Intelligence to Water Plants

Here’s a robot that can water your plants and not your furniture.  By using creativity, the students programmed their robots to perform tasks using artificial intelligence (AI).  So, the robot can tell what is a plant and what is not.  The robot can also find its way around the house to get to the plants.  In addition to the plant-tending robot, the students in this university class developed other robots that could demonstrate AI.  Check the story below for more details on the other projects developed in the class.

Watering Robot

Photo Credit:  Miranda Pederson/Daily News

Go ahead and call your neighbors. They won’t need to water your plants anymore. That’s because at say, 5 p.m., a robot built by a duo of Western Kentucky University students will know it’s time to hydrate the hydrangeas and will independently …

Like a scene from “The Jetsons,” the robot rolled forward, made a 90-degree turn and located the garbage can “plant” with the sensors just above its wheels and belly area. 

“Watering plants,” the robot said in a mechanical voice, as a stream of water began flowing into the small black can. 

As the device continued cornering turns and watering the rest of the imaginary domain’s daisies, Cox said the team also programmed the robot to ensure it waters only plants using a sonar sound reflective system similar to what is used by submarines to identify items in its path.

Creating artificial intelligence – Bowling Green Daily News
(author unknown)
Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:27:00 GMT

Robot Takes a New Step Forward






PETMAN is one of a new kind of walking robot described in this story from Jesse Emspak, correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor. This bot, designed by Boston Dynamics in Waltham, Massachusetts, is a bipedal robot that can stroll in a very human way as you can see by watching the video.  The mechanical automaton has no torso, just steel and plastic legs tethered to a system of power cables. In its independent walking motion, this machine uses the same heel-to-toe motion as humans. Most amazing is its ability to recover when pushed.  PETMAN sidesteps to recover its balance. And New BalanceTM get ready, this robot even wears shoes!

However, before this humanoid machine runs marathons, it may find a job with the military testing designs for humans.  It could also be a stand-in for humans on Mars.  Make sure and check out the full story at the links below.

 Walking robot

Photo Credit:  Carmen K. Sisson/Special to The Christian Science Monitor

"For the past 30 years, scientists and technicians have grappled with making robots walk on two legs. Humans do it effortlessly, but the simple act has a lot of hidden complexity. And until recently, computers were very bad at it.

Now, several teams across the country are refining the first generation of robots that are close to walking like people. That includes the ability to recover from stumbles, resist shoves, and navigate rough terrain."

Source:   Jesse Emspak,  Correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor/ December 8, 2009 edition

                http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2009/12/08/a-new-step-forward-for-robots/#

via features.csmonitor.com

Festo Shows RoboKites

This post came across my robotics feed today from Adam Flaherty at MAKE Magazine and I thought it was worth a look.  In the video on BotJunkie, you can see the Festo kite in action.  And yes, the applications of this might not seem obvious at first, but the concept could be used for wind power production.  As the cable moves back and forth, it would make the generation of electricity possible.  Also, the process could be used for a high tech sail to pull ships across the ocean as shown in this link from BotJunkie.  (Although, in this link, I do not believe this is a Festo kite.)

Festo has produced many elegant robotic applications over the years and this is just more of those elegant projects with futuristic applications that could work now.  Check out the links below for more on this story. 

Via BotJunkie

Windmill of the future? The latest advancement in kite fighting? Kitesurfing robots? The Festo CyberKite deftly controls the graceful movements of a rather large kite with relative ease. [via BotJunkie]

Read more 

Festo CyberKite
Adam Flaherty
Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Sky_liner_10382c_3_500px

Photo Credit:  Festo

Why? Because robot penguin, that’s why!

But seriously, I have no idea, besides that it’s an interesting project to tackle… Although come to think of it, I suppose it could have some commercial applications, too.

Festo CyberKite

http://www.botjunkie.com/2009/12/07/festo-cyberkite/

iRobot Shows Off Educational Program

iRobot is demonstrating it is serious about its education outreach program.  SPARK or Starter Programs for the Advancement of Robotics Knowledge, as the program is known, is out to show students and teachers how robots work.  Previously, this effort was detailed in a post from September 8, 2009 here on RobotNext.  It would be nice to see iRobot use its iCreate platform to greater effect.  Read the article at the link below.

iRobot launches educational program
Boston Globe
The object of the initiative is to help educators, parents and students use "the wonder and genius of robots" to inspire students in K-12 schools.
iRobot Launches New Initiative to 'SPARK' STEM Education in the Classroom Business Wire (press release)
all 12 news articles »

iRobot launches educational program – Boston Globe
(author unknown)
Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:56:09 GMT

Laser-Guided Robots Milk Cows

The Carman Valley Leader has this story on robots that are helping to run a high-tech dairy farm.  In the photo below a robot assists the cattle by pushing the feed towards them.  Other robots actually milk the cows.  They target in on the cow’s udders using laser guidance.  And they are persistent, they never give up in their quest to get the milk!  This does not look like my uncle’s dairy farm for sure.  Take a look at the story be following the link below.

Photo by Glen Hallick

Robots are replacing milking machines at Halarda Farms owned by the Borst family.

The large dairy operation northwest of Elm Creek hosted a Nov. 20 open house. Guests were given tours of the dairy, including the barns with robot milkers.

Halarda has eight of these stationary machines each guided by three lasers on to the cows' udders.

Laser guided robots milk cows
(author unknown)
Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:24:14 GMT

Trying to Dig Out, Mars Robot Digs Into a Discovery

Sometimes the biggest discoveries come through by accident.  Spirit, the Mars robotic rover stuck in a patch of loose Martian soil, has churned–up something interesting.  Bright, fluffy material covered by a dark crust.  To see what this might mean, check out the article from PhysOrg.com.

sandtrappedr

Credit: JPL/NASA via PhysOrg

Spirit surveys its own predicament. The bright soil pictured left is loose, fluffy material churned by the rover's left-front wheel as Spirit, driving backwards, broke through a darker, crusty surface. At right is the least-embedded of the rover's …

Sandtrapped Rover Makes a Big Discovery – PhysOrg
(author unknown)
Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:45:00 GMT

Optical Sensors Give Robots’ Artificial Skin with Smooth Touch

An article posted at thaindian.com details the research of Belgium researchers who have developed a new type of artificial skin for robots.  This skin will be able to provide robots with a delicate touch more like a human’s.  The primary applications for this development will be in the area of surgical robots.  Future medical robots will be able to perform more delicate and extensive surgeries than current models.  What makes this skin possible is the use of optical sensors rather than the electomechanical type used now.  Besides the article linked to above, Popular Science has the story.  Check out the links below.


Popular Science

Optical Sensors in Robots' Skin Give Them A Softer Touch
Popular Science
Thankfully, researchers at the University of Ghent, Belgium, have solved the problem of delicate robot touch. Unlike the mechanical sensors currently used
and more »

Optical Sensors in Robots' Skin Give Them A Softer Touch – Popular Science
(author unknown)
Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:58:26 GMT

Robotic Clam Developed for Deep Sea Projects

Of all the creatures on Earth that I thought could be models for robots, I never would have picked the clam.  But now, mechanical engineers Anette "Peko" Hosoi and Amos Winter at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have done just that.  They chose to emulate the Atlantic razor clam, also known as the Atlantic Jackknife Clam (Ensis directus) because it is one of nature's best diggers.  Robot clams may one day help dig up and detonate buried underwater mines, researchers now reveal. They could also serve as smart anchors for robot subs or deep-sea oil drilling.  You can read more at LiveScience.com in the article by Charles Q. Choi.

 clam-robot-02 

 Credit: Donna Coveney

A new Roboclam developed by scientists can help in deep sea drilling projects.

Robotic Clam Could Detonate Underwater Mines
(author unknown)
Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:07:41 GMT

Robotic Rat Follow-up

Spotted this follow-up article on the Scratchbot covered here several months ago.  In this update, the robot is showing off its abilities to search-out objects by touch.  No vision system is used.  This is a very novel approach and could have many search and rescue applications where the lack of light is an issue.  Check out the link below and also look at the video at the Electronics Weekly website.

scratchbot2

Credit:  Bristol Robotics Laboratory and University of Sheffield via ElectronicsWeekly.com

… to damage and injury than whiskers. Rats have the ability to operate with damaged whiskers, and broken whiskers on robots could be easily replaced, without affecting the whole robot and its expensive engineering. This award is a welcome recognition …

Robotic 'rat' could become a lifesaver
(author unknown)
Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:40:44 GMT

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