New mission for Mars robot

October 17, 2008 by · Leave a Comment

NASA/JPL

This is a mission that the robotic visitor to the Red Planet may not complete.  Officials at the Jet Propulsion Lab realize the difficulty of the long trip.  See the JPL press release.  The Sun has a report on the journey and the robotic explorer which will attempt it.

THE NASA robot roaming Mars is set to embark on a two-year mission to reach a giant crater on the planet. The Mars rover Opportunity needs to travel seven miles to reach the crater, named Endeavor.  See the rest of the article here.

New mission for Mars robot – The Sun
Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:17:00 GMT

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Koreans Develop Robotic Plant

October 17, 2008 by · Leave a Comment

Chonnam National University /Yonhap

Chonnam National University /Yonhap

The robot research laboratory at Chonnam National University has developed a robotic plant that has humidifying, oxygen-producing, aroma-emitting, and kinetic functions. The robot was developed using characteristics of plants normally grown for ornamental purposes. It is 130 cm tall and 40 cm in diameter and consists of a pot, a stem, and five buds of a flower reminiscent of a rose of Sharon.  See the rest of the story here.

Robotic plants to produce oxygen are an interesting idea.  So if the plant robot could also remove carbon dioxide in the process, then it would mimic a real plant's function in limiting greenhouse gases.  Of course, you would need a lot of robotic plants to accomplish the task of removing excess carbon dioxide from our atmosphere, but it does make you think about it.

This article also makes the point that this type of robot opens a new field (pun intended) for robotics

.  We have seen many types of robots imitating animal and insect functions.  Now it is the turn of the flora of the world to provide the next innovative robots.

Links for this article.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200810/200810160007.html

(englishnews@chosun.com )

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Filed Under: Robots ·

Immune System For Electronics? = Robot Apocalypse?

October 17, 2008 by · Leave a Comment

For those who don’t know me, let me tell you that I like to be prepared for the impossible. So when I say, I’ve been preparing for the Robot Apocalypse; truth be told, I’ve actually been researching anything that may lead to such end. So when I see Bristol Robotics Lab, which is run by University of Bristol and University of the West of England, doing research on an Immune System for Electonics, i.e. giving robots self-awareness and self-regenerative powers–I begin to fear the end is nigh.


God Save Us All!


NOTE: Comments Expressed by the Author are not in any way affiliated with RobotNext and the other Authors


Immune System For Electronics? Electronics That Can Diagnose And …
Science Daily (press release) – 23 hours ago
The part of the project to be carried out in Bristol will be based at Bristol Robotics lab (BRL), which is jointly run by the University of Bristol and UWE. …

Immune System For Electronics? Electronics That Can Diagnose And … – Science Daily (press release)
Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:32:05 GMT

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Robotic Self Healing Chair

October 16, 2008 by · Leave a Comment

Robotic Self Healing Chair

Having not entirely picked a specific topic to talk about, I came upon this video which in my opinion was very unique. This Robotic Chair destroys itself than puts itself back together. I believe it autonomously finds the pieces through sensors and- what I thought was a really amazing thing-screws itself into place. It seems like pretty simple ideas but the astonishing part is how its picks itself up back into place. I could see how this could be used, if human functional, as a wonderful prank to pull on somebody. Could you just imagine a friend sitting on this chair and then it breaks spontaneously?

WATCH FOR YOURSELF!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlXh8RvvcuI&feature=related<BR>

Filed Under: Robots ·

FIRST REPORT: Jaguar vs. Victor 884

October 16, 2008 by · Leave a Comment

Jaguar vs Victor

This year, FIRST Robotics is introducing a new control system for its FRC competition.  Part of that new control system is a new speed controller.  However the old speed controller can still be used on the robots.  So that leads to the question:  Which would you prefer–the new and improved jaguar speed controller or a product that has been proven to work really well in past competitions?

 

Click on the photo to follow the link to the Chief Delphi entry by Anthony Lapp and the comments in the thread.

 

Whatever else you think about these two speed controllers, you have to be impressed by the size of the Jaguar compared to the Victor.  For the other significant stats on these two devices see below and follow the links for even more information.

 

Jaguar (shown on right):

Quiet control of brushed DC motors
– 20 kHz PWM frequency
Speed control
– Industry standard R-C Servo type (PWM) interface
Status LED indicates run, direction, and fault conditions
Limit switch inputs for forward and reverse directions
Integrated over-current protection
Screw terminals for all power wiring
Headers (0.1 inch pitch) for all control signals

http://www.luminarymicro.com/jaguar

 

Victors 884 (shown on right):

Standard R/C Type PWM

6v to 15v

Power one motor with variable speed forward,reverse, or off

http://www.ifirobotics.com/victor-884-speed-controller-robots.shtml#Specifications

 

My view is go with your gut and chose the one that will work best for you.  What do you think?

 

**This post submitted by Rudy Pena, but posted by Mike Henry due to some technical problems.

Filed Under: FIRST ·

Build a Bot

October 13, 2008 by · Leave a Comment

Ever had the urge to just build a robot? Well, here is your chance. Some of the sites on the net have interesting projects that are fun to build and in many cases you may have most of the parts. Two of my favorite sites are http://www.instructables.com and http://hackaday.com. There are projects that range from modifying a Roomba to building one inch cube bots. So go ahead and start building!

One of my favorite projects is the mouse bot. The introduction from the site gives a brief description.

“Mousebot is a simple bot that uses two “eyes” to sense light and then turns towards the light. A single large “whisker” is mounted on the front of the mouse to detect collisions. A collision with a wall will cause the mouse to reverse and turn then take off in another direction.”

You can visit the instructables site for complete intructions to the build on this little robot. So don’t be shy – try to build a bot and maybe customize it to be your own.

Filed Under: Robots ·

Future of flagship Mars mission up in the air – Associated Press

October 13, 2008 by · Leave a Comment

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will NASA's flagship mission to Mars fly next year? The space agency could decide as early as Friday whether to cancel, delay or proceed with plans to launch a nuclear-powered, SUV-size rover to the red planet. NASA has already …

Future of flagship Mars mission up in the air – Associated Press
Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:14:00 GMT

Update to the entry from yesterday.  This project could be in trouble.  Hopefully, only a delay and not an outright cancellation.

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NASA Sending New Robot Lab To Mars Next Year – AHN

October 11, 2008 by · Leave a Comment

Continuing the exploration of Mars, the Mars Science Laboratory is currently scheduled for launch to the Red Planet in the fall of 2009.  The Mars Science Laboratory should arrive at its destination in 2010 and will be the introduction to the next phase of Martian exploration.

The rover’s mission is to assess the past and present habitability of Mars.

The Mars Science Laboratory is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program.


CTV.ca

NASA Sending New Robot Lab To Mars Next Year
AHN – 1 hour ago
Washington, DC (AHN) – NASA announced Friday it will proceed with plans to send a new rover to explore Mars in October next year. …
Mars mission OK’d but needs more cash Houston Chronicle
Mars Science Laboratory to press on toward 2009 launch Examiner.com
all 329 news articles

NASA Sending New Robot Lab To Mars Next Year – AHN
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:05:39 GMT

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14 Must-See Exhibits at WIRED NextFest in Chicago – The Windy Citizen

October 11, 2008 by · Leave a Comment

WIRED’s NextFest has been up and running since September 27, and will wrap-up on the 12th of October. WIRED NextFest:

"[WIRED NextFest] is the premier showcase of the global innovations transforming our world."

Windycitizen has posted their own best of NextFest by listing the "14 Must-See Exhibits". Such exhibits range from HumanCar, more like RowBoatCar, to a block of Solid Ink Cartridge, sounds messy. Personally, "Moe" the robotic sheep mower is certainly number ONE in everyone’s hearts.


The Windy Citizen

14 Must-See Exhibits at WIRED NextFest in Chicago
The Windy Citizen, IL – 6 hours ago
… 27 – October 12 and features exhibits of sustainable design, next generation healthcare, interactive art and games, humanoid robotics and more. …
Wired’s NextFest not just for geeks Chicago Tribune
all 8 news articles

14 Must-See Exhibits at WIRED NextFest in Chicago – The Windy Citizen
Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:50:57 GMT

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Robot snakes slither forward – CNET News

June 24, 2008 by · Leave a Comment

Nature has become the model for robots.  Of course, this makes great sense because who is better at innovation than life.  Robotics will depend on innovative approaches to develop the machines that will help us at work and at home.  Check it out.

There is no doubt that many scientists are looking to nature for mechanical inspiration. This past spring we have seen robotic bugs , swarms of bugs, fish and perhaps even the promise of a robotic dolphin . The SINTEF ICT part of the SINTEF Group , a …

Robot snakes slither forward – CNET News
Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:18:00 GMT

 

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