Ants study inspires robots

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Ants are simple beings, but when foraging they present complex structures which inspire interesting solutions in this field (Soft Computing) Marco Dorigo This is the main reason why Marco Dorigo has devoted his life towards the research work into ‘Ant Colony Optimization and Ant Algorithms’ since last fifteen years. His work with robots imitating ant activities he has received a prestigious Marie Curie excellence award. There are some works that can not be done individually, but with combination of several people, the job becomes quite easier. Ants exhibit a brilliant social structure in terms of foraging. The following figure depicts their behaviour in finding shortest route between food source and their nest. The following is the snapshot of a ground breaking experiment, named ‘Double Bridge Experiment’ to cultivate the bio inspired behaviour of ants. This demonstrates how they find the right track by tracing pheromone trail density. Part of the research works of Dorigo is being exploited in the project swarm-bots, where he himself is the coordinator of the entire project. The main idea behind this project is to show that robots can mimic some activities performed by social insects, like ants. These robots are capable of doing jobs by linking up in various ways that a single robot can not perform. Their usefulness and simplicity through hardware and software implementation are their most promising features. These robots can be used in disaster management or in space environments, where using human being becomes too risky an operation. In his own lab IRIDIA Marco Dorigo is focusing on swarm intelligence research that involves the highly complicated swarm behaviour in the colony of social insects. Source: ICT

Something Cool about Predictive Dialing

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Information technology and business process outsourcing have become an important part of the global business arena. In spite of the recent economic downturn, the outsourcing industry has been able to register slow, yet steady growth. Operation costs, in most industries, had to be reduced due to the economic downfall. This had a direct effect on the level of recruitment. Instead of hiring professionals, most organizations started outsourcing their jobs to call center employees. What are the challenges faced by the call center industry? To reduce wait-times, and enhance customer satisfaction, call centers use predictive dialers. A predictive dialer is a computer system that automatically places an outbound call, and routes answered call to agents. Predictive dialing systems automate the processes, and thus help maximize agent-output. There are three types of predictive dialer software available today- soft dialers, hard dialers, and smart predictive dialers. Soft dialers are less expensive than hard dialers as they do not require costly telecom components. In general, modern soft dialers are actually VoIP dialers. Thanks to their flexible architecture and low cost, they work well in both multi-site and distributed environments. Hardware-based dialers are known as hard dialers. They make use of dedicated telephone hardware to monitor call progress. However, these dialers attract higher total cost of ownership (TCO), and maintenance. If you are looking for a dialer that can offer automatic-dialing feature, and automatic voice messaging at the same time, you might ask for a smart predictive dialer. Recently, a new model of predictive dialer hit the markets. These are known as hosted or VoIP predictive dialers. These dialers are based on the SaaS (Software as a Service) model. You would require an Internet connection, and a telephone line for using a hosted dialer. Predictive dialers can increase the productivity in a call center. Avaya and Aspect are some of the popular vendors in the communications industry.

KUKA KR 1000: World’s largest and strongest robot

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After getting acquainted with the world’s first creepiest robot CB2, today let’s peak into the German industrial robot manufacturer KUKA Robotics’ world’s largest and strongest robot – KUKA KR 1000 titan 6-axis robot. This latest robot is equipped with nine motors to generate mid-sized car-like power and can lift up to 1000kg. By keeping in view its reach ability of 3.2 meters and its ability to withstand a static torque of 60,000 newton meters (Nm), this stout robot is an ideal machine to cover distance of up to 6.5 m and helps to pick objects such as engine blocks, stone, glass, steel sections, components for ships and aircraft, marble blocks and precast concrete parts. It is made of robust steel base frame and features a new drive concept. While the Axes 1 and 3 have a single gear unit for two motors whereas, Axis 2, gets its power from two motors that have their own respective gear unit. According to Stuart Shepherd, president of KUKA Robotics Corporation: This new robot can be implemented in applications which until now required at least 2 robots, lift stations or other lifting equipment thus saving valuable floor space and increasing efficiency. Its payload capacity gives production planners the speed and dynamics they previously only dreamed of. Via: Gizmag

Female Robot by Takahashi

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We all know that robots come in various sizes and shapes, such as large, masculine wtc. Recently, Tomotaka Takahashi has created something more interesting. He has created a female robot with all the feminine movements. In Tech Epoch, last night he displayed his creation. Takahashi has impressed the crowd, as his FT(female type) made striking poses similar to the models. Moreover, this FT is actually pretty and tiny. It is comprised of 23 motors and two gyroscopes. To make it look pretty, Takahashi did a thorough homework by consulting fashion models and programmed her graceful movements accordingly. Usually robots are designed using healthy helping of testosterone. But, FT is a little different from them and has broken this custom. Takahashi has created two FT robots. He is also planning for auctioning at a starting cost of $300,000! Via:Scifi

Robot Games: Is the Future Now?

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For years our wildest imaginations have depicted robotic forms in various media – movies, novels, and even games. In all of these depictions the robots were part of a future world, but with all the robot games and technology available today, the question must be asked – is the future now? For a long time technologists have been working on various robotic projects. We have seen robotic pets of various shapes and sizes, able to do various things that have impressed us over the years. In the medical arena robotic technology has been developed to aid surgeons with various intricate processes, and robots have even been used to perform some basic tasks in households. Now, robot games are a thing of the present and no longer a distant imagining of a future world. There are many different types of robot games, and indeed the term “robot game” can be taken to mean many different things. One application of the term could be used to describe the way in which artificial entities behave in various games. In these games they truly behave in the manner we would attribute to robots if we were still thinking in the futuristic sense, and many would be amazed at how much has been accomplished thus far. Many online games available today make use of robotic intelligence that was not possible in the not too distant past. Another description could be robot games in which people play games with actual physical robots. On the television show “Prototype This” this phenomenon was depicted in which the team built robots that were almost life-like and operated them from a distance, making the robots battle each other in response to the users’ punches. This is but a small example of how close to the “future” our present technology actually is.

Japanese prefer robots to hot receptionists

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Whenever I think of receptionists, I wonder why I always see hot women dressed up in tight fitting clothes. But that is a different topic for a different day and of course, for a different blog (wink). We all know that Japanese love robots. Japan’s leading technology company Misubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. is offering companies to replace their front desk babes with ‘wakamaru’ robots. The robots are available for working at a variety of places like front desk of offices, hospitals and other places that need (in)human touch. Vital stats Wakamaru is 3 feet tall and weighs 30 kilograms. It has the ability to recognize 10,000 words and respond with basic sentences. Not only that, it moves around without bumping into objects and being a robot, guarantees there will be no sick days (although may break down occasionally) or belated entries in the morning. I concede these are some requirements that a blonde receptionist will find hard to match. The charges are a paltry $1,000 per day (for up to five days). In case you are willing to engage the services of this wonderful creature for three weeks to a month, the charges drop to 20,000 yen or $150 a day. By the way, in 2005, the company had sold the same robots for $13,000 each, so if you are looking for a full-time addition to your workforce, do consider. Don’t go by the expression on the face of young girl at the front, Wakamaru looks one nice robot to me. Maybe I should reconsider the type of receptionist I would want at my front desk. Nah, I would still stick with a young hottie! Via

STriDER: The three-legged balancing robot

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It is the age of the machines, especially those that don’t exist in the realms of mundane imagination. Kudos to H.G. Wells, for conjuring up the concept of three-legged acrobatic robots, comes up with an idea inspiring the creation of STriDER (Self-excited Tripedal Dynamic Experimental Robot) — a mean machine that knows how to ‘watch its step’. With a ‘swing’ gait claimed by US scientists as – ‘closer to that of a human walking than most bipedal humanoid robots you see today’, the STriDER can flip its body upside down with every step to preserve energy. So, when the robot has to take a step forward, it shifts its weight to two of its legs and then uses the third to balance itself as it flips 180 degrees to retain its stability in the tripod position. The basic idea of using a tripod concept is to eliminate the need to control every single limb individually. At the same time, the direction can also be changed with minimum effort. Eccentrically shaped, the tripod stands 1.8 metres tall (prototype). The latest version is only half as tall as its mother design. The robot will be used for the deployment of sensors and cameras in remote areas. Unlike other robots, the STriDER can step over obstacles with ease and rest in a less-energy consuming stance. For a video demonstration of the robot, click on the ‘video’ link below. Via:newscientist Image Video

Robot Pet

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Technology has given us many advantages to make our lives easier. Microwave ovens, cell phones and personal computers are just a few innovations that a short while ago were only items in fiction. Now we have a new advancement in companions. Robot pets have become the latest rage. You get the fun and companionship of a pet with none of the worries of upkeep. Once only a product of imagination, robot pets have become popular throughout the world. Introduced in the early 1990’s, Teksta the robot dog, came on the market and sparked imaginations of toy producers and parent’s alike. From full size robot pets that sound and act like the real thing to the small iDog that can be hooked up to your iPod and react to music, robot dogs remain popular. Robot pets can look like the real thing or be futuristically designed. Who can forget the Furby by Tiger Electronics? This little pet robot didn’t move much but did emit chatter called “furbish”. Another robot pet that is still popular is the Tickle Me Elmo. This red fur ball tells jokes, plays games and keeps young children entertained. Although older children and parents may find Elmo extremely annoying and a bit creepy, it is still one of the best selling robot pets available. One of the most attractive features of a robot pet is the lack of care needed. A real pet needs food, exercise, water and love to thrive. A dog needs to be taken for walks and a cat needs a litter box that must be cleaned and changed for their personal needs. Real pets can become sick and require a trip to the vet and may need PetMeds. Robot pets only need new batteries and minimal care. These pets are ideal for anyone who lives in an area where it would be inconvenient to walk or care for a living pet. While robot pets may never take the place of a live breathing pet, they can be fun and a good choice if you’re not able to take care of a live pet.

The Roboco for the lonely nights

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Have you been complaining about how lonely you are? Have you been plagued by boredom with nobody around to have a decent conversation with? Well, if you have tried ringing up your friends and given up trying to persuade them to put up with a bore like you, then you need this perfect companion. It might appear to be a child’s playmate but trust me, the ‘Roboco’ will entertain you like no other. This interactive robot doesn’t, however, take an insult hands down. If it doesn’t like you it would only shake around and swing its arms. If you manage to pamper it crazy, it could even treat you with a melody, a fortune or a pretty digital smile on its LCD face. The choice is yours. Take home this cutie for $11 and enjoy its company. Via:gizmodo

Mitsubishi’s 10 Wakamaru robots hired

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It seems that day will come when robots will manage all the functions in robot-loving country Japan. Now, by availing the offer of Japan’s leading technology company Misubishi to replace front desks babes with their Wakamaru robots, People Staff the Nagoya-based temporary staffing agency has hired the fleet of 10 robots to function as dispatch workers so that they can be send out for work at businesses and other institutions in the Tokai region of central Japan. Vital specs: Wakamaru is 1-meter tall, weighs 30-kilograms and is covered with bright yellow shell. It runs via its wheels and was developed in 2003 by Mitusbishi, as a servant robot to perform household tasks. After appearing at the World Expo in Aichi in 2005 now, he is Japan’s most identifiable robot. Capabilities: The robot is capable to identify faces and can communicate by using its 10,000 words vocabulary. As Wakamaru can perform simple manual jobs as a front desk attendant, it can also perform numerous other functions in offices and hospital. It can thanks visitors for waiting, it can sing songs and can navigate visitors to reach their destination within premises. Service charges: To avail Wakamaru service users have to shell minimum 120,000 yen ($1,000) per day for short-term and as low as 3 million yen ($25,000) for one year. Nevertheless, one query is eating my mind that why company is looking ahead to spend such a massive amount when they can get young gorgeous babes for as high as for $10,000, I think the agency is looking ahead to paint their unique image worldwide by exploiting robots to accomplish their selected tasks and to impress their customers or visitors. Via: Pinktentacle