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’.
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!
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
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
Earlier we reported you a prototype machine that scientists demonstrated as Super War-rescue Robot and an amazing fire fighter robot that was especially developed to save people stucked in suffocating smoke at the time of intense fire incidents. Now, according to the New Scientist magazine reports a new ‘friendly appearance’ of the robot is unveiled called Battlefield Extraction Assist Robot (BEAR) that is especially designed to put the wounded at ease.
This human-like robot is capable to pick even the heaviest of casualties and transports them from long distances in an uneven land.
The robot is especially developed by keeping in view those injured soldiers who need immediate medical assistance to save their lives by carrying them on the safe position that other wise is quite difficult and dangerous to pick them up by their pal to reach them and to carry them back on the safe quarter.
To avoid causing more pains to wounded soldiers this caring teddy bear squeezes wounded soldiers with utmost care with its hydraulic arms in a single, smooth movement and can lift up to 135kg efficiently.
However, existing model slides its arms under its burden like a forklift but it is forecasted that future versions of arms will be fitted with maneuverable hands to tenderly scoop up fatalities.
It is controlled remotely via its cameras and microphones through which an operator sees, hears and it is so developed that it can even carry a human-sized dummy on stairs.
According to Daniel Theobald, the president of Vecna Technologies who is developing this robot for the US Army:
We saw a need for a robot that can essentially go where a human can. The robot will be an integral part of a military team.
Some important facts about this smart BEAR are:
1. Teddy bear face designed to be reassuring
2. Hydraulic upper body carries up to 227kgs (500lbs)
3. When kneeling tracked “legs” travel over rubble. Switches to wheels on smooth surfaces
4. Dynamic Balance Behaviour (DBB) technology allows the robot to stand and carry loads upright on its ankles, knees or hips for nearly an hour.
According to the developers the robot will be ready for testing within five years because to make this robot more powerful, Vecna is also working on other prospective applications to heighten robot technology and to help physicians to move heavy patients in hospital, robotically.
Via: BBC
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
Remember the talking robot maid in Rocky IV? A decade later, we have been offered the opportunity to own man’s new faithful friend - the robot - courtesy Mitsubishi. However, Mitsubishi is not treading uncharted territory. It had experimented with its cute Wakamaru house bot a couple of years ago, but the company could find very few buyers. The flaw might have been in its advertising strategy, the pricing ($14k+) or perhaps in its concept, we may never know! All we know is Mitsubishi is back....with a cute whimper.
If you have always dreamt of lazing around on your recliner or in the pool, with a robot to take care of all the household chores, you have an ideal solution in the Wakamaru House Bot (Part II). However, the company says the bot isn’t ready for sweeping and cooking yet. For now, you must be content with its primary functionality - carrying drinks or newspapers and opening doors. And, the bot can also learn a few words if you teach him, (no slang if you don’t wish to run into trouble with mom). So, if you have an internet connection (yes! that’s mandatory) and can be content with its basic features, you can order your cutesy bot now...nah! I spoke too soon. For now, Mitsubishi is targeting only corporations. So, you will have to wait longer.
Via: engadget
Looks like Japanese toymaker Bandai has done it again. From its proud vault will be released thousands of millions of robotic bugs that will invade our homes. But don’t even think of smashing these up cause these babies are worth $10 (approx.) each.
Hex Bug series is one of the latest creations of this wonder company. This series is composed of an array of tiny bug-like robots that mimic real insects. Not only do they scurry around like the real things but even avoid obstructions of their own. A loud noise say a clap of a hand is all that is needed to make them change course at your command.
The Hex Bugs run on two button cell batteries and retail here for $9.99. Unlike some of the real insects, these robotic bugs manage to look really slick with their vibrant colors. Check out the video:
Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, you can touch these without any fear of nasty bites and/or picking up the accompanying infections. Finally robotics is moving in the right direction. After all isn’t this what it is all about? Making small fun objects and not some human-like AI that can take over the planet. Bugs we all can handle just keep that rolled up newspaper at hand.
Humans would one day become a thing of the past. Movies like Terminator, i-Robot and Cyborg have been fuelling people’s fears of becoming obsolete. Observing the rate at which robots are developing, to do almost everything that only we humans can, it is a cinch that they would replace us as the most sought-after labor, a few years from now. In recent times, we have been witness to the fact that machines can be trained to do almost everything. The advancements in Artificial Intelligence have drawn our attention to the reality that machines can learn to improvise too.
Take for example, the fruit-picking robot fabricated by Vision Robotics, a California based company. The fruit-picking robot can
perform a variety of farming tasks, starting with a dual machine, where a top robotic arm handles grapevine-trimming chores. Of the two rolling robots that comprise this machine, the first identifies and notes the position of the fruits and calculates the most effective and efficient way to pluck them. When this information is passed on the second robot, it picks the fruits with no resultant damages to the tree or other fruits.
On first thought, it is delightful and amazing. However, it is an indicator of the imminent danger of losing our jobs to machines that are a lot more efficient than us. With the tremendous growth in the robotic industry, it is undeniable that we are losing the battle to the machines. The machines are rising!!
Via: scifi
Let’s meet with Zeno. Yet, he can not talk or walk but he can blink eyes to track people. His face will hold your interest with a range of expressions.
