robotics

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Robot moves like a snake, but won't make you squeamish [video]

Posted February 4, 2012 - 7:18 am

Sometimes it can be really hard to improve on nature's designs. From the awesome strength of spiderwebs to the improbable stickiness of a gecko's feet, scientists have long been inspired by nature's feats of engineering. And now, scientists from Georgia Tech are looking to snakes to help them design an energy efficient robot that can be used for search-and-rescue missions.
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Robots learn how to play catch with soulless, mechanical precision

Posted February 4, 2012 - 6:57 am

Last year, the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics at the German Aerospace Center created the "Rollin' Justin" robot, a technical marvel that could catch a ball through a mix of precision, user input, and motion sensors. It proved to be a success, but there's only so much research you can do with a single-function robot. Enter "Agile Justin," the counterpart machine that can pitch a ball with a great deal of finesse.
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Researchers plan to make a robot with touchy-feely skin

Posted January 28, 2012 - 7:52 am

This robot, lovingly named Pumpkin, might look like it was made with an oversized LEGO Mindstorm NXT kit but in the future, it could be the closest thing to a human analog. The researchers at the University of Ottawa plan to make Pumpkin look like us, with a face that can express emotions and an artificial skin that can feel just like us.
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CES: Coming soon, drones for home and office

Posted January 14, 2012 - 7:24 am

The Navibot and TeleMe show where robotics could be going.
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CES 2012: Justin Bieber unveils a dancing robot

Posted January 12, 2012 - 11:10 am

The MRobo is designed as a speaker that can also dance to music uploaded from a USB. But the company proved to be not quite ready for prime-time for its announcement, with at least three microphone failures, and one screen failure that Justin was supposed to turn on, to start a video of the dancing robot.
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When the robots take over, at least our cats will be groomed

Posted January 5, 2012 - 11:52 am

Making the rounds on the robot video circuit is this gem, in which Taylor Veltrop shows off his robotics work, in which he controls a robot via a treadmill, Microsoft Kinect, Nintendo Wii remote (a Wiimote) to groom his cat.
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2011 robot roundup

Posted December 14, 2011 - 10:02 am

If 2011 is any indication, our future relies on robots and computer intelligence.
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Robotic ostrich may become the world's fastest, most absurd robot [video]

Posted November 19, 2011 - 8:21 am

Our first bipedal military robot may not be human shaped, terminator inspired killing machine. No, it could be something far more terrifying--a robotic ostrich.
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Scientists add robotics to animal costumes

Posted November 17, 2011 - 10:44 am

Every time I think that robotics are used for the betterment of mankind, I run into a video where Japanese scientists are doing something that's just a little bit creepy.
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NASA nearly ready to launch Mars super rover

Posted November 12, 2011 - 8:25 am

The space agency announced Thursday that the Mars Science Laboratory, its most advanced mobile robot yet, is set to lift off Nov. 25
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Honda's new ASIMO Robot even more awesome

Posted November 8, 2011 - 5:16 pm

It's robot week apparently! Here's new video of Honda's latest version of its ASIMO humanoid robot, which can run at 9 kph, hop on one or both legs, and do all sorts of amazing things. We've
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Is AI and technology to blame for high unemployment?

Posted November 8, 2011 - 12:37 pm

The Industrial Revolution occurred when new tools magnified worker productivity. But the "AI Revolution" may render many mid-level jobs completely obsolete.
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'Telexistence' robot transmits user's sight, hearing and touch

Posted November 7, 2011 - 1:01 pm

OK, forget about my Terminator rants for a moment. In this video, we meet a Telexistence Robot, which mimics the actions of a human being connected via virtual reality gear.
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More proof they're building Terminators

Posted November 7, 2011 - 11:21 am

Sometimes I feel like Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 (no, get your mind out of the gutter). I mean, she keeps warning people about the Terminators that are coming from the future, yet most of humanity just looks at her like she's weird, or they lock her up in an asylum.
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Merging robots with Microsoft Surface for search/rescue tasks

Posted November 4, 2011 - 10:32 am

I joke a lot on this blog about how robots will eventually rule the world, but most of the robotics work going on today focuses on the great things that robots can do to help humanity.
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Robots are taking mid-level jobs, changing the economy

Posted October 31, 2011 - 2:26 pm

Computers and robots will replace humans in enough jobs that they will dramatically change the economy, said industry watchers and MIT economists at a robotics symposium Monday. And, they said, the transition has already started.
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Artificial skin can feel touch and pressure

Posted October 29, 2011 - 7:36 am

Researchers have found plenty of uses for carbon nanotubes, but a team at Stanford's of the Bao Research Group found a new use for them: artificial skin. The researchers created a stretchable, transparent skin-like sensor that not only is elastic like skin, but can also sense touch and pressure like the real thing.
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Lego robot clock tells you the time (eventually)

Posted October 28, 2011 - 1:45 pm

It's not as easy as looking at a watch or your cell phone's clock, but it's still cool if you're into Legos and robotics.
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Robot legs walk like humans, powered by gravity alone

Posted October 27, 2011 - 12:30 pm

Researchers have spent years trying to build a bipedal robot that can walk more like us humans, including somewhat successful attempts with Honda's ASIMO or Boston Dynamics' auto-balancing Petman. But Sano Lab researchers from the Nagoya Institute of Technology in Japan have developed a truly natural looking bipedal walker that can travel long distances and is propelled by its own weight.
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When the robots take over, they'll be able to applaud

Posted October 26, 2011 - 9:21 am

These robotic arms are happy and they know it, because they can clap their hands. In this video, we see a demonstration of "Ondz" robotic clappers, developed by Masato Takahashi, a researcher at Keio University.
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12 futuristic movie gadgets we need right now

Posted October 20, 2011 - 7:08 am

These movie gadgets may be fictional, but they sure are awesome. Isn't it about time we start seeing this stuff in the real world?
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Poop scooping robot demonstrates how to make expensive tech really attractive

Posted October 19, 2011 - 10:12 am

If you rate the value of the task by how unpleasant it is and how much you'd pay to get someone else to do it, robotics researchers at U. Penn. just changed the whole cost/benefit question of personal service robots for consumers.
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Ceatec: Murata robot navigates new challenge

Posted October 6, 2011 - 1:43 pm

Known for drawing a big crowd the two bots, Seiko Chan and Murata Boy shared the stage with a new creation from the company, a self balancing machine that can help those who have difficulty walking or carrying heavy loads.
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CEATEC: Robo arm gives users more power

Posted October 4, 2011 - 8:56 am

The Cyberdyne system is still in the prototype phase and is aimed at helping the weak, disabled and elderly.
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Lego robot replaces iPad 2 user

Posted September 24, 2011 - 7:03 am

A group of developers at Pheromone Lab recently ran into the problem of having to push a button 10,000 times: after building an iPad photography app for a client, they had to load test it to prove it would keep working after the nth use.
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