Monday, September 10, 2012

DARPA Legged Squad Support System (LS3) Demonstrates New Capabilities



Published on Sep 10, 2012 by 
This video depicts field testing of the DARPA Legged Squad Support System (LS3). The goal of the LS3 program is to demonstrate that a legged robot can unburden dismounted squad members by carrying their gear, autonomously following them through rugged terrain, and interpreting verbal and visual commands.

To learn more about LS3, please visit http://go.usa.gov/rvVz

To get the latest DARPA news, photos and videos, follow us on Twitter at:http://www.twitter.com/darpa.

Project CompanionAble - Concepts 2011




Uploaded by  on Feb 16, 2012
This video shows the early concepts of CompanionAble - a smart home and robot solution to support people with early dementia.

Please note: These are concept prototypes. This video does not represent the final outcome of the project.

=========================

CompanionAble - "Integrated Cognitive Assistive & Domotic Companion Robotic Systems for Ability & Security"

CompanionAble provides people suffering from mild cognitive impairments (MCI) with an assistive environmentthe using the synergy between Robotics and Ambient Intelligence technologies and their semantic integration. This will support the cognitive stimulation and therapy management of the care-recipient, mediated by a robotic companion (mobile facilitation) working collaboratively with a smart home environment (stationary facilitation).

The distinguishing advantages of the CompanionAble Framework Architecture arise from the objective of graceful, scalable and cost-effective integration, plus a participative and inclusive co-design and scenario validation approach driving the RTD efforts in CompanionAble; involving care recipients and their close carers as well as the wider stakeholders. For more info, please visit:http://www.companionable.net

Friday, September 7, 2012

Ultra-Bot 3D Printer Listing on Kickstarter



Published on Sep 1, 2012 by 
This is just a quick overview of the new Ultra-Bot 3D printer for the Kickstarter campaign.

Kickstarter Page:









Cheetah Robot runs 28.3 mph; a bit faster than Usain Bolt



Published on Sep 5, 2012 by 
Cheetah Robot is a fast-running quadruped developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from DARPA. It just blazed past its previous speed record, getting up to 28.3 mph, about 0.5 mph faster than Usain Bolt's fastest 20 meter split. This version of the Cheetah Robot runs on a treadmill with offboard power. Testing on an untethered outdoor version starts early next year. For more information about Cheetah or the other robots we develop, visit www.BostonDynamics.com.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

PhantomX Quadruped Sneak Peak



Published on Aug 29, 2012 by 
Check out the new
http://www.trossenrobotics.com/p/PhantomX-AX-12-Quadruped.aspx
This sneak peak video will give you an idea of what this robot is capable of doing. Stay tuned for

Monday, August 27, 2012

Radio Shack Tough Arduino Project


Radio Shack now sells Arduino boards.  According to Wikipedia, Arduino is a popular open-source single-board microcontroller, descendant of the open-source Wiring platform, designed to make the process of using electronics in multidisciplinary projects more accessible. The hardware consists of a simple open hardware design for the Arduino board with an Atmel AVR processor and on-board input/output support. The software consists of a standard programming language compiler and the boot loader that runs on the board.

Here's what the kit looks like:


They are promoting this product by showcasing different projects DIYers are creating with it.

Like the Tough Arduino Project:


Here's links showing that project:



http://www.radioshackdiy.com/project-gallery/tough-arduino

http://www.radioshack.com/graphics/uc/rsk/Support/ProductManuals/RadioShackDIY_ToughArduino.pdf

Sunday, August 19, 2012

The Coltar... Lego mindstorms color sensors create music



Published on Aug 18, 2012 by 
just for fun. here are my other projects... http://outer-court.com ... and here's the Color Sound Machine: http://youtube.com/watch?v=p9uV3e--_A4

Friday, August 17, 2012

Autonomous robotic plane flies indoors at MIT



Published on Aug 9, 2012 by 
For decades, academic and industry researchers have been working on control algorithms for autonomous helicopters — robotic helicopters that pilot themselves, rather than requiring remote human guidance. Dozens of research teams have competed in a series of autonomous-helicopter challenges posed by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI); progress has been so rapid that the last two challenges have involved indoor navigation without the use of GPS.

But MIT's Robust Robotics Group — which fielded the team that won the last AUVSI contest — has set itself an even tougher challenge: developing autonomous-control algorithms for the indoor flight of GPS-denied airplanes. At the 2011 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), a team of researchers from the group described an algorithm for calculating a plane's trajectory; in 2012, at the same conference, they presented an algorithm for determining its "state" — its location, physical orientation, velocity and acceleration. Now, the MIT researchers have completed a series of flight tests in which an autonomous robotic plane running their state-estimation algorithm successfully threaded its way among pillars in the parking garage under MIT's Stata Center.

Read more: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/autonomous-robotic-plane-flies-indoors-081...

Video: Melanie Gonick, MIT News

Additional footage courtesy of: Adam Bry, Nicholas Roy, Abraham Bachrach of the Robust Robotics Group, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Special thanks to the Office of Naval Research under MURI N00014-09-1-1052 and the Army Research Office under the Micro Autonomous System Technologies program.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

The evolution of dance by NAO Robot.



Published on Jul 12, 2012 by 
Evolution Of Dance by NAO
based on Judson Laipply show
animated by Valentin
NAO is a product from: http://aldebaran-robotics.com/

Monday, August 6, 2012

NASA's Next Rover Has 3D-Printed Parts




Published on Aug 6, 2012 by 
NASA's ultimate goal is to send humans to Mars. And when we get there, we'll be driving a vehicle with 3D-printed parts. In this video, NASA engineers talk about developing and testing a next-generation rover designed to support humans on other worlds, such as asteroids and, eventually, Mars — and how 3D printing helps. http://www.stratasys.com/Resources/Case-Studies/Aerospace-FDM-Technology-Case-Studies/NASA.aspx

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Secret Insect Spy Drones


Published on Jun 14, 2012 by 
The US military has designed drones so small that they are starting to look like tiny insects. These are used to get into areas that they normally wouldn't be able to reach. These secret insect drones are said to help the fight against terrorism/terrorists and help protect us.

Ya, they look cool and could also make a fun toy but is this something that could cause concern in the future?

People in the New York and Washington DC area have been reporting strange sightings of what were describe as tiny

machines hovering around different gatherings like the antiwar rally in Lafayette Square last month. A student swore these were not real bugs.

The FBI, CIA and other various government organizations have all denied such claims of having mini spy drones at work.

I guess if we generally trust our government they would only be used to help keep our nation safe. After all, if government organizations really wanted to spy on us, I'm sure they can find less expensive ways.

More on Insect Sized Spy Drones?!

Airforce developing tiny insect spy drones
http://gizmoinsider.com/air-force-developing-tiny-flying-insect-drones-92936....

Spy-Butterfly: Israel developing insect drone for indoor surveillance
http://www.rt.com/news/israel-drone-indoor-butterfly-672/

Micro-machines are go: The U.S. military drones that are so small they even look like insects. cyborg insect drones
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2013802/U-S-military-drones-sm...

Navy Drone Crashes in Maryland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaY9KhW6SxI

Sound effects obtained from http://www.freesfx.co.uk
Royalty Free Music obtained from http://www.freesfx.co.uk

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Tail Assisted Dynamic Self Righting Robot



Published on Jul 29, 2012 by 
This video is a demonstration of two robots, the 160g Tailbot (a 4 wheeled robot) and the 8.1kg XRL (a RHex hexapedal robot), using their inertial tails to perform aerial self righting behaviors. This work was presented at CLAWAR 2012, and the paper can be found here:
http://kodlab.seas.upenn.edu/Aaron/CLAWARTails

Tailbot, and its biological inspiration, were introduced here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Lk_2YCtA4

XRL is a lighter version of X-RHex, introduced here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL0aiQAm4RU

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Robot aids surgeons in catheter procedures, helps avoid radiation


Robot aids surgeons in catheter procedures, helps avoid radiation




Published on Jul 26, 2012 by 
Corindus Vascular Robotics, a leading developer of precision vascular robotics, today announced FDA 510(k) clearance has been granted for the CorPath 200 System to be used in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). The technology is now approved in the United States to assist interventional cardiologists in performing PCI, a procedure to restore blood flow to blocked arteries in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

"We are pleased to have received clearance from the FDA for the world's first system designed for robotic-assisted PCI procedures," said David M. Handler, President and CEO of Corindus Vascular Robotics. "This is an important milestone for interventional cardiology as we take the next step in transforming the way these procedures are performed in the future. The CorPath System offers hospitals the opportunity to bring robotic-assisted technology benefits to their coronary patients and their physicians."

To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/57343-corindus-vascular-robotics-wins-fda-510k-cle...

Hologram "Libby" Greets Visitors to Newark Liberty Airport




Creepy Computer-Generated Avatar Greets Travelers At Newark Liberty
Port Authority Of N.Y./N.J. Spends $180,000 On New 'Help' For Area Airports
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/07/27/creepy-computer-generated-avatar-greets-travelers-at-newark-liberty/

Friday, July 27, 2012

Robot Doctor Headed to a Hospital Near You





Published on Jul 25, 2012 by 
The latest creation from Bedford, Mass., company iRobot is a 5-foot, 4-inch, remotely controlled, physician on wheels named "RP-VITA." It's expected to be in hospitals across the country by the end of the year. WBZ News' Lisa Hughes reports.

Wired Magazine Article on the Domestic Drone Boom


Wired has a great article about DIYDrones.com and how drone technology is today where home computers were in the seventies.


How I Accidentally Kickstarted the Domestic Drone Boom


I looked for examples of videos people have uploaded using their kits and there's some great stuff out there!


Published on Jun 23, 2012 by 
QuadCopter Based on the APM 2.0 controller, hobbyking SK450mm frame, NTM 26-28a motors, blueseries 30 ESC




Uploaded by  on Aug 9, 2009
A 60-second entry to the DIY Drones Trust Time Trial (T3) contest. Five waypoints hit in an X pattern with the corners at least 200m apart

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Monday, June 11, 2012

Meet David the Android


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Introducing the Leap


Microsoft better watch out.  The Leap is coming and it's a lot more accurate than the Kinect...

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

DARPA Cheetah Sets Speed Record for Legged Robots



  This video shows a demonstration of the "Cheetah" robot galloping at speeds of up to 18 miles per hour (mph), setting a new land speed record for legged robots. The previous record was 13.1 mph, set in 1989. 


 The robot's movements are patterned after those of fast-running animals in nature. The robot increases its stride and running speed by flexing and un-flexing its back on each step, much as an actual cheetah does. The current version of the Cheetah robot runs on a laboratory treadmill where it is powered by an off-board hydraulic pump, and uses a boom-like device to keep it running in the center of the treadmill. Testing of a free-running prototype is planned for later this year. While the M3 program conducts basic research and is not focused on specific military missions, the technology it aims to develop could have a wide range of potential military applications. 


 The DARPA M3 performer for Cheetah is Boston Dynamics of Waltham, Mass. 


 Read more about DARPA's M3 program at 


http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/DSO/Programs/Maximum_Mobility_and_Manipulation_%28M3%29.aspx

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Friday, February 17, 2012

First Human and Humanoid Handshake In Outer Space


Robonaut Shakes Hands

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

NASA's Athlete Rover Can Hop Like A Rabbit



Gizmodo has an interesting article titled "The Two-Ton Robot That Can Leap Over Asteroids".  It's about a new NASA robot with 6 legs and the ability to leap over obstacles.  They're talking about creating a version for the NBA next!



Sunday, January 22, 2012

Robotic Lego Sorter


Popular Mechanics Article "Build Your First Robot"



Popular Mechanics has an article on how to Build Your First Robot including step by step instructions.



Great Article Titled "Time for robots to get real"


What a great article by Helen Greiner regarding steps that need to happen before robots will change the world!






Friday, January 20, 2012

Georgia Tech Using Snake Locomotion Techniques To Build Better Robots

Apparently snakes are pretty energy efficient when going from place to place, so David Hu and Hamid Marvi's  team at Georgia Tech are trying to learn from them to build better robots.

At least snakes are good for something!


Monday, January 16, 2012

Adele Robots --- Uday meets Tico


Tico may look like Wall-e, but he acts like Siri!

Robot Vacuum That Can Empty It's Own Dust Bin

Interesting how the Chinese companies are innovating new ways to separate themselves in the US market.  But will a robot vacuum that can empty it's own dust bin and sell for $599.00 be enough to suck away market share from the leader in the business, the iRobot Roomba?


Doctor Makes a Mini Paper Airplane with his Da Vinci Robot


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Xybotyx at CES 2012

Another example of companies creating inexpensive but highly intelligent robots thanks to attaching an iPhone to it.


Saturday, January 14, 2012

iRobot's Ava will be an awesome platform for future business opportunities!!

I just saw a great article in Popular Mechanics about iRobot's latest creation:  Ava

Here's a video of the new robot taken at the recent CES show in Vegas:


This inspires a lot of thought and ideas for future business opportunities in Robotics.  With the ipad being used to control it, it will be very easy for developers to create unique apps to take advantage of it's capabilities.  I bet this will be a hot platform for future entrepreneurs! 

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Robots Interacting with the iPad



We're going to have robots all around us much sooner than most people realize.




Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Control This Robot Right Now Using Skype!


WorldofMindstorms just posted this Incredible Video showing how You can control a Robot right now using Skype!

Here's their instructions and a video demonstration:



LINK: http://www.goo.gl/7LLaU


MORE INFO: http://wp.me/p10flW


HOW TO DRIVE THIS LEGO CAR USING SKYPE: - 


Go to http://www.goo.gl/7LLaU 
Make sure your window is maximized 
Click the "Start" button 
Go through the dialog windows you get 
Wait for my video to start (this can take up to 20 seconds) 
Open the "call menu" at the top bar 
Click "Share Your Screen" - it's about 3/4th of the way down the menu 
Click "Share Full Screen" 
Use the arrows to drive the car around. 
To stop, hover your mouse over the little screen where you see the car, and click the red phone button 


Music by Kevin MacLeod at http://www.incompetech.com


Thursday, January 5, 2012

Motley Fool Names Robotics as 1 of the 5 Biggest Tech Trends of the Next 5 Years


If you're looking for one of the hottest areas of the future to invest your money, time, and energy, the legendary Motley Fool website says Robotics is one of the Top 5!

Here's a Brief Excerpt:

The War on Terror is increasingly fought with drone strikes, which have become so prevalent in the American arsenal that they have their own lobbying group. There are more than six million iRobot (Nasdaq: IRBT ) house-cleaning bots scuttling about the world's living rooms. Rosey (the Jetson's robot maid) it ain't, but robotics development has been accelerating, and five years is a long time for technology.

Google has self-driving cars and Sergey Brin-bots. Military development has often been a springboard to civilian use -- think nuclear power plants and ARPANET -- and Google's cars are already street-legal in Nevada. The first systems you'll notice are freight deliveries made without people and multifunctional cleaning solutions for businesses. The next decade won't be a good one for the humble truck driver or the hardworking dishwasher, and will start to very visibly highlight the fact that we may not need as many humans to keep the economy going as we used to.

Read the rest of the article here:

The 5 Biggest Tech Trends of the Next 5 Years



Learning from Lizards to Design Robots

Nature seems to have a lot of problems figured out that mankind doesn't.  So to continue to improve our lots in the world, scientists go back to the basics by studying animals to make our machines operate in new and better ways.


Scientists and Engineers at University of California, Berkeley, recently studied some creep, crawly creatures to learn about the value of tails.




http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/01/04/leaping-lizards-show-robots-the-value-of-a-tail/

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

The Many Applications of Underwater Robotics


Robotics is an area where our society should be focused in making public investments.  The job opportunity potential is mind boggling when you think of all the new applications will be created to take advantage of these incredible new tools.  Here's a glimpse into the future of one niche focused on underwater robotics:

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Guy Uses Kinect Controlled Robot to Brush His Kitty Cat


Youtube User  posted this cool video on December 30, 2011:

This is the culmination of my last year's work. I control the robot's arms through the Kinect and Wii remotes. I control the robot's navigation through the Kinect and treadmill. I control the robot's head through the head mounted display (HMD). I also see through the robot's eyes with the HMD.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

2011 --- The Year in Bots

There's an article in Fast Company going over the year in Bots.  


When you check out these videos, it starts to make you feel like the future is rapidly advancing on us.  It wasn't that long ago that robots were mostly stuff of science fiction magazines, comic books, and movies.  But as this article shows, technology is getting better and better every year.  There's a video showing robots who look just like a real man.  




Another, has a robot named Petman walking on a treadmill and staying balanced even when pushed.





There's even robot dogs now!


Check out the article because there's a bunch more great stuff in there.  And as somebody commented in one of the videos:

 "Prepare for our robot overlords!!"