Sunday, December 29, 2013

Super Ball Bot May Help Nasa Explore Titan!



Published on Dec 23, 2013

The "Super Ball Bot", under development at NASA Ames, is a robotic exoskeleton designed to land on the surface of Titan without a parachute or airbag. It can then roll about the surface by adjusting its shape. For more information, readhttp://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/ro...

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Japan's Team Schaft Wins Darpa 2013 Robotics Challenge!



Published on Dec 22, 2013
A Japanese-designed robot that can be used in disaster zones has won a contest in the US state of Florida.

16 teams competed in the 2-day DARPA Robotics Challenge that ended on Saturday.

The event, organized by a US Defense Department research institute, aims to set a standard for robotics technology for use in emergency situations dangerous to humans, such as nuclear accidents and natural disasters.

The teams were judged by the performance of their bipedal robots.

The winning robot was entered by the venture firm SCHAFT. The venture has been acquired by the IT giant Google.

SCHAFT's model showed off a steady performance throughout the competition by climbing over a mound of debris step by step. It won first place by a wide margin.

The Japanese team's rivals in the contest included robots from NASA and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as teams from Hong Kong and South Korea.

Teams that had excellent performance are awarded funds to be used for developing robots. All teams will participate in the competition's final round in 2014.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Valkyrie: NASA's Superhero Robot



Published on Dec 10, 2013
Meet Valkyrie, NASA JSC's DARPA Robotics Challenge humanoid robot. Learn more: http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/ro...

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Google Buys Walking Robot Creators, Boston Dynamics!

Think robotics isn't going mainstream?  

Google doesn't agree with you!

They just bought Boston Dynamics who's videos we've featured many times.

But what are Google's plans with the company known for making walking robots that can traverse many different obstacles? The world is going to be a very interesting place in 10 years.

Here's some of our favorite Boston Dynamics robots we've seen over the years:

Atlas



Big Dog


WildCat




More details:

Google buys Boston Dynamics, the Big Dog of robotics companies

Friday, December 13, 2013

A Day in the Life of a Kiva Robot



Uploaded on May 11, 2011
Kiva Systems founder and CEO Mick Mountz narrates a play-by-play video of how Kiva robots automate a warehouse environment.

Complete video available for free at:http://fora.tv/conference/wired_busin...

-----

How Robots Think: Why Artificial Intelligence Is Nothing Like the Human Mind

Mick Mountz, Founder & CEO, Kiva Systems
in conversation with Jason Tanz

Mick Mountz is founder and CEO of Kiva Systems. Mountz founded Kiva Systems in 2003, after experiencing the inadequacy of existing material-handling technologies for ecommerce at the grocery delivery startup Webvan. Kiva's integrated order-fulfillment solution employs hundreds of mobile robots and distributed intelligence to enable faster, more flexible ecommerce distribution centers for companies like The Gap, Saks Fifth Avenue, Diapers.com, Staples, Walgreens, and Crate and Barrel. Under Mountz's leadership, Kiva was ranked sixth on the 2009 Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing private companies in the US.

Before joining Webvan, Mountz spent three years as a product manager at Apple Computer, where he helped move new technologies like FireWire, DVD, Fast Ethernet, and 3D graphics acceleration into the standard desktop platform.

He began his career as a mechanical and manufacturing engineer at Motorola. In 2008, Mountz received an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the New England region. He holds twelve U.S. technology patents.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Spy Drone Can See What You are Wearing From 17,500 Feet



Published on Jan 31, 2013
Rise Of The Drones: http://video.pbs.org/video/2326108547

A new camera developed by the Pentagon's research arm was highlighted in a recent special on PBS' "Nova" in an episode called "Rise of the Drones." It's a camera system so detailed it can discern specific movements and even what a subject is wearing.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA's) Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System (ARGUS) has 1.8 billion pixels (1.8 gigapixels), making it the world' highest resolution camera. The sensors on the camera are so precise, PBS stated it is the equivalent to the capabilities of 100 Predator drones in a medium city.
In the clip from PBS, it is said this is the first time the government has allowed information to be shared about these capabilities.
"It is important for the public to know that some of these capabilities exist," Yiannis Antonaides with contractor BAE Systems said in the clip, but noted the sensor itself cannot be revealed. "Because we are not allowed to expose some of the pieces that make up this sensor, so you get to look a pretty plastic curtains."

The technology allows the user to open up a specific windows of interest in the camera's view while still keeping up an image of the larger picture (sort of like split screen). Antonaides explained that the colored boxes in the image show that the sensor recognized moving objects. "You can see individuals crossing the street. You can see individuals walking in parking lots. There's actually enough resolution to see the people waving their arms or walking around or what kind of clothes they wear," he said. PBS noted that ARGUS can actually see much more details than just attire. It can see objects as small as six inches. At 2:23 in the clip, Antonaides points out that from 17,500 feet, a white object in the field of view is a bird flying. PBS pointed out that DARPA put a time crunch on creating the camera, which lead Antonaides to look into technology that you probably have in your purse or pocket at this very moment. Taking similar imaging systems used in smartphones and putting 368 together, is essentially how Antonaides and other engineers at BAE Systems created ARGUS. It is this "mosaic" of cameras that allows the system to zoom in on specific sections in extreme detail. As for data, the system stores up to 1 million terabytes a day. Putting this into perspective, PBS notes this is equal to 5,000 hours of HD footage.

"You can go back and say 'I would like to know what happened at this particular location three days, two hours, four minutes ago' and it would actually show you what happened as if you were watching it live," Antonaides said.

It is still classified information whether ARGUS has been used in the field yet.

"If we had our choice, we would like ARGUS to be over the same area 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That's not very achievable with manned platforms. This is where UAVs come in and they're absolutely the perfect platform," Antonaides said.
President Barack Obama's authorization of military aid to the Syrian rebels "dramatically" increases U.S. support for the opposition, the White House said Friday, while acknowledging that it will take time for the supplies to reach fighters struggling in their clashes with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

U.S. officials said the new aid would include weapons and ammunition and comes in response to firmer evidence from the White House of chemical weapons use by Assad's regime.

"There's already material that's been flowing to the opposition and that will continue in the weeks to come," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser.

Obama has said the use of chemical weapons would cross a "red line," suggesting greater American intervention. While a small percentage of the 93,000 people reportedly killed in Syria are said to have died from chemical weapons — U.S. intelligence puts the number at 100 to 150 — the White House views the deployment of the deadly agents as a flouting of international norms.

Rhodes said Obama made the decision to authorize military aid to the rebels over the past few weeks. He also defended the president's caution on the issue, saying "these are not steps the president takes lightly."


AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
President Barack Obama gestures as he answers... View Full Size

The History of Syria in 60 Seconds Watch Video

White House Confirms Syria's Use of Chemical Weapons Watch Video

Smartphone Controlled Paper Airplane Raises More Than a Half Million Dollars on Kickstarter




Published on Nov 26, 2013

Preorder on Kickstarter http://kck.st/IfPkIA

PowerUp Toys has introduced a new form of play by fusing origami classics with state of the art technology. This time we took a big leap forward, by integrating Bluetooth Smart technology into our PowerUp Paper airplane module. Now you can easily control a simple self made paper airplane with your smartphone. Say hi to the World's First Smartphone Controlled Paper Airplane - PowerUp 3.0.

Rethink Robotics: Meet Baxter



Published on Sep 17, 2012
Meet Baxter, a revolutionary new category of Robot from Rethink Robotics that is capable of applying common sense behavior to manufacturing environments. Affordably priced, versatile and safe enough to work shoulder-to-shoulder with people, Baxter robots redefine how small, mid-size and large domestic manufacturers use automation to compete with manufacturers in low-cost regions of the world.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Amazon Prime Air Will Make Home Deliveries Via Drone QuadroCopters



Some day in the nott too distant future, you will be able to place an order on Amazon and have it delivered to your home in 30 minutes or less.  They will accomplish this using inexpensive drone technology.  

Published on Dec 1, 2013
We're excited to share Prime Air - something the team has been working on in our next generation R&D lab. The goal of this new delivery system is to get packages into customers' hands in 30 minutes or less using unmanned aerial vehicles. Putting Prime Air into commercial use will take some number of years as we advance technology and wait for the necessary FAA rules and regulations. This is footage from a recent test flight. See page athttp://amzn.to/PrimeAir

New Security Robots Can Let You Know If There's a Strange Car in Your Parking Lot



These robots from Autonomous Data Machines offer built-in GPS, LIDAR 3D Mapping, Thermal Imaging, Night Vision, Optical Character Recognition, Behavioral Analysis, Audio Recording, Proximity Sensors, and Biological, Chemical, & Radiation detectors.  Everything you'd want in your robot security guard!

The Knightscope K5 - Autonomous Data Machine


Published on Sep 13, 2013
Business Intelligence through Monitoring, Mapping and Securing.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Flying Spider Robots Can Build Their Own Webs




Resaerchers have figured out how to attach rope to Quadrocopters to give them the ability to spin webs like a spider.  Just another step towards their inevitable take-over of our planet.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Ghost Quadrocopter is one of the coolest new Halloween Decorations of 2013



Halloween carries a huge opportunity for growth in the home robotics industry as is illustrated by this crafty quadrocopter operator who fashions the device into a spooky ghost.   I can't wait until someone figures out how to slip on a werewolf costume on the Atlas Robot!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Unbounded Robotics Announces $35,000 Multi-Function Robot



Featuring 3D Vision, a movable arm with gripper, and emergency stop to prevent a robot apocalypse, this new robot will be marketed to industrial manufacturers and also to senior citizens as an in-home helper.  I can't wait for the day for my mom to call me to come over to help fix her robot! 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

The Atlas Robot Will Run You Over!


Published on Oct 3, 2013
Atlas is an anthropomorphic robot designed to operate on rough terrain. The video shows Atlas balancing as it walks on rocky terrain and when pushed from the side. The balance and control system places the feet and swings the arms and upper body to stay upright. The controller uses inertial, kinematic and load data from Atlas's sensors. Atlas is being developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from DARPA's M3 program. For more information visit www.BostonDynamics.com

Modular Robot Cubes Can Change Their Own Geography!


Published on Oct 3, 2013
Known as M-Blocks, the robots are cubes with no external moving parts. Nonetheless, they're able to climb over and around one another, leap through the air, roll across the ground, and even move while suspended upside down from metallic surfaces.

Inside each M-Block is a flywheel that can reach speeds of 20,000 revolutions per minute; when the flywheel is braked, it imparts its angular momentum to the cube. On each edge of an M-Block, and on every face, are cleverly arranged permanent magnets that allow any two cubes to attach to each other.

Read more: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/si...

Saturday, October 5, 2013

WildCat is a four-legged robot that runs fast on all types of terrain



Published on Oct 3, 2013
WildCat is a four-legged robot being developed to run fast on all types of terrain. So far WildCat has run at about 16 mph on flat terrain using bounding and galloping gaits. The video shows WildCat's best performance so far. WildCat is being developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from DARPA's M3 program. For more information about WIldCat visit our website at www.BostonDynamics.com.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Jellyfish Shredding by JEROS (Jellyfish Elimination Robotic Swarm)





Published on Aug 22, 2013
The Jellyfish is shredded by fast rotating screws installed underneath JEROS (Jellyfish Elimination RObotic Swarm). The experiment was performed in Masan Bay, South Korea on Aug. 2012.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Intel Futurist Introduces an Open Source, 3D Printed Robot Named Jimmy




Published on Sep 20, 2013 

Intel Futurist Brian David Johnson talks "Jimmy," a robot made solely from 3D printing.

Chef Gets Bionic Hand



Chef uses robotic hand to get back in the kitchen and start cooking again.   The new hand created by Advanced Arm Dynamics uses Bluetooth and can grab things 25 different ways.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Gymnast Robot would win gold in the Olympics!



Published on Sep 9, 2013
Horizontal bar Gymnast robot NO.16, Triple Backflip and Catch the Bar(2020 TOKYO)

Sunday, September 8, 2013

This Robot Will Crush You at Chinese Checkers!



Published on Sep 3, 2013
http://www.adept.com/products/robots/... The High speed Adept Cobra SCARA robot is the fastest SCARA robot reaching cycles rates unmatched by other table-top robots. In this video, the high speed Adept Cobra SCARA robot is playing a game of Chinese Checkers, moving the steel balls at a rate of up to 4 balls a second.
http://www.adept.com/products/robots/...


1 Huge Factor Holding Robotics Back



Published on Sep 5, 2013
In this video, Motley Fool industrials analyst Blake Bos gives us some of his key takeaways from the recent AUVSI Unmanned conference, to show investors what the biggest hurdle is before robotics can advance to the level that's been imagined by Hollywood for decades. He also tells investors what the most important things to follow will be as new innovations come along, picks out some key players for investors' watch lists, and discusses why he personally may stay on the sidelines for now in this tricky industry.

Visit us on the web at http://www.fool.com.
Subscribe to The Motley Fool's YouTube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/TheMotleyFool

Saturday, September 7, 2013

ROBOCOP - The Future of Justice Opportunity in Robotics


Published on Sep 5, 2013
Release Date: February 7, 2014
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony), MGM
Director: Jose Padilha
Screenwriter: Josh Zetumer, Nick Schenk
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K. Williams, Jay Baruchel, Jennifer Ehle, Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available

Official Websites: http://www.omnicorp.com/,https://www.facebook.com/Omnicorphttp://www.robocop-movie.net/

Plot Summary:
In "RoboCop," the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Their drones are winning American wars around the globe and now they want to bring this technology to the home front. Alex Murphy (Kinnaman) is a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit. After he is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp utilizes their remarkable science of robotics to save Alex's life. He returns to the streets of his beloved city with amazing new abilities, but with issues a regular man has never had to face before.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Elon Musk Uses Leap Motion Sensing Technology to Showcase the Future of Design




Published on Sep 5, 2013
SpaceX is exploring methods for engineers to accelerate their workflow by designing more directly in 3D. We are integrating breakthroughs in sensor and visualization technologies to view and modify designs more naturally and efficiently than we could using purely 2D tools. We are just beginning, but eventually hope to build the fastest route between the idea of a rocket and the reality of the factory floor. Special thanks to Leap Motion, Siemens and Oculus VR, as well as NVIDIA, Projection Design, Provision, and to everyone enabling and challenging the world to interact with technology in exciting new ways.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Robots Army in the Future - Special Documentary



Published on Jul 3, 2013
The utilization of Robotics in military is well shown by US army. Osama and other terrorists were tracked by these military robots. They are robust, they are obedient, they are daring, they don't have fear of death, and most important they have proved themselves in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, terrorists are terrified by drone attacks. The utilization of robotics technology in military led to a new field in robotics i.e. Military Robotics.
Military robotics isn't about creating an army of humanoids but utilization of robotics technology for fighting terror and defending the nation. Thus, military robots need not be humanoids or they not necessarily need to carry weapons, they are just those robots that can help the armed forces. The opportunities offered by these technologies are boundless. Apart from army research centers there are many private firms also which provide military robots for defense forces like Foster Miller,21st Century Robotics, EOD Performance, Northrop Grumman, General Atomics etc. They have created many job opportunities and are developing this sector. It is expected that its market will extend up to $9.8 billion by 2016.

Also watch these interesting videos
1.How The Titanic Was Built - BBC Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmzCo...

2.BBC Documentary -Japanese High Speed Bullet Train
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPLx9...

3.BBC Documentary - Human Intelligence | How Smart Are You.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEePi...

4.BBC Horizon Special Documentary - Life In the Future (Tomorrow's World)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBMNE...

5.How Robots Will Change the World - BBC Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zP7y...

6.BBC Documentary 2013 - Hunting The Internet Bullies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3qUj...


History
The vision of robot army isn't a present day concept. The introduction of military robots is dated back from 1898 by the introduction of radio boats by Nicola Tesla. It was visualized by many visionaries in the last century. They were used by Germans and Russians in Second World War. Russians used Teletanks and Goliath were used by Germans. The Teletanks were equipped with DT machine guns, flamethrowers and smoke container to provide a smokescreen. The use of Goliath which is a mobile landmine in World War II by the Third Reich's forces also marked as a turning point in the history of military robots. And today the development in this technology is well demonstrated by military robots in Afghanistan and Iraq. At present the most commonly used military robot is the unmanned aerial vehicle IAI Pioneer and RQ-1 Predator.

One threatening question must be arising, as in every science fiction movie, it is shown that robots have gone crazy and started hunting us, will they go crazy in real world also? Actually, at present it is almost impossible. The developers have very well taken care of this aspect. Most of the military robots are remotely controlled by a human. And if someone has gone crazy then there is a reset button which clear there memory and they again come back to normal state. But with the development in artificial intelligence and military robots, there should be greater attention to implicate their ability to make autonomous decision.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Watch Robots Make the Tesla Model S Electric Car



Published on Jul 16, 2013
If founder Elon Musk is right, Tesla Motors just might reinvent the American auto industry—with specialized robots building slick electric cars in a factory straight from the future. That's where the battery-powered Model S is born.

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How the Tesla Model S is Made -- Behind The Scenes -- The Window - Wired

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Sunday, August 4, 2013

Why Commute? Just 'Beam' to Work



Published on Dec 23, 2012
A growing number of companies are selling telepresence robots _ mobile video-conferencing systems that give remote employees a physical presence at work. At Suitable Technologies "beam" to work on the telepresence machine their company sells. (Dec. 24)

iRobot AVA Platform to produce incredible new Opportunities in Robotics



Published on Jun 10, 2013
iRobot and Cisco have teamed to bring the Ava 500 video collaboration robot to market. The robot blends iRobot's autonomous navigation with Cisco's TelePresence to enable people working off-site to participate in meetings and presentations where movement and location spontaneity are important. The new robot is also designed to enable mobile visual access to manufacturing facilities, laboratories, customer experience centers and other remote facilities.


University of Minnesota Developing Mind Controlled Robots



Published on Jun 4, 2013
In a jaw-dropping feat of engineering, electronics turn a person's thoughts into commands for a robot. Using a brain-computer interface technology pioneered by University of Minnesota biomedical engineering professor Bin He, several young people have learned to use their thoughts to steer a flying robot around a gym, making it turn, rise, dip, and even sail through a ring.

The technology may someday allow people robbed of speech and mobility by neurodegenerative diseases to regain function by controlling artificial limbs, wheelchairs, or other devices. And it's completely noninvasive: Brain waves (EEG) are picked up by the electrodes of an EEG cap on the scalp, not a chip implanted in the brain.

A report on the technology has been published in the Journal of Neural Engineering: http://iopscience.iop.org/1741-2552/1...

Full story: http://z.umn.edu/e78

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Robotic insects make first controlled flight



Published on May 2, 2013
The demonstration of the first controlled flight of an insect-sized robot is the culmination of more than a decade's work, led by researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a gram, the robot was inspired by the biology of a fly, with submillimeter-scale anatomy and two wafer-thin wings that flap almost invisibly, 120 times per second. To read more about this work, visit: http://hvrd.me/150Pq0y.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Petman Tests Camo



Published on Apr 5, 2013
The PETMAN robot was developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from the DoD CBD program. It is used to test the performance of protective clothing designed for hazardous environments. The video shows initial testing in a chemical protection suit and gas mask. PETMAN has sensors embedded in its skin that detect any chemicals leaking through the suit. The skin also maintains a micro-climate inside the clothing by sweating and regulating temperature. Partners in developing PETMAN were MRIGlobal, Measurement Technology Northwest, Smith Carter, CUH2A, and HHI.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Robot Gymnast Sticks The Landing!



Published on Nov 7, 2012
Horizontal bar gymnast robot NO.12,Dismount-somersault-Landing.
鉄棒ロボット12号、宙返り降りと着地。

Sunday, March 3, 2013

DARPA Robot Masters Stairs



Published on Apr 11, 2012
This video shows versions of DARPA and Boston Dynamics robots climbing stairs, walking on a treadmill and doing pushups.

A modified platform resembling these robots is expected to be used as government-funded equipment (GFE) for performers in Tracks B and C of the DARPA Robotics Challenge (http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Relea...). The GFE Platform is expected to have two arms, two legs, a torso and a head, and will be physically capable of performing all of the tasks required for the disaster response scenarios scheduled in the Challenge. However, despite the appearance of the robots in the video, the Challenge is decidedly not exclusive to humanoid robot solutions. Any designs are welcome provided they are compatible with shared human-robot environments, compatible with human tools, and compatible with human operators so that a human without expertise in robotics can give commands and confidently anticipate the response.

It is DARPA's position that achieving true innovation in robotics, and thus success in the Robotics Challenge, will require contributions from communities beyond traditional robotics developers. Hardware, software, modeling and gaming developers are sought to link with emergency response and various science communities to devise novel solutions that enable robots to respond to disasters according to the tasks laid out in DARPA's announcement (http://go.usa.gov/mVj) for the Challenge.

BigDog Robot Throw Big Bricks!



Published on Feb 28, 2013
BigDog handles heavy objects. The goal is to use the strength of the legs and torso to help power motions of the arm. This sort of dynamic, whole-body approach to manipulation is used routinely by human athletes and will enhance the performance of advanced robots. Boston Dynamics is developing the control and actuation techniques needed for dynamic manipulation with funding from the Army Research Laboratory's RCTA program.



Sunday, February 24, 2013

US Air Force Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle




US Air Force Research Laboratory video animation of a flapping-wing micro air vehicle (MAV). AFRL's goal is to develop a bird-sized MAV by 2015 and an insect-sized MAV by 2030. The bird-sized MAV would be air-deployed from a larger UAV so search for weapons of mass destruction, operating semi-autonomously for up to a week.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Quadrocopter Pole Acrobatics



Published on Feb 20, 2013
This video shows two quadrocopters capable of not only balancing an inverted pendulum, but also of launching it off the vehicle and catching it again.

By Dario Brescianini, Markus Hehn, and Raffaello D'Andrea.
IDSC, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
For further information, please visithttp://www.flyingmachinearena.org and
http://robohub.org/video-throwing-and....

This work is supported by and builds upon prior contributions by numerous collaborators in the Flying Machine Arena project.
http://www.flyingmachinearena.org/peo...