NASA Robot "Valkyrie" Walks Over Bricks Like A Man While Preparing To Go To MARS!

Valkyrie robot autonomously crossing stepping stones. Valkyrie hardware is designed and built by NASA Johnson Space Center. Control algorithm by IHMC Robotics (http://robot.ihmc.us). Point cloud gathered from LIDAR sensor is then processed to find planar regions in the world. Simple footstep planner plans footsteps on the planar regions, to a goal location specified by the operator. Funding provided by National Robotics Initiative, through NASA Project #NNX12AP97G.

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...

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.

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...

NASA's Next Rover Has 3D-Printed Parts

Published on Aug 6, 2012 by stratasysfdm

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

First Human and Humanoid Handshake In Outer Space

Robonaut Shakes Hands

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!

Athlete from Woodrow Jang on Vimeo.