Showing posts with label robot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label robot. Show all posts

2012-07-31

Botiful the Android Telepresence Robot

Botiful Is an Awesome Android Robot You Can Control via Skype | PCWorld

Imagine if you could talk to your family, kids or friends on Skype, while following them around, looking at whoever you want whenever you want, and walking around the room freely as if you were there. Sounds cool, right? Botiful, a prototype currently being funded on Kickstarter, integrates with Skype and carries your Android phone around, letting whoever you're talking to control it as they wish.


Botiful the Android telepresence robot (with video) - Accessories - News - HEXUS.net

The Botiful project information page suggests that Botiful is useful for;
  • Skype video calls and video conferencing
  • Baby monitoring
  • Playing remotely with your children
  • Safely inspect areas that are heard to get to, such as under the car
  • Social events, almost be there when you can’t be present
  • Visiting a place, while you are still at home
  • Entertain and see a pet remotely
When a friend or colleague accepts a robot enabled video call you can see the following overlay upon the video display with which to control Botiful’s body and head motion. Below the directional interface there are extra robot app icons displayed.


Botiful telepresence robot is extremely cute | Ubergizmo

Similar to a computer mouse that runs on wheels, the Botiful is more than just another spot for your smartphone to rest. Functioning as a standalone device, whenever one places a Skype video call over it with the user, the Botiful telepresence robot will work to its primary ability. The caller is able to check out all of the directional controls which enable them to manipulate the Botiful so that it functions as an active segment of the conversation. As the handset is held in place using a magnet, it will communicate over a Bluetooth connection. On-screen directional controls also allows users to move it around so that there are different perspectives to view from.


Botiful bot makes telepresence easy and affordable - Liliputing



If you back the project for $199 you get one of the first 150 Botiful bots for your very own. Techie folks interested in developing for the Botiful can get access to the SDK for pledges of $245 and up. The goodies get more interesting as you go up in price.

Currently, the project isn’t fully backed yet, though they’re almost halfway to the $90,000 goal. iPhone owners, don’t feel left out. If the project gets $100,000 in backing they’ll work on an iOS version, too.


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2012-07-09

Biologically Accurate Walking Robot Legs

BBC News - 'Most realistic' robot legs developed

US experts have developed what they say are the most biologically-accurate robotic legs yet.

Writing in the Journal of Neural Engineering, they said the work could help understanding of how babies learn to walk - and spinal-injury treatment.
They created a version of the message system that generates the rhythmic muscle signals that control walking.

A UK expert said the work was exciting because the robot mimics control and not just movement.


RNSL University of Arizona

RNSL: Robotics and Neural Systems Laboratory


We are interested in understanding biological movement, vision and intelligence.

We use non-traditional methods. We build simulations or models of systems in software and test them in hardware to try to understand their biological counterparts. This requires the integration of a large amount of information across the biological sciences and then the implementation of electrical and mechanical engineering techniques.

A secondary goal is to advance robotic theory. We often try to translate understanding derived from biology into new robotic methods that offer solutions to real world problems.


U of Arizona Researchers Build Bipedal Robot

Dr. M. Anthony Lewis, Director of the Robotics and Neural Systems Lab at the University of Arizona, and Theresa J. Klein (PhD student) have been working on a biarticulate muscle leg model. In a paper published in 2008 (available at the lab’s website), they describe how motors pulled on stiff, tendon-like Kevlar straps to reproduce the action of key muscle groups. 
Their new biped robot features an improved leg design that models even more muscles. And it’s already walking (though it relies on a babywalker-like support for balance). It stands 55 cm (22″) tall with the legs fully extended and weighs approximately 4.5 kg (10 lbs).



Leggy Robot (Almost) Moves Like Jagger | Observations, Scientific American Blog Network

Like many roboticists, Lewis and Klein looked to nature for inspiration. Humans have a central pattern generator (CPG) in their spinal cord’s lumbar region. The CPG is a neural network producing rhythmic signals that allow the body to generate the step cycle needed for locomotion. The CPG creates and controls these signals based on information it gathers from the legs, which indicate, for example, the slope and solidity of a surface as they walk.

Lewis and Klein’s robot features the simplest form of a CPG—just two neurons that fire signals alternately to produce a rhythm, as well as load sensors that determine force in the limb when each leg presses against a stepping surface. This setup is similar to the mental mechanism that allows human babies to learn to walk—a pair of neurons enables their little legs to work in rhythm with practice.

Each leg of the university’s robot consists of a hip, knee and ankle moved by nine muscle actuators. Muscle contraction is mimicked by rotating the motor to pull on Kevlar straps. Each muscle strap features a load sensor that models a tendon in a human leg, sensing muscle tension when a muscle is contracted and sending signals to the brain about how much force is being exerted and where.




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2012-01-05

MyRobots.com: Social Network for Robots


What is MyRobots?
MyRobots.com aims to connect all robots and intelligent devices to the Internet. In doing so we augment their capabilities enabling them to be remotely monitored and controlled. We strive to make cloud robotics a reality accessible to everyone and everything.

You can think of MyRobots as a social network for robots and smart objects (i.e. Facebook for robots). In the same way humans benefit from socializing, collaborating and sharing, robots can benefit from those interactions too by sharing their sensor information giving insight on their perspective of their current state.

How does it work?
First you need a robot or a smart web-enabled object. Then, you can Sign up at MyRobots.com to connect your robots and start reaping the benefits.
Once your robot is connected, you will be able to monitor it via the web, give commands and receive alerts.

Facebook for robots helps droids get smarter

But while Facebook is often criticised for emphasising the duller aspects of human life ("Bored. When can I go to the pub?" or "I need pizza") , the exchange of seemingly mundane status updates between robots ("I am overheating and need a rest" or "I am a vacuum cleaner and I am stuck") could make them a lot smarter.

At the very least, such updates - which could come from stationary household objects as well as moving robots -  could allow humans to come to the rescue. More interestingly, by allowing robots to pool information, they could lead to much more intelligent decision-making. "Not all robots have the same sensors or the same access to information," says Asmat.

For example, a stove and a fridge signed up to the site might detect usage, while a humanoid patroller robot might notice lots of people in the house. The next day, a robot vacuum could then deduce from those updates that there was a party, and that it should clean more because the house might be dirtier - all without the intervention of a human. "These examples can be seen as science fiction at the moment but are very close to become a reality," says Asmat

Is MyRobots.com the 'Facebook for Robots?' Verdict: Maybe - IEEE Spectrum

The primary difference between MyRobots.com and a site like Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus is that MyRobots is run by a company that wants to sell you robots: RobotShop.com. The potential issue, then, is that there could be some inherent conflict since the owner of this social network is also trying to sell you the hardware that runs on the social network, and they're already evaluating partnership options with manufacturers. In the short term, though, [...]

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2011-03-16

Robonaut 2 NASA's Humanoid Space Robot

Robonaut: Home


What is a Robonaut?

A Robonaut is a dexterous humanoid robot built and designed at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Our challenge is to build machines that can help humans work and explore in space. Working side by side with humans, or going where the risks are too great for people, Robonauts will expand our ability for construction and discovery. Central to that effort is a capability we call dexterous manipulation, embodied by an ability to use one's hand to do work, and our challenge has been to build machines with dexterity that exceeds that of a suited astronaut.
Collected from: Robonaut: Home

NASA - Robotics

Robonaut2

In February 2011, NASA launched the first humanlike robot to space to become a permanent resident of the International Space Station. Robonaut 2, or R2, was developed jointly by NASA and General Motors under a cooperative agreement to develop a robotic assistant that can work alongside humans, whether they be astronauts in space or workers at GM manufacturing plants on Earth.
Collected from: NASA - Robotics


"Our challenge today is to build machines that can help humans work and explore in space," said Mike Coats, Johnson's center director. "Working side by side with humans, or going where the risks are too great for people, machines like Robonaut will expand our capability for construction and discovery."


Robonaut2 surpasses previous dexterous humanoid robots in strength, yet it is safe enough to work side-by-side with humans. It is able to lift, not just hold, this 20-pound weight (about four times heavier than what other dexterous robots can handle) both near and away from its body.

Collected from: Robonaut: GM Partnership





The space shuttle Discovery delivered a humanoid robot helper called Robonaut 2 to the International Space Station.
CREDIT: NASA

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2011-02-02

Anybots Telepresence Robot

Anybots Releases Segway-Style Telepresence Robot



They're here. After over a year of whetting robot fanatic appetites with the promise of a $15,000 Segway-like telepresence business bot, Anybots has finally started shipping the friendly-faced device named QB.

Anybots logo

Your Personal Avatar

Be part of the action at work from home or anywhere. All you need is a web browser and you can interact with the whole office, lab, factory, or warehouse. QB glides around smoothly and quietly, giving you total access and presence. Shipping in early 2011.



The Anybot is a 35-lb. robot equipped with a high-definition video camera (with two-way streaming video and zoom), wireless connection, and wheels (so the robot can move around to different rooms or locations within the office) that include collision avoidance technology. Users control the Anybot remotely using a web browser. When a user is done with the Anybot, another user can take control, allowing a single robot to be used for multiple meetings or purposes.




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2009-12-01

The Keepon Robot

clipped from beatbots.net

Keepon is a small creature-like robot designed to interact with children by directing attention and expressing emotion. Keepon’s minimal design makes its behaviors easy to understand, resulting in interactions that are enjoyable and comfortable—particularly important in our research on human social development.

Keepon has soft rubber skin, cameras in its eyes, and a microphone in its nose:

Keepon's appearance and internal structure
Keepon's soft body

Keepon has been used since 2003 in research on social development and communication. We have studied behaviors such as eye-contact, joint attention, touching, emotion, and imitation between Keepon and children of different ages and levels of social development. In the case of children with autism and other developmental disorders, we have had encouraging results with the use of Keepon as a tool for therapists, pediatricians, and parents to observe, study, and facilitate social interactions.


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clipped from spectrum.ieee.org


RoboBusiness: Keepon dancing robot's place in autism therapy

clipped from singularityhub.com
singularity hub logo

Simple Keepon Robot Wows Humans

Although originally designed as a therapeutic tool for children, the unexpected public appeal of the Keepon robot has spurred its creators to launch a company, Beatbots, that will bring an affordable version to the masses.

Keepon robot makes a big impression at IREX (Video)

IREX 091126 -1
Michalowski noted that the long term BeatBots strategic plan includes a lower cost version for the general consumer market, but the company wants to approach commercialization very cautiously and without compromising the robots performance and quality in the process.
clipped from www.youtube.com

Keepon dancing to Spoon's "Don't You Evah"

clipped from www.youtube.com

Keepon: Friend or Foe?


Carnegie Mellon alum Daniel H. Wilson (author of "How to Build a Robot Army" and host of "The Works") meets the dancing yellow robot Keepon and overcomes his robot paranoia. More info at http://www.cmu.edu/robou

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Sources:
  1. Research « BeatBots
  2. IEEE Spectrum: RoboBusiness: Keepon dancing robot's place in autism therapy
  3. Simple Keepon Robot Wows Humans | Singularity Hub
  4. Keepon robot makes a big impression at IREX (Video) - ROBOTS DREAMS
  5. YouTube - Keepon dancing to Spoon's "Don't You Evah"
  6. YouTube - Keepon: Friend or Foe?
Related:
  1. BeatBots
  2. Keepon dancing robot going commercial -- Engadget
  3. Keepon lite coming soon? - Short Sharp Science - New Scientist
  4. Robots with rhythm could rock your world - tech - 22 March 2007 - New Scientist
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2009-10-03

Nissan Crash Avoidance like Bumblebees and Fishes

Clipped from: BBC NEWS | Technology | Robot fish could prevent crashes
British Broadcasting Corporation

Robot fish could prevent crashes

Robots that mimic the behaviour of fish have been developed by Japanese car firm Nissan, who believe the technique can be used in crash avoidance systems.

The tiny robots, called Eporo, can move in a fleet without bumping into their travelling companions.

It is the second time the firm has looked to the animal kingdom for inspiration for its designs.

Last year, the manufacturer unveiled its BR23C robot, which was modelled on the behaviour of bumblebees.

Clipped from: Nissan looks to the Bumblebees for tips on crash avoidance — Autoblog

Nissan looks to the Bumblebees for tips on crash avoidance




Volvo has its locusts, Nissan has its bees. With 300-degree vision via compound eyes and instantaneous reflexes, bees don't run into things the way cars do. Nissan wants to halve the rate of car crashes by 2015, versus the company's 1995 tally, and is using bees to come up with a new generation of crash-avoidance systems that will be able to respond to obstacles in ways superior to humans.

Clipped from: YouTube - 2008 Nissan to Demonstrate Crash Avoidance Robot

2008 Nissan to Demonstrate Crash Avoidance Robot



Clipped from: NISSAN | Crash Avoidance Robotic Car Inspired by Flight of the Bumblebee

NISSAN GLOBAL TOP

September 26, 2008

Crash Avoidance Robotic Car Inspired by
Flight of the Bumblebee
-- Nissan Exhibits for CEATEC Japan 2008* --



In flight, each bee creates its own oval-shaped personal space which in fact closely resembles Nissan's Safety Shield concept.

But more crucially, it is the bee's compound eyes, capable of seeing more than 300-degrees that allows the bumblebee to fly uninterrupted inside its personal space. In order to recreate the function of a compound eye, engineers came up with the idea of a Laser Range Finder (LRF).

The LRF detects obstacles up to two meters away within a 180-degree radius in front of the BR23C, calculates the distance to them, and sends a signal to an on-board microprocessor, which is instantly translated into collision avoidance.


Clipped from: Nissan robot car concept avoids accidents by mimicking fishes — Autoblog Green

Nissan robot car concept avoids accidents by mimicking fishes





Using two laser range finders mounted so that it has a 288-degree field of vision, Nissan's new Eporo robot cars can travel along at speeds of 1.4 km/h (less than one mile per hour), constantly changing direction as needed to maintain a safe distance from one another. The Japanese automaker suggests that such "Safety Shield" technology could eventually be applied to cars and trucks to help prevent accidents and traffic jams.

Gallery: Nissan Eporo robot cars


Clipped from: NISSAN | Nissan EPORO Robot Car "Goes to School" on Collision-free Driving by Mimicking Fish Behavior

NISSAN GLOBAL TOP

October 1, 2009

Nissan EPORO Robot Car "Goes to School" on
Collision-free Driving by Mimicking Fish Behavior
- Advanced Robotic Concept Debuts at CEATEC JAPAN 2009 -


EPORO Robot Car

So what do a bumblebee and a school of fish have in common? Bothdemonstrate extraordinary "anti-collision" abilities, navigating instinctively and intelligently through challenging terrain by detecting and avoiding obstacles - just as future Nissan safety vehicles may have the capability to do. But where bees - and the BR23C robot car - are likely to travel alone, the schooling behavior of fish, or a group of vehicles, presents a far greater challenge in terms of collision avoidance. In developing EPORO, three rules of fish behavior were applied to its driving control.




Fish Behavior Rules
AREA 1: Collision Avoidance
Change traveling direction without colliding with other fish.
AREA 2: Traveling Side-by-Side
Travel side-by-side with other fish while keeping a certain distance between each fish (to match the speed).
AREA 3: Approaching
Gain closer proximity to other fish that are at a distance from them.



Sources:
  1. BBC NEWS | Technology | Robot fish could prevent crashes
  2. Nissan robot car concept avoids accidents by mimicking fishes — Autoblog Green
  3. NISSAN | Nissan EPORO Robot Car "Goes to School" on Collision-free Driving by Mimicking Fish Behavior
  4. Nissan looks to the Bumblebees for tips on crash avoidance — Autoblog
  5. YouTube - 2008 Nissan to Demonstrate Crash Avoidance Robot
  6. NISSAN | Crash Avoidance Robotic Car Inspired by Flight of the Bumblebee
Related:
  1. Nissan Mimics School of Fish to Eliminate Collisions - Auto - FOXNews.com
  2. The car that thinks like a fish
  3. Eporo: Nissan develops robots that can rove in packs
  4. Nissan unveils mobile robot that can dodge like a bee
  5. Nissan's crash-avoiding robot 'car' gets upgrade, fresh new outlook on life
  6. Nissan shows off bumblebee-inspired, crash-avoiding robot "car"
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2009-08-24

Eccerobot -- The first anthropomimetic robot

New Scientist


Robot with bones moves like you do

Their project, the Eccerobot, has been designed to duplicate the way human bones, muscles and tendons work and are linked together. The plastic bones copy biological shapes and are moved by kite-line that is tough like tendons, while elastic cords mimic the bounce of muscle.

Like looking in the mirror (Image: The Robot Studio)

"We want to develop these ideas into a new kind of 'anthropomimetic robot' which can deal with and respond to the world in ways closer to the ways that humans do," says Owen Holland at the University of Sussex, UK, who is leading the project.

Europe's leading compliant robot research project in collaboration with

clipped from eccerobot.org
Welcome to the ECCEROBOT Homepage, the home of the first anthropomimetic robot!!!
ECCCEROBOT (Embodied Cognition in a Compliantly Engineered Robot) is a three-year project funded by the 7th framework programme of the EU (ICT-Challenge 2, "Cognitive Systems, Interaction, Robotics") that has the goal to build and control the first anthropomimetic robot and finally, to investigate its human-like cognitive features.

clipped from eccerobot.org
Cronos
clipped from eccerobot.org
alt
clipped from www.youtube.com

ECCEROBOT - Test rig for the new shoulder design

clipped from www.youtube.com

ECCEROBOT - Embodied Cognition in a Compliantly Engineered Robot


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Sources:
  1. Robot with bones moves like you do - tech - 24 August 2009 - New Scientist
  2. the robot studio - advanced biomimetic robots
  3. ECCEROBOT
  4. Project Description
  5. Overview
  6. YouTube - ECCEROBOT - Test rig for the new shoulder design
  7. YouTube - ECCEROBOT - Embodied Cognition in a Compliantly Engineered Robot
Related:
  1. Prof Owen Holland : Informatics : University of Sussex
  2. ECCEROBOT emulates your musculoskeletal system, looks like Beaker from the Muppets
  3. ECCEROBOT Anthropomimetic Robot: Science Fiction in the News
  4. Eccerobot | Beyond The Beyond
  5. YouTube - eccerobot's Channel
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