This week in Robotics

This week is going better than last week. I think Mondays are my new days for "this week" :)

This breakfast making bot is all the rage on Monday morning! [REF] AND [REF] AND [REF]

Food-oriented robots seem to be in news this week - first a bot which can cook a meal, and now a cookie baking bot! [REF] AND [REF]

Dexter has two entries this week expanding the Lego mindstorms technology: [REF] AND [REF]

More on the Japanese-built flying ball project from last week: [REF] AND [REF] AND [REF]

Robotic surgeons seem to be taking a backseat and rather are being used to train human surgeons: [REF]

Here's another one for swarm robots: [REF] AND [REF]

Actually, this is my greatest fear in robotics - actually equipping robots with weapons. I do not believe that AI will ever get to the point of 'revolt,' but just the potential of people using it to harm others.... [REF]

Exoskeletons are cool - and they help people. Thank you Berkley! [REF]

Unitil next week, keep making friends!

This week in Robotics

The last week has been slow in robotics, again, sorry for the delay :(

Robotic helpers for the disabled: [REF] AND [REF]

It looks like the Mars rover Opportunity is not taking any chances, but is still going strong: [REF] AND [REF]

Robots all over the world are jumping for joy as this little bot only uses one motor to jump. Unfortunately this is due to a shapely design for natural correction, so it's not like every robot can actually jump. [REF]

Thos C-Shaped legs have been quite popular on ground-bots, but now they are being further improved with springy-ness: [REF]

Robots are better than us at sports, no doubt. I really would classify this next entry as "slow newsweek" [REF]

The Japanese are certainly making strides in the spherical robotics market: [REF]

This is not robotics but is newsworthy: MIT has developed a semi-solid battery that has the potential for greatness: [REF]

Until next week - keep making friends!!

This week in Robotics

The last week has been slow in robotics, again, sorry for the delay :(

Robotic helpers for the disabled: [REF] AND [REF]

It looks like the Mars rover Opportunity is not taking any chances, but is still going strong: [REF] AND [REF]

Robots all over the world are jumping for joy as this little bot only uses one motor to jump. Unfortunately this is due to a shapely design for natural correction, so it';s not like every robot can actually jump. [REF]

Thos C-Shaped legs have been quite popular on ground-bots, but now they are being further improved with springy-ness: [REF]

Robots are better than us at sports, no doubt. I really would classify this next entry as "slow newsweek" [REF]

The Japanese are certainly making strides in the spherical robotics market: [REF]

This is not robotics but is newsworthy: MIT has developed a semi-solid battery that has the potential for greatness: [REF]

Until next week - keep making friends!!

This week in Robotics

The robot uprising has not too much in serious news this week. Again, apologies for the delay...

Professor Martin Mason wrote an indepth article on how to build a specific kind of robot chassis, bypassing the "middle men" [REF]

Robots used as amusement park rides: [REF]

Clearly juggling robots are in... I have no ide why: [REF] AND [REF]

Rubiks-cube solving robot, what's new? How fast it is... What's not new? How original it is, how helpful it is... [REF] AND [REF]

I haven't seen this small birdie-bot in action, but it looks pretty cool: [REF] AND [REF]

Automatic drug dispensers may make your queue at the local pharmacy a thing of the past. [REF]

The robots are surveying the land: [REF]

This pool playing bot displays that while a task may not be useful, it is news when you get a robot to do it: [REF]

Blame it on the tele-operated bot: A small explosion is credited to a mistake on a human-controlled robotIC machine: [REF]

I think cellbots are a great idea, considering that cellphones have what we need in terms of computational ability. [REF]

Billbot actually saves bills :) Thanks MIT! [REF] AND [REF]

Remember, keep making friends!

This week in Robotics

Good day boys and girls - I hope you are ready for another exciting week in robotics!

Dinsey is working on swarm robotics - probably just to make them dance around. [REF]

NXT Robots can now be controlled with a smart phone. [REF]

In health news, nanotech is being used to repair heart tissue. [REF] AND [REF]

Congratulations to the inventor of Nao, Bruno Maisonnier, who won the Invention and Entrepreneurship Award at the2011 IEEE International Conference on Robotics & Automation (ICRA) [REF]

A real potential and needed area for robotics is in the disaster recovery area. There is a great need for these types of bots. [REF]

I don't know about you, but I thought autonomous vehicles created their own maps for navigation. Turns out only this one does. [REF]

It is great to see new things, no matter how weird they may be. Corkscrew legs in a triad formation: cool. [REF]

This cool bot can stick to walls using streaming air: [REF] AND [REF] AND [REF]

In Netherlands - medical nanobots are getting funding: [REF]

I think I may have been right about the Android-powered android: This reletively inexpensive ADK board is coming out June 20th: [REF]

Mark Stark is making prostectics that move relative to shoulder shrugs. Am I the only one who noticed that there is a guy with the name of Stark working in robotics? [REF]

Who wants to see the futuristic world of Wall-e come to life? It all starts in the library, where people are official;ly too lazy to get the books themselves. [REF]

This little robot is sick of the water and will now summersault into your living room: [REF] AND [REF] AND [REF]

Nasa's rover 'Spirit' has been damaged and has lost contact over the Martian winter. It will be listened to, but just in case: [REF]

Medi-bots are now helping surgiacal students by holding their hand while they operate: [REF]

Roomba has a new-improved cousin. It also climbs stairs and navigates really well. It's just the price! [REF]

MIT Researchers have a made a robot that divides it's tasks into sub-tasks. Believe it or not, plan sub-division is a huge element in artificial intelligence, and things like opening a door are not ass simple as one might first consider. [REF]

Water powered window bot! Seriously cool! [REF]

Finally: The most useless robot: [REF]

Until next time: Keep making friends!

This week in robotics

This 'week' has been quiet - do to the blogger outage last week I posted last weeks post this week and included the weekend. So I hope you are not too disappointed. Here goes:

• Spybots can now roll and fly:[REF]
• Robots are learning from human mistakes - be careful, there is a lot of ground to cover...[REF] and [REF]
• A number of reporters are gasping at a towel-folding robot... show me a clothes folding robot, heck, show me maid-bot![REF] and [REF]
• Lingodroids, an Australian created robot, has been developed to generate a language of it's own.[REF] and [REF] and [REF] and [REF]
• Swarm robots for mapping hazardous areas and finding survivors: I wish there was more of this in the nes.[REF]
• Chinese researchers have developed a robot capable of climbing, using tactile feedback in it's gripping claws to aid in directional navigation.[REF] and [REF]
• Good nes everyone! Bionic apenditures seem to be making inroads![REF]
• Using weight-shifting, bipedal robots are being made to turn more effectibvely[REF]
• A student uses an exoskeleton to walk at his graduation.[REF]
• Lego NXT can be programmed in pure English - Google Science Fair Semi-Finalist![REF]
• The new IEEE Transactions on Robotics is available[REF]
• Reading robot's in the natural environment will make their life a lot easier.[REF]
• Lastly, there is a robot film fesitival in New York City this July, but I imagine only robotsa will be interested[REF]

Until next week: keep making friends!

This week in Robotics

Well, I started writing this a week ago (weird – I typed this a week ago but am referring to the present in the past tense...) because I realised that my "This week in Robotics" posts would require me to write during the week rather than at the end. Also, I have learnt, that news is always happening, so as soon as I post my weekly report I would have to start on the next one.

I think there are definitely some really good summary points that I would like to make:

1. What makes something a robot? Please take note I think there is a subtle difference between robots and robotics. Please take the poll I posted (top right).
2. Google is definitely up to something regarding robotics. Watch this space.
3. Microsoft is busy [buying a brand] and not so busy doing robotics… or so I thought. I mailed one of MRDS lead devs, [George Chrysanthakopoulos] (this guy is my hero). This is what he had to say:
   

   " RDS is alive and well. We will soon announce updates to it, with exciting new stuff. Stay tuned!"

   He took about 5 seconds to respond. What a great guy! He and [Trevor Taylor] are my two favourite people in the world. Don’t tell my fiancée I said that…

Otherwise, here is the news:

• Robots have developed the trait of "altruism" (sharing) – Swiss researchers have found that even robots can learn that sharing is caring. [REF]
• Georgia Robotics has a small cohort of loveable (but not loving) robots that coordinate and spell. [REF]
• The University of Pennsylvania is creating robotic swarms [REF]
• The Chinese are getting better and better at autonomous flight, with their autonomous helicopter doing very well [REF]
• RoboDynamics, a telepresence robotics company, are coming out with a $1000.00 production line, called Luna. [REF]
• I do believe the more accessible robots feel to the end user the more people may actually realise there is nothing of which to be scared. Google and Hasbro have joined forces in making a really simple little bot – who knows – maybe one day we will have an Android supported android? [REF]
• Google is pushing robotics for some reason, and I don’t think telerobotics is the only reason… [REF]
• Psssst! Google is attempting to get Nevada to legally allow autonomous vehicles on the road. [REF]
• In a recent poll, engineering’s "next big thing" will in fact be quite small: Illness defeating Nanobots [REF]
• The sandswimming robot could be useful in disaster situations. [REF]
• The Cornell Ranger robot walked 40.5 miles with no charge. That’s pretty good! [REF]

So this is the latest (but not so greatest) news, do to the fact that I had to post AFTER the weekend:
TOP NEWS FOR THE WEEK:

1. According to an announcement, Aldebaran Robotics (creators of Nao) is planning to make a "significant portion" of their software open source. [REF] and [REF] This might be really great news, as we could import the bot back into MRDS.
2. An external party, called Dexter Industries, is manufacturing a Thermal Infrared Sensor for the Lego NXT. [REF]

And the rest of it:

• Will music made by robots ever have the emotion or flair of that of their human equivalents? Time will only tell as musical machines are introduced [REF]
• This robot has learnt to use a hammer. Make sure you only give it nail shaped problems. [REF] and [REF]
• Smart wheelchairs are helping the vision-impaired: [REF]
• Head movements may be capable of controlling robot swarms in the near future. [REF]

Until next week – keep making friends!

Excuses, Excuses....

Look, I'm sorry ok - I know all three people who read my blog have an expectation for me to deliver and I was really ready for yesterday's post - I really was... And then blogger went down for a record 40 hours or something. A lot of posts were lost blah blah blah.

Basically here is the story - Usually I write my blogs in an e-mail and then e-mail it home to be posted. I could've done that I will admit - but I was in such a rush to leave on Friday I made an honest mistake and I forgot.

Long story short: "This week in robots" will be appearing on Monday morning - and it's a doozy - so watch this space :)

-Q