Humanoid Robots
August 30, 2010
Rogun Protects Home, Amuses Tots
The Korean company KornTech has developed the 1 meter tall Rogun that promises to walk, talk, act as sentry by identifying faces and alert its handlers by cellphone. His cameras and face-tracking software allow the security bot to register unwanted visitors and we guess his 7" LCD display lets his child/owner be reassures that he is a friendly bot. The wireless robot is available for about $5,000.
Via Chinese Engadget (translated)
August 17, 2010
Aimec 3 is Affordable Companion
Aimec 3 (Artificially Intelligent Mechanical Electronic Companion 3) is a 4 ft. tall service bot dreamed up by Tony and Judie Ellis of East Sussex, UK. With a camera for finding its way around, the third gen prototype understands verbal instructions and can perform chores such as dimming lights, turning on the TV and even access the Net to read the news. He can also sing, tell jokes and do impressions.
The couple is hoping to find a manufacturer and believes that Aimec will be the real deal in a couple of years at a price of £200 (~$311.00.) Ellis certainly knows what he is doing as he is the creator of the highly successful Cube World.
Via Telegraph
August 5, 2010
Telenoid Semi-Human Presence
Hiroshi Ishiguro's latest idea is the Telenoid R1, a robot that uses sensors to transmit movement and sound and replicate them in humanoid form. A controller sits beind a computer with webcam and software to cause the effect. Note that the bot is folically challenged so that according to its developers, will look "as both male and female, as both old and young." (Note also that it is limbless.) R1 will go on sale in Japan later this year for about $8,000.
Via ATR
July 23, 2010
Sex Changing Flobi More Simpatico
Watch this video from Germany's Bielefeld University that features Flobi, a robotic head that can go from male to female. They are hoping that the somewhat comical face will avoid 'uncanny valley,' the theory that humans are repulsed by some humanoid bots. When are roboticists going to learn we just want Rosie?
Via Spectrum ieee
July 16, 2010
Bina48 - A Head in Progress
The Terasem Movement Foundation in Bristol, Vermont is home to Bina48. The humanoid head was modeled after a human named Bina, who spent lots of time teaching her vocabulary and applying personality traits. If she gets any more intelligent, perhaps she will request a torso.
Via NYT
July 6, 2010
Humanoid Surena 2 Debuts in Iran
Iran has a new robot, courtesy of Tehran University. Surena 2 is 4.76 ft. tall and weighs about 99 lbs. Unveiled at Saturday's 'Industry and Mine Day,' it took 20 robotic experts over 10,000 hours to develop. The humanoid can walk slowly, but that seems to be the extent of his talent for now as no others were made public. It is believed that engineers are working on vision and sound capabilities.
Via Press TV
July 1, 2010
Naos Synchronized Dance
The Nao robot from Aldebaran Robotics has been around since 2006, but the humanoid is constantly being updated in design and now has up to 25º of movement. To prove their point, the company released a video of 20 of them practicing a synchronized dance for France's Pavillion Day. The bots also have touch, face and voice recognition ability. Even weirder is this clip that replaced the original tune with Beyonce's "Put a Ring On it." There is something really eerie about their performance and we hope they stick to entertainment when the final robotic takeover occurs.
Via Aldebaran
June 29, 2010
Yae-Chan Amuses School Children
Students of the Seibi Elementary School in Nara's Nishi-Kitsuji-cho district in Japan were introduced recently to Yae-chan, a two foot tall robot developed by the Nara National College of Technology. It was part of the elementary school's after school program designed to show how much fun science is. Apparently the introduction was a success as one of the students wanted to build his own in the future after playing with Yae-chan.
Via Mainichi
June 25, 2010
Myon Carries on Without Limbs
Myon, a creation of the Neurorobotics Research Laboratory at Humboldt University in Berlin, has a benefit of modular body parts, which equals out to faster, less expensive repair. Equipped with a cyclopic eyepiece and touch screen control, it can still function should one of its limbs fail.
Via Design Boom
June 24, 2010
Emiew 2 Sees Improvements
Hitachi has been working on improvements on Emiew (Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as Workmate.) The humanoid robot can now distinguish voices while cancelling out his own inner buzzes and whirrs and can keep his balance when going over obstacles left on the floor. At a height of 32" and a weight of 30 lbs., he can do his thing on either 2 or 4 wheels. Plans for Emiew 2 include surveillance and as a visitor guide.
Via Hitachi
June 21, 2010
Noby Reacts to Keeper, Kind of
Kosuke Nakamura, a University of Tokyo post grad student, proudly displayed 2ft. 4 inch baby Noby recently. The baby bot, equipped with cams for eyes, mics for ears and 600 tactile sensors, was designed to better help understand human nature and development. It seems to have a ways to go.
Via Day Life
June 7, 2010
SpaceJustin - Telepresence Break Dancer
SpaceJustin was designed to head into the final frontier and assist his human counterparts. The musical bot made his debut at the recent International Aerospace Show in Germany and did a bit of break dancing via telepresence. Let's hope that the astronauts remember to give him plenty of room to do his thing.
Via io9
May 31, 2010
Octavia Attends Fleet Week
The Office of Naval Research has been funding a project at their Research Lab in Washington D.C. Octavia, named after sci-fi author Butler, made an appearance at last week's Fleet Week in New York City. The autonomous bot was designed to work with humans in a computational cognitive way. She has an expressive face, including moving eyes and head, workable hands and fingers, and gets around on wheels. Her sensor and camera system can react to her environment. Octavia is one of 3 MDS robots, the others being Isaac (Asimov) and Lucas (George.)
Via Fox News
May 12, 2010
SOHLA Plans Robotic Lunar Trip
SOHLA (Space Oriented Higashiosaka Leading Association) is planning to send a humanoid robot to the moon by 2015. At a cost of about $10.5 million, the Japan-based group believes that Maido can help stimulate the local economy by getting smaller organizations involved.
SOHLA board member Noriyuki Yoshida thinks that humanoids are the way to go. "Humanoid robots are glamorous, and they tend to get people fired up. We hope to develop a charming robot to fulfill the dream of going to space."
Via Pink Tentacle
Newsletter
Subscribe - RSS
