Prototype Robots
January 6, 2010
DASH, the Robotic Cockroach
There certainly seems to be a trend of robotic insects of late, maybe because they will last longer than humanoids. UC Berkeley created the Dynamic Autonomous Sprawled Hexpod that can jump over objects twice its height and can be dropped off a four story building and move on. Run by a remote control for now, the 4" DASH was built with simple materials like a mixture of cardboard and polymer, watch batteries and inexpensive electronic parts from Radio Shack.
Paul Birmeyer, the student who created DASH, claims that these cheapo roachbots could go into rubble and seek out survivors by sniffing for carbon dioxide which would indicate that there may be life.
Via SF Gate
January 4, 2010
We Could Certainly Use an I-Shovel Now!
The I-Shovel automatically detects snow and will take care of that nasty chore for you. The prototype is made with with polycarbonate blades, wheels and handles, runs on rechargeable batteries with optional solar charging making it eco friendly. By the way, they are looking for investors and we are quite impressed even if too poor to contribute.
Via I-Shovel
November 25, 2009
Expliner Hits the High Wire
Tokyo company HiBot, working with Japan's Kansai Electric Power Co., has developed and is testing Expliner, a robot that can move on and inspect power lines. The bot can provide feedback while avoiding spacers and suspender clamps. It is powered by two SH2Tiny, one SH2 Controller, six boards TitechDriver ver.1 and one Mini2Axis. The company is hoping to release them on the public by next year.
Via HiBot
November 19, 2009
Music Tank Follows Tunefully
Mint Robot #3: Music Tank was inspired by Caterpiller's tractor tread movements. Remote controlled, it will follow its human around by playing music. The musical bot runs via a WiFi handheld or PC with a 2D map. A USB port allows for charging or loading tunes into the the prototype. Add more Tanks and get different instruments or vocals, turning it into a veritable surround sound robot.
Via Mint Pass
November 17, 2009
AWE Adjusts to its User
Clemson University's School of Architecture has been working on a robotic wall. The AWE (Animated Workplace Environment) rearranges to fit its users needs with eight degrees of freedom. With a touchscreen display and powered by motors, 6 configurations are offered when someone makes a move towards its motion sensors.
Via AWE
October 27, 2009
Witness the Blob With Attitude
The ChemBot, being developed by DARPA, can shape shift between semi-liquid and semi-solid states by injecting air into a membrane that's filled with particulate matter. The plan here is to take the odd robot and place it where others can't since it can get larger or smaller, roll around, or pass through cracks in a wall. iRobot is in charge of the project to create the prototype after receiving a $3.3 million grant.
Via Crave
September 2, 2009
Butl-R-Bot Conquers the Kitchen
Tim Leeding's entry into Electrolux's Design Lab Competition was good enough to make it to the finals. His Butl-R-Bot does everything you have to with arms, fan arrays for movement, cameras and sensors. The result is that it can fly around and "cook meals, order and collect food, manipulate all tasks a human can around the kitchen and interact with all available kitchen utensils and appliances."
Leeding foresees his creation as coming true in 90 years. We want one now.
Via Yanko
January 6, 2009
G-shock Robots Celebrate Casio Anniversary
In order to promote their 25th anniversary, Casio came up with G-shock Robots. Designed by Shiro Nakano, they seem to appear at various retailers in Japan. We expect that if enough bot-freaks pay attention and respond, we will see more of them in the States in commercials and maybe even real-life models.
Via DVICE
i-SOBOT Named Robot of the Year 2008
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) was established in 2006 in Japan to encourage the development of robotics. In December, they announced that the 2008 robot of the year was Takara Tomy's i-SOBOT because of its decent price, advanced technology and entertainment value. We have heard some vague rumors that Tomy was thinking of discontinuing the diminutive bot, but suspect they will now rethink this.
Other awards went to Book Time, an auto-page turning bot and a rice planting robot developed by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization.
Via Pink Tentacle
January 5, 2009
Clear Cut Assists Firefighters
Jordan Guelde and Daniel Shankland II have designed a robot that just may become more popular than Smokey the Bear. The Clear Cut clears large areas around a fire to keep it from spreading. The prototype has hubless motors and an integrated fuel system to make it work. We think that if the pair can develop it even further, they might consider equipping it with a very large hose.
Via Yanko
December 31, 2008
KAR Does Your Dishes
Panasonic and the University of Tokyo have teamed to make KAR, a prototype kitchen bot designed to rinse dishes in the sink and then put them in the dishwasher. It even manages to start the washing process. It has 18 sensors so that it can handle the most delicate China without breakage. The team is hoping to make them affordable, smaller, lighter, and capable of loading a family of four's dishes in minutes. We hope they remember to program KAR to add the detergent.
Via Gadgetlite
July 7, 2008
Seascout Prototype Saves Swimmers
Next time you hit the beach, you might come across New Zealander Andre Harley's Seascout Aquatic Rescue Robot. It features a GPS tracker and EIPIRB technology, and works manually or with pre-programming. There is internal lighting, a sunroof, and a radio system onboard for communications. You can see more pix and details on the designer's site.
Via Andre Design
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