RoboEarth - A World Wide Web For Robots

RoboEarth is a World Wide Web for robots: a giant network and database repository where robots can share information and learn from each other about their behavior and their environment. Researchers behind it hope it will allow robots to come into service more quickly, armed with a growing library of knowledge about their human masters. It is likely to become a tool for the growing number of service and domestic robots that many expect to become a feature in homes in coming decades. RoboEarth researcher Dr Markus Waibel from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich said, if a robot could enter a location that it had never visited before, consult RoboEarth to learn about that place and the objects and tasks in it and then quickly get to work. RoboEarth could help a robot understand what is meant when it is asked to set the table and what objects are required for that task to be completed. Hopefully robot will not control human.




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Robot Vacuum.. Transform!

If your maid or even yourself still using a normal vacuum to clean up your home, I want you to spend a minutes to give some attention to this cool stuff. The all in one robot cleaner is a concept by In-oh Yoo and Sun-woong Oh for Metatrend Institute. Basically it is a two vacuums in one and the unique part about it, there's a robotic vacuum attached to the main vacuum which can slide down from the main vacuum and move around cleaning the hard to reach areas in your home and when it's full of trash, it will return to the main vacuum to empty those trash into the vacuum's disposal bag. It seem like a transformer robot which can be operate as regular vacuum cleaner or transform to a robot. Oh, even when nobody is at home, the robotic vacuum cleaner moves around randomly to clean your home. Pretty cool huh?

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Hummingbird Robot

Japanese researchers at Chiba University have developed a new robotic hummingbird which can flutter freely in mid-air by rapidly moving its wings. The robot is powered by a small motor and has four wings. It can be remote-controlled through infrared. According to the developer, the robot, whose development cost has topped 200 million yen (2.1 million dollars), may be used to help rescue people trapped in destroyed buildings or search for criminals.



Source : Physorg

TOPIO- The Ping Pong Playing Robot

This robot looks like the Terminator isn't it? Topio is the name given to this robot and the best part is that this robot can play table tennis with human beings. Made of composite materials, Topio can move quickly and accurately, like a human. It can hit the ball, calculate scores and express feelings upon losing or winning a game. Currently, TOPIO version 3.0 is being developed in such a way that it can move with 2 legs like a human and have more special features.





Source : RobotLiving

Nissan EPORO Robot Car

Nissan recently revealed its EPORO robot car concept that comes in a variety of colors, including brown and pink, and also appear to have little eyes. The EPORO robot car concepts, which are designed to travel in a group of like-vehicles, mimic the patterns of a school of fish to avoid obstacles without bumping into each other. According to a statement by Nissan, the EPORO robot cars is the world’s first development of a robot car that can travel in a group by sharing the position and information of others within a group via communication technologies. The concept will make a formal debut at the CEATEC Japan 2009 electronic technology show starting on October 6.

Source : Nissan

Murata Seiko - Unicycling Robot

This unicycling robot called "Murata Seiko" is the second-generation unicycling robot. It features an improved turning ratio, balance, and three-times the speed of its predecessor. The robot has been given additional gyro sensors to aid its balancing act, a front-mounted camera to detect the balance beam, and distance sensors.




Source : muRata

Pet Care Robot - Playing With Your Pets From Remote Locations

If you are a pet owner, I think you will love this Pet Care Robot which you can controlled it from remote locations using a dedicated remote pad. Actually it is a Wi-Fi enabled robot with two large eyes (cameras), microphone, a speaker and a ball for your pet to play with. The cameras are also fitted with special eyelids that protect the camera lenses. You can also remotely control the ball to play with your pets. When playtime is over, the ball returns to the robot to recharge. Interesting idea anyway, but it just a concept for now.

Source : Dvice

Polaris - Mobile Phone Meets Robot

Another unique phone concept from KDDI and Flower Robotics called "Polaris" that you should explore. The Polaris is a phone which can monitors the user's daily activities and an artificially intelligent robot sphere that charges the handset and displays data on the user's TV. According to Flower Robotics:

The Polaris system — which was unveiled in Tokyo recently is designed to learn the user's lifestyle by collecting data, analyzing activity, and identifying trends. The robot keeps a database of information accumulated through the handset, such as the user's daily travel and walking habits, calls and email messages sent and received, and online transactions. Using this data, Polaris learns to predict the user's behavior and offer relevant advice and information.

Still in the concept phase, it needs a number of improvements to prepared for the real world. So what do you think about it? Should they put this phone into production?






Source : CrunchGear

A Tiny Humanoid Robot Pedalling Tirelessly On A Tricycle?

Yesterday, Friday - 24 July 2009, Panasonic showcased their latest endurance batteries by unveiling a tiny humanoid robot pedalling tirelessly on a tricycle. The 30 by 20 centimetre robot is powered by two Panasonic EVOLTA AA batteries which it carries on its back. Check out video below.

Einstein Robot Learns To Smile

Check out this Einstein robot which able to teach itself how to smile or display other emotions. According to the researchers, who presented the project last month at the 2009 IEEE 8th International Conference on Development and Learning, this is the first time anyone has used machine learning to teach a robot to make realistic facial expressions. If robot can smile, why don't you wear yours today.. =)




Source : Switched

Robots Sing "Happy Birthday"

Check this robots out which it can sing Happy Birthday to celebrate London Science Museum's 100th Anniversary. What's interesting about these bots is the fact that they've actually been programmed to communicate and teach each other to sing through the process of singing to each other. Check out video below.



Source : Robots.net

Bandai Doraemon - My Communication Robot

Check out this cool robot from Bandai. It is a Communication Robot in a form of famous Japanese cartoon character "Doraemon". It looks like a normal robot but FYI, there are temperature sensors mounted on 7 different parts of the body, enabling it to react to sound, light and temperature. It can talk about 1300 words spoken with animated voice of famous Japanese TV actress Wasabi Mizuta. Not only that, the Bandai Doraemon is able to hold a decent yet simple conversation with its owner, expressing its emotions through the built-in LCD display.

Source : FarEastGizmos

Roomba Rangoli - Draw On Floor And Cleans The Mess Once Done?

'Rangoli' is a traditional decorative art in India and this was the inspiration for this robot which draws on the floor. This iRobot Create application uses inkjet printer parts to draw bitmap patterns on the floor with various colored powders. It is able to clean up once it is done, but I think that would be a real waste of powder, wouldn't it? Check out video below.

Saya - The World's First Robot Teacher

"Saya" is a new robot that can be used as a teacher, receptionist, or many other uses. One of her most exciting features is the ability to show human emotions and expressions on her robot face. The humanoid was originally developed to replace a variety of workers, including secretaries, in a bid to allow firms to cut costs while still retaining some kind of human interaction. Her creator, science professor Hiroshi Kobayashi at the University of Tokyo, had been working on a robot for 15 years. She is the latest example of robots spreading to every aspect of life in Japan.

Source : Schema Magazine

CB2 - Child-Robot with Biomimetic Body

Researchers from Osaka University’s Graduate School of Engineering unveiled a robot that acts like a human infant, which they hope may one day help scientists better understand the child development process. CB2 is a prototype research robot; the intent is to provide roboticists with additional experience so they can create even more lifelike machines. When CB2’s shoulders are tapped, it blinks as if surprised, stops moving, and turns its gaze toward the person who touched it, and when a toy is dangled in front of its eyes, it appears to devote all its energy to trying to reach for it.





Source : Breitbart

The Bionic Hand

The i-LIMB prosthetic hand was developed by Touch Bionics, a technology company based in Scotland. The thumb and three digits are powered individually; the little finger is slaved to the third finger. The thumb can rotate, so that the hand can perform the three most common grip configurations of the human hand. The digits can be articulated to hold a mug and the thumb can be held against the phalange of the index finger to hold a key, or against the first and second digits to grasp a pen.

HRP-4C is A Fashion Model Robot?

A walking, talking fashion model "fembot" called the HRP-4C is developed by Japans National Institute of Advanced Science and Technology (AIST). The HRP-4C robot is 158cm tall and weighs 43kg including battery. The robot is scheduled to make her official runway debut in a special fashion show in Tokyo next week. Check out video below.




Source : Dvice

Robot Can Serve Ice Cream?

The Department of Technological Studies at Ohio Northern University has created this ice cream serving robot. The robot were programmed by 26 students with a desire for ice cream. This team spent 5 weeks putting together a cool final project that would create and serve customers a bowl of ice cream with whatever topping they want. Check out video below.




Source : BotJunkie

The Sudo Make Me A Sandwich Robot

This robot was inspired by one of the funniest XKCD strips of all time and Bre Pettis with Adam Cecchetti have built a "Sudo make me a sandwich robot" that makes a sandwich when you tell it to. The Sudo Make Me A Sandwich Robot consists of a toaster oven plus a bunch of hardware intertwined with a couple servo motors, a couple stepper motors, and an Arduino board. Check out video below.






Source : Bre Pettis

Robot Plays Rock-Paper-Scissors

If you like to play a rock-paper-scissors games than you should check out this interesting robot called BERTI, which stands for "Bristol Elumotion Robotic Torso 1". It has been designed to produce credible conversational gestures by its designers at Elumotion Ltd. Take a look at video below where BERTI the gesturing robot in action.




Source : Canada.com