Latest Gear Live Videos
Mr. Roboto Becomes Watch
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science,
We love our old toy bots and were very pleased to discover that there is now a Mr. Roboto Watch by Azimuth. His left eye displays the hour, his right GMT indicator, his nose and mouth seconds and minutes. With a case of steel, the water-resistant Mr. Roboto is part of the company’s Mecha-1 BMF collection. He will be appearing in September at a much higher price than our toys were. Look for a 4,800.00 Swiss Francs ($4,800.00) price tag.
(Thanks, Mitch)
Read More | Watchismo Times
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DIY Drum Machine
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Music, Science, Toys, Videos,
We are thinking that sometimes people have way too much spare time on their hands. However, the Yellow Drum Machine is a clever bot all the same. It moves around, collects data, then finds an isolated object to keep the beat. After sampling this for a “good sound,” it will play along with it. It will also keep time if you decide to make a noise or clap. The robot was created for about $120.00 in about twenty hours and runs on 4 AA batteries. Full instruction and details are on Frits’ site.
Read More | Let's Make Robots!
ApriPoko Learns and Responds
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science,
Toshiba is working on a new robot that doubles as a voice-operated remote for all your appliances. At a size of 8 x 11-inches and a weight of only 5 lb., ApriPoko learns by watching and questioning your actions, such as “What did you just do?”
Talk back to the bot (“I turned on the stereo”) and he will memorize your actions. When you want that stereo turned on the next time, he will happily oblige with an IR signal. Think of the implications in years to come for the prototype.
“I got a beer from the fridge.”
“I flushed the toilet.”
“I called my boss and told him I was very sick.”
“I have to go see my mother-in-law.”
Read More | Asahi (Japanese) via Pink Tentacle
BigDog Balances in any Terrain
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science, Videos,
Funded by DARPA, Boston Dynamics has developed the BigDog. About the size of a goat, it also has the dexterity of one. The gas-powered bot’s control system keeps it balanced so that it can navigate on all types of terrains. Sensors monitor such aspects as hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine temperature, rpm, and battery charge. Its legs move in an animalistic way and if something interferes, it simply absorbs the shock and carries on. Watch what happens when some dude decides to give it a kick.
Read More | Boston Dynamics
Dextre Gets a Bumpy Ride
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
When we last told you about Dextre, he was about to be launched to the ISS via Endeavor. It seems that all did not go well with the bot, who decided to sleep in a bit longer. It turns out that a cable design flaw wouldn’t allow power to turn him on. The astronauts finally got him up and running, then attached his hands to his arms and his arms to his torso. No one is sure yet about the reason for the dilemma since it wasn’t apparent in pre-flight testing, but NASA promises a thorough investigation.
Read More | USA Today
ReadyBot Does Dishes
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science, Videos,
Why settle for a simple Scooba to wash your floors when you can get a ReadyBot to clean your entire kitchen? The prototype loads your dishwasher, cleans up the mess on your counter, and even takes care of leftovers. Created by a group of engineers from Silicon Valley, the team hopes to have them on the market in approximately two years. They also say that being made of commonly available parts, the bot will be affordable for us common folk. We say, “Sign us up.”
Read More | ReadyBot
Griffon Barely Took Off
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Videos,
Can the military ever have enough robots? Apparently not. An iRobot team devised the packbot Griffon, a prototype that combines with a steerable parafoil system. Controlled by radio and running on gasoline, it attaches to the Ozone Razor with two hang points. The kit was meant to be carried by soldiers or civilians for search and rescue missions. We understand that it never went past its practice runs and we suspect that it was forgotten in lieu of newer technology.
Read More | c/net
Bar Owner Builds Robocop
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science,
In downtown Atlanta, Rufus Terrill didn’t like some of the folk who were hanging around his bar, O’Terrills, so he built himself a simplified robocop which he controls by remote. Consisting of an old meat smoker that he says still smells like chicken, a spotlight, an IR cam, a water cannon and a loudspeaker, the bot stands 4 feet tall and weighs 300 lbs. Apparently the silly looking device is working since Terrill says there is a lot less “action” going on near his tavern. Check out the video to see it put through its paces.
Read More | ajc
Dextre Goes Into Space
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
When Endeavor takes off this week, it will have more than a paper airplane and space boomerangs for the astronauts to play with. Dextre (for dexterous) will have to be built once he arrives on the ISS, for he is 12 feet tall with multi-jointed 11 foot arms. Costing about $200 million, he is tele-operated and will attend to some of the station repair jobs. Apparently the Canadian bot has a sensitive touch and precise control even without legs.
Read More | CSA
Robot Gymnast is Super-Coordinated
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science, Videos,
This automated gymnastic bot is more talented than most humans we know. Earlier studies showed that walking robots needed pressure sensors on the soles of their feet. Take this a step farther and this one features a layer of urethane foam which have been embedded with LEDs and photodiodes. When the light disperses in the foam it is detected by those diodes. All we know is that the robot is incredibly impressive as it goes through its acrobatic routine.
Read More | BotJunkie
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