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Twenty-One Cares
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science,
Twenty-One, this century’s improvement on a bot named Wendy, has been designed to help the disabled and elderly. She has fingers that grip, strength to support patients, and movements that respond to human touch. Shigeki Sugano, head of the Waseda University team that created her, says, “It’s the first robot in the world with this much system integration. It’s difficult to balance strength with flexibility.”
Twenty-One can speak and features 241 pressure-sensors in each hand to make her flexible. During a demonstration this week, she successfully put toast on a plate, went to get ketchup, and said good morning to the recipient of both. With only 15 minutes of battery life, the bot may be around by 2015 with a price of ~$200,000. At a size of about 5 feet and a weight of 245 lbs., we are thinking that Twenty-One might want to back off a bit from the carbs.
Read More 
| I4U News
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EMIEW Begets EMIEW 2
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science,
Hitachi has released a new toddler-sized bot, the 31.5-inch tall, 29 lb. EMIEW 2. Designed to be a gofer, he can understand human speech, find his way through obstacles with the help of a gyrosensor, and move from two wheels to four. This second generation of EMIEW (which stands for “excellent mobility and interactive existence as workmate”) is about 20 inches shorter and quite a bit lighter than his predecessor. Hitachi has yet to say just when the bot will be available for commercial use. We are glad to welcome him to the family of robotics, whenever the due date.
Read More | Post-Bulletin
Sakura Robot, for Princesses
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Toys, Transportation, Wireless / WiFi,
She answers yes and no questions, tells fortunes and jokes, sings and can keep a secret (via a key in her controller.) Who is she? The Sakura Robot has all the girly features you want in a bot including fashion tips, a cutesy demeanor, and wearing pink. She comes with her very own Segway and wireless remote. We may prefer the more macho type bot, but we suspect this will be a big hit for the more feminine group this holiday season. You can find Sakura for ~$100.00 at Amazon.
Read More | BotJunkie
Tony Assists Russian Travelers
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to lug that heavy luggage around when you fly? Russia has come up with a robotic suitcase that follows its owner when he/she puts a sensor in its pocket. Light detectors, infrared sensors, ultrasound and a gyroscope help the bot, whom they named Tony, to move around objects and keep from falling off stairways and ledges. Set to come out in 2009, the robot will be available for 49000 RUB (~$1960.00.) With all the fuss at airports these days when you try to take your shampoo along, what chance would Tony have of getting past an inspection? Our guess would be slim to none.
Read More | Russia ic
QRIO Sparks Interest in Toddlers
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Misc. Tech, Science,
Researchers claim that adults can only hold an interest in a robot for about 10 hours but a new study proves this is not the case with children. The 2 foot tall QRIO (pronounced “curio”) was developed at the University of California with a crude sense of touch. When unleashed on a roomfull of toddlers between the ages of 18 to 24 months, he would turn his head, giggle, and even dance if they interacted with him. They became so used to his presence that he hung around about five months. The researchers noticed that the kids would touch his face first, then other parts of his body, just as they would with another child.
During another phase of testing, QRIO only danced when the tots touched him. Needless to say they quickly lost interest. When he again responded, the toddlers began to interact once more, but when his batteries went out, some of them cried. We wonder what long-lasting effect QRIO will have on these same children now that they have lost their new playmate.
Read More | Live Science
Robo-Goat for Losers
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech,
If you lose at the Edogawa Kyotei boat races in Tokyo, you can feed your ticket to their robo-goat. Instigated last month, the 1.6 meter tall Rocky Mountain critter features a white fur coat and ticket-detecting sensors. They say he eats about 500 of them a day and his keeper claims, “It eats up your frustrations so that you will have better luck with the next race.”
We wonder, if your next bet is a loser, too, will the goat eat your shirt?
Read More | Pink Tentacle
Security Bots Double as Domestics
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smart Home, Misc. Tech, Science,
In an effort to make a few extra holiday bucks, Mobile Robots has decided that its surveillance bots can do double duty. Jeeves will greet your friends at the door with “Welcome to our home” and a tray of drinks, but we are assuming that you have to open the door yourself. Brewskibot is capable of carrying 2 6-packs in its fridge and can patrol your home or office in its spare time. Agent 007 will also serve as security with its built-in camera but can scare your buds by yelling, “Police, freeze!”
The real point that they are making here is that you can make your robot a part of the family, rather than just a service object. Now if they could just offer them cheaply enough for us to bring one home. The bots will set you back $30,995.00, $31,995.00, and $34,995.00 respectively.
Read More | Mobile Robots
Reach Out and Touch Yourself
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Internet, Misc. Tech, Science, Videos,
Meet one of the first interactive mixed reality humanoid robots. Put on a special HMD (head-mounted display) and U-Tsu-Shi-O-Mi appears as an animated character that you can literally touch. The 3D avatar is made with skin that acts as a green screen and as users adjust their head angle and position, so does the robot. Created by Michihiko Shoji, the plans are for U-Tsu-Shi-O-Mi to enhance existing virtual reality and its first application will probably be in arcades, with household usage to come later. This brings on a whole new meaning of self-communication, doesn’t it?
Read More | Pink Tentacle
Robots Fooled by Optical Illusions
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Software,
Researchers at University College in London have discovered that robots cannot detect optical illusions. The team installed software in bots to give them abilities for processing visual cues into an artificial nerve network. For example, in a simultaneous brightness contrast of two identical tiles, a human will see one tile with a dark background as lighter than one in front of a paler background. The program fooled the software just as it would a person. Lead study author R. Beau Lotto and team found that vision is composed of experiences rather than absolutes. We just think of it as a one-up on robots for us humans.
Read More | National Geographic
WAO-1 Gives Massages
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science,
Tokyo’s Waseda University has developed the WAO-1 (Waseda Asahi Oral Rehabilitation) Robot. It was created for hospitalized patients with jaw related medical problems who also require facial massage. The WAO-1’s arms have ceramic spheres that roll over the skin which are controlled by algorithms to resemble massaging. Six sensors adjust the pressure. The team says that the bot could also give beauty and relaxation massages with minor tweaking. We’re certainly up for that application if they ever become affordable for the average human. Clinical trials will begin next month.
Read More | CNN
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