Posts Tagged ‘Robot’
Aug09
Over 1000 dancing robots break world record
2016 at 07:58 pm by admin | Comments Off
Tech company Ever Wing Company, Ltd. has broken the Guinness World Record for most dancing robots in unison with their recent groovy display! The dance, which featured 1040 of the QRC-2 robot, was over a minute long, and featured all robots dancing in unison thanks to a single smartphone controller. While some of the robots were disqualified due to falling over or not dancing properly, 1007 of the dancing robots completed the dance perfectly, earning them the world record! Check out the set up and dance below!
Jul28
OpenAI develops learning chores robot
2016 at 08:13 pm by admin | Comments Off
OpenAI, research organization owned and sponsored by Elon Musk, has revealed plans for the future of robots in the household with their new autonomous cleaning robot! Developed in cooperation with Fetch Robotics, the new robot is equipped with a robotic arm that allows freedom of movement, and uses 2D scanners and 3D depth sensors to accurately navigate in complex environment and perform simple tasks. Along with these features, the robot features a unique software that will be capable of learning how to best accomplish tasks over repeated sessions. All of these features will allow the robot to perform household tasks like cleaning the floor, doing dishes, ironing shirts, and more! With a future that sounds right out of the Jetsons, OpenAI looks forward to one day releasing robots like these to the general public in order to increase quality of life.
Jul12
Advanced prosthetics hit retail this year
2016 at 05:57 pm by admin | Comments Off
In the latest development from US robotics industry DARPA and inventor Dean Kamen, one of the world’s most advanced prosthetic limbs will be made available on the market this year! The arm, titled the Luke Arm after the protagonist from the Star Wars franchise, is designed to provide amputees with a limb capable of almost-natural manipulation and control. The Luke Arm is capable of delicate procedures like holding an egg, and at the same time is durable enough to handle lifting heavy objects in day-to-day life. The arm will also be able to be adjusted for any level of amputation, and can even be used underwater! The first wave of the arm is scheduled to be released sometime in 2016, with future releases improving on accuracy, durability, and other user-friendly options. The release of this arm to the market is an exciting step in using technology to help improve the lives of disabled citizens and veterans, and will surely lead to more amazing advances in the field.
Jun22
Sphero announces new SPRK+ robot
2016 at 06:08 pm by admin | Comments Off
Many have heard and experienced Sphero’s first robotic toy, SPRK, after its initial release last year, such as its use in the hugely popular BB8 remote control toy. Now, Sphero has announced the updated version of the SPRK, titled the SPRK+! The new release of the robot sports a new, scratch-and-water-resistant casing that is capable of taking more punishment than the original, as well as an upgraded Bluetooth connection that allows it to be paired with multiple devices at once. With the new SPRK+, Sphero hopes that the new robot will be useful in helping teach children about coding by allowing them to issue drag-and-drop commands to the robot, as well just generally be a joy to play and explore with. The applications for the new SPRK+ are wide and varied, leaving it up to the user’s imagination as to what they want their new little robot companion to do! The SPRK+ is currently priced at $129, and is sure to being hours of learning and fun to classrooms and homes across the world!
Jan12
Mazinger Z & Hello Kitty collaboration
2016 at 06:34 pm by admin | Comments Off
Sanrio and Toei have come together for the first time to release collaborative figures of their two most iconic franchises: Hello Kitty and Mazinger Z! The collaboration features a twin release of two brand-new figures in Bandai’s Chogokin die-cast figure line, taking the Chogokin Hello Kitty robot released last year and the Super Robot Chogokin release of Mazinger Z, with a twist; the figures have swapped design elements, making them look like the other!
The Hello Kitty Chogokin features Mazinger-themed color scheme on top of the original release’s features, such as die-cast ratchet joints, rocket punch paws, opening cockpit, and alternate flight and swimming modes ,and even features a miniature Hello Kitty recolored to appear like Mazinger Z’s pilot, Kouji Kabuto. Meanwhile, the Mazinger Z SRC features a Hello Kitty paint job, and even goes so far as to replace the Mazinger’s signature chest plate with Hello Kitty’s bow, along with featuring Hello Kitty’s visage on its Jet Scrander belt attachment. Mazinger will also come with alternate hand-shaking parts, so the two figures can exchange a signature pose!
In order to celebrate this occasion, the official Bandai YouTube channel has uploaded a unique cartoon celebrating the union, showing off the collaborative designs in an adorable animated short. The video even hints at further collaboration with other characters like My Melody and Getter Robo. Check out the video below!
Oct06
Harvard’s tiny drones can fly & swim
2015 at 11:53 am by admin | Comments Off
Scientists and engineers at Harvard University have developed a miniature 100mg drone that is both able to fly as well as swim! The drone, known as the RoboBee, lives up to its name by emulating the flight pattern and wing construction of everyday bees, beating its tiny wings at a rate of 120 Hz in order to achieve flight. However, unlike their natural relatives, the RoboBee is also able to use its wings swim and tread water, allowing it to function in both the air and underwater. The drone is even able to easily transition from flying to swimming, and vice versa! Harvard scientists hope to make the RoboBees truly autonomous, and may one day be used in off-shore activities.
Oct05
MIT creates “soft” 3D-printed robot arm
2015 at 01:27 pm by admin | Comments Off
Researchers and engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT for short, are often striving to enhance technology and robotics for future use in everyday life, and their latest creation brings the future of robotics closer than ever. The new robot arm, designed by MIT’s internal research team, is made of 3D-printed silicone rubber that is soft to the touch. The arm is also equipped with a number of state-of-the art “bend sensors”, which allow the robotic arm to analyze the durability of the item in question and alter its grip strength in response. In other words, MIT’s newest robot arm has the finger strength to lift hefty objects, and at the same time is able to provide a delicate grip to firmly lift fragile objects like eggs and discs without dropping or crushing them. This advancement opens a huge number of possibilities for the arm’s application in the future, from helping out the disabled to working in dangerous situations without harm. Check out the robot’s power in the video below!
Aug11
Beach Bot draws Walt Disney portrait in sand
2015 at 10:58 am by admin | Comments Off
Science and robotics team ETH Zurich debuted its Beach Bot robot last December, which is capable of transforming any imported artwork or line art design into a large-scale pattern which it then scars into sand using a rear-mounted rake. After making sand art across the world over the past few months, ETH Zurich have collaborated with Disney Research in order to bring Disney’s iconic pioneer, Walt Disney, to life in sand art form! The Beach Bot created its latest work of art at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, even mimicking Walt’s signature in the sand below the portrait! Visitors to Disney World can check out this robotic masterpiece for themselves, and can be sure to see more Beach Bot artwork pop up worldwide in the future!
Jul20
Tokyo museum reveals gold & Silver Gundams
2015 at 11:16 am by admin | Comments Off
Fine jewelery company Ginza Tanaka has collaborated with Bandai to create a line of exclusive limited edition Rx-78-2 Gundam figures made of gold and silver! These figures, which are only available at the newly opened “The Art of Gundam” exhibit in Tokyo, are crafted in solid 24-karat gold and 95% pure silver, and come in two different scales. The Robot Damashii-based Rx-78 stands at 5″ tall, and costs over $160,000 for the gold variant and $5,000 for the silver version.
The other size featured at the museum is based on the Gundam Converge line of super-deformed figures, and stands at 2″ in height. These smaller figures also offer a smaller price point: $30,000 for the gold figure and $2,000 for the silver. Also on display at the event are a number of platinum art cards, featuring art of the Gundam, the Zaku II, and infamous antagonist Char Aznable, priced at $120 each. The exhibit will remain open until Sepember 27th, so fans have plenty of time to save up some cash for these fancy Gundam collectibles!
Jun08
DARPA Robotics Challenge 2015
2015 at 11:27 am by admin | Comments Off
Every year since its inception in 2012, the DARPA Robotics Challenge is the latest in the line of DARPA Grand Challenges which have sought to advance the future of robots and technology. DARPA, which stands for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is an agency of the US Department of Defense that designs robotics and technologies for both military and non-military work, such as computer networking, information interface technology, and life-saving robotics. The latest competition hosted by DARPA sought to challenge engineers and scientists to design robots to navigate and operate in dangerous environments to respond to natural and man-made disasters alike. The competition was founded after the events of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, and the course was designed around situations present during the disaster.
The event has taken place in multiple stage since 2012, including a virtual challenge in June 2013 and two live challenges. The final event took place over this past weekend at the Fairplex in Pomona, California, pitting 23 teams against each other in a timed course of eight challenges. All challenges, which included traversing over unstable rubble, turning valves, and even driving a car, had to be completed in an hour to qualify. With a grand prize of $2 million, and $1 million and $500,000 for second and third place respectively, colleges and companies from all over the world participated in the event, including representatives from the United States, Japan, Germany, Korea, Hong Kong and Italy.
In the end, only three of the 23 teams finished the course within the time limit, each earning one of the three top prizes. Third place went to USA’s Team Tartan Rescue from Carnegie Mellon University and their red-colored robot CHIMP, while Team IHMC took second with the running man Atlas. The grand prize of $2 million dollars was won by Team KAIST from South Korea, thanks to their transforming DRC-HUBO robot, who managed to finish the entire course in under 45 minutes! With the years-long competition finally coming to a close, DARPA hopes all the innovations and technologies developed throughout the event will be put to use in saving human lives in the future.
More info: http://www.theroboticschallenge.org/