Tag Archives: Robots

The Boston Dynamics Robot Dog has a $225 sibling that follows voice commands

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On the one hand, you’ve got incredibly capable AI that has some scary implications for the human race… but on the other hand, you have the Bittle X, an adorable toy robot dog that allows you to befriend, train, and tame technology instead of being afraid of it. A sibling to Petoi’s Bittle robot dog that debuted in 2020, Bittle X comes with a few upgrades, proving that an old dog CAN learn new tricks! Designed to resemble the Boston Dynamics robot dog, the Bittle X is a palm-sized STEM toy that’s perfect for kids, tinkerers, engineers, and people looking to experiment with coding, robotics, IoT(Internet of Things), and AI. It’s entirely open-source, runs on a block-based programming environment, has support for C++/Python programming, and comes with a few extra upgrades that the Bittle lacks, like now being able to follow voice commands, as well as record and program your own voice commands!

Designer: Rongzhong Li

Click Here to Buy Now: $225 $279 (Use Coupon Code “yanko10” to get an additional $10 off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!

Easy to Develop AI, IoT and Robotics Applications for Quadruped Robot Dog

Less of a toy and more of a learning opportunity, the Bittle X was designed to make robotics more accessible to anyone looking to dive into the world of robotics. It comes with a tiny form, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but is designed to be incredibly articulate with multiple joints with high-performance servos that allow it to walk, sit, jump, backflip, kick, and even scratch itself like a real dog would! Moreover, its bionic leg construction gives it natural movement, allowing it to sit down, get up, recover from a flipover, and even walk across uneven terrain.

The pint-sized pooch comes in two styles – a pre-assembled kit that works right out of the box, and a construction kit that gives you the joy of being able to put together your own voice-command robot dog from scratch. Assembling the robot doesn’t require much technical knowledge, given that the plastic parts are already molded and easy to assemble with interlocking mechanisms. Once assembled, the Bittle X is ready to play/engage with you and follow your commands. A remote control lets you wirelessly operate your Bittle X, although notably, it also now has support for voice commands, allowing you to tell it to wave hello, give you a handshake, sit, crawl, dig, play dead, and even do a handstand! Right out of the box, the dog has support for 35+ voice commands, along with the ability to store 10 additional voice commands that you can program yourself.

The robot operates on the OpenCat platform, offering endless programming and customization possibilities. It supports block-based programming with Petoi’s Coding Blocks, C++, and Python, making it a versatile tool for users at different learning stages. You can also use the free Petoi Desktop App – Skill Composer to visually create new robot dog skills with ease. The creators, Petoi, even further their commitment towards STEM education by providing free curriculums for anyone looking to learn how to tinker with their Bittle X (and other robot pets). You can find all the necessary resources on Petoi’s OpenCat forum, along with ideas and prompts for experimenting with your robot dogs (like orchestrating robot wars, hosting your own doggy Olympics, and performing more complex challenges like solving mazes), and even a section where Petoi showcases works from other tinkerers playing around with their Bittles.

Underneath that playful exterior, Bittle X is powered by the BiBoard, Petoi’s latest quadruped robot microcontroller, ensuring smooth, coordinated movements. The option to integrate various smart sensors, like the Petoi intelligent camera module, the motion sensor, or the distance sensor, allows you to add depth to its perception and artificial intelligence capabilities via coding, allowing for more advanced interactions, games​​, and robotics competitions. The ESP32-based BiBoard comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, serial connections, and voice command support, along with its servos and Li-ion battery providing about an hour of continuous playtime​​​.

The friendly robot dog is designed for all ages above 8 (what you really need is childlike curiosity), and is sure to get along with everyone it meets! Alongside being a robot dog that learns tricks and commands, it’s also rewarding because you get to learn with it, creating a bonding experience that’s not too different from actually playing with and training real pets. The Bittle X starts at $236.99 during Petoi’s holiday sale, but YD readers can grab a nifty $10 discount, bringing the price down to $225. Grab yours now and build your army of loyal minions before the AI takes over!

Click Here to Buy Now: $225 $279 (Use Coupon Code “yanko10” to get an additional $10 off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!

The post The Boston Dynamics Robot Dog has a $225 sibling that follows voice commands first appeared on Yanko Design.

Solar bot is a smart device concept that makes solar power more accessible

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Solar power is something that is pretty important if we need to reduce our carbon footprint and our electricity consumption. But it’s still not something that’s easily accessible for everyone or something that’s portable and easy to use or access. A recent invention from Jackery, a portable power and green outdoor energy company, might be the thing we need to revolutionize how the ordinary consumer can access and use solar energy.

Designer: Jackery

The Solar Mars Bot was named one of the Best Inventions of 2023 by Time Magazine, specifically in the Green Energy category. It is a robot type machine that is a photovoltaic energy storage device equipped with various sensors to enable it to gather as much solar power as it can store. It has laser radar and camera modules to help it get around. It’s smart enough to roll around and find spots where it can align its panels with sunlight and even avoid obstacles.

The energy that it is able to gather is stored in a lithium iron phosphate battery and then you will be able to power your devices through any of its connectors including ordinary earthed sockets, USB-C and USB-A ports. You can take this solar robot with you when camping or on any outdoor activity or when you’re just lounging in your backyard or swimming pool and you need to charge your devices.

For now it seems to still be in the conceptual stage and Jackery may be creating a prototype for testing. But if ever it reaches the consumer market it will make solar energy common for those who are conscious about their electricity consumption. Hopefully we see some progress with this “best invention” soon as we all want to be able to regulate our carbon consumption over the next few years.

The post Solar bot is a smart device concept that makes solar power more accessible first appeared on Yanko Design.

With an articulated spine this robot mouse can beat ‘Spot’ at pace and maneuvers in small turning radius

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Over the years, quadruped – four-legged – robots led by the likes of Spot, by Boston Dynamics, have captured our imagination far and wide. These robots have been through various upgrades, including the robotic dog that can now walk, jump, and maneuver like the real thing. Even though the construction of these robots is already very sophisticated, it remains to be perfected for widespread applications.

A step forward in this direction can be a mouse robot with an articulated spine developed by collaborative research teams from the Technical University of Munich, University of Technology, Nuremberg, and Sun Yat-Sen University, China. The articulation of the spine allows the mouse named NeRmo full body control and stabilization, which provides it with a more balanced frame along with agility and gait much like a real rodent with a biological spine.

Designer: Zhenshan Bing

This mouse created with a flexible spine and tendons is the first interpretation of spine-centric quadruped, unlike the four-legged robots whose anatomical mimicking just finishes at the leg-based motor skills. Yes, they can walk, jump or even pull off a few dance moves, but the NeRmo can do that and more. While the others are robotic in their movement and approach, the researchers led by Zhenshan Bing, believe their mouse – with a spine and tendons running through it – can move almost alike and turn equally efficiently as its biological counterpart.

NeRmo is an agile-legged robot that leaves behind challenges of movement and regulating spine flexion that other quadrupeds using similar spine enhancement – like in the case of Boston Dynamics’ Cheetah robot – have proved. The robot with 3D printed parts and Raspberry Pi for its brain has a sensory system that can make decisions and navigate autonomously.

The NeRmo is an experimental robot that helps understand the spine-based quadruped locomotion skills. The findings are pretty optimistic, which means, that its development can be a promising inspiration for more such small agile-legged robots. The construction of the NeRmo modular robot, according to the research team is low cost, owing to its building process. With the articulated spine, the research shows, the robotic mouse can adjust its posture, extend its stride to walk faster, and make agile maneuvers in a small turning radius and while walking.

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Unitree’s ‘Affordable’ Humanoid Robot Tackles Uneven Terrain Without Tripping

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Billed as a much more affordable humanoid robot than others coming to market, Unitree’s H1 Evolution V2.0 humanoid is now available for sale at a cost of just $89,000. I say ‘just’ because most others will cost significantly more. At least not for anything besides immortal life, and even then, I’d try to get the wizard down to $600 or $700.

In the video, the robot demonstrates its ability to autonomously tackle unknown and uneven terrain without falling, thanks to its “LIVOS-MID360 3D LiDAR system and Intel RealSense D435i depth camera for real-time acquisition of high-precision spatial data to achieve panoramic scanning.” But will it be able to dodge a rolled bowling ball? I only ask because I live close to a bowling alley and could access a lot of ammo in the event of a robot uprising.

The H1 Evolution 2.0 weighs in at just over 100 pounds and is advertised as “the world’s first full-sized general purpose humanoid robot that can run in China.” But can it run other places as well? That’s the question. And if it can run in the United States, how fast can it actually run, because I may need to start a cardio regimen if I’m going to survive the robot apocalypse.

[via TechEBlog]

Georgia Tech Researchers Built a Robot that Plays Tennis

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Developed by a team of researchers at Georgia Tech’s College of Computing, ESTHER (Experimental Sport Tennis Wheelchair Robot) is a wheelchair-based robot designed to play tennis. The team was led by Assistant Professor of Interactive Computing Dr. Matthew Gombolay, who named the robot after Dutch wheelchair tennis world champion Esther Vergeer.

The robot is built around a motorized version of a wheelchair designed specifically for playing wheelchair tennis, with the addition of a racket-holding robotic arm in its seat. The robot uses optical-tracking technology to figure out where it needs to be on the court in order to meet the ball with its racket at the predicted intercept point in the ball’s trajectory. Currently, the robot is able to hit balls launched by a machine and has started to learn how to hit against human players. That definitely beats just hitting human players.

The researchers hope that in the future their robot might actually be able to volley against human opponents, and potentially be used as a training tool. Me? I’m hoping the robot can also be trained to hit the objects kids throw at me when I’m yelling at them to stop playing in front of my house. Kids these days, I swear. They have good aim.

[via Mashable]

The best robot vacuum deals for Black Friday 2023: We found deals on Shark, Roomba and Anker machines to fit every budget

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It's no secret that robot vacuums are some of the most expensive gadgets you can get for your home. But Black Friday robot vacuum deals make it a bit easier to grab one, and this year is no different. A handful of machines from Shark and iRobot have dropped to record low prices for Black Friday, including a few of our favorite models. You can snag a Roomba for as low as $159, which is one of the best prices we've seen all year.

But before making a purchase, we recommend thinking about the type of home you have and how you'll use the machine: do you have carpet or mostly hard flooring? Do you have pets who shed constantly? Do you want a combo vacuum-and-mop machine? Once you have those details settled, check out the best deals on robot vacuums for Black Friday 2023 below.

iRobot Roomba 694

The Roomba 694 is on sale for $159 in this Black Friday vacuum deal. It's our current favorite budget robot vacuum thanks to its strong suction power, easy to use mobile app and handy spot-clean function. It doesn't come with a clean base, but it has Wi-Fi connectivity and voice control with Alexa.

Anker Eufy RoboVac 11S Max

As part of Anker's Black Friday deals, the Eufy RoboVac 11S Max is down to $140, but a clippable $10 coupon will bring it down to $130. That's close to a record low and a steal on one of the best affordable robot vacuums we've tested. This model has a super slim design, helping it clean underneath tables, couches and other furniture better than competing machines, and it has a solid battery life as well. It's not Wi-Fi connected, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It comes with a handy remote with which you can control the machine, making it a decent option for anyone who's never owned a robot vacuum before.

iRobot Roomba s9+

The Roomba s9+ is the most powerful model that iRobot makes, and it's down to $600 in this Black Friday vacuum deal. It's usual high price tag may be prohibitive for most, but it's a much better buy when you can get it on sale like this. We like it's elegant design, extra-strong suction power, home mapping and object detection features, and the clean base that comes with it.

iRobot Roomba j7+

The Roomba j7+ robot vacuum has dropped to $469 for Black Friday. This model comes with a self-emptying base and it has advanced obstacle detection so it can avoid things like pet poop, should your furry friend have an accident. It also supports cleaning schedules via the iRobot mobile app and voice commands from Alexa, Siri and the Google Assistant.

Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum

This Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum is on sale for $300 for Black Friday, or half off its regular price. Shark makes some of our favorite robovacs, and this one has strong suction power, a self-cleaning brush roll and support for home mapping and voice control with Alexa and the Google Assistant. Shark's machines also stand out because their self-emptying bases, like the one included here, are bagless, so you don't have to constantly buy proprietary garbage bags to use with them.

Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 vacuum and mop

Shark's AI Ultra robot vacuum and mop has been discounted to $400 for Black Friday at Amazon and Best Buy. It has all of the same features in the vacuum-only model, but it also includes a water reservoir and a mop pad with which it can automatically mop floors for you. You have to switch out the dustbin for the reservoir whenever you want to mop, but otherwise the machine is pretty automated and convenient. The self-emptying base that comes with this model is also bagless.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-robot-vacuum-deals-for-black-friday-2023-we-found-deals-on-shark-roomba-and-anker-machines-to-fit-every-budget-200206179.html?src=rss

Life-like robotic dog can be an AI-powered companion for astronauts

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We’ve seen enough movies set in space and maybe even some documentaries or real life videos to know that life during space travel can be lonely. So having a pet with the astronauts can help with their mental health. But of course, there are limitations when it comes to actually having pets in space. So the next best thing would be to have a robot that would take the place of a pet and also be able to do even more than real animals. And of course, an AI powered one would probably be even better.

Designer: Jihee Kim

If this concept will come to life, Laika will be an ideal robot pet powered by Artificial Intelligence and it is designed to be as life-like as possible. After all, it is named after one of the first animals in space. While there are several robotic dogs available now, this one is supposedly designed to be a more friendly version. This way it can actually be a beloved pet for the astronauts and it can be integrated in “domestic contexts”. But aside from being a companion, the AI dog can also be used in case of emergencies and even to monitor the health condition of the people on board the space vehicle.

Laika is made from robust titanium so that it can withstand extreme conditions that they may encounter in space. It also comes with different kind of sensors so it can identify objects, people, and even literal space. This includes thermal imaging, depth cameras, slam cameras, and ultrasonic sensors. It also comes with ECG sensors so it will be able to monitor the health condition of the astronauts especially during times when emotions are heightened which can translate physically as well.

There are also future tweaks to improve more things about Laika, like adding mixed reality glasses so users will be able to get real-time information about their “pet” and their activities. The renders show a friendly-looking dog so it will be a much welcome companion for astronauts who may be missing their actual pet or are in dire need of companionship. It even has a stretchable handle on its back so they can carry small items or users can lift it up and move them around. Laika can also be used for other non-space purposes including domestic situations.

The post Life-like robotic dog can be an AI-powered companion for astronauts first appeared on Yanko Design.

Researchers printed a robotic hand with bones, ligaments and tendons for the first time

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Researchers at the Zurich-based ETH public university, along with a US-based startup called Inkbit, have done the impossible. They’ve printed a robot hand complete with bones, ligaments and tendons for the very first time, representing a major leap forward in 3D printing technology. It’s worth noting that the various parts of the hand were printed simultaneously, and not cobbled together after the fact, as indicated in a research journal published in Nature.

Each of the robotic hand’s various parts were made from different polymers of varying softness and rigidity, using a new laser-scanning technique that lets 3D printers create “special plastics with elastic qualities” all in one go. This obviously opens up new possibilities in the fast-moving field of prosthetics, but also in any field that requires the production of soft robotic structures.

Basically, the researchers at Inkbit developed a method to 3D print slow-curing plastics, whereas the technology was previously reserved for fast-curing plastics. This hybrid printing method presents all kinds of advantages when compared to standard fast-cure projects, such as increased durability and enhanced elastic properties. The tech also allows us to mimic nature more accurately, as seen in the aforementioned robotic hand.

“Robots made of soft materials, such as the hand we developed, have advantages over conventional robots made of metal. Because they’re soft, there is less risk of injury when they work with humans, and they are better suited to handling fragile goods,” ETH Zurich robotics professor Robert Katzschmann writes in the study.

A robot dog or a pulley or something.
ETH Zurich/Thomas Buchner

This advancement still prints layer-by-layer, but an integrated scanner constantly checks the surface for irregularities before telling the system to move onto the next material type. Additionally, the extruder and scraper have been updated to allow for the use of slow-curing polymers. The stiffness can be fine-tuned for creating unique objects that suit various industries. Making human-like appendages is one use case scenario, but so is manufacturing objects that soak up noise and vibrations. 

MIT-affiliated startup Inkbit helped develop this technology and has already begun thinking about how to make money off of it. The company will soon start to sell these newly-made printers to manufacturers but will also sell complex 3D-printed objects that make use of the technology to smaller entities. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/researchers-printed-a-robotic-hand-with-bones-ligaments-and-tendons-for-the-first-time-160005103.html?src=rss

iRobot’s Roomba Combo j5+ is $300 off in an early Black Friday deal

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iRobot's Roomba Combo j5+ robot vacuum is $300 off in an early Black Friday deal via Wellbots. This is a record-low for the appliance, dropping the price to $500 instead of the MSRP of $800. In the past, discounts for the j5+ stalled at around $200 off. As typical with Wellbots deals, there’s a promo code. Just enter “ENGBF300” at checkout and you’ll be good to go.

The Roomba Combo j5+, as the name suggests, is a combination unit that includes both a vacuum and a mopping feature. It can pinpoint no-mop zones, so you don’t have to worry about the robot spraying fluid all over your brand-new carpet. The j5+ can also avoid more than 80 common floor obstacles. As a matter of fact, iRobot will replace the unit for free if it doesn’t avoid pet waste, as part of the company’s “P.O.O.P.” pledge. No, we didn’t make that up. It stands for “Pet Owner Official Promise.”

This is a well-regarded robovac with one obvious downside when compared to pricier models like the Roomba j7+ and the flagship j9+. Despite the combo functionality, you have to manually swap out the bins when switching between vacuuming and mopping. The more expensive robots do this automatically. Still, the j9+ costs $900 and the j5+ is currently on sale for $400. You’ll have to decide if that automation feature is worth the price difference.

Wellbots is also selling the junior-grade Roomba 694 vacuum for $115 off. Just enter “ENGBF115” and grab it for $159. This is your basic workhorse robovac with no mopping functionality. It does one job and it does it well, which is why it ended up on our lists of the best robot vacuums for 2023 and the best budget robot vacuums.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/irobots-roomba-combo-j5-is-300-off-in-an-early-black-friday-deal-150047886.html?src=rss

How Robots Are Expanding Their Fields of Work By Attaining Emotional Designs

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Robots have long captured our imaginations, from the helpful household robots of science fiction to the industrial machines that streamline manufacturing processes. However, the integration of robots into our daily lives has often been hampered by the challenges they face when navigating complex human environments. These limitations have confined their utility to controlled spaces in industries such as logistics and manufacturing. But now, a groundbreaking design concept known as “Turing” is poised to change the game, bringing a fresh perspective on robotic technology.

Designer: Cambridge Consultants (Tom Shirley, Anya Pivčuka)

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Turing is not just another robot; it’s a robotic platform with an emotional design at its core. It was developed by a team of multi-disciplinary experts, including designers, engineers, and researchers, to address a significant challenge in robotics: enabling robots to work in complex human environments while fostering collaboration between humans and machines. Turing’s approach seeks to unlock the untapped potential of human-robot interaction, one of the last remaining barriers to a future where robots become our everyday companions.

In the early stages of UX testing, the team behind Turing discovered that mimicking human emotion was a highly effective means of communicating the robot’s movements and intentions. They employed journey mapping to craft a coherent set of thoughts and emotions for the robot, resulting in a personality and behavior that users could relate to and engage with. By drawing inspiration from well-known characters in animation and film, they could identify the most appropriate personality for a given environment. This adaptability allows Turing to modify its behavior based on the specific context, ensuring it doesn’t seem out of place in various settings.

Turing is designed to work in collaboration with people, capable of navigating through crowded environments using body language, gestures, and emotional cues to communicate with our subconscious. This non-verbal, intuitive communication is significantly faster than traditional speech, enabling the sub-second reaction times necessary to avoid collisions in crowded areas. Moreover, Turing’s modular nature allows it to be adapted to a wide range of industries and customized to address diverse business needs.

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The versatility of Turing makes it a game-changer in various industries:

1. Retail: In retail, Turing can assist shoppers with tasks ranging from providing general information to guiding them through the store and even carrying their shopping bags. The emotional and charming personality it displays creates a memorable shopping experience that can be tailored to each venue’s ambiance.

2. Service Industry: Turing comes to the rescue of businesses in the service industry, such as bars and restaurants, which often struggle to recruit enough staff. It can efficiently take orders and deliver food and drinks to customers, enhancing their overall experience. Its adaptability ensures it can seamlessly blend into different restaurant environments, from casual to fine dining.

3. Medical Environments: Turing plays a crucial role in medical settings by reducing the burden on healthcare professionals. It can perform repetitive, time-consuming tasks, such as dispensing medication in low-risk hospital wards. This not only frees up staff to focus on patient care but also helps maintain consistent medication schedules. However, the acceptance of robots like Turing in healthcare settings may take time, as people need to build trust in the accuracy of the tasks performed.

Turing is a groundbreaking development in the world of robotics. By embracing emotional design and a highly adaptable, modular nature, it is pushing the boundaries of human-robot interaction and addressing the limitations that have confined robots to specific industries. With Turing, the future of robotics looks promising, as it promises to bring robots out of controlled environments and into our everyday lives, as social, collaborative, and empathetic companions.

The post How Robots Are Expanding Their Fields of Work By Attaining Emotional Designs first appeared on Yanko Design.