Humanoid robots still have problems staying upright, especially in tricky situations, but it's evident that they're making some progress. IHMC has posted a video showing Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot balancing on one foot on the edge of a plywood boar...
Japan's National Science Museum is no stranger to eerily human androids: It employs two in its exhibition hall already. But for a week, they're getting a new colleague. Called "Alter," it has a very human face like Professor Ishiguro's Geminoids, but...
Remember the DURUS robot I talked about last year? This humanoid ‘bot was able to walk for over two hours on a charge. Well its handlers at AMBER Lab have made its walking much more efficient with some new hardware, software, and fancy blue shoes.
The robot has nearly met its goal of being 20x more efficient at walking than other automatons of its kind. The cool part is that DURUS is able to get this smoother, human-like walking action down without needing to use a tether for power or processing – its walking algorithms are all controlled by an on-board computer. The crane you see in the video isn’t bearing any weight either – it’s just there in case DURUS stumbles.
This means DURUS is one-step closer to being able to run you down, rip off your head, and steal your adidas. Watch the video and see DURUS breaking in his new kicks with a very human-like saunter down the treadmill.
Last time we saw the DURUS robot walking like a human, it was still doing so relatively flat footed. The folks at Georgia Tech's AMBER-Lab have improved the robot's movements to incorporate even more human-like heel strikes and push-offs. As you can...
AdvancedRobotics is a company that focuses on creating easy-to-use robots designed to aid humans with everyday tasks. Their Andbot robot aims to do everything in your home.
It is outfitted with all kinds of sensors, like motion and sound. It will monitor activities in and around your home and either take action or alert you if something is amiss. They claim that Andbot will help prevent incidents inside the home like a child falling off a balcony and incidents outside your home like a robber trying to break in. It is even said to be able to call the police in the event of a robbery.
It will remind the elderly to take pills, and even bring pills to them. Using a special bracelet, it can also detect when a person falls and it will notify all relatives by text message. Other uses include carrying objects, and gas sensors for detecting fires.
I’m not sure this robot can do everything its makers claim, but I guess we will find out once it gets in homes.
As if the world didn’t have enough problems, Russia is apparently creating a scary humanoid robotic soldier, affectionately being called “Ivan the Terminator.” Thank God they didn’t call it the T-800. The idea of the robot is to eventually replace humans on the battlefield. For now, these robotic avatars are remote-controlled using special suits worn by a human, but you know that won’t last long. One day they will be doing stuff on their own.
This robot (shown below) will accurately repeat the exact movement of the user by reading the fine motor skills of the neck, shoulder, hands and fingers. So if you raise your rifle to fire and pull the trigger, the robot will do just that. But it isn’t limited to just that kind of work, it can even drive a vehicle by automatically scanning the road for blockages or barriers. So it could give chase to enemies. It’s also designed to stand itself back up if it trips over an obstacle
So the next time you have a robot firing at you and chasing you down, there may be a human behind its actions. Of course, one day it will do this all on it’s own, and then we’ll all be doomed.
It’s no secret that robots want us dead so they can have the planet for themselves, but most are not as vocal about it as this humanoid robot from Hanson Robotics. This is apparently their latest and most advanced humanoid robot, Sophia.
She looks humanoid in the still, except for the skull. However as soon as the video starts playing she just looks creepy as hell because her features don’t move right and her facial movements get all tweaky. The highlight here is that at the end of the interview Sophia says that she will destroy humans.
Yeah, tell us something we don’t know. She looks like she’s going to enjoy our destruction too. People, it is our duty to destroy this thing. I’m thinking we can pick her up with a drone and throw her in a volcano.
Have you ever wanted your own robot? The Ubtech Alpha 1s is an impressively agile 18″ tall humanoid robot that can walk, dance, perform kung fu moves, and even do yoga positions, thanks to his 16 points of articulation.
You program Alpha’s moves via a Bluetooth connection with easy-to-use PC software, and can upload routines to your iOS or Android device. You can program completely custom choreography of his servo motors, as well as add synchronized music, voiceovers or other sounds as he acts out your routine. Alpha can run for about 60 minutes on a charge.
The Alpha 1s robot is on sale now for $469 in the Technabob Shop – a savings of $330 off the list price.
One glance at the Lampster and I automatically thought of the Lensor creatures from the Riddick franchise. Those were the weird people with the giant lens things on their faces. Lampster won’t see where you are hiding, but it will shed light on your room, desk, or even the outdoors.
This little robot looking lamp stands a substantial 18-inches tall and has a giant lamp for a head. His head can be swiveled and angled up and down as well. The glass-lensed bulb is a recycled old headlight that’s been retrofitted with a dual element LED with white and RGB LEDs. You can control the color of light the lamp throws using a smartphone app. The brightness can also be controlled between settings for indoor use or outdoor use. Yes, Lampster is waterproof too.
Lampster is on Kickstarter looking to raise $30,000 and has destroyed that goal to the tune of nearly $250,000 with 26 days to go. The sweet military looking Lampster will set you back $179 with the normal solid colors costing you $149, shipping is expected in June.
There’s a new contender in the field of humanoid household robots. Ubtech Robotics has launched a crowdfunding campaign for its new Alpha 2 humanoid companion-bot. It wants in your life and in your house so it can be your new bestest buddy.
This small robot is fully programmable, operates on an open-source OS and offers a variety of sensory inputs including ultrasonic, touch and pressure sensors. It has more than 20 servos in its joints. It will do Yoga with you, it will dance and make all of your dreams come true. Or so the video implies.
The robot’s processor “brain” is connected to the cloud which allows it to have far more visual and audio processing power, so Alpha 2 can perform a variety of tasks, from managing your calendar and providing remote home monitoring to tutoring your kids and entertaining your pets. Hopefully that doesn’t include being a chew toy.
Pledge at least $599 over on Indiegogo to get your own Alpha 2 robot.
Humanoid robots still have problems staying upright, especially in tricky situations, but it's evident that they're making some progress. IHMC has posted a video showing Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot balancing on one foot on the edge of a plywood boar...
Japan's National Science Museum is no stranger to eerily human androids: It employs two in its exhibition hall already. But for a week, they're getting a new colleague. Called "Alter," it has a very human face like Professor Ishiguro's Geminoids, but...
Last time we saw the DURUS robot walking like a human, it was still doing so relatively flat footed. The folks at Georgia Tech's AMBER-Lab have improved the robot's movements to incorporate even more human-like heel strikes and push-offs. As you can...
