Wheels and tracks are easiest to get a robot going, but those mobility solutions have their limitations, and to mention, does not satisfy our sci-fi fantasy. If we expect robots to traverse across a variety of terrains like humans do, then bipedal is the way to go. There’s no doubt about it. Armed with this notion, Agility Robots, a spin-off of Oregon State University, has devoted its time to perfecting a robot that walks on two and from the looks of it, the roboticists over at Agility Robotics may have pulled it off rather perfectly. The robot in question is called Cassie, a bipedal robot revealed back in February when it demonstrated its eerily human-like walking ability. Continue reading Cassie Is A Torso-less Bipedal Robot That May One Day Deliver Packages To You
Tag Archives: Robotic Development
Japanese Robot Dog Detects Smelly Feet, Faints If The Smell Is Unbearable
Smelly feet is a problem that plague modern day homo sapiens. It is a personal hygiene issue which people prefer not to talk about because, nobody knows how to politely do so and even if you do brave the wrath of the smelly feet person and go point blank about it, what can he or she possibly do? Nothing, but that’s before Hana-chan came along. Developed by Japanese company, Next Technology, Hana-chan is a cute, tiny robotic fido is designed to detect unpleasant odor from a person’s feet. An odor detection sensor, aptly located at the canine’s nose, sniffs out smelly feet. Continue reading Japanese Robot Dog Detects Smelly Feet, Faints If The Smell Is Unbearable
Z-Arm Robotic Arm Is The Closest You’d Get To Tony Stark’s JARVIS
Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man is a fictional character who had many green with envy because he has JARVIS, the sophisticated AI that controls a series of robotic arms that can do pretty much anything. The Hitbot Z-Arm you see here is not that, though, but it is possibly the closest you can get to a JARVIS-like robotic arm right in your humble abode. This desktop-bound Z-Arm does not have JARVIS level of dexterity, but it is nearly as versatile. With a switch of the arm’s tool head, it can be a laser cutter, 3D printer, soldering device, and even work with a handful of Z-Arms to form a part assembly line. But it is not without caveat. Continue reading Z-Arm Robotic Arm Is The Closest You’d Get To Tony Stark’s JARVIS
China’s Giant Monkey Robot Wants To Take On America’s MegaBot
Competitions between countries have officially progressed into the future. As you may have heard, it is confirmed that American’s MegaBot (now Mark III) will go head-to-head with Japan’s very own Kurata mech this month which, to date, we have yet to hear anything about the firm date and venue. Anyways, the folks in China is not going to stand by and watch the fun that is about to happen between the U.S. and Japan. It want some of it too and it was with this desire that inspired some Chinese inventors, collectively called Great Metal and lead by Chinese artist Shiqian Sun, to develop a giant monkey robot named after the Chinese mythical Monkey King. Continue reading China’s Giant Monkey Robot Wants To Take On America’s MegaBot
HEXA Six-legged Spider-like Robot Wants Everyone To Be A Roboticist
This is HEXA, an arachnid-like programmable robot that leverages on six limbs to achieve what its creator claims to possess high maneuverability. HEXA is not a spider; it is two legs short of being a spider, but as far as the demo goes, it is just as maneuverable, if not more maneuverable, than a four-legged robotic spider. HEXA is the brainchild of Beijing-based Vincross who has developed it with mass consumer market in mind. Vincross believes that robots are the next big platform, but due to it (the robots) being inaccessible to the general consumers, be it due to price, the complexity or too simplistic, it has not grown in the consumers as it should have. Continue reading HEXA Six-legged Spider-like Robot Wants Everyone To Be A Roboticist
Festo’s BionicOpter Mimics Dragonfly Flight, Makes You Question Reality
Mankind was once fascinated by the idea of flight. Now that we have achieved it (flight), some companies are still striving to find ways to replicate flight by nature’s creatures. Festo, a German industrial control and automation company, is one such company. We have seen many fascinating examples, including the likes of BionicKangaroo, super life-like seagull and more recently, creepily eery octopus tentacle, coming out of the company’s Neckar research lab. Continue reading Festo’s BionicOpter Mimics Dragonfly Flight, Makes You Question Reality
Are Pole Dancing Robots A Sign Of Future Strip Clubs Would Be?
Calling out all geeks. Do you have a fetish for pole dancing robots? Well, if the answer is yes, then you are in luck my geeky friends! Tobit Software have developed a couple such robots. Yes. You heard that right. Pole dancing robots are a thing (in fact, since 2014). They are real! What a time to be alive! Unfortunately, if Scarlett Johansson is the image you have of a sexy robot gyrating away, holding on to a pole, then you will be sorely disappointed because Tobit Software’s duo of pole dancing robots are, well, just robots. That means, the look is of a robot (duh!). Continue reading Are Pole Dancing Robots A Sign Of Future Strip Clubs Would Be?
Giant Robot Spider ‘Attacked’ Ottawa Catholic Church Invites Frowns
To celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation this week, the city of Ottawa called upon French robotics and puppetry company La Machine to pull an amazing performance which involves a giant spider called Kumo and a mythical dragon, dubbed Long Ma. Rightly, it should be quite a spectacle because after all, it did involved the eight-eyed, water-spraying, 40-ton robotic arachnid slugging out with a robotic dragon, but it did not go down well with many catholics because the said spider not only roamed the street packed with curious onlookers, but it also ‘scaled’ the walls of Ottawa’s Notre Dame Cathedral, perched on top of the church before making its way down. Continue reading Giant Robot Spider ‘Attacked’ Ottawa Catholic Church Invites Frowns
How A DIY Robot Cracked A Safe And How You Can Built One Yourself
You know those fictional high-tech safe cracking devices you see in movies? Well, here’s one in real life. Yes. What you see here is a safe cracking robot made by the team over at SparkFun Electronics. The story went that Seidle’s wife picked up a safe without a combination as his Christmas gift and challenge him to open it. Open it he sure did, but being the founder of the SparkFun, he did not crack it spending hours to ’feeling’ the safe with a stethoscope; instead Seidle with partners-in-crime Rob Reynolds and Joel Bartlett devised a robot that will do the job on his behalf. Continue reading How A DIY Robot Cracked A Safe And How You Can Built One Yourself
LG’s Army Of Airport Robots On Trial At South Korea’s Largest Airport
Good news, people-shy folks. The next time when you head to South Korea’s airport, you will not need to face a real person if you have queries on airport-related matters because LG, one South Korea’s biggest electronics company, has deployed an army of robots to guide you around the airport should the need arise. Two types of robots, Airport Guide Robots and Airport Cleaning Robots, are put on trial since July 21 to assist travelers arriving and departing South Korea head of the 2018 Winter Olympics which will be held at PyeongChang County. Continue reading LG’s Army Of Airport Robots On Trial At South Korea’s Largest Airport