Sure, you could argue that this 6″ tall ASIMO action figure is only 1/8 the bot that the real ASIMO is, but mini-ASIMO would beg to differ. It’s the heart and soul of a robot that really matter! Everything else is just scrap metal.
The time for us to have a real ASIMO bot in our home will eventually come, but for now, I’d settle for the miniature. Oh, and ladies, he’s robotomically correct!
My buddy Peter Wang made this path finding robot using a PIC16F876 chip. The interface is done with WinPic software uploaded via serial port. The robot detects obstacles in its path, moves towards them and then avoids them by going around them or by going in the opposite direction. It’s run by four AA batteries which power three motors and a 9V battery to power the chip. A motion sensor attached to a servo allows the sensor to scan both 90 degrees left and right. Bumpers made from switches allow the bot to detect collisions and thus avoid disastrous crashes. We’re using it to chase my dog around the house as I write this.
We’ve seen robots controlled by all kinds of applications. From your standard remote control to innovative path finding methods, robots are sharing more and more traits with their creators. Take this latest bot based upon the LEGO NXT system. Using multiple webcams, software analyzes video of your pupils staring in a specific direction and then sends the robot in the same direction.
Yes, this is a robot controlled by eye movement and private eyes. With this design, simple actions such as blinking, moving your head, staring off in to a distance or making any other distinctive facial motions are capable of controlling robots hands-free. A robot that can travel to where my eyes stare? Think of the possibilities!
Is this a spy cam created by the military or is it Batman’s latest gadget? Of course it’s a piece of technology made by the military; Batman is a fictitious comic book character. The Army has awarded the University of Michigan College of Engineering a five year $10 million dollar grant to develop this robotic spy plane which bears an uncanny resemblance to a bat.
It’s called the COM-BAT and it’s concept was conceived by the US military for the purpose of gathering real-time data for soldiers. The folks behind the design are also huge fans of The Dark Knight. It’s a six-inch surveillance device that is powered by solar, wind and vibrations. So much for my idea of bat droppings as fuel.
We don’t get the chance to see many snakebots. There’s the Japanese M-Tran, a shape shifting robot, but that hardly counts as a snakebot. Anna Konda, however, is very much a snakebot. Despite looking and acting very similarly to a penis, Anna is really a firefighter.
Anna has 20 joints, each with 33 degrees of freedom, giving it an extensive range of movement. What makes Anna such a stalwart firefighter is not only does it shoot water, it’s powered by water. Each joint module contains hydraulic valves and cylinders capable of handling up to 1450 PSI of water pressure. The downside is, Anna will never go wireless. Fire hoses aren’t wireless, are they?
No one likes doing yard work. It’s tedious and leaves those awful grass stains on your clothes. So, why not build a robot that enjoys cutting the grass as much as you enjoy building robots? Robotshop.se is providing all the essentials needed to build your very own autonomous mowing robot. A complete lawnbot kit comes with everything you need for around $700, making it one of the most expensive lawnmowers you’ve ever owned. At least it’ll be one of your own making, bringing with it a whole new feeling of self-accomplishment and a nice looking lawn to boot.
The practical uses for unmanned aerial vehicles are proving limitless. Once used for espionage and photography, these airborne spy bots just fell victim to a role reversal: they’ve gone from spy to medic. Well, while they don’t exactly heal wounds out on the battlefield, they do provide air transport for supplies needed in dire situations. Think of them as carrier bots.
The South African National Health Laboratory Service has been testing prototype UAVs designed to transport testing materials and medical supplies to communities that are too much of a burden for ground delivery. These robotic carrier pigeons are pre-programmed using GPS and microelectronic gyroscopes to guide them to their destination and can even handle themselves in windy conditions. After all, a little turbulence never hurt any blood mid-transit.
Sure, watching the most impressive athletes in the world sprint a 500M is probably the most entertaining thing you’ve see in a long while, save for these racing robots from the the annual Robot Athletic Meet in Tokyo’s Akihabara district.
Check out the robot on the left. He’s playing for keeps. It might appear as if it’s falling over due to his unstable infrastructure but, in actuality, it is ready to bulldoze Mr. Goody-two-shoes over on the right. And don’t think he won’t be able to topple him over, either. He’s got those bitchin’ tonfas on his robot arms. Could he be a ninja robot? Inconceivable.
Editor’s Note: The one on the right looks like Ryan.
Happen to be in the New York City area? Then check out the robots on display at the City Foundry, 365 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. These robot sculptures were created by Gordon Bennett out of a mixture of random objects found which are both old and new. These aren’t robotic bartenders trying to get you drunk so they can take advantage of you. No, they’re more on par with the felt robots, they just sit there and look pretty.
Bennett is even willing to sell some of the robot sculptures, if you give him an offer he can’t refuse. The sculptures are going from anywhere between $750 to $6000. That’s a lot for an old battery tester with legs.
Remember that R/C Tortoise and the Swashbot, from the folks at Crabfu? They’re still hard at it, coming up with some awesome new robots. The latest on the line is the Putter Bot, a remote-controlled golfing robot. Actually, make that putting robot as I doubt this little guy is capable of a long drive without a driver. Getting through the rough wouldn’t be too hard though, with the two servos this thing has for powering the tracks.
In any case, this bot is sticking to mini-putt, which we all know is more fun than regular golf anyways. No business deals to be made, just all fun and games. That is, until someone loses an eye or this robot loses its light.
