iCub gets upgraded with tinier hands, better legs
We’re pretty familiar with iCub — the humanoid robot modeled on a two year old — around here. Just because we know him well, though, doesn’t really change the fact that we get the slightest chill running down our spine every time we’re reminded of his existence. Well, iCub’s getting an upgrade which includes newer, lighter legs which will be more impervious to damage, and smaller hands. That’s right, the youngster, who is about toddler-sized, has had until now, the hands of an eight-year old: pretty embarrassing for the little fellow. The new hands are the right size, and have the correct dexterity as well. Regardless, he’s still a little creepy, but as you’ll see in the video after the break, impressive none the less.Continue reading iCub gets upgraded with tinier hands, better legs
iCub gets upgraded with tinier hands, better legs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Kojiro humanoid goes musculoskeletal in a big way
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We just found a new friend. Kojiro, a humanoid being built by the University of Tokyo’s JSK Robotics Laboratory, has a detailed musculoskeletal system built to mimic the human body. It works on a system of artificial bones, muscles and tendons to create a robot that is theoretically more light and agile than your regular bot, and which moves in a more organic fashion to our untrained eyes. The bot has motors which pull cables that simulate the method which muscles and tendons interact, and has about 100 tendon-muscle structures, giving it 60 degrees of freedom — more than an average rotary joint bot like Asimo (34 degrees, last time we checked). The robot shaves weight with its lighter, plastic materials and small brushless motors. The idea is to make a robot that’s more people friendly by not being substantially heavier or more rigid than a human it might come into contact with. Of course, that’s not the only perk of a bot built like this: the human-style flexible and twistable spine gives Kojiro all sorts of abilities that your regular bot is just too straight-spined for. Like the limbo, for instance. The big difficulty here is that all the motion and flexibility means Kojiro is a big chore to program, and there’s an army of gyros, accelerometers and force sensors embedded throughout the bot to help it learn its balance. Currently they’re working with an iterative learning process to get small motions down until Kojiro can eventually manage more complex motions like sitting motionless at a desk for nine hours on a Saturday, tending to FarmVille. Check out a video of Kojiro in limited action after the break.
Continue reading Kojiro humanoid goes musculoskeletal in a big way
Kojiro humanoid goes musculoskeletal in a big way originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
HUMAVIPS project could lead to humanoids with social skills, humans being tricked
You don’t think the Robot Apocalypse is upon us, but we assure you, it is. The HUMAVIPS project, which will span three years and hopefully result in robots being developed with “social skills,” may seem innocent — even beneficial — at first blush, but let’s think about it. Will “humanoids with auditory and visual abilities in populated spaces” have more power than you, as an Earthling, would like? If all goes well, these robotic dudes and dudettes will be able to mimic what’s known as the “cocktail party effect,” which is better explained as “the human ability to focus attention on just one person in the midst of other people, voices and background noise.” So yeah, this definitely goes two ways — on one hand, you could finally have a live-in robot that pays attention to your feelings as the world around you crumbles, but on the other, these guys won’t have any issue overlooking your wailing when it’s them bringing everything down. Yikes.
HUMAVIPS project could lead to humanoids with social skills, humans being tricked originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Fujisoft’s PALRO humanoid robot in the running to be our new best bud
Fujisoft’s recently taken the wraps off its latest companion bot, and they call this one PALRO. PALRO’s 39 centimeters tall (just over a foot), and boasts a 1.6GHz CPU Intel Atom CPU, 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of flash memory, a 3 MP camera, Wi-Fi, 802.11 b/g/n, and a lithium ion battery to top it all off. He’s also equipped with a 3 megapixel webcam, but don’t worry — his specs don’t make him unapproachable. As you’ll see in the video which is after the break, PALRO’s probably the kind of guy that you could spend a lot of time with… but see for yourself. Fujisoft plans to start shipping units in March for 300,000 yen (that’s about $3,300 ). Hit up the source link for a lot more video.
Continue reading Fujisoft’s PALRO humanoid robot in the running to be our new best bud
Fujisoft’s PALRO humanoid robot in the running to be our new best bud originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Proto-2 humanoid robot auditions for Thunderbirds 2.0
Proto-2 humanoid robot auditions for Thunderbirds 2.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Meet Diego-san, the latest robot baby to haunt your nightmares
Meet Diego-san, the latest robot baby to haunt your nightmares originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Caption contest: Optimus Prime moonlights as clothes dryer
What does a superpowered Transformer do in his spare time — you know, when he’s not too busy starring in some of the worst written pieces of escapist cinema? Well, for one Taiwanese fella, there’s nothing Optimus Prime likes doing more than supporting a bamboo stick used for hanging washed clothes. Seriously, the dude spent $1,600 on scrap metal, built a 14-foot model of his son’s favorite mech superhero, and now has it serving as a spectacularly ornamental pivot for his washing. Classy. Oh, and video after the break.
Richard Lai: [pumps up hydraulics] “Why hello there, cute little red car…”
Tim: “Autobots, spin cycle!”
Thomas: “Transformers: Revenge of the Snuggle Bear.”
Darren: “Man, it’s chilly out today. Wait — these aren’t my threads! RAWWRRRR!”
Paul: “Oh, sure, Shia said he’ll be ‘right back.’ I hate that kid.”
Josh F.: “Do these windows make me look fat?”
Laura: “Get Michael Bay on the phone. Immediately.”
Joanna: “Mommm, bathroom!”
Chris: “After nine years, Johnny 5 finally admits that he’d been juicing.”
Joe: “There’s not much more to this than meets the eye… sadly.”
Don: “You think this is impressive? Wait until you see Voltron mowing my lawn.”
Josh T.: “I need something to do until Transformers 3 rolls around. This cocaine isn’t going to buy itself.”
Continue reading Caption contest: Optimus Prime moonlights as clothes dryer
Caption contest: Optimus Prime moonlights as clothes dryer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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