This is not the first sticky-treaded robotank, but it’s the first one that can manage to go around corners and make that tricky transition from horizontal to vertical. The somewhat unfortunately named “Tailless Timing Belt Climbing Platform” (or TBCP-11) comes from Simon Frasier University way up there in Canada. It weighs 240 grams, and has n... continue reading
The latest version of HAL(Hybrid assistive Limb) is displayed at the Japan Robot Week exhibition in Tokyo. The body suit manufactured by Cyberdyne, which is the brainchild of Yoshiyuki Sankai, can be used by the workers at the Fukushima plant. The plant which witnessed one of the worst nuclear disasters, is being cleaned up by workers wearing of... continue reading
Jumping offers a way for very small robots to get over very large obstacles using a minimal amount of energy. It’s tricky, though, because while the first jump might be pretty easy, subsequent jumps depend on the ability of the robot to right itself, aim, and go again. That’s essentially three separate subsystems, but since you’re only ever us... continue reading
We’ve seen all kinds of crazy jumping robots, from humanoids to grasshoppers to soft and flexible spheres. But when you start making small robots, like _seriously _small robots (on the millimeter scale), you have to find new ways to get them to jump, and the Army Research Laboratory has teamed up with the University of Maryland to develop a co... continue reading
DARPA has just approved for public release a video of this awesome project: a fully controllable robot arm that can be inflated and deflated like a balloon. The AIRarm is lightweight, inexpensive, and stows compactly. It’s inflated and deflated with an on-board pump, and uses actuators and strings to move its joints without embedded motors. W... continue reading
It’s time once again for the awesome, fun-filled and now famous Annual Kolkata Workshop organised by Technology Robotix Society. Like every time, this year’s workshop, is shaping up to be quite the show. Painstakingly made presentations are used to give the crowd a full introduction to the fundamentals of autonomous robotics and image processing... continue reading
Networks of autonomous robots will someday transform warfare,but significant hurdles remain. Two small planes fly low over a village,methodically scanning the streets below. Within minutes, they spot their target near the edge of town. With no way to navigate through the streets, they radio for help. Soon after, a metallic blue SUV begins mov... continue reading
Silicon Valley is known for its software, semiconductor, and Internet companies. Can it become a high-tech nexus for robotics too? “Yes,” says Rich Mahoney, director of robotics at SRI International, in Menlo Park, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley. And to make sure that people know it, he and his colleagues at SRI, along with local robo... continue reading
We recently came across a really awesome project using the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT and the Raspberry Pi: The PiBot Raspberry Pi NXT Robot. Flypig.co.uk has released pictures, some code, and a quick explanation of how they combined the Raspberry Pi and the NXT. The Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized computer sold for about $25. It’s an amazing ... continue reading
Hector is a robot designed to assist elderly people who suffer from mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Developed as part of the CompanionAble project by researchers at the Smart Homes foundation in the Netherlands. Herjan van den Heuvel of Smart Homes writes: "The developed care robot acts as a coach and companion, and supports the user by means... continue reading