We’ve shown you robots completing various tasks in the past, but this new model, a small hobby humanoid, can ride a bicycle like a human being. It’s not the first of its kind (Murata’s robot and Panasonic’s EVOLTA robot come to mind), but the model that’s pictured on the left costs just US$2,220 in its standard configuration.
Dr. Guero [JP] from Japan modified KHR3HV, a bipedal robot made by Japanese maker KONDO that have been available in many robot stores for years. The humanoid can even stop for a moment and continue riding the bike on his own, which is pretty cool. → Read More
Honda isn’t the only Japanese car maker active in robotics (with Asimo etc.), Toyota has been active in this area for quite some time, too. Big T showcased a total of four robots yesterday, all with the healthcare and nursing markets in mind. It’s not a surprise Japan’s biggest car company is focusing on these areas, as its home country has the oldest society in the world (23% of the population are 65 or older).
Here are the robots Toyota showed during their press conference in Tokyo. → Read More
And we’re another step closer to Robocalypse: researchers at the Nara Institute Of Science And Technology (NAIST) in Tokyo are working on a robot that’s supposed to one day dress humans autonomously. The current prototype, which NAIST says is the world’s first robot of its kind, can help to put a T-shirt on a dummy in about 10 seconds.
What’s interesting is that for the arms, NAIST uses WAM, robots arms with 7 joints that are made by MIT spin off Barrett. According to the institute, the robot comes with 10 high-precision cameras to perform the (for a robot) difficult task and will be improved in the next few years. → Read More
Japan-based Murata caused quite a splash in the tech world with their awesome unicycle humanoids a while back, and now the company is applying the robot technology used in those machines for something that’s not just entertaining to watch. The advanced balancing system in particular is what makes their newly developed “assistance car” so special.
As you can see in the video embedded below, the car stands upright on its own without falling over. Thanks to the built-in power assist system, it just takes one finger to make it move forward or back “automatically”, making Murata think of turning the prototype into a walking aid, baby carriage, or some sort of shopping cart in the future. → Read More
RIBA II is the name of a cute caretaker robot from Japan, which we covered before but now have a professionally made video of. The two-armed robot was developed by Tokai Rubber Industries and RIKEN (a private research institute based out of Tokyo) and is supposed to make life easier for care facility personnel.
RIBA II is able to “gently” lift people (weighing up to 80kg) off the floor and onto a bed, freeing human caretakers of this hard task. His makers say they designed the material that patients get in touch with, especially the arms and hands, to be as soft as possible – thanks to the world’s first capacitance touch sensors made of rubber (see below). → Read More
And we’re one step closer to the Robocalypse: a research team at the Nagoya Institute of Technology has developed a passive robot that can walk on its own. All it needs to get moving is a gentle push – no motors, sensors or even electricity needed. Its legs and ankles are powered by potential energy only.
The makers says the robot is made of aluminum and took 100,000 steps in a row during a test (which lasted 13 hours). The robot is able to carry a payload of “10-20kg” and could be used by people who have trouble walking, for example (it’s possible for humans to “wear” the robot on their legs).
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Using carbon nanotubes, Stanford researchers have been able to create touch-sensitive, gooey skin for AI sensing, prosthetics, and touch-sensitive sex androids. The skin could give robots touch-sensitivity and allow patients to regain feeling in their artificial limbs.
The tubes, when embedded into the plastic skin, act as tiny, compressible springs. These tubes can bend and squeeze as necessary, allowing you to measure the forces applied to almost any material, from “taffy”-like plastic to something like a rubber sponge.
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Do you remember Actroid-F, the super-realistic humanoid that we’ve shown you last year? Her makers, robot venture Kokoro and Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), have apparently been working hard since then to create a “brother” for her.
According to AIST, people kept asking the institute why it only manufactured a female robot, and they not only did that, but also built cameras into the new robot’s eyes to make him look at people (or other robots) while communicating. → Read More
The Japanese have them, the Germans have them, the Vietnamese have them, and now China has them, too: ping pong robots. A team of researchers at Zhejiang University in Eastern China has worked a total of four years to come up with two humanoids that can play ping pong with each other or against human players.
The robots, named Kong and Wu, are 160cm tall, weigh 55kg and feature 30 joints. A high-speed camera that can shoot pictures at 120fps makes sure the robots react in 0.05 to 0.1 seconds and with a precision of 2.5cm to balls coming their way. → Read More
We’ve already shown you Panasonic‘s cool hair-washing robot on video, but the company is currently showcasing two more robots at the CEATEC 2011 tech exhibition in Japan: one is the so-called HOSPI-Rimo (an assistance robot that we covered two weeks ago), the other model is aptly named RoboticBed.
The video below shows the HOSPI-Rimo (Remote Intelligence and Mobility/pictured above) in action at CEATEC 2011. To recap, this medical, mobile robot is supposed to make it easier for bedridden patients to get in touch with doctors or family members who are living far away (“virtual visits”). → Read More
Panasonic took the wraps off a new version of it’s super-strange (and awesome) hair-washing robot at the CEATEC 2011 tech exhibition that currently takes place in Japan (the first version is about one year old). The robot handles the entire process of hair washing autonomously: wetting, shampooing, conditioning and drying.
The new version washes your hair with a total of 24 (instead of just 16) fingers. Panasonic also says they improved the scanning system (the robot scans the head’s shape before it does its magic), allowing for a better “experience”. The old model also lacked the conditioning and drying functions. → Read More
I’m sure all of you remember BigDog, the utterly terrifying biomimetic robot platform that dances over rough terrain on weird legs and makes a sound like it’s full of angry bees. You didn’t think they were going to give up on it, did you? No, it’s been a rousing success apparently, so much so that they decided to build one that outdoes the original in every way.
The AlphaDog, as they’re calling it, was created to be basically the practical version of BigDog, which, while compelling and scary, was too loud and couldn’t carry enough stuff. AlphaDog, on the other hand, can carry 400 pounds of gear for 20 miles in a day, without needing to be refueled. → Read More
We covered quite a few personal assistant robots from Japan in the past, but none of them were labeled as “personal porters”. But now Professor Gen Endo from the Tokyo Institute of Technology has built a unique prototype of a robot that follows the owner around and can carry stuff for them, too.
Owners simply pull the robot with the help of a cord, and the self-propelled, battery-powered robot follows them everywhere. Thanks to a set of 4 wheels (and much like a space exploration rover), the robot can overcome most obstacles in a pedestrian environment. In its current form, the little guy can run for 2,5 hours (5km) on a single charge. → Read More
Panasonic Japan announced [press release in English] the development of the so-called HOSPI-Rimo yesterday, a cute “Communication Assistance Robot” specifically designed for medical use. HOSPI-Rimo (Remote Intelligence and Mobility) is supposed to make it easier for bedridden patients to get in touch with doctors or family members living far away (“virtual visits”).
Technically, the mobile robot is based on the HOSPI, which Panasonic introduced last year. That robot is equipped with four laser range finders, 27 ultrasonic sensors and the ability to change floors in buildings autonomously. → Read More
Japanese tech powerhouse Kawasaki is working on the so-called Power Assist Suit, a wearable robot that helps humans carry objects weighing 30-40kg without any effort from the muscles. The suit is actually one of quite a few similar models currently available in Japan.
The Kawasaki robot features a total of four motors in the parts covering the hips and knees (see picture below). The control unit and lithium battery are placed in the part placed around the lower back.
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And we’re yet another step closer to the Robocalypse: mini humanoid Nao (pronounced “Now”), which was first shown back in 2005, can now walk to a charging station whenever his battery is running low to get more power – all by himself.
Nao’s maker, Paris-based Aldebaran, has designed him to be a mix of autonomous and programmable robot, but so far, Nao had to be charged by its human master manually.
Aldebaran has developed a charging station specifically for their flagship robot, the so-called NEST (NAO Energy Station), and plans to roll it out to existing Nao owners soon. After he’s done charging himself, Nao can unplug himself autonomously, too. → Read More
I popped into the Microsoft tent at Maker Faire yesterday and spied the new Robotics Developer Studio 4, a beta product that allows programmers to control robotic platforms from within Windows. Microsoft is focusing on the software for these robots and will depend on outside vendors to produce hobbyist and production systems for those who want to give things a try.
The program also features a simulator that allows you to send your robot out into the virtual world in order to see how it will react in certain situations. A company called Parallax will sell the robot kits in October, namely their clever little $999 robot named Eddie. Eddie requires a laptop and Kinect unit to run correctly. The Kinect gives Eddie stereo vision and voice sensing capabilities while the laptop runs his brain. → Read More
I reviewed the Mint floor cleaning robot just about a year ago, and found it a delightful little device as long as you know what you’re getting. While it doesn’t have the capabilities of the Neato (or Smarbo) or the fire-and-forget simplicity of the Roomba, it’s great for hardwood floors, and it’s quiet, compact, and cute.
Evolution Robotics has put together an upgraded model of the little guy, and while it’s not bringing it to Roboking Triple Eye levels, it does make the device more practical for multi-room houses. → Read More
In honor of the Iron Man Triathlon in Hawaii, Panasonic has created a tiny EVolt mascot that will run, swim, and bike the course’s full 142 miles in about a week. The teeny little robot will run on EVolt batteries and, since he’s 10 times smaller than a human, he gets to take much longer to finish the course.
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Panasonic sure knows how to promote their EVOLTA brand of rechargeable batteries: first, a cute mini robot powered by the batteries hoisted itself up a 500 meter-cliff at Grand Canyon, then an EVOLTA robot took on the Le Mans 24 circuit in France, before traveling 500KM from Tokyo to Kyoto last year.
And now Panasonic announced [JP] plans to let the little guy start at the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii on October 24 (the company is to launch a line of improved EVOLTA batteries next month). In other words, the robot is supposed to swim 2.4 miles, ride a bike for 112 miles before running a marathon (26.2 miles) – all powered by EVOLTA batteries. → Read More
