http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/ Engadget Comments for Video: Vstone's Black Ox -- welcome to your destruction Gigantor http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 4:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 5:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 6:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 1:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 6:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 7:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 8:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 8:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/
The robot makes some pretty cool motions though. But how did they get it in the pose for the photo? Can you move the joints yourself or what? ]]>Mar 13th 2008 8:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 8:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 9:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 9:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/GAH! The only gripe I had with it is that the punching motion is a pre-programmed command that executes 3 punches and a right leg slide back to a proper standing position. It doesn't seem to be able to respond to stimulus...but considering the amount of logic that goes into those actuator controllers and stuff...I would say it definitely on the right track...maybe next year I'll have a robot on dino (pleo) fighting action in my house...that'd be freakin' sweet!]]>Mar 13th 2008 9:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 1:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Go to an event like the RoboGames in san francisco and you can see things like this in action. They're pretty capable robots, though most of them use pre-programmed motions to walk instead of using much active balancing information. But yeah, not stop motion, real. Besides, if it was stop motion, you wouldn't hear the guy coughing or the motors moving, ya know?
-Taylor]]>Mar 13th 2008 4:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/
But this thing is koowel.]]>Mar 13th 2008 10:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 11:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/]]>Mar 13th 2008 1:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 12:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 2:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/
Why don't these guys who make these videos actually do something interesting with these bots? It's a minute or two or five of the same boring and/or slow repetitive motions over and over that we've seen ten thousand times where the bots aren't doing anything - certainly not anything interesting.

And when they actually do manage to video them doing something a bit more, like walking, their feet are so slippery on the bottoms that the most of the bots slide all over the place, constantly fall over, and barely make any progress. Haven't any of these guys ever thought of gluing some non-slip rubber or something to the bottom of the feet so these bots can actually grip the surface they're walking on and move without slipping and sliding everywhere? The bots take a 4" step and slide 3" back. I don't get it.

I know some bots are gaining more speed, but they also need to make more of these bots faster. All too often, they're too slow and the bots take too long to do things. I mean, I love robotics, but for a variety of reasons, these vids just bore me to tears.

Months ago, I saw some video on You Tube of a Futaba HPI-G bot that was REALLY fast and flexible. I also saw another vid of a similar bot that was also fast and flexible and practically dancing circles around another competing bot. It was the only video I had seen in years that didn't put me to sleep. Both are examples of the speed and some of the capability I like to see. The best these bots can do is perform fast somersaults of sorts, but they're getting closer to performing backflips. They're not quite there, but they're getting close.

They also need to give these little bots fingers and thumbs so they can actually pick things up and quickly manipulate the objects in a variety of ways - by setting down, swinging, or throwing.

And finally, they need to give the bots more strength. Extra speed and balance can compensate for lack of true power to whatever degree - but I've seen so many bot-wars, and when they swing to attack their opponent, it barely does a thing - it's like a little itty-bitty tap that has little to no effect - makes the fights really boring. I realize there's only so much you could expect from a little bot, but it makes you want the bot to swing harder and produce some actual results.

For me, I just want to see much more real-world progress instead of just arms swinging, or a bunch of scuttling across the floor, or bots falling over. It starts to make you wonder what on earth is actually happening in the world of robotics and what all these little exhibitions are for besides a bunch of geeks and nerds playing with their toys.]]>Mar 13th 2008 2:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/Mar 13th 2008 9:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/13/vstones-black-ox-welcome-to-your-destruction-gigantor/
Dude. It's only an opinion about a boring robot video and a toy that I never cared about to begin with. Chill.]]>Mar 15th 2008 1:35AM