DARwIn IIIx RoboCup entrant gets shown off on video

We caught sight of the very first DARwIn soccer-playing robot way back when, but the folks at Virginia Tech's Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory unsurprisingly haven't been resting on their laurels all this time, and they're now out there showing off the bot's latest incarnation, which they hope will lead 'em to victory in the next RoboCup competition. Dubbed the DARwIn IIIx, this one apparently uses some of the same technology developed for Virgina Tech's DARPA Urban Challenge entry, known as "Odin," and is a complete redesign over the previous DARwIn IIx model, boasting an improved range of motion and a whole host of software upgrades that promise to improve its perception and let it better adapt to different lighting conditions, among other things. Head on past the break to check out the (unfortunately auto-playing) video.

[dan! @ Oct 13th 2008 9:05PM]

ohh im so cool i mad a robot that knows how to play with balls in different lighting conditions

[Colonel Panic @ Oct 13th 2008 9:27PM]

Oh, you did? Well, Dan, show him to us and put him in an international competition that is paving the way for more advanced robots that could save lives. If you were injured at night and the robot couldn't see you because of research like this, then you could be in mortal danger. But keep up your research!

[/sarcasm]

[John H. @ Oct 13th 2008 9:11PM]

boy news is slow lately

[lawyer bird @ Oct 13th 2008 9:11PM]

i like the realistic swaying motion when it rotates and the arm swings. I actually got into an argument with a guy I work with last night about robots. I said I wanted to get into AI and behavior modeling etc etc. He said he couldn't see the applications for realistic A.I. nor robotics in the future. I was like, are you serious?!

[GoCarnivore @ Oct 13th 2008 9:24PM]

lawl, the robot believes in evolution... what a noob.

[noyp @ Oct 13th 2008 10:12PM]

Where's GoVegan? I want to see his/her point of view.

[GoCarnivore @ Oct 14th 2008 12:39AM]

Unfortunately, GoVegan may have been hospitalized for malnutrition, or worse.

[chickenator @ Oct 13th 2008 10:31PM]

powered by Palm IIIx

[eric @ Oct 13th 2008 10:36PM]

Darwin is a part of RoMeLa at VT

http://www.me.vt.edu/romela/RoMeLa/RoMeLa.html

More robots: http://www.me.vt.edu/romela/RoMeLa/Robots.html

[webon @ Oct 14th 2008 3:15AM]

why is the video playing, I didnt play the video, why is it playing,... whos there?... hello... Im afraid now.

[NimbRo @ Oct 14th 2008 1:10PM]

A video of the RoboCup 2008 Humanoid Final, NimbRo vs. Team Osaka, is here:

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=iMM_XQXJUUc