http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/ Engadget Comments for 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/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
Neat! Looks like it'd be fun to play with. I wonder what they use to code it.]]>Jul 8th 2010 2:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
It's also less annoying than most pets because it has no ass.]]>Jul 8th 2010 2:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Right on with no ass comment. You won't have to clean or pick up poop!]]>Jul 8th 2010 3:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/no but you will probably need to clean sand out of it XD

other than that it looked EPIC cute :P]]>Jul 8th 2010 3:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 4:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Its the bay of pigs all over again. They should make those legs able to turn into wheels. It would make for a smoother and stealthier bot. Could have some interesting military applications as well..]]>Jul 8th 2010 9:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/The original RHex robot did have that capability, but it proved to be too complex to be reliable.
Check out this video of the original RHex robot. you will see the adjustable wheel legs at 3:11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dilEgVu-6fw]]>Jul 8th 2010 10:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/The original Rugged-RHex appears at 3:37.]]>Jul 8th 2010 10:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
After watching that video, it seems a pretty darn awesome all terrain vehicle thing. Kinda cute, too, to be honest.]]>Jul 8th 2010 2:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
Congratulations! You succeeded in linking even the most remotely possible post to Apple/Steve, somehow!

]]>Jul 8th 2010 2:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 6:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 9:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/this is one "you can run, but you can't hide" type robot]]>Jul 10th 2010 12:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Skynet hunting fish? Wouldn't that make it a Fishnet...]]>Jul 12th 2010 11:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/(knock, knock)
- Who's there?
- Candy gram.
- You can't fool me. You're that AQUA2 robot!
- ...Flowers...]]>Jul 8th 2010 2:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/If this is a robot, why isn’t a remote control car or remote control airplane a robot? Aren’t Robots supposed to be autonomous?
]]>Jul 8th 2010 2:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
Because it isn't just a remote control "thing." It appears to be autonomous and can do things like seek QR codes (or something similar) shown to it.]]>Jul 8th 2010 2:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
hmm actually they say it's tethered yet they show it seeking. Does not compute.]]>Jul 8th 2010 2:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Many people still refer to not-really-autonomous devices as 'robots'. Even if this one is remote-controlled, you can also have partial autonomy where a robot makes some decisions itself but leaves harder decisions to a remote operator. (For example, you could have a human operator looking at the camera feed and clicking on an area of interest to navigate towards, but the robot figuring out how to navigate the currents to get there smoothly, capable of avoiding obstacles if something suddenly swims in the way, etc.)

Leaving that aside, though, given that they specifically demonstrated gesture recognition and following, I would assume this is a feature of the device. It's not very impressive if 'gesture recognition' means a remote operator can look through the camera and spot you putting two fingers up...

Possibly it has both autonomous and remote-control modes?]]>Jul 8th 2010 6:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 2:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
The robot has a head. It is just part of the body. Come on Laura think outside the box.]]>Jul 8th 2010 2:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 3:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
Search? Yes. Rescue? Well, at least it can find things underwater.]]>Jul 9th 2010 7:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 3:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 3:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 3:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
not sure what to do with my army of baby minions, but pretty sure it ends in $$PROFIT$$! ]]>Jul 8th 2010 3:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 3:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Exactly. Build a giant one that can stand the pressure of being a mile deep, attach a giant rubber cork to it and go plug that well. You can call it the Big Prick (or BP for short).]]>Jul 8th 2010 4:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
http://www.bostondynamics.com/robot_rhex.html]]>Jul 8th 2010 4:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
Huh... it's the SAME robot! What gives?]]>Jul 8th 2010 5:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/
Ohhhh. So the ACTUAL story is that they've taken an existing remote-controlled 'robot', and added image processing software so that it can behave autonomously?

Maybe?]]>Jul 8th 2010 6:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/where 'autonomously' is defined as 'so long as it's connected to the big-arse computer back on the boat', of course.]]>Jul 8th 2010 6:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/They are both from the same family of robots. The designs are both derived from the RHex robot.]]>Jul 8th 2010 10:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/The robot is being developed with increasing levels of autonomy. The link is often used mainly to relay images to the surface.]]>Jul 8th 2010 10:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 5:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Jul 8th 2010 6:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/aqua2-amphibious-robot-is-super-cute-and-fast-less-annoying-tha/Both the current Boston Dynamics robot and this one are direct descendants of the original Rugged-RHex robot that was developed at McGill. Rugged-RHex was developed to primarily move on land, while being immersible, AQUA was designed to operate a deeper depths while maintaining land mobility.]]>Jul 8th 2010 10:06PM