Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget 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/<![CDATA[DIY telepresence robot uses PrimeSense Kinect drivers for extremely awkward push-ups (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/03/diy-telepresence-robot-uses-primesense-kinect-drivers-for-extrem/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/03/diy-telepresence-robot-uses-primesense-kinect-drivers-for-extrem/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/03/diy-telepresence-robot-uses-primesense-kinect-drivers-for-extrem/#comments
From enhancing your WoW game to putting you in Tom Hanks's shoes, DIYers the world o'er really do seem to love Kinect. And what do we have here? Taylor Veltrop's Veltrobot remote telepresence 'bot uses the PrimeSense open source Kinect drivers for tracking the user's skeleton, with a modified Kondo KHR-1HV mirroring the operator's movements (which are received via 802.11n WiFi). Right now he is only controlling the arms, but with any luck we should be seeing complete control over all the robot's movements soon enough. Once the thing is finalized, Veltrop plans on releasing an open source development kit. And then? That's right: robot avatars for everyone!

Continue reading DIY telepresence robot uses PrimeSense Kinect drivers for extremely awkward push-ups (video)

DIY telepresence robot uses PrimeSense Kinect drivers for extremely awkward push-ups (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diydriverhackhacksKHR-1HVkinectKondoKondo KHR-1HVKondoKhr-1hvmodopen sourceopenniOpenSourceprimesenseproject natalProjectNatalrobotrosside kickside-kickSideKickTaylor VeltropTaylorVeltroptelepresenceveltrobotvideowillow garageWillowGarageMon, 03 Jan 2011 14:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Man builds master-slave control suit for robot; master plays tennis, slave makes funny faces]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/08/man-builds-master-slave-control-suit-for-robot-robot-plays-tenn/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/08/man-builds-master-slave-control-suit-for-robot-robot-plays-tenn/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/08/man-builds-master-slave-control-suit-for-robot-robot-plays-tenn/#commentsMan builds master-slave control suit for robot; robot plays tennis, slave makes funny faces
The robot in the video below doesn't swallow humans or look particularly daemonic; as a matter of fact it looks perfectly subservient. User rodmanLT over at the RoboSavvy forums has created this master-slave suit consisting of a dozen "big fat" potentiometers, apparent leftovers from the Soviet Cold War military might. The armbands and associated tethers allow the operator to control the upper-torso of a Kondo KHR-1HV, even engaging in some tennis and a quick game of Catch the Tigger. See for yourself after the break, then hit the read link for some earlier testing vids. Surely a robotic interpretation of Twentieth-Century Vole's iconic The Semaphore Version of Wuthering Heights can't be far away.

Continue reading Man builds master-slave control suit for robot; master plays tennis, slave makes funny faces

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Man builds master-slave control suit for robot; master plays tennis, slave makes funny faces originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cold warColdWarkhr-1hvkondokondo khr-1hvKondoKhr-1hvmaster-slavepotentiometerTue, 08 Sep 2009 08:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: Blaser tournament unwisely fits Japanese robots with lasers -- PEW PEW]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/24/blaser-tournament-japanese-robots-battle-with-laser-beams/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/24/blaser-tournament-japanese-robots-battle-with-laser-beams/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/24/blaser-tournament-japanese-robots-battle-with-laser-beams/#comments
Look Japan, we know you love your robots but is it really prudent to equip them with frigging laser beams? Why not just hand them maps to our vital organs and special hoses to juice our babies? You're looking at an actual photo from the Blazer tournament held this week in Fukuoka City, Japan. The competition fitted Kondo's KHR-1HV with lasers and sensors and then let the teams battle it out in a mock-up city. We truly are the makers of our own doom.

Update: Video added after the break, pew pew... pew-pew, pew.

[Thanks, HolyMary]

Continue reading Video: Blaser tournament unwisely fits Japanese robots with lasers -- PEW PEW

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Video: Blaser tournament unwisely fits Japanese robots with lasers -- PEW PEW originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blaserjapankhr-1hvkondolaserrobotvideoThu, 24 Apr 2008 01:23:00 EST<![CDATA[Kondo's KHR-1HV put through its paces, ain't no faker]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/12/kondos-khr-1hv-put-through-its-paces-aint-no-faker/http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/12/kondos-khr-1hv-put-through-its-paces-aint-no-faker/http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/12/kondos-khr-1hv-put-through-its-paces-aint-no-faker/#comments
We'll spare you the excruciating detail: KHR-1HV + hip-swivel = good times. Whereas KHR-1HV's predecessors, the KHR-1 and KHR-2HV had plenty of robo-kit goodness going for them, the KHR-1HV really takes things to a whole new level, allowing for a much closer approximation to human walk, specifically that whole "turning" thing us Homo sapiens are so fond of. You'll also be glad to know that the KHR-1HV has a beefier battery, for extended circular jaunts, and the kit assembly is hardly complicated by the fancy new hip servos. The shoulder servos have been beefed up as well, allowing for a 270 degree range of motion compared to the former 180 degrees, but the new motors combined with that new battery pack do make the bot a bit top-heavy. Still, the 1HV is all-in-all a pretty good upgrade to the Kondo lineup, and while current owners of the KHR-1 or 2HV don't necessarily need to drop everything right now and buy one, we know they'll be jealous all the same. Make sure to peep the read link for some action vids.

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Kondo's KHR-1HV put through its paces, ain't no faker originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Dec 2006 13:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>khr-1hvkondoreviewrobotrobot kitRobotKitTue, 12 Dec 2006 13:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Kondo adds pivot to KHR-1HV biped robot kit]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/28/kondo-adds-pivot-to-khr-1hv-biped-robot-kit/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/28/kondo-adds-pivot-to-khr-1hv-biped-robot-kit/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/28/kondo-adds-pivot-to-khr-1hv-biped-robot-kit/#comments When we first spotted this mild Kondo update to its KHR-1 bot, we weren't too incredibly excited, but after watching a couple of TiVoed episodes of Dancing with the Stars -- you know, to get the creative juices flowing -- we realized the incredible destructive and will-bending capacity of a dancing robot, something the KHR-1 is particularly suited for with its fancy new pivoting hip joints. That's about all this new bot kit has going for it, so if your KHR-1 or KHR-2HV is fueling your passion for robotic world domination just fine, we don't seem much of a reason to spring the 126,000 yen (about $1,091 US) for a pair of Emmitt Smith-aping hips, but at least you've got the option now, yeah?

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Kondo adds pivot to KHR-1HV biped robot kit originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>khr-1hvkondoTue, 28 Nov 2006 12:56:00 EST