Automation -- Engadget

automation posts

Video: ABB FlexPicker replaces human pancake pickers with amazing effect

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 30th 2009 at 4:08AM

Mmm, pancakes. While moms might be responsible for giving us our first taste, it's the humble robot that makes these golden-brown discs of battered splendor available for mass market binging. A promotional video from ABB Robotics shows how its FlexPicker robots installed at a HoneyTop foods facility can accelerate production while simultaneously improving hygienic conditions. Four gigabit Ethernet cameras are mounted in front of each robot to locate the pancakes running down the conveyor belt. Software allows the bots to recognize and grab overlapping pancakes and then stack the 'cakes for easy packing. A software reconfig allows for quick production changes from pancakes to pretty much anything the robot can grasp including Soylent Green ration wafers. The video starts slow, but delivers with an impressive 400 pancakes per minute sorting routine -- see it after the break.

[Via Make:]

Continue reading Video: ABB FlexPicker replaces human pancake pickers with amazing effect

Festo shows off robot penguins and other visions of the future

by Donald Melanson posted Apr 18th 2009 at 8:14PM

The folks at Festo have already proven themselves to be more than adept some intoxicating, slightly unnerving feats of robotics, but they look to have really outdone themselves with their latest group of creations, which all fall under the banner of the company's Bionic Learning Network. While they're all certainly impressive, the real star is undoubtedly the AquaPenguin which, in addition to being creepily realistic, is fully autonomous and even able to outperform its real-life counterpart in a few tasks, like swimming backwards. Of course, Festo apparently couldn't help themselves and also built a flying, blimp-like AirPenguin, and they applied some of the same basic technology to a number of other devices, including a robot arm that's precise enough to change a lightbulb, and a freestanding interactive wall that's sure to spruce up any lobby. Hit up the YouTube link below for a video that provides a brief overview of the whole lot, or head on over to Festo's site for the even better German version (plus some additional details on the projects themselves).

Read - YouTube, "Festo Bionic Learning Network 2009"
Read - Festo

[Thanks, Gunter]

Robots to perform menial tasks by 2025, write for Engadget quite a bit sooner

by Jacob Schulman posted Nov 30th 2008 at 5:01AM

While robots have certainly been around for a spell doing things like sweeping your floors and conducting symphonies, up till now they haven't been "human enough" to replace actual people. According to a new report from the National Intelligence Council, however, they should be up to the task by 2025. The report goes as far as saying that an influx of robo-workers could even "disrupt unskilled labor markets" and occupy jobs currently performed by migrant workers and hapless high school students. Additionally, the report asserts that new technologies could be used to augment human abilities as well, taking on jobs such as caring for the elderly. Unfortunately, the report had no word on the progress of synthetic saliva glands for the inevitable robo-waiter, so no need to fret -- yet.

[Image courtesy of benefisho]

Zappos hires robots to take over inventory floor

by Darren Murph posted Jun 28th 2008 at 5:33AM

Just think -- Zappos has been shipping out shoes .9284 minutes after you order them for years with mere humans running the show. Now, your new kicks will likely be at your doorstep moments after you think of ordering them. Said e-tailer has just completed implementation of Kiva Systems' Mobile Fulfillment System, which will see "a fleet of Kiva's mobile robotic drive units and inventory storage pods" hit the company's Shepherdsville, Kentucky facility. The move is being made to keep its distribution system in tip-top shape even with the addition of new products outside of just footwear, and unless some of those mechs grow a mind of their own, we'd say things should pan out just fine.

[Via CNET]

Electronic House picks Home of the Year 2008 winners, we drool

by Darren Murph posted May 1st 2008 at 11:14AM

Here it is: the hotly anticipated list of best homes as selected by Electronic House. Interestingly enough, this year's winners are quite different than the champs of 2007, and we suspect all that talk of green these days has something to do with it. Yep, for the first time ever, an "energy-efficient, sustainable" home snagged the highly-coveted gold, but make no mistake, this domicile is packed to the gills with electronic goodness (some of which actually helps keep energy waste down). Even if that doesn't pique your interest, EH has selected a plethora of other swank abodes to highlight, including the best home theater, a pimped out yacht and cribs with hidden treasures. Go on, get lost in the pages upon pages of snapshots and descriptions below -- and feel free to brag in comments if your pad wound up a winner.

Walking Chair tests your dedication to laziness, extravagance

by Evan Blass posted Jan 25th 2008 at 9:34AM

Anyone can go into Office Depot and pick up a rolling desk seat for fifty bucks, but it takes a truly lazy individual to shell out almost $22,000 for a chair that very slowly "walks" you into proper working position. Actually, we doubt that the commercially-available Walking Chair from Vienna-based design studio Walking Things is really built for sitting; it's more likely meant as a showpiece for the ridiculous amount of disposable income you're pulling in. Each minimalist eight-legged unit is hand-assembled upon order, meaning that you'll need to wait at least six weeks to show your friends how very little €15,000 ($21,906) mean to you.

[Via Slashgear]

The internet-enabled coffee maker

by Joshua Topolsky posted Sep 13th 2007 at 9:31AM

Finally you can get your coffee served up just the way you like it... via the internet. Thanks to some caffeine-loving DIY'ers, you can now whip up (or at least serve) a cup of steaming-hot espresso from across the room, or across the Atlantic (though, why would you make a cup of coffee if you won't be able to drink it while it's hot?). Regardless, inspired by Larry Masinter's circa-1998 Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol, and utilizing the O2M8 WebBrick (a controller designed for automation in houses), the gang was able to put together a solution for coffee making that has been heretofore unseen, though (we suspect) desperately needed. Check the link to see all the percolating action unfold.

[Via Hacked Gadgets]

THX developing automated audio-video adjustment tech

by Erik Hanson posted Jul 20th 2007 at 2:41PM

Little known fact: THX was founded by Star Wars director George Lucas in 1983 to help theater owners adjust their auditoriums for maximum impact -- and in doing so became an iconic brand for AV technology, even if no one really knew what THX is or does. Well, the company is now using that expertise to take on a new home theater challenge: automatically balancing audio and video levels. While THX-certified receivers, screens, and speakers are nothing new, what THX has under development could help ensure even the least technology-savvy users get the most from their gear. While details are slim at this point, think about how HDMI connectors can send technical details between source units and televisions to set optimal resolutions or audio formats. The project, code-named Blackbird, will supposedly work with the equipment directly on a movie-by-movie basis to adjust levels and tweak all those many options and levels you set and forget. Now, if we can just get this tech to do something about people connecting their high-def sets up correctly in the first place.

Netgear, Ubiquisys develop femtocell residential gateway

by Darren Murph posted Jun 26th 2007 at 5:23PM

It wouldn't be too surprising to see a networking firm and a developer of intelligent 3G femtocell access points work in harmony to crank out a dazzling all-in-one contraption, and it looks like Netgear and Ubiquisys have done just that. Aiming to simultaneously enable mobile operators to provide enhanced cellular coverage in the home and allow consumers to access and control a range of home networking services via standard 3G handsets, the two have joined forces to stuff Ubiquisys' ZoneGate into future Netgear WAPs. The currently unnamed solution will reportedly pack an integrated DSL modem, WiFi, VoIP, and 3G femtocell technology into a single box, and while it's not scheduled to go commercial until early next year at best, operator testing should go live by Q4 of 2007.

Control4's Home Controller HC-300 outputs GUI in HD

by Darren Murph posted Jun 12th 2007 at 12:58PM

For those looking to make the leap to home automation whilst making sure that elegance is taken into account, Control4 is hoping its newfangled Home Controller HC-300 will fit the bill. The relatively low-cost IP-based home controller offers up a multitude of serial, infrared, and video sensing ports, plays nice with standards-based communication technology including Ethernet, WiFi, and ZigBee mesh networking, and can dictate multi-room music, smart lighting, advanced temperature control, and security without breaking a sweat. Most notably, however, is its ability to output the graphical user interface in sparkling 720p, meaning that you will no longer be ashamed of flashing your home controller's GUI on the big screen. Additionally, Control4 revamped the device by adding an anodized black aluminum chassis and a glossy black faceplate, and it plans on shipping these things out sometime in July for a respectable $699.

[Via CEPro]

RemoteLinc wirelessly controls everything in your crib

by Darren Murph posted May 5th 2007 at 12:41PM

While it must be nice to own a home that's completely controlled by your voice, a clap, or a simple remote, getting this stuff up and running isn't always easy, and the INSTEON-compatible RemoteLinc doesn't seen to make things any less complicated. Sure, controlling your garage door, fireplace, kitchen appliances, home theater components, and six or so lighting schemes throughout the house may sound novel, but considering the extras required to make it happen with the RemoteLinc, you may want to look elsewhere for your home automation needs. The control only dictates items that are first connected to an RF-capable AccessPoint, which acts as a bridge between the item and the RemoteLinc, but hooking up a multitude of devices can get quite pricey when buying a SwitchLinc, LampLinc, or ApplianceLinc for every single unit. Still, it does boast of "Plug and Tap" ease when setting things up, and the remote itself will only set you back $49.99, but we'd be well aware of the necessary add-ons you'll need to make the magic happen before diving on in.

[Via CNET]

xBot dictates Xbox 360 controller, racks up gamer points

by Darren Murph posted Feb 18th 2007 at 2:48PM

We've heard of using a Wiimote to handle home automation tasks, but building a device in order to create an automated Xbox 360 controller is another animal entirely. An intrigued and efficiency-minded individual set out to to achieve an additional 60 Xbox Live gamer points by trudging through 1,000 Death Matches and 1,000 Dark Ops rounds, all without him actually being there. Thus the xBot automator was born -- a robotic dictator that was programmed to simply hit the start and B buttons on a timed interval in order to progress through all the matches needed in order to snag the oh-so-coveted points. Essentially, the completely non-intrusive machine utilizes two rotational solenoids driven by a TTL (Transistor to Transistor Logic) controller, and while the actual programming steps were indeed a bit more in-depth, the creator isn't divulging all of his secrets just yet. So if you think you've got the DIY skills necessary to concoct one of these yourself, and would rather spend "around 10 hours" piecing together an automating machine rather than 40 (or more) hours in Perfect Dark: Zero, be sure to hit the read link for a few more deets on the whole process, and click on through for a live demonstration.

[Via Digg]

Continue reading xBot dictates Xbox 360 controller, racks up gamer points

Nintendo's Wii gets into the home automation game

by Darren Murph posted Dec 25th 2006 at 7:14PM

For those of you who've just unboxed (or already snagged) a Nintendo Wii, and are more interested in casing out the innards or hacking it up, we've got yet another challenge for you and your console. While we've seen how to control the functions of your home with a PSP, there's just something special about flinging your Wiimote up and down to lower and raise the lighting conditions around your crib. Aside from a Wii, Wiimote, and a good bit of spare time, you'll also need the Smarthome Insteon lights w/ ControlLinc, an Aurora Multimedia WACI NX, a Linux-based PC, and if you wish, an optional AXIS PTZ IP Security Camera and Proliphix IP Thermostat. Once you've got your hardware in order, you'll need to get your palms on a PHP script that directs the IP traffic and forwards the appropriate information. This home automation mod has the potential to control "lights, thermostat, cameras, jukeboxes, DVRs, TiVos," and basically anything you can dictate via IP information. So if you're looking for a great way to spend your hours off, and don't mind getting dirty with a little coding, be sure to hit the read link for the full rundown, and click on through for a YouTube demonstration.

[Via Digg, thanks Nate]

Continue reading Nintendo's Wii gets into the home automation game

RoomRender system dictates living environment, summons Segway

by Darren Murph posted Dec 8th 2006 at 9:50PM

While the choices are nearly limitless when it comes to automating your crib, the novelty factor of turning your microwave on from your bedroom will probably fade with time. Japan's SGI is aiming to making home automation a seamless, all encompassing affair with the RoomRender system. The self-proclaimed "intelligent room system" can not only control all the electronics, lighting systems, and appliances in a given room based on voice commands, but can even release perfumes and dim the lighting in response to emotions. Aimed at luxury hotels, board rooms, and A-class superstars, the system relies on AmiVoice technology to recognize spoken words, which can be used to automatically record specific programs, turn on your home stereo, or grind away those leftovers in the trash disposal. Additionally, the "FeelingWall" component relies on Sensibility Technology (co-developed with AGI) to interpret emotions "based on the intonation and rhythm of voices, adjusting the color and lighting accordingly." The pinnacle of all this, however, is the planned ability to call upon Segways if necessary; a user can demand that his / her Segway be cranked up and rolled over to them, so they don't even have to get up to fetch the reverse-minded machine. Although we're not sure when these will be rolled out in Japan, a working system has already been installed in the company's own office building, and it plans on fetching between ¥5,000,000 ($43,464) and ¥6,000,000 ($52,156) when they go mass market.

[Via Pink Tentacle]

Threshold's One-Net protocol syncs up home automation, hectors ZigBee

by Darren Murph posted Nov 17th 2006 at 3:30PM

If you're looking to automate your home, you've got enough options to drive you up your own walls, but apparently Threshold doesn't think anyone's nailed it down quite yet. Supposedly competing against the more familiar Insteon and ZigBee configurations, the company's One-Net reportedly "provides greater range, better security and a more open environment than competing schemes." Threshold states that it can produce One-Net nodes for just "two to three bucks" by using off-the-shelf transceivers, and that ranges of up to 100 meters can be realized indoors. The accompanying (free) software also works with transceivers from six other vendors (Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, Semtech, RF Monolithics, Micrel and Integration Associates), and defines "everything from modulation schemes to messaging protocols." Threshold is planning to build a collection of home automation peripherals to mesh with the One-Net mainframe, including "door, window, motion, and moisture sensors," and a camera to boot -- but all these fancy frequencies still can't match the style points gained by having a magical mirror controlling the security side of things.