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Fauxhawk robot exterminates wasps, is something of a fashion victim
When Professor Sekine of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, heard that his friend had been stung upwards of 90 times exterminating wasps, he was inspired to act. Why not build a robot to do the job instead? Presumably he threw some old parts together that he had laying around anyways -- why else would he build a humanoid robot with a mohawk, when an AR.Drone -- or a spray bottle with an extra long hose -- could just as easily do the trick? Called Mohican (in honor of its awesome wig), this device is intended to be controlled via remote and voice ("climb the ladder," for instance), and seems way over-qualified for its intended task. But who knows? Maybe Sekine is a visionary! After all, he has big plans for his automaton: After it's released "sometime next summer," he wants to devote his time to an updated model that will work in other hazardous environments, such as nuclear power plants.
Termibot robot exterminator kills termites, heralds terrifying future
Termites be warned: Australian outfit Termicam is bringing the noise Predator-style with the Termibot, a dual-tread thermal imaging robot designed to eliminate insects. The bot scoots around inside walls and under houses relaying information from its thermal camera and moisture sensors back to an operator, and when termite (or other insect) activity is detected, it uses a probe to smash the nest and inject pesticides directly where they're needed. While we're not certain we need to help robots perfect the techniques they'll use to ferret out the last remnants of the human resistance, we're not too worried yet -- the Termibot is currently tethered to its operator with a long cable. The designer says a fully wireless version is in the works and will be brought to market later this year, however -- it's being held up while the business experiences some growing pains. Termicam also says they're also looking to expand the uses for the bot to other applications where that thermal camera might come in handy, like bomb disposal and search and rescue -- looks like the PackBot's got some competition.[Via Crave]
