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Humanoid construction robot installs drywall by itself
If Japan's Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Institute has its way, construction workers might be a thing of the past. Researchers have built HRP-5P, a humanoid bot that can handle a variety of construction tasks when there's either a staffing shortage or serious hazards. The prototype uses a mix of environment detection, object recognition and careful movement planning to install drywall by itself -- it can hoist up boards and fasten them with a screwdriver.
Watch Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot nail a backflip
We've grown accustomed to seeing Boston Dynamics' impressive line-up of robots strutting about in periodic video updates, each more terrifying than the last. But, every once in a while, the company unleashes a clip so awesome you can't help but watch. And, so it is with its latest vid starring the humanoid machine known as Atlas. You know, the poor bot that's been toiling away for years, in between tethered walks and prods from its human trainers. The 5-foot 9-inch robot is currently lighter and more agile than ever (thanks to last year's upgrade), and now it's gone all Jackie Chan for a backflip.
ICYMI: Robotic cats, Kickstarter fails and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-54028{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-54028, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-54028{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-54028").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: In today's cautionary tale, the recordbreaking drone company Zano Drone is going belly-up after shipping only 100 of the roughly 15,000 drones ordered. Hasbro's latest foray into robotics has us all shouting from the tallest meowtain, because they've launched companion cats that purr and meow and are generally fantastic. NASA's latest robot is less cuddly but perhaps has more scientific importance: The humanoid Valkyrie, weighing in at 210 pounds, will be shipped to US colleges where AI students will develop programs for NASA's upcoming Space Robotics Challenge.
Nao robot to become even more of a chatterbox with new software (video)
You may remember Nao, a charming humanoid robot, for its exploits on the soccer field, dance floor, or even for its love of amateur dramatics. While Nao has enjoyed chatting with us humans since its maker Aldebaran Robotics added Nuance's speech recognition wizardry in 2011, the pair have today reaffirmed their desire to turn the droid into a true conversationalist. Upgraded cloud-based tech from Nuance will apparently "allow people to have truly natural conversations with the robot" in 19 different languages when the new models become available early next year. Furthermore, Nao has a fresh, distinct voice intended to better represent its "personality" -- one that's programmed never to tire of your trivial discussions. A demo of these new features can be seen below, although Nao mostly lets folks from Nuance and Aldebaran take the floor to talk of the partnership and the future of robot interaction. Not before it busts out some new moves, however.
Samsung files patents for robot that mimics human walking and breathing, ratchets up the creepy factor
As much as Samsung is big on robots, it hasn't gone all-out on the idea until a just-published quartet of patent applications. The filings have a robot more directly mimicking a human walk and adjusting the scale to get the appropriate speed without the unnatural, perpetually bent gait of certain peers. To safely get from point A to point B, any path is chopped up into a series of walking motions, and the robot constantly checks against its center of gravity to stay upright as it walks uphill or down. All very clever, but we'd say Samsung is almost too fond of the uncanny valley: one patent has rotating joints coordinate to simulate the chest heaves of human breathing. We don't know if the company will ever put the patents to use; these could be just feverish dreams of one-upping Honda's ASIMO at its own game. But if it does, we could be looking at Samsung-made androids designed like humans rather than for them.
Mind-reading robotic teachers are more... Anyone? Anyone? Attention-grabbing
You'd have thought that replacing a human teacher with a swanky robot would be enough to keep the kids interested, but apparently not. The University of Wisconsin-Madison found that supplying a robot teacher didn't in itself max out concentration. In one trial, they put a Wakamaru robot instructor in the classroom with only mediocre results. But then they switched it out for a robot that could read students' EEG signals to tell when they were enjoying Matthew Broderick daydreams, and which could then change its intonation or wave its metallic hands in response. That second robot resulted in far better scores when the students were subsequently quizzed about their lessons, proving once again that teaching is about more than preaching.
Russian researchers build partial android for bizarre mind-transfer project (video)
A Team of Russian researchers are building a conceptual mind-transfer android, and we're definitely not talking about Ice Cream Sandwich. However bizarre, their goal is to help mankind achieve immortality using a combination of humanoid robots and interstellar space travel to get away from a dangerous and overcrowded planet -- but most of the needed technology seems so far off that we could probably power cycle the world's slowest Linux computer a million times before we see any of it. One prototype includes the torso of an android that will one day house a a computer rig that would be theoretically capable of acting as a personal proxy -- essentially, a place to upload "human souls." This absolutely insane über-ambitious project is the stuff of science fiction, but the big shots over in the birthplace of Tetris say it'll all be possible by 2045. Need more convincing? Check out the two videos after the break.
Transforming robot effortlessly turns into a car, faces tougher maneuver into retail (video)
Still bothered by the lack of automated transforming in the official Transformers toys? Then you'll likely want to head straight to the video below to see your dream realized. While details are a bit light, the robot on display was apparently built by Kenji Ishida and JS Robotics, and is just the latest in a series of transforming bots that Ishida has been working on (version eight, to be specific). About the only other detail revealed is that it makes use of 22 servo motors to turn from a car into a surprisingly mobile humanoid robot and, as you might expect, there's no word on any eventual commercial availability.
DARPA's next Grand Challenge to focus on humanoid robots
DARPA's Grand Challenges have already helped put plenty of self-driving cars on (closed) roads, but it looks like the agency has something a bit different in mind for its next one. As first reported by Hizook, DARPA has apparently set its sights on humanoid robots as its next target -- specifically, robots that are human-like enough to navigate rough terrain, drive a vehicle and manipulate regular tools (the idea being to simulate assisting in an industrial disaster zone). What's more, participants will have to develop robots that can do all of that "semi-autonomously," with only "supervisory teleoperation" permitted. No word on a timeline for the challenge just yet, but DARPA will apparently have more to say when it makes things completely official within the next few weeks. [Thanks, Travis]
NASA activates Robotnaut 2 on board the ISS, watch it live (video)
You've already seen it unboxed on board the International Space Station, and now you can watch as the crew of the ISS activates Robotnaut 2 and begins to put it through its paces. The robot was turned on just before eleven o'clock Eastern, but there's still plenty more to see -- head on past the break for the live stream. Naturally, you can also keep up with the robot's progress on its Twitter feed. Update: And that's a wrap for today. Robonaut 2 has been powered down and put to bed, with additional tests planned for tomorrow. If you missed it, you can catch a video of today's activities here.
Canadian researchers aim to build a more life-like robot, one piece at a time
It may not be all that human-like in its current state, but a team of researchers at the University of Ottawa are promising that this robot will get there sooner or later. Dubbed "Pumpkin," the bot will apparently have its parts replaced piece-by-piece with more life-like counterparts over time, including parts that make use of a new artificial skin the researchers have developed. It not only includes the usual array of sensors that give the robot some degree of tactile sensitivity, but a network of tubes that circulate hot water to actually increase the temperature of the skin. According to the researchers, the eventual goal is to have a robot that appears and behaves naturally enough to make humans feel at ease when they're interacting with it, but it might get a bit worse before it gets better -- the next step is to replace the head with an anatomically correct model of the human skull, which will have the aforementioned artificial skin stretched over it. [Thanks, Jeff]
Aldebaran Robotics announces Nao Next Gen humanoid robot (video)
Aldebaran Robotics' Nao robot has already received a few upgrades from both the company itself and other developers, but it now has a proper successor. Aldebaran took the wraps off its new and improved Nao Next Gen robot today, touting features like a 1.6GHz Atom processor and dual HD cameras that promise to allow for better face and object recognition even in poor lighting conditions. What's more, while robot's outward appearance hasn't changed much, it has also received a number of software upgrades, including Nuance voice recognition, an improved walking algorithm, and a number of other measures to cut down on unwanted collisions. As before, the robot is aimed squarely at researchers and developers, but the Aldebaran's chairman notes that the company is continuing to pursue its goal of providing a Nao intended for individuals -- a goal he notes is being aided by the contributions from its developer program. Check out the gallery below and the video after the break for a closer look.%Gallery-141472%
Boston Dynamics PETMAN portends the pending robot apocalypse
If the sight of Boston Dynamics' unstoppable Alpha Dog didn't convince you of the coming robot apocalypse, then perhaps a glimpse of its bipedal relative, PETMAN, will. Last time we saw the two-legged bot, It was walking well enough, but it lacked the humanoid visage needed to infiltrate and overthrow. In the time since, however, PETMAN has gotten a more anatomically-correct body and some arms -- giving it some push-up prowess to go with its jaunty gait. As the video below demonstrates, this robot isn't a T1000 just yet, but is seems certain PETMAN and its progeny will be running and leaping over us meatbags on the way to the top of the evolutionary food chain soon enough. So our anthropomorphic replacements are on the way, but there's no need for full-blown panic... yet.
Dual-armed Teutonic robot plays pool, carefully learns to hustle foolish humans
Sure, we've created interactive pool tables and digitally assisted billiards, but isn't it time we completely outsourced our pool-playing to brutally efficient robots? The Germans obviously think so, using this year's International Conference on Robotics and Automation to debut a dual-armed poolbot able to make "easier" shots about 80 percent of the time. Those misses sound a bit like hustling to us, and unlike Willow Garage's friendly PR2 robot, the German version has a suitably intimidating, industrial look. It's also a bit of a cheat, using an overhead camera to plan its shots. For the full lowdown on this shark, check the video after the break.
POLYRO humanoid robot can be built by you, looks more like K-9 than C-3PO
It may bear closer resemblance to an upright dog than a human (check out those ears!), but POLYRO here is the least frightening example of a do-it-yourself robot that we've seen to date. We're not sold on the humanoid's name as an acronym (oPen sOurce friendLY RObot), and the instructions and assembly photos are rather hit or miss, but this rollin' rover definitely scores some points for looks. Prepare to get down and dirty with a jigsaw, drill press, and "safety equipment," before the latest addition to your family is ready to roll across the living room floor on its iRobot base. Instructables has posted a full shopping list, including a 10.1-inch netbook, ROS (Robot OS), and a Kinect. If you're feeling brave, clear some time in the schedule and space in the garage after heading over to our source link.
Meka's M-1 Mobile Manipulator, a cuter Cody the spit bath robot (video)
Remember Cody? The robot from Georgia Tech designed to give spit baths to the elderly and crippled? Well, Cody's got an attractive younger cousin named M-1, and for $340,000 this fine piece of machinery could be all yours. Built by San Francisco-based Meka Robotics, the M-1 Mobile Manipulator (based on Cody) runs on a combination of ROS and proprietary software and sports a Kinect-compatible head with a five megapixel Ethernet camera, arms with six-axis force-torque sensors at the wrist, force controlled grippers, and an omnidirectional mobile base. If the standard features don't fit your needs, Meka offers various upgrades, including four-fingered hands and humanoid heads, complete with expressive eyelids (à la Meka's Dreamer), ears, and additional sensor compatibility. These add-ons will of course cost you, but we think its worth it to have those big translucent eyes staring back at you. A rather touching demo after the jump.
Fujitsu's HOAP-2 robot wipes whiteboards clean -- humankind next in line? (video)
They've taught them how to flip pancakes and shoot arrows, and now they're teaching humanoids to erase your whiteboard. That's right, the same folks who brought you iCub in a feathery headdress are back at it with Fujitsu's HOAP-2, a humanoid robot that looks like it's related to the Jetsons' maid, and can wipe a dry erase board clean via upper-body kinesthetic learning. While scientists force the robot's arm through a number of erasing movements, an attached force-torque sensor records the patterns, allowing HOAP-2 to mimic its previous actions, and voilà! You've got a blank slate. Sure, this little guy looks perfectly harmless in comparison with the bow-and-arrow-wielding iCub, but replace that eraser with a switchblade and the human race is in a whole world of hurt.
PALRO robot masters English, will never shut up again (video)
When first we saw Fujisoft's PALRO robot doing its thing we were charmed but, as it didn't speak English, we had to adore it from afar. No longer. The little critter has obviously mastered our language quite quickly and can be seen below chatting with an even more robotic humanoid about such idle things as the weather, career aspirations, and just how great PALRO is. How great is PALRO? PALRO is really great -- but humble. Inside that barrel chest is a full-fledged PC with an Atom Z530 processor, 4GB of flash storage, and an Ubuntu kernel keeping everything in check. It's available as ever for educational and research institutions for about $3,600, but we're trying to get one ourselves. If we can get it to type prepare yourselves for many more posts about software based on real Japanese cutting-edge technology.
Homemade robot has boring name, but likes to party
Is all that bottle-poppin' and drink-serving getting in the way of you releasing your inner party animal this New Year's Eve? Fear not, dear readers, for our friends from Japan have built yet another humanoid service robot, only this time it was constructed using "off the shelf parts." While we're skeptical that the 'Shack has everything needed to build one of these for your stateside soiree, the THKR-4 (as he is not-so-affectionately known) was created to perform all of your mundane party tasks like opening the fridge, pouring drinks, and greeting guests. The robot won't be entertaining guests with a dance routine or kissing you at midnight, but it can give you a back-rub to keep you relaxed when that inevitable 'party foul' ruins your leather couch. Check out the video after the break to see the 'bot do its Mr. Belvedere thing.
HRP-2 humanoid robot learns to use obstacles to its advantage
There may be plenty of robots out there able to avoid or overcome obstacles, but we can't say we've seen too many that are actually able to use obstacles to their advantage. That's the claim to fame of this so-called HRP-2 robot built by researchers at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, however, which is able to detect objects around it and discern how they can be used to help it with a specific task -- like leaning on a table to help balance while kicking a ball, for instance. As New Scientist points out, whether intentional or not, the end result is a robot that behaves remarkably like an elderly person -- see for yourself in the video after the break.
