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[POLYRO humanoid robot can be built by you, looks more like K-9 than C-3PO]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/04/polyro-humanoid-robot-can-be-built-by-you-looks-more-like-k-9-t/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/04/polyro-humanoid-robot-can-be-built-by-you-looks-more-like-k-9-t/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/04/polyro-humanoid-robot-can-be-built-by-you-looks-more-like-k-9-t/#comments
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.

POLYRO humanoid robot can be built by you, looks more like K-9 than C-3PO originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 May 2011 20:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diydo it yourselfDoItYourselfhumanoidhumanoid robothumanoid robotsHumanoidRobotHumanoidRobotsirobotirobot createIrobotCreatekinectlinuxmicrosoft kinectMicrosoftKinectpolyrorobotrosTurtleBotubuntuWed, 04 May 2011 20:24:00 EST<![CDATA[BiliBot combines Kinect, iRobot Create and gripper arm for affordable ROS fun (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/21/bilibot-combines-kinect-irobot-create-and-gripper-arm-for-affor/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/21/bilibot-combines-kinect-irobot-create-and-gripper-arm-for-affor/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/21/bilibot-combines-kinect-irobot-create-and-gripper-arm-for-affor/#commentsBiliBot Developer Edition The Personal Robotics Group at MIT may have already strapped a Kinect to a iRobot Create, but BiliBot did them one better by adding an arm to the mix -- not to mention this cherry-red frame. Better yet, you can order your own BiliBot Developer Edition now for the affordable price of only $1,200. OK, maybe calling $1,200 "affordable" is a bit of a stretch, but in the world of programmable robotics that's not half bad, especially when you consider this self-contained robotics platform comes with its own Ubuntu-booting Core i3 computer with 4GB of RAM. The preinstalled ROS software can be used to steer the bot using data gathered through the battery operated Kinect and also to control the arm, which is connected to geared motors instead of more traditional servos. Those motors allow the BiliBot to lift three pounds up to a height of 17 inches -- perfect for beer delivery, provided you're sitting. Watch it navigate a relatively obstacle-free room in the video after the break.

[Thanks, Travis]

Continue reading BiliBot combines Kinect, iRobot Create and gripper arm for affordable ROS fun (video)

BiliBot combines Kinect, iRobot Create and gripper arm for affordable ROS fun (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 02:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bilibotbilibot developer editionBilibotDeveloperEditioniRobotiRobot CreateIrobotCreatekinecton saleOnSalerobotrobot operating systemRobotOperatingSystemrobotsROSvideoThu, 21 Apr 2011 02:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Johnny Chung Lee makes DIY telepresence bot out of an iRobot Create and a netbook]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/11/johnny-chung-lee-makes-diy-telepresence-bot-out-of-an-irobot-cre/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/11/johnny-chung-lee-makes-diy-telepresence-bot-out-of-an-irobot-cre/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/11/johnny-chung-lee-makes-diy-telepresence-bot-out-of-an-irobot-cre/#comments Most of us don't have $15,000 to drop on an Anybot, even though having one around would be nice in the event we don't feel like leaving the house to get some coffee. To help those of us with more humble means, our old friend Johnny Chung Lee (of Wiimote hacking and Kinect dev team fame) has utilized his prodigious DIY talents to create a video chat robot for the relatively paltry sum of $500. Using an iRobot Create ($250), a netbook with Skype ($250), a cable to connect the two, and some control software he wrote himself, Mr. Lee built a digital surrogate on the cheap. Johnny isn't the first person to so leverage iRobot's hacking platform, but he added a stand on top of the robot to get the PC closer to human height, attached a fish-eye lens to the webcam for better remote viewing, and even did some re-wiring to allow the netbook to charge via the Create's base station. The code and how-to instructions are up on his blog, so hit the source link if you're feeling up to making one yourself. Seems like Johnny Lee's putting that Google 20 percent time to good use thus far -- keep 'em coming. Check the video of this latest creation after the break.

Continue reading Johnny Chung Lee makes DIY telepresence bot out of an iRobot Create and a netbook

Johnny Chung Lee makes DIY telepresence bot out of an iRobot Create and a netbook originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>creatediyhow tohow-toHowToirobotirobot createIrobotCreateJohnny Chung LeeJohnnyChungLeerobotrobotsTelepresencetelepresence robotTelepresenceRobotvideoFri, 11 Feb 2011 23:40:00 EST<![CDATA[The Engadget Show - 016: Mitsubishi's Frank DeMartin, iRobot, Aldebaran's NAO robot, Ubisoft Battle Tag, CES '11 preview, and more!]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/20/the-engadget-show-016-mitsubishis-frank-demartin-talks-futur/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/20/the-engadget-show-016-mitsubishis-frank-demartin-talks-futur/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/20/the-engadget-show-016-mitsubishis-frank-demartin-talks-futur/#comments Get ready humans, because we have an all new Engadget Show that you do not want to miss! First up, Josh sits down with Mitsubishi product chief Frank DeMartin for a talk about the future of television technology. Next, Paul gets a behind the scenes look at iRobot's headquarters and test-drives military robots in an exclusive new Engadget Show segment. Then, Josh and Paul welcome Aldebaran Robotics to the stage for a never-before-seen demo of their humanoid robot NAO. Shots fly as Nilay joins the roundtable for a look at Ubisoft's new laser tag game, Battle Tag; and the guys recap the year in tech then preview what's on tap for next year at CES 2011. To round it all out, BIT SHIFTER rocks the house with some killer holiday chiptunes music with visuals by noteNdo. What are you waiting for? Watch it now! Hit up the video stream after the break or download the show in HD below!

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Special guests: Frank DeMartin, Colin Angle, Jean-Michel Perbet, Jérome Monceaux
Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm
Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger
Edited by: Danny Madden
Music by: Bit Shifter
Visuals by: notenDo
iRobot segment music by: Bit Shifter
Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec
Engadget iPad Cases by: CafePress

Taped live at The Times Center

Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 016 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 016 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show - 016 (Small)

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Continue reading The Engadget Show - 016: Mitsubishi's Frank DeMartin, iRobot, Aldebaran's NAO robot, Ubisoft Battle Tag, CES '11 preview, and more!

The Engadget Show - 016: Mitsubishi's Frank DeMartin, iRobot, Aldebaran's NAO robot, Ubisoft Battle Tag, CES '11 preview, and more! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aldebaranAldebaran NAO robotsaldebaran roboticsAldebaranNaoRobotsAldebaranRoboticsbit shifterBitShifterCESColin AngleColinAngleengadgetshowengadgetshowcastFrank DeMartinFrankDemartingoogle cr-48GoogleCr-48irobotirobot createIrobotCreateIrobotRoombamistubishinotendotheengadgetshowtheengadgetshowcastUbisoftubisoft battle tagUbisoftBattleTagvideoMon, 20 Dec 2010 11:06:00 EST<![CDATA[Tutorial guides Kinect hackers into iRobot territory]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/02/tutorial-guides-kinect-hackers-into-irobot-territory/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/02/tutorial-guides-kinect-hackers-into-irobot-territory/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/02/tutorial-guides-kinect-hackers-into-irobot-territory/#comments
Impressed by some of the Kinect hacks using a Roomba or iRobot Create but don't know where to start? Well, the folks at ROS have now provided just that in the form of a tutorial that guides you through the process of combining two of the most hackable devices of recent years. Of course, that's hardly just a plug-and-play process (hence the need for a lengthy tutorial), but ROS does give it a "beginner" rating, and it should be relatively straightforward for anyone with some basic hardware hacking skills. As for what you do once you get the two connected, well, you're on your own there -- but we're sure there will be plenty more tutorials where this one came from before too long.

Tutorial guides Kinect hackers into iRobot territory originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackhackingirobotirobot createIrobotCreatekinectmicrosoftmicrosoft kinectMicrosoftKinectroombatutorialThu, 02 Dec 2010 15:11:00 EST<![CDATA[Kinect sensor bolted to an iRobot Create, starts looking for trouble]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/17/kinect-sensor-bolted-to-an-irobot-create-starts-looking-for-tro/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/17/kinect-sensor-bolted-to-an-irobot-create-starts-looking-for-tro/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/17/kinect-sensor-bolted-to-an-irobot-create-starts-looking-for-tro/#comments While there have already been a lot of great proof-of-concepts for the Kinect, what we're really excited for are the actual applications that will come from it. On the top of our list? Robots. The Personal Robots Group at MIT has put a battery-powered Kinect sensor on top of the iRobot Create platform, and is beaming the camera and depth sensor data to a remote computer for processing into a 3D map -- which in turn can be used for navigation by the bot. They're also using the data for human recognition, which allows for controlling the bot using natural gestures. Looking to do something similar with your own robot? Well, the ROS folks have a Kinect driver in the works that will presumably allow you to feed all that great Kinect data into ROS's already impressive libraries for machine vision. Tie in the Kinect's multi-array microphones, accelerometer, and tilt motor and you've got a highly aware, semi-anthropomorphic "three-eyed" robot just waiting to happen. We hope it will be friends with us. Video of the ROS experimentation is after the break.

Continue reading Kinect sensor bolted to an iRobot Create, starts looking for trouble

Kinect sensor bolted to an iRobot Create, starts looking for trouble originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3d mapping3dMappingdepth sensorDepthSensorhackirobotirobot createIrobotCreatekinectkinect hackKinectHackmachine visionMachineVisionmitmit personal robots groupMitPersonalRobotsGrouppersonal robots groupPersonalRobotsGrouprobotsrosvideowillow garageWillowGarageWed, 17 Nov 2010 21:38:00 EST<![CDATA[MIT dreams of fully autonomous greenhouse, will definitely make it happen]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/22/mit-dreams-of-fully-autonomous-greenhouse-will-definitely-make/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/22/mit-dreams-of-fully-autonomous-greenhouse-will-definitely-make/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/22/mit-dreams-of-fully-autonomous-greenhouse-will-definitely-make/#comments
You know what's hard to find these days? Consistency and reliability -- in anything, really. But we've learned that when MIT touches something, it not only gets done, but it gets done right. Thus, we're absolutely elated to hear that a few of its students have dreamed up a fully autonomous greenhouse, utilizing real plants, sensors and gardening robots to ensure the greenest, most healthy crop possible. In fairness, we've already seen oodles of robotic plant tending apparatuses, but this is just something special. Thus far, gurus have used "re-imagined versions of iRobot's Roomba" in order to tell what a plant needs and then respond accordingly, and apparently, things have been going quite well early on. Check out a demonstration vid just past the break.

[Via MAKE]

Continue reading MIT dreams of fully autonomous greenhouse, will definitely make it happen

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MIT dreams of fully autonomous greenhouse, will definitely make it happen originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CSAILgardeniRobotiRobot CreateIrobotCreateMITplantsrobotsensorsensorsuniversityvegetablevideoSun, 22 Mar 2009 16:53:00 EST<![CDATA[OLPC XO and iRobot Create brought together for telepresence hack]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/14/olpc-xo-and-irobot-create-brought-together-for-telepresence-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/14/olpc-xo-and-irobot-create-brought-together-for-telepresence-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/14/olpc-xo-and-irobot-create-brought-together-for-telepresence-hack/#comments
While the project is still classified as "ongoing," Damon Kohler nonetheless looks to have made some considerable progress in his OLPC XO / iRobot Create combo, which together forms a makeshift telepresence robot. Among other things, if you decide to build your own, you'll apparently be able to control the robot via a web interface, and make use of the OLPC's webcam and microphone to monitor its surroundings. Some of the more recent additions include some text-to-speech capabilities to totally freak out your pets, and a high-tech night vision system (pictured above). If that's enough to tempt you, hit up the links below for the complete details on how to put together your own.

Read - Instructables, OLPC Telepresence
Read- Project Blog

[Via Gadget Lab]

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OLPC XO and iRobot Create brought together for telepresence hack originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>irobot createIrobotCreateolpcolpc xoOlpcXoWed, 14 Nov 2007 14:53:00 EST<![CDATA[iRobot announces winner of Create Challenge contest]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/30/irobot-announces-winner-of-create-challenge-contest/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/30/irobot-announces-winner-of-create-challenge-contest/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/30/irobot-announces-winner-of-create-challenge-contest/#comments
While it's not quite on the level of NASA's or DARPA's ongoing challenges, iRobot's Create Challenge contest nonetheless looks to have at least given some incentive to a few homebrew enthusiasts / would-be mad scientists, one of whom has now taken home a cool $5,000 for his troubles. Snagging that cash was Danh Trinh of Towson, Md, who's "Personal Home Robot" won over the judges with its ability to water plants, control lights, play music, and remind owners to take their medication, among other less-than-strenuous activities. Helping it manage all that is iRobot's DIY-friendly Create platform which, as you can see above, went under a pretty extensive transformation on its way to first place. Be sure to hit up the Instructables link below for the complete rundown.

Read - iRobot, "iRobot Selects Create Challenge Contest Winner"
Read - Instructables, "iRobot Create Personal Home Robot"

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iRobot announces winner of Create Challenge contest originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>creatediyhomebrewirobotirobot createirobot create challengeIrobotCreateIrobotCreateChallengeTue, 30 Oct 2007 15:29:00 EST<![CDATA[iRobot Create: Roomba hacking for the everyman]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/29/irobot-create-roomba-hacking-for-the-everyman/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/29/irobot-create-roomba-hacking-for-the-everyman/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/29/irobot-create-roomba-hacking-for-the-everyman/#comments As much fun as vacuums can be, it looks like iRobot has sensed the true spirit behind its Roomba fanbase: hacking. Now they've gone ahead and built the iRobot Create kit to give hackers a better platform to work with. According to the FCC docs which have revealed this little number, the main differences are a lack of vacuum -- no more clean floors for you -- and a nifty "cargo bay connector" which can support a Command Module which bristles with ports and allows user-added motors, sensors and the like. Otherwise, most functions are quite similar to that of the third generation Roomba, with support for Virtual Walls, the Homebase (which it can hone in on via IR) and the Remote Control. As for software support, iRobot provides a few tips in the manual, like how to make the bot sing, along with some demo programs to get you started, but otherwise you're on your own -- though we're sure you won't have a hard time stumbling across existing Roomba hacker clubs online. Naturally, since iRobot hasn't even announced this kit yet, we're not sure about price and availability, and it would've been nice if they'd spruced up the bot's functionality just a wee bit, but we suppose giving hackers the Command Module and letting them run free might be the best tactic in the end. Make sure you keep reading for some more pics and shots from the manual.

Continue reading iRobot Create: Roomba hacking for the everyman

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iRobot Create: Roomba hacking for the everyman originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>createhackirobotirobot createIrobotCreaterobotroombaWed, 29 Nov 2006 17:02:00 EST