RobotLearning
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Simon the robot learns to act like a human, can tell when you're not paying attention (video)
A robot performing a task tends to be something of an attention-grabber, but should you ignore it that 'bot will usually ignore you too, mindlessly continuing on with its job. If that job is building a car then being ignored is nothing to worry about, but if that task is teaching a human then inattention is obviously something of a problem. Researchers at the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech have managed to teach Simon, who we've seen before learning to understand your voice and face, to act more human-like in an attempt to capture you're attention. If that doesn't work, he can use cameras to detect inattention, with an 80 percent accuracy rating in spotting day-dreamers. We're not sure what he does if inattention is detected, but hopefully he doesn't go all ED-209 on any poor students.
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.
Robot Archer iCub learns to shoot arrows, pierces our mortal heart (video)
How do you make a creepy baby robot downright cute? Give it an Indian headdress and teach it the bow-and-arrow, of course. The same team of researchers who brought us the pancake-flipping robot arm have imbued this iCub with a learning algorithm that lets it teach itself archery much the same as a human might do, by watching where the suction-tipped arrow lands and adjusting its aim for each subsequent shot. In this case, it obtained a perfect bullseye after just eight attempts. Watch it for yourself after the break, and ponder the fate of man -- how can we possibly stop an uprising of adorable robots that never miss?
Iowa State robot available for ribbon cuttings, birthday parties, uprisings
Robots can travel in time, ride (stationary) motorcycles, and teach your children to disrespect you -- but rarely do they have any sense of ceremony. That's not the case with Iowa State University's still-nameless creation, who recently served as MC to open the school's new Electrical and Computer Engineering building. Said robot is comprised of two Barrett Whole Arm Manipulators stuck on either side of a torso, with a dual-Quickcam-equipped head that can be made to emote thanks to some simple eyebrows and lips. When not cutting ceremonial ribbons he can be found in the lab, twisting and dropping objects to learn about them, as shown in the video after the break. Next step: twisting and dropping lab technicians.[Via Plastic Pals]
