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DARPA's 'Avatar project' aims to give soldiers surrogate robots, make James Cameron proud

Sean Buckley — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 07:03:00 EST

In a fevered mash up of blockbuster films directed by James Cameron, DARPA is looking to put soldier controlled bi-pedal robots on the battlefield. Think Terminator meets Avatar. The agency has set aside $7 million of it's $2.8 billion 2012 budget to develop an "Avatar program" that will "develop interfaces and algorithms to enable a soldier to effectively partner with a semi-autonomous bi-pedal machine and allow it to act as the soldier's surrogate." DARPA isn't talking about simple remote control rigs, either -- these 'bots are being designed to clear rooms, and facilitate sentry control and combat casualty recovery. The new budget also sets aside $4.1 million to design laser countermeasures to protect military weapons, well, lasers -- ensuring that the future's robot soldiers will be nigh indestructible when they rebel against their human hosts.

DARPA's 'Avatar project' aims to give soldiers surrogate robots, make James Cameron proud originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 07:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lego-built robotic arm will pour you a drink, collapse under pressure (video)

Donald Melanson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:29:00 EST

We've seen countless robotics projects made either partly or entirely out of Lego, but this pneumatic arm built by Max Sheppard has to rank among the most impressive. As you can see in the video above, while it may be a bit on the slow side, the arm's range of motion is remarkably life-like (even by non-Lego standards). It's also able to grip objects of different sizes, and with enough precision to pour water out of a cup, although Sheppard says it can't lift anything more than a couple of pounds. No word if he has any plans to attach the arm to something.

Lego-built robotic arm will pour you a drink, collapse under pressure (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ITK's Handroid: a softer, gentler robotic hand (video)

Daniel Cooper — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:01:00 EST

Most robotic hands are built with a series of individual motors in each joint, making them heavy, expensive and prone to gripping everything with the subtlety of a vice. Japan's ITK thinks it's solved those problems with Handroid -- designed with cords that mimic the muscles in our meat-paws. No motors mean it's far lighter than the standard Terminator design, and it's controlled with a glove that allows it to mirror the operator's movement as it happens. ITK wants to sell Handroid for the bargain price of $6,500 by 2013 for use in environments too dangerous for humans, but because it's so light and cheap it could also see use as a medical prosthesis. You can see how the device works in the video after the break.

Continue reading ITK's Handroid: a softer, gentler robotic hand (video)

ITK's Handroid: a softer, gentler robotic hand (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Condiment transporting SWITL robot arm gets a gig moving meat, packing boxes (video)

Brian Heater — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:17:00 EST

Way back in March, we spotted video of the SWITL, a robotic hand with a penchant for picking up globs of condiments without changing their shape. Neat, yes, but what sort of applications might such a device have in real life, beyond rather inefficient cleanups of Burger King floors? Manufacturer Furukawa Kikou has put the electronic appendage to work, folding meat and packing boxes with bags full of sol-gel substances, without losing the shape of either material. The size of the company is prohibiting sales of SWITL machines overseas at present, but Furukawa Kikou is happy to discuss partnerships, should someone approach it for its raw meat and ketchup moving needs. Exceedingly unappetizing video after the break.

Continue reading Condiment transporting SWITL robot arm gets a gig moving meat, packing boxes (video)

Condiment transporting SWITL robot arm gets a gig moving meat, packing boxes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BBC shows us what it's like to live with a bionic hand

Joe Pollicino — Thu, 19 May 2011 08:01:00 EST

We've posted a fair share on bionic limbs and their advancements over the years, but rarely have we had the chance to see a video of one in real world use, on a real person. The BBC has shared a video of a man named Patrick using his bionic arm, which -- long story short -- was partially the result of being electrocuted at work. This is his second one to date and specifically, it's a prototype Otto Bock mind-controlled prosthetic arm equipped with six nerve sensors that let him use the hand as if it were his own -- it supports pinching and gripping with the fingers as well as lateral and circular movement of the wrist. Although the footage is a mundane roll of various day to day tasks -- gripping a bottle to pour a glass of water for instance -- it's quite amazing to realize technology is helping him do things he'd otherwise be deprived of. We'd suggest checking it out at the BBC by clicking the source link below.

BBC shows us what it's like to live with a bionic hand originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWITL scoops oozy goop with amazing robotic precision (video)

Thomas Ricker — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:53:00 EST

Look, sometimes, not often, but sometimes we'll miss a truly spectacular and mind bending story that requires a double-back. The SWITL robotic hand is just such a case. The patent-pending technology looks to have been revealed on video back in late October showing the Furukawa Kikou robot deftly lifting a ketchup and mayonnaise mess from a table and then replacing it unchanged from its original shape. The tech was developed for bakeries with the intention of automating the handling of soft substances that were either too malleable or too icky for human hands. Unfortunately, Furukawa Kikou isn't providing any details about the science behind SWITL so we'll just assume that it's Satan's work until otherwise informed. See what we mean in the video after the break.

Continue reading SWITL scoops oozy goop with amazing robotic precision (video)

SWITL scoops oozy goop with amazing robotic precision (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Robot hand hits 20WPM, nearly ready to embrace infinite monkey theorem

Sean Hollister — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 22:31:00 EST

Robot hands have been grabbing, crushing, drawing and otherwise actuating for years, but have you ever seen one properly type? That's the primary purpose of a new Virginia Tech design. Engineers built this Dexterous Anthropomorphic Robotic Typing (DART) hand to mimic the real deal as best they could, down to individually-actuating three-segment digits and 110 degrees of wrist rotation in a package the size of a real human arm. Using a total of 19 servo motors and high tensile strength wire for the tendons, they managed to create a single mechanical paw that can achieve an estimated 20 words per minute while typing. Next, they plan to cover it in silicone skin and add piezoelectric sensors to provide tactile feedback. Imagine that: the next time a secret family member severs your arm with a focused plasma beam, you'll know where to go for replacement. Find a quick video and the full scientific paper at the links below.

Robot hand hits 20WPM, nearly ready to embrace infinite monkey theorem originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 22:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German robot hand takes a licking, apparently keeps on ticking (video)

Christopher Trout — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:58:00 EST

Sadists at the German Aerospace Center's (DLR) Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics are showing off their latest development in anthropomorphic appendages: a robotic hand that can take a beating from a baseball bat and still give you the middle finger (or a thumbs-up, we suppose). Researchers apparently designed the limb to function like only a human hand can, and it seems they've done a decent job: it's got five independently functioning fingers, sports 19 degrees of freedom (one less than the real deal), and can even snap them phalanges -- oh no they didn't! It's also got the ability to exert a force of 30 newtons from its fingertips. So what makes it so resilient? The robo-hand has a built-in web of 38 tendons, which allow it to adapt its stiffness under different circumstances: a step away, its creators say, from rigid appendages of the past. There's a video of the hand taking a beating after the jump, but honestly, we'd prefer to see what happens when the hand fights back.

Continue reading German robot hand takes a licking, apparently keeps on ticking (video)

German robot hand takes a licking, apparently keeps on ticking (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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University of Chicago, Cornell researchers develop universal robotic gripper

Donald Melanson — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:37:00 EST

Robotic hands are usually just that -- hands -- but some researchers from the University of Chicago and Cornell University (with a little help from iRobot) have taken a decidedly different approach for their so-called universal robotic gripper. As you can see above, the gripper is actually a balloon that can conform to and grip just about any small object, and hang onto it firmly enough to pick it up. What's the secret? After much testing, the researchers found that ground coffee was the best substance to fill the balloon with -- to grab an object, the gripper simply creates a vacuum in the balloon (much like a vacuum-sealed bag of coffee), and it's then able to let go of the object just by releasing the vacuum. Simple, but it works. Head on past the break to check it out in action.

[Thanks, Jeremy]

Continue reading University of Chicago, Cornell researchers develop universal robotic gripper

University of Chicago, Cornell researchers develop universal robotic gripper originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iCub gets upgraded with tinier hands, better legs

Laura June — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:11:00 EST

We're pretty familiar with iCub -- the humanoid robot modeled on a two year old -- around here. Just because we know him well, though, doesn't really change the fact that we get the slightest chill running down our spine every time we're reminded of his existence. Well, iCub's getting an upgrade which includes newer, lighter legs which will be more impervious to damage, and smaller hands. That's right, the youngster, who is about toddler-sized, has had until now, the hands of an eight-year old: pretty embarrassing for the little fellow. The new hands are the right size, and have the correct dexterity as well. Regardless, he's still a little creepy, but as you'll see in the video after the break, impressive none the less.

Continue reading iCub gets upgraded with tinier hands, better legs

iCub gets upgraded with tinier hands, better legs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DARPA job posting talks of developing an autonomous, grenade-wielding robot

Laura June — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:05:00 EST

DARPA's just put up a pretty interesting job posting... if you're the wary-of-our-future-being-controlled-by-robots type, anyway. The call involves a new research and development program called ARM. Basically, DARPA's looking to build a robot that can use its arms to dexterously and autonomously grasp objects. The quote from the job posting which is raising eyebrows around here says that the bot should be able to "hold an inert grenade with one hand, and pull the pin with the other hand" without any direction from humans. Now, we're not really trying to hit the alarmist angle, and we're all for advancements in robot tech... but it seems to us we'd have less to worry about if the job posting had said "should be able to hold a kitten in one hand, and pet it with the other." Right guys?

DARPA job posting talks of developing an autonomous, grenade-wielding robot originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EU scientists develop LifeHand thought-controlled prosthesis

Joseph L. Flatley — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:27:00 EST

We've seen plenty of developments in neurology and robotics over the years, including the Smart Hand prosthesis and targeted muscle reinnervation, and now researchers at the Bio-Medical Campus University of Rome have announced LifeHand. Connected via electrodes to an amputee named Pierpaolo Petruzziello, the device is able to perform complex movements and is controlled by thought alone. "It's a matter of mind, of concentration," said Petruzziello. "When you think of it as your hand and forearm, it all becomes easier." The five year project, funded to the tune of about $3 million by the European Union, is just the beginning -- they still have to figure out how to make the implants permanent. Get a closer look below.

Gallery: EU scientists develop LifeHand thought-controlled prosthesis

EU scientists develop LifeHand thought-controlled prosthesis originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prosthetic, robotic 'Smart Hand' has feelings, too

Laura June — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:42:00 EST

Researchers in Italy and Sweden have spent the last ten years developing what they call the "Smart Hand," a prosthetic hand which enables feeling in its fingertips. The hand -- which was recently wired up to a test patient through a surgical procedure -- has four motors and forty sensors which are linked directly to the brain. In the surgery, the nerve endings of the patient were linked up to receptors in the hand, which allows for feeling in the fingertips of the hand, even though the hand is not really a part of his body. In the video after the break, you can see the greater precision and dexterity this hand allows for. Though the research still needs to be refined before practical use, it looks pretty far along -- and pretty awesome -- to us.

Continue reading Prosthetic, robotic 'Smart Hand' has feelings, too

Filed under: Robots, Science

Prosthetic, robotic 'Smart Hand' has feelings, too originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Crafthouse's Melissa robotic hand sounds sweet, looks menacing

Tim Stevens — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:53:00 EST

Is your poor robot getting by without digits? Without them the poor thing can't greet others, catch ping pong balls, or dial up its cyber-shorties. You need the Melissa Hand from Crafthouse, a servo-driven mitt that's just perfect for your little overlord-to-be. All five fingers open and close at the same time, so it's not ideal for rude robo-gestures, but the videos after the break should give you an idea of what kind of trouble you can get into with the 60mm wide paw. The price? ¥60,000, or about $600. If that's too rich you could always buy a single finger for around $50, but those who need the absolute best can spring for the so-called God Hand, a custom-made model that's a bit smaller (45mm wide) and costs a whopping ¥180,000 -- just shy of $2,000 for a set of left and right. For that kind of money we expect something a little more impressive.

[Via Boing Boing Gadgets, Impress]

Continue reading Video: Crafthouse's Melissa robotic hand sounds sweet, looks menacing

Filed under: Robots

Video: Crafthouse's Melissa robotic hand sounds sweet, looks menacing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Robotic artist does portraits, hoping to get into nudes

Joshua Topolsky — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:02:00 EST

A totally ingenious robotics researcher named Sylvain Calinon has created what might be the perfect storm of art and science -- a robot that can recognize and then draw portraits of human subjects. The bot, named HOAP-3, is able to distinguish a human face, take a still frame of that image, and then create a drawing by (robotic) hand based on what it sees. The demonstration is a part of designer Calinon's research into creating robots which can learn through imitation, or in scenarios where they must react to humans. Unfortunately for us fleshpiles, it's only a matter of time before this thing starts doing hilarious caricatures accentuating our worst features. Watch the robot work in the amazing video after the break, and check the read link for a lot more information on the HOAP-3 project.

[Via technabob]

Continue reading Robotic artist does portraits, hoping to get into nudes

Filed under: Robots

Robotic artist does portraits, hoping to get into nudes originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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