RoboticChair
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Wii Balance Board-controlled robot a hit with toddlers in Ithaca (video)
How could we resist a story involving robot-powered babies? The Ithaca College Tots on Bots project aims to mobilize infants with physical disabilities by setting them atop a "mobile robot" equipped with a Wii Balance Board to let the young operator steer by leaning -- which, it turns out, works pretty well. Additionally, the vehicle uses sonar to avoid nasty crashes and a remote control that an adult can use to take control. Further study has to be made before any long term developmental benefits can be ascertained, but in the meantime it does look like a lot of fun. See it in action after the break.
The Robotic Chair -- no, really
We can't quite tell if the goal of this self-assembling robotic chair is art, or just to freak us out, but it seems to succeed on both accounts. Conceived by Max Dean and built by Raffaello D'Andrea, the creators of "The Table: Childhood," another robotic art installation, the robot chair can fall apart spontaneously, and then drag itself across the floor and reassemble. It's all very exciting stuff, but we guess you could watch the video and decide for yourself.
