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Researchers develop modular bots that combine to form a single flexible machine
The idea of small robots teaming up to form one giant robot is commonplace in sci-fi shows like Voltron, and researchers are seeking ways to make that a reality. Now, modular robots have just become more intelligent, thanks to a project at ModLab at the University of Pennsylvania.
Penn doctors perform the first robot-assisted spinal surgery
Surgical robots are capable of feats that even the most skilled doctors can't manage, and the University of Pennsylvania just offered a textbook example. The school has confirmed that it performed the first-ever robot-assisted spinal surgery, using Da Vinci's robotic arms to remove a rare tumor where patient Noah Pernikoff's spine met his skull. The two-day operation, which took place in August 2017, started with neurosurgeons preparing the spine using ultrasonic cuts, and then brought in the robot to clear a path for removing the tumor through Pernikoff's mouth (you can see a slightly graphic illustration below). The team then used some of Pernikoff's own bone to reconstruct the spinal column section they'd removed.
After Math: First!
It was a week of firsts for the tech industry. Facebook finally got around to adding its first African American board member (because it's not like it's already 2018 or anything), a lifeguard drone made its first Hasselhoffian beach rescue, Ferrari announced that it is indeed working on its first electric supercar, and Kodak took a break from slapping its brand on cryptocurrency mining rigs to release the first footage from its upcoming hybrid Super 8 camera. Numbers, because how else will you put entrants in order?
ICYMI: The US Marines want your robots
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The US Marine Corps announced its latest Innovation Challenge for robots that can handle dull, dirty or dangerous work autonomously, leaving humans free for more important tasks. Meanwhile the University of Pennsylvania has a researcher flying a quadcopter through 45-degree angle window openings at top speeds, with few extra onboard sensors. The algorithm behind it is neat, even if the potential applications make us uncomfortable. You may already know why we should be covering up our computer webcams, but here's more ammo if that's needed. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Make your own batarangs with the Wazer desktop water jet cutter
You're probably familiar with laser cutters, if only because of indelible images like Sean Connery strapped to a table as a red beam slowly makes its way toward his crotch. But in practical use, the fire hazard and intense power draw can keep reliable laser cutting out of the hands of most non-supervillains. The same can also be said for water jet cutting, which uses a focused stream of water to slice things up. It's extremely effective and relatively safer -- for starters, there's no chance of setting the thing you're cutting aflame. Unfortunately, it's also pretty big and expensive. That is, until today, with the launch of the Wazer desktop water jet cutter. It's small but still powerful enough to cut through a Rolex, and it hits Kickstarter today for a (relatively) affordable $3,599. Now, both makers and wannabe supervillains alike can enjoy the benefits of waterjet cutting from the convenience of their garages.
Just add water and this squid-inspired plastic heals itself
While you've been busy scarfing down fried calamari rings, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have been doing something else with squid. Namely? Studying the cephalopod's ring teeth for a way to create a material that heals when water's present, much in the way that those tentacle-bound choppers do. The way the report spotted by Popular Science tells it, the researchers were able to reproduce the type of proteins found in the self-healing squid teeth and trigger bacteria to make it in a lab environment.
ICYMI: Head injury alert, zombie killing centers and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-604354{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-604354, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-604354{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-604354").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Google is putting its glut of satellite imaging data to good use with the "Sunroof" database, which helps people check their homes and figure out if they get enough sun to install solar panels. University of Pennsylvania researchers made a polymer that changes color depending on the depending on the amount of force used against it. They're hoping to make helmets that quickly signal the degree of a possible brain injury. And Australians beat the Americans to the virtual reality laser tag fun zone finish, building a VR zombie killing gaming center ahead of the U.S. one slated to open next year.
THORwin humanoid machine wins robotic soccer championship
THORwin isn't can't quite bend it like Beckham, but when it comes to robotic soccer players, it's one of the best. The US-made machine has just won top prize in the adult-sized category at this year's RoboCup in China, an international annual soccer competition for robots that aims to pit them against human players by 2050. THORwin, which was named after "Tactical Hazardous Operations Robot" and Charles Darwin, is five foot tall and weighs 119 pounds, while the contenders in the teen- and child-sized categories were much, much smaller. They all had to be able to play autonomously, sense opponents, dribble the ball past them and shoot goals, though -- just like in real soccer, except they're all stiffer, more awkward and more prone to falling over than human athletes at this point in time.
Study says phones are just as good as wearables at tracking fitness
Think you have to wear a dedicated fitness tracker to get accurate data? Don't worry -- you may have a good excuse to skip the wristband. The University of Pennsylvania has published a study showing that smartphone apps' step counts are reasonably on the mark, at less than a 7 percent variance between their data and what observers saw first-hand. With wearables, it's all over the map. Some are very accurate, like Fitbit's One and Zip; others don't give you much of an advantage over a phone, and Nike's Fuelband was sometimes off by a wide margin.
RHex robot uses leaping ability to do 'Parkour' (video)
It's easy for a robot to perform in a sterile lab environment, but only a select few devices -- like Boston Dynamics notorious AlphaDog -- have proven themselves in the wild. However, the University of Pennsylvania's X-RHex Lite has also made that leap, as it were, and a new video shows just how talented it's become. In it, the droid puts all of its running, jumping and grabbing talents together to perform flips, chin-ups and even Parkour-like moves over campus obstacles. The researchers hope it'll perform rescue missions or research in tough environments one day, but until then, gaze in awe at the video after the break.
X-RHex Lite robot leaps across gaps in a single bound (video)
Move aside, Sand Flea, you're not the only jumping robot in town. The researchers over at the University of Pennsylvania have taught their little six-legged X-RHex Light to make leaps and bounds as well, making it one of a few bots to both run and jump effectively. While it can't spring as high as the Boston Dynamics critter, the X-RHex can cross gaps with not just a bound but a running gait, given enough room. It can also flip itself over, climb onto a ledge with a double hop and perform a leaping grab to something as high as 73 centimeters (28.74 inches). The X-RHex itself isn't new; the curved-legged contraption has been around for at least a couple years, and even sported a cat-like tail for balance at one point. Still, the fact that the hefty 6.7 kilogram (14.8 pound) machine can now somersault through the air is a quite a victory, and one that reminds us of the impending robocalypse. Check the video below to see the bouncy guy in action.
Eyes-on: University of Pennsylvania's TitanArm exoskeleton (video)
TitanArm already took home silver in a competition for senior projects at the University of Pennsylvania, and now the team behind it is visiting Orlando to compete in the Intel-sponsored Cornell Cup for embedded design. We stopped by the showroom and snagged a few minutes with the crew to take a look at their creation: an 18-pound, untethered, self-powered exoskeleton arm constructed for less than $2,000. To wield the contraption, users attach the cable-driven mechanical appendage to themselves with straps from a military-grade hiking backpack, and guide it with a thumbstick on a nunchuck-like controller. If a load needs to be held in place, the wearer can jab a button on the hand-held control to apply a brake. A Beagle Bone drives the logic for the setup, and it can stream data such as range of motion wirelessly to a computer. As for battery-life, they group says the upper-body suit has previously squeezed out over 24 hours of use without having to recharge.%Gallery-187514%
UPenn's TitanArm exoskeleton prototype makes light work of heavy lifting (video)
It's no wonder people are interested in exoskeletons. Not only do they tap into our lust for the technology of science fiction movies, but among other applications, can make a significant impact on the lives of those living with disabilities. While many offer leg support, a team from University of Pennsylvania recently took silver in an engineering competition for its TitanArm prototype, a powered upper-body exoskeleton that, as the picture above shows, allows you to out-rep anyone at the gym. Designed to be lightweight and cheap to produce, the robotic bicep upgrade uses a (mostly) aluminum frame, battery-powered DC motor, cable drive system, racket braking and thumbstick controller for movement, with a BeagleBone board supervising the electronics that pull it all together. The group at UPenn imagines TitanArm could be employed as a lifting aid, but more importantly, in healthcare applications like increasing mobility or physical therapy -- sensors and other data from the exoskeleton could even allow docs to monitor patients remotely. More info on the project can be found at the source link, while a video below shows TitanArm in use and outlines the hardware that makes those heavy hammer curls a cinch.
X-RHex Lite robot grows a tail, always lands on its feet (video)
By far the greatest challenge for robots with legs is staying upright when the going gets rough. A team at the University of Pennsylvania's Kod*lab has a hunch that we don't need extra smarts to make that happen -- just an extra appendage. The upgraded X-RHex Lite (XRL) carries a tail that will swing in the right direction to keep the robot upright if it's caught out by a fall, much like a cat. That's impressive for a nearly 18-pound robot (the previous Tailbot was 0.4 pounds), but we're pretty sure no feline has six springy legs; the XRL can crash to the ground and still get back up like it ain't no thing, which gives it a fudge factor others don't have. We don't know if the hexapod critter will lead to more than further experiments. If there are fewer stuck rovers on future exploration missions, though, we'll know who to thank.
Researchers use 3D printer, sugar, to create a fake artery network for lab-grown tissue
Printing a chocolate heart is easy enough, but how about an actual organ? There are folks working on it, but it turns out those veins of yours aren't exactly a breeze to replicate. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and MIT may have found a semi-sweet solution -- dissolving a sugar lattice in a batch of living Jell-O. The research team uses a RepRap 3D printer and a custom extruder head to print a filament network composed of sucrose, glucose and dextran which is later encased in a bio-gel containing living cells. Once the confectionery paths are dissolved, they leave a network of artery-like channels in their void. Tissue living in the gel can then receive oxygen and nutrients through the hollow pipes. The research has been promising so far, and has increased the number of functional liver cells the team has been able to maintain in artificial tissues. These results suggest the technique could have future research possibilities in developing lab-grown organs. MIT Professor Sangeeta Bhatia, who helped conduct the effort, hopes to push the group's work further. "More work will be needed to learn how to directly connect these types of vascular networks to natural blood vessels while at the same time investigating fundamental interactions between the liver cells and the patterned vasculature. It's an exciting future ahead." Scientists at other labs could also get their mitts on the sweet templates since they're stable enough to endure shipping. Head past the break for a video of the innard infrastructure.
Light-based 'Metatronics' chip melts minds, not copper
Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have flipped the switch on a new type of computer circuit. Unlike conventional silicon, the new chip uses light -- not electricity -- to perform its logic. By creating an array of nano-rods, light-flow can be treated like voltage and current. These rods can then be configured to emulate electrical components such as resistors, inductors and capacitors. The benefits of the so-called "metatronic" system would be smaller, faster and more efficient computer chips, which is clearly a welcome prospect. Another curious property the team discovered, is what it calls "stereo-circuitry." Effectively one set of nano-rods can act as two different circuits, depending on the plane of the field. This means your CPU could become a GPU just by changing the signal. We can't speak for the light itself, but our minds are certainly bent.
Quadrocopters: blooper reel edition
We have a gut feeling this is the video that'll be playing when 'the hive' takes over -- a sentimental, 'look how far we've come' victory reel for the Quadrotor nation. But for now, let's just keep the focus on the softer side of our future nemesis' training-room foibles. Playing like an über-geek version of America's Funniest Home Videos, we admit we cracked a smile watching these insect-like bots from the University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Lab take a few hard knocks in the humility ring. Fear of the swarm aside, it's a humorous twist on an otherwise droning research project. The take away? Schadenfreude -- it's not just for humans. [Thanks, Daniel]
Alpha Bike concept: free-wheeling fixie for flip-floppers
So Philliebot was a fail, but this chainless bicycle serves as proof that UPenn doesn't always come up short. The Alpha Bike, designed by a group of engineering students, contains an entirely internal drivetrain that allows riders to switch between fixed-gear and multi-gear setups. The simple switch is enabled by an electronically controlled clutch, part of the Switchable Integrated Free-Fixed Transmission (SWIFT), discreetly hidden in the bike's frame. Populating the front hub are a drum brake and a dynamo, which juices the bike's electronics -- the back hub contains a three-speed gear set, put in motion by a simple push-pull cable. When the front wheel starts rolling, an LED screen mounted in the carbon fiber handlebars is illuminated, displaying time, cadence, and speed, among other things -- this data and more is stored on an accessible SD card. As of now, the bike is still a prototype, but if you start saving now, you might actually have enough scratch to buy one when it comes to fruition.
Quadrocopters can now fly through thrown hoops, the end really is nigh (video)
The future of humanity is assured. Assuredly doomed, that is. That blur you see up above is one of our familiar foes, the GRASP Lab's autonomous quadrocopter, flying through a thrown hoop without the assistance of a human director. Yes, it's downright insane that we're allowing this so-called research to continue our descent toward the robot uprising -- where's the FBI, the CIA, hell, why is DARPA sleeping on this thing? The lethal precision of these quadrotor helis doesn't end there, however, as they've now been enhanced with the ability to recover from "extreme" starting conditions. In simpler terms that just means you can toss one up into the air and it'll right itself into a steady hovering position. From where it can strike upon the unsuspecting and complacent humanoid populace.
Revenge of the quadrocopters: now they move in packs (video)
In case you didn't find the original quadrocopter chilling enough, the GRASP Lab out of the University of Pennsylvania has gone and added a bit of cooperative logic to the recipe so that now multiple little drones can work together. Also upgraded with a "claw-like" gripper that allows it to pick up and transport objects, the newer quadrocopter can team up on its prey payload with its buddies, all while maintaining its exquisite balance and agility. Skip past the break to see it on video.
