InternationalConferenceOnRoboticsAndAutomation
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Dual-armed Teutonic robot plays pool, carefully learns to hustle foolish humans
Sure, we've created interactive pool tables and digitally assisted billiards, but isn't it time we completely outsourced our pool-playing to brutally efficient robots? The Germans obviously think so, using this year's International Conference on Robotics and Automation to debut a dual-armed poolbot able to make "easier" shots about 80 percent of the time. Those misses sound a bit like hustling to us, and unlike Willow Garage's friendly PR2 robot, the German version has a suitably intimidating, industrial look. It's also a bit of a cheat, using an overhead camera to plan its shots. For the full lowdown on this shark, check the video after the break.
Bipedal robots learn to shuffle, evolve toward doing the twist (video)
Yes, some robots are evolving to a point where they can play instruments and swing a hammer. Hilariously, though, bipedal robots are still awful at turning in a tight radius. Several presenters at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation have been working on a solution: instead of making them take steps, program robots to shuffle. This allows turning without complex weight-shifting -- every time your foot leaves the ground, you have to adjust your balance to remain upright. Keeping your feet on the ground avoids that fairly complicated process, and can make robot-turning quicker, and possible in confined spaces; most current bipedal bots require lots of time and space to turn. See the video after the break for an example from Japan's Osaka Electro-Communication University. It may look like a metal man shuffling his feet, but it's an important step toward our robot-dominated future. [Thanks, Henry]
