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Virginia Tech researchers reveal full-sized CHARLI-L humanoid robot (update: video!)
Dr. Dennis Hong was kind enough to give us a glimpse the CHARLI robot on The Engadget Show this weekend -- or its leg, anyway -- but he and his students have just now finally revealed the full-sized bot that's been described as a "robot teenager." As we'd heard, CHARLI is actually a series of robots that initially consists of the 5-foot tall CHARLI-L (or lightweight, pictured above), and the forthcoming CHARLI-H (or heavy), both of which are completely autonomous, with a full range of movements and gestures thanks to a series of pulleys, springs, carbon fiber rods, and actuators (not to mention some slightly more mysterious AI). What's more, while CHARLI-L is currently restricted to walking on flat surfaces, CHARLI-H promises to be able to walk on the uneven ground around the Virginia Tech campus, and eventually even be able to "run, jump, kick, open doors, pick up objects, and do just about anything a real person can do." Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any video of CHARLI-L in action just yet, and it is still somewhat of a work in progress -- the researchers say it will be able to speak soon, and they're also busily working to improve its soccer skills in time for this year's RoboCup. [Thanks, Kyle] Update: Video is now after the break!
AILA bot can recognize objects' weight and fragility, render shelf stackers obsolete (video)
Now, this isn't quite the height of innovation, but it's a pretty cool compilation of existing technologies nonetheless. The femme-themed AILA robot has an RFID reader in its left palm, which allows it to obtain non-visual information about the objects put in front of it. Based on that input, as well as data collected from its 3D camera and two laser scanners, AILA can intelligently deal with and transport all sorts of items, without the pesky need for a fleshy human to come along and give it further instructions. The good news is that it's a really slow mover for now, so if you do your cardio you should be able to run away from one in case of any instruction set malfunctions. See it on video after the break.
Adept Quattro shows off terrifying speed, robotic precision (video)
See that blur in the image above? That'll be the Adept Quattro, a machine claiming the title of being the world's fastest industrial pick and place robot. On the evidence of today's video, we're not going to argue. Being demonstrated as part of the first National Robotics Week, the Quattro took on a WiiMote-controlled moving platform and still effortlessly conducted its job at a pace that would make even Usain Bolt feel inadequate. The person controlling the platform tries his best to confuse the machine with rapid changes of direction, but whatever he does, the chips are placed and removed from their repositories with unerring precision. Go past the break to see the Quattro in action.
ASIMO slims down, gains new capabilities in latest revision
We've been hearing about a few of ASIMO's new tricks as of late, and it looks like Honda's now finally showing off some of its hard work. The most noticeable change is that ASIMO (now sporting the P4 designation) has shed over one hundred pounds, and now weighs in at a slight 176 pounds -- letting it slip into a stylish new blue cover for its torso. That weight loss also comes with some added mobility, with the P4 boasting 34 degrees of freedom (four more than its predecessor), and a more flexible waist that makes it more adept at walking and even dancing. Yeah, we're as sad as everyone that there's no video yet, but you can at least check out few more pics at the link below. Update: It turns out this is not an updated ASIMO model, but rather an earlier ASIMO prototype that has only just been revealed at the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi, Japan. ASIMO's current dancing ability remains a mystery.
Windows Phone 7 Series T-shirt cannon gets detailed, redefines 'mobile warfare'
Microsoft's MIX 10 Windows Phone app demos were highlighted by a robotic t-shirt cannon entirely controlled by a WP7S app, and the code monkeys behind the project are now back with a full breakdown of how things were achieved -- the bot was built on a standard battle-bot chassis, which was then modded with the cannons and an HP Envy laptop for control purposes. Just to drill in the point about how familiar development for the new mobile OS will be, the MS guys point out that outsider assistance on the project was recruited under the pretext that what was being built were "out of the browser" Silverlight apps for the desktop. Very crafty. We've got video of the cannon in action waiting after the break, along with an image of the Phone controls.
Robosoft Kompai takes care of your elderly so you don't have to (video)
This one has been quite a long time in coming, but Robosoft's service drone has finally made it off the drawing board, collected a catchy name, and headed off to the big world to seek its fortune as an R&D platform. Kompai is a personal assistance bot built around speech -- it understands basic instructions and requests and offers appropriate responses with its own monotonic style. It'll serve as a note and shopping list recorder, a calendar, a music player, or a video conferencing tool for when old grandpappy needs to call his doctor. If you think having a programmable hunk of mobile metal that's permanently connected to the net in your house is a good idea, look out for OEMs picking up the design during the Intercompany Long Term Care Insurance Conference taking place next week. And if you just wanna see a bug-eyed bot talk to an old dude, click past the break for the video. [Thanks, Erico]
MIT's MeBot makes telerobotics fun again
We know how you feel. Sure, telerobotics has changed your life for the better, allowing to interact with people as if you're really there, coasting through the halls of an institution of higher learning, dropping knowledge on anyone within shouting distance. But something's missing. You aren't happy, you aren't free. MeBot, developed at MIT's Personal Robotics Group and prepped for presentation at the Human-Robot Interaction conference in Osaka, Japan, looks to solve this. It adds movement to the equation, hoisting an OQO aloft for a head and adding in gesticulating arms to the equation. The idea is to allow the teleoperator to be more engaged through "head" and "arm" movements, with the arms being moved by handheld controls, and the head movement created by tracking the face of the operator. We could obviously conceive of a more elaborate representation, but the off the shelf components like the OQO brain seem worthy of commendation. Check out some video of the bot in action after the break.
Robonica Roboni-i programmable robot toy review
Life became duller ever since FedEx took away our last annoying little robot, so we got our hands on a new but less chatty plastic companion -- say hi to Robonica's Roboni-i programmable robot. Since its last Engadget appearance we've seen a drastic price drop from the original $299.95 to $159.95 at Hammacher Schlemmer, but the robot is no less awesome -- those unique wheels alone deliver plenty of coolness already, not to mention the bunch of peculiar accessories in the box for games and even interaction with other fellow Roboni-is. Read on to find out if this bot's a keeper. %Gallery-83689%
Proto-2 humanoid robot auditions for Thunderbirds 2.0
While there are some robots like ASIMO still keeping it real with their classic robot looks, it seems that humanoid bots these days are increasingly falling into one of two categories: creepy and more creepy. Making no attempt to alter that trend are the researchers from Advanced Robotic Systems Laboratories (or ARSL), who are now showing off their new Proto-2 robot -- and apparently holding it against its will. Designed partly to aid in the study of human-robot interaction, Proto-2 packs an "expressive face" complete with moving, Peter Gallagher-esque eyebrows, and it apparently has a more natural walking gait than many other humanoid bots thanks to a new dynamic toe-joint that ARSL developed. Unfortunately, there's no video of it in action available just yet, but you can check out plenty more pics, and even an interview with its creator by hitting up the links below.
Left 4 Dead 2's Versus mode getting bots, auto-spawn tweaks
Question: What's the only thing scarier than a looming horde of normal-speed zombies? Answer: A looming horde of normal-speed zombies with robot brains. That's the kind of nightmare we'll soon be facing once Valve puts the finishing touches on an update for Left 4 Dead 2, which will add Infected bots to the game's Versus mode to help balance out one-on-one games. In addition, Valve's doing some tweaking to the zombie auto-spawning which occurs during the finale events in Versus mode. Apparently, the developer decided that the average 34.56% chance of survival for the human team was a little too low, and is trying to balance things out by disabling auto-spawning during the campaigns' climaxes. Of course, none of that will matter when the human team is attempting to escape from robot zombies. %Gallery-64704%
Caption contest: Optimus Prime moonlights as clothes dryer
What does a superpowered Transformer do in his spare time -- you know, when he's not too busy starring in some of the worst written pieces of escapist cinema? Well, for one Taiwanese fella, there's nothing Optimus Prime likes doing more than supporting a bamboo stick used for hanging washed clothes. Seriously, the dude spent $1,600 on scrap metal, built a 14-foot model of his son's favorite mech superhero, and now has it serving as a spectacularly ornamental pivot for his washing. Classy. Oh, and video after the break. Richard Lai: [pumps up hydraulics] "Why hello there, cute little red car..." Tim: "Autobots, spin cycle!" Thomas: "Transformers: Revenge of the Snuggle Bear." Darren: "Man, it's chilly out today. Wait -- these aren't my threads! RAWWRRRR!" Paul: "Oh, sure, Shia said he'll be 'right back.' I hate that kid." Josh F.: "Do these windows make me look fat?" Laura: "Get Michael Bay on the phone. Immediately." Joanna: "Mommm, bathroom!" Chris: "After nine years, Johnny 5 finally admits that he'd been juicing." Joe: "There's not much more to this than meets the eye... sadly." Don: "You think this is impressive? Wait until you see Voltron mowing my lawn." Josh T.: "I need something to do until Transformers 3 rolls around. This cocaine isn't going to buy itself."
KIST Mahru-Z waits on you very, very slowly
We've seen KIST's Marhu robot tooling around here before, but now they're showing off the latest models, the Mahru-Z (with some help from Mahru-M), in some super useful scenarios. Mahru-Z and M have been successfully demonstrating their service abilities by carrying cups of tea, and retrieving toast from toasters and delivering it as well. The Z-version bot is a bit shorter than previous iterations, and also sports different, more dextrous arms. He stands about 4 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 122 pounds. Both bots are networked and use 3D object recognition in their task completion. Overall, the improvements to the Mahru bots are iterative, but it sure is great to hear that one day we'll have someone to bring our breakfast to us in bed. Video is after the break.
Second Life scripted agents to be exempted from traffic this month
Well, it's been a long time in coming, but it is finally just around the corner. Back in October, Linden Lab added a facility where Second Life users could flag the accounts of their scripted agents (commonly called 'bots'). That was in October and the flag itself has had no effect so far. However, along with the search update on Wednesday, 20 January, user accounts (whether they are actually scripted agents or not) who have chosen to turn the flag on for their account will no longer count towards the per-parcel traffic data generated by the system.
Manoi Go break-dancing robot blows our minds
We've got no idea how this nugget of glorious mechanized boogie snuck past us -- we'll blame it on the horror we experienced while watching Doka Harumi's robot dance routine. Another entrant in that same Japanese robo-dance contest, this red-blazered drone brings the pain, the funk, and all necessary accessories to rock your world. We're not kidding -- if you don't like this, you don't like technology. Skip past the break for not one, but two doses of that mind-altering video action.
ATOM-7xp humanoid robot is indeed Atom-powered, Windows-based
Our enthusiasm for this particular walking robot is unfortunately a bit dampened by a lack of video, or any evidence of actual walking, but both of those are promised to be forthcoming, and the bot still has enough going for it to distinguish itself in the meantime. Proudly made in the USA by Futurebots, this so-called ATOM-7x robot is actually powered by not one but two Atom processors (a dual-core Atom 330 and an Atom 230), which themselves power two separate systems running Windows XP and Windows 7. Those, paired with slew of sensors, gyros and accelerometers, promises to give the bot a whole range of humanoid capabilities, including an advanced stereo vision system that its creators say will let it "take on real world problems." Complete details are otherwise still a bit light, but the bot can apparently operate autonomously in addition to being used as a telepresence robot, and it unsurprisingly wasn't cheap or easy to build ("2 mortgages and lots of sweat"). We'll be sure to keep an eye out for any sightings of this one in action.
Remo humanoid hobby robot now available, wherever adorably creepy gifts are sold
We've always wanted a really solid humanoid robot of our very own. Remo, a hobby bot recently released in Japan -- who boasts two arms and legs and seems to be about the size of a Good Guy doll -- could perfectly fit that bill. He's got pressure sensors in his feet to help out his balance, two sensors in his "eye" section (with two color CCD cameras for image processing), and Bluetooth connectivity for communication with your PC. He also comes with the expressive faceplate you see in the photo -- which should definitely keep your nieces and nephews from trying to touch him, anyway. Remo is available in Japan now, but something of this quality is, as you may have guessed, not cheap: he'll run you ¥399,999 (about $4,400).
Japanese researchers develop robotic, heroic hummingbird
This is not the first time we've heard about a robotic hummingbird, but they're still a rare enough species to warrant our attention. Japanese researchers at Chiba University near Tokyo have developed a new bot which behaves much like the quick-winged bird, which is controlled by an infrared sensor. The little birdie weighs in at less than an ounce and can fly in a figure eight, moving up, down, left and right. Next steps for its development -- which the researchers say will arrive by 2011 -- include the ability for it to hover mid-air, and have a small camera attached to it. Ultimately, its creators see the robot (which has cost around 2 million dollars to develop) being able to help search for people in dangerous situations, such as destroyed buildings, or aiding in the search for criminals. We haven't gotten a look at the little guy yet (the above photo is merely to whet your imagination), but we anxiously await its arrival.
Nippon Institute of Technology unveils educational humanoid robot
We really can't get enough of these humanoid robots. Researchers collaborating from the Nippon Institute of Technology, Harada Vehicle Design, ZMP and ZNUG Design have just taken the wraps off another addition to the crew. The newest version of the e-NUVO walk bot stands about 4 feet tall, making it roughly the size of an elementary school aged child, and will be incorporated into classes to teach children about humanoid robots in a hands-on environment. We'll admit that after seeing a video of the bot in action (it's after the break), we're pretty jealous of those school children.
CoolerBot photographs nature, gets its power from it
If you're into real life bunny wabbits and other such wildlife, but not a fan of the cold, wet and windy outdoors, what do you do? We'd say just boot up the console and shoot you some pixelated peoples, but Steve Norris' idea might be just a tad more practical. He has authored the above mobile snap-station, which is equipped with an infrared video camera, a Nikon DSLR, and pairs of motors, 10Ah batteries, and solar panels. Power flows from the latter into the former to turn wildlife stalking into a pleasurable pastime for even the most indoorsy of folks. Video demonstration of the hardware after the break.
Nao performs Star Wars homage, scores mad geek cred
While we're still busy thinking up legitimate uses for a humanoid robot, Aldebaran Robotics keeps finding newer and zanier ways to play with its Nao. The latest is a pre-programmed Star Wars routine that should have all you aging loyalists positively moist with glee, and even includes a terrific R2D2 impersonation that is not to be missed. Past the break, you shall find it. Oh, and as to real world uses, there are further videos of Nao reading out your emails and doing balancing acts, which may be found at the source link.
