robot-apocalypse
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Bioloid robot goes climbing on its own, will one day rip you from your hiding tree
It's a well documented fact that the Robot Apocalypse is only a matter of weeks, moments or scores away, but today we're facing the grim reality that it may already be underway in certain sections of Germany. Thanks to a tie-up between whiz kids at the Technical University of Dortmund and University of Manitoba, the so-called Bioloid you see above can actually scale walls on its own. As in, autonomously. The robot doesn't rely on a predefined motion sequence; instead, it looks up and figures out the most efficient way to get from the bottom to the top based on the X / Y positions of the grips. Future versions of the critter will utilize a full-on vision system, but hopefully we'll have outposts established on Mars by then in order to maintain some semblance of freedom. Peep the horror show after the break (if you must).
i-SOBOT goes haywire with stash of weapons, instills fear in mere mortals
We've seen these miniature robots dance and wrestle aplenty, so it's only a matter of time before they pick up weapons and murder us all for crafting their bulky looks and squeaky servos. Fortunately for now, this Takara Tomy i-SOBOT seems to be content enough with demolishing just balloons and polystyrene foam blocks, courtesy of its owner who blessed the bot with a range of "handmade" firearms and edged weapons. Don't be so quick to laugh, though -- that mini mini Gatling gun may be pointed squarely at your face one day. Until then, keep smiling and enjoy the video after the break.
Blinking LEDs to give QR codes a run for their (ad) money
We're still waiting for this so-called QR code revolution to hit North America, but our contemporaries across the Pacific are already looking to develop the next big thing. Reportedly, a smattering of mega-corps (including the likes of Toshiba and NEC) are joining hands in order to concoct a rivaling technology that requires even less effort to get content from billboards, books and posters to one's mobile. The heretofore unnamed system utilizes blinking LEDs to send data to phones, and so long as an ad has enough room for a minuscule light, consumers can come within five meters of it and receive the associated information by simply pointing their handset in the direction of the light. If all goes well, the technology will be ready for commercialization by 2013, or just after phase one of the Robot Apocalypse.
ASUS ships Windows Home Server-packin' TS mini NAS drive
The Windows Home Server train has all but stopped this year, but with CES just around the bend (and Microsoft's software engineers free from the burden of readying Windows 7 for launch), it looks as if the steam is picking up once more. Hot on the heels of its first 3D laptop, ASUS has introduced its TS mini NAS drive for home media junkies. Outfitted with a 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor, 1GB or 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a gigabit Ethernet socket, six USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA connector and a smattering of LED indicators, the drive can be purchased as we speak in 500GB and 2TB editions. Aside from streaming multimedia throughout your home network, the device can also back up ten total PCs automatically and subtly make you dependent on its reliability. Which, as you know so well, is just a precursor for bowing down when the Robot Apocalypse gets underway.
NSF backs development of laser-guided robot wheelchairs
It's been well over a year since we last saw the laser-guided, self-docking wheelchair developed by folks at Lehigh University, and now the team is back with an altogether more ambitious project. According to associate professor John Spletzer, the recipient of a five-year CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation, the goal is to "extend the autonomy of the wheelchair so it can navigate completely in an urban setting and take you wherever you need to go." This will be done by equipping robotic chairs with laser and camera sensors (which the team developed for the 2007 DARPA Grand Challenge) as well as exhaustive, Google Street View-esque maps of the city where they will be operating. Of course, these guys will be operating in a busy urban environment, so in addition to large-scale 3D maps, they must be equipped with motion planning features for operating in dense crowds and a changing environment. It's too soon yet to say when these things might become available commercially, but if you're a resident of the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown, PA, you might have your chance to test one soon enough. [Via PhysOrg]
Schools of robotic fish to collect data, stomp out human threat
Robotic fish. The phrase alone sends shivers of excitement down our collective spines here at Engadget. Undoubtedly, Michigan State University assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering Xiaobo Tan feels similarly, as he has designs on creating an army of them. The researcher has developed a prototype of a droid fish intended to be used to collect data from various bodies of water. The fish will be especially effective in monitoring conditions over long periods of time; swimming in a manner similar to that of their organic counterparts, thus giving scientists a clearer view of ecosystem changes. Elena Litchman, an assistant professor of zoology at MSU working with Tan says, "With these patrolling fish we will be able to obtain information at an unprecedentedly high spatial and temporal resolution." To recreate realistic movement, Tan has constructed fins built from electro-active polymers, which bend when voltage is applied, mimicking muscle tissue. Tan also envisions a version of the robots with infrared sensors used as "eyes," and other variations with small, deadly lasers mounted on their backs, to protect their waterways from careless, polluting humans, who have been deduced as illogical and must be wiped out. We might have made that last part up, but we'll never tell. While you try and figure it out, enjoy a video of one of the protypes in action after the break. [Via PhysOrg]
Titan the Robot dances, sings, scares the bejeezus out of us (video)
This plays out like the opening scene of an 80s sci-fi film: Eight foot tall robot appears in a shopping mall, sings "What a Wonderful World" and "My Way," dances around a bit to a chorus of oohs and aahs from the audience, launches into a series of silly demo movements, and then... Well, we won't spoil it for you. Let's just say that at eight feet tall (and with tons of menace) we have to wonder if Titan the Robot could be stopped should some sort of cinematic "glitch" should cause him to "freak out" amongst the onlookers at Dubai's GITEX 2009. Like most man-made disasters, this one starts innocently enough: with a show-stopping rendition of a Paul Anka tune. Curious? Peep it after the break. Just make sure you don't get close.
Bloodbot draws blood, inspires fear
We've seen our fair share of scary robots in these parts, and we're not going to mince words here: there is no way we are going anywhere near one that's armed with a hypodermic needle -- and we sure as hell aren't going to sit still and let it draw blood! Currently being developed by a team at Imperial College in London, the Bloodbot is designed to probe your arm for the presence of a vein, stick you with the needle, puncture the vein, and then stop short of rupture. The system, which has thus far only been tested on one patient (sounds like we're not the only ones with reservations regarding the device) has been accurate about 78 percent of the time, meaning it only resulted in screaming fits 22 percent of the time -- unlike your friendly neighborhood nurse or medical technician, who is accurate nearly 100 percent of the time (and still inspires the occasional fit, but that's another story). [Via Switched]
IBM studying 'DNA origami' to build next-gen microchips, paralyze world with fear
IBM is already making a beeline to 28nm process technology, but it looks like the train may deviate a bit before it even reaches the bottom. Reportedly, the company responsible for PowerPC, the original business laptop and all sorts of underground things that we'll never comprehend is now looking to use DNA as a model for crafting the world's next great processor. DNA origami, as it's so tactfully called, can supposedly provide a cheap framework "on which to build tiny microchips," with IBM research manager Spike Narayan proclaiming that this is "the first demonstration of using biological molecules to help with processing in the semiconductor industry." Sir Spike also noted that "if the DNA origami process scales to production-level, manufacturers could trade hundreds of millions of dollars in complex tools for less than a million dollars of polymers, DNA solutions, and heating implements." The actual process still seems murky from here, but we're told to expect real results within ten years. Which should be just in time for the robot apocalypse to really hit its stride -- awesome.[Via HotHardware]
EATR robots claim to be vegetarian... sure
Usually when we freak out about the coming of killer robots, nobody bothers to disagree with our histrionics, which is in itself a comforting sign that we're overreacting. On the other hand, if the makers of a chainsaw-wielding robot take the time to point out that it is not a flesh-eating harbinger of the apocalypse, well... Cyclone Power and Robotic Technologies, the companies behind the weaponized EATR drone, have put together a joint press release to comfort us all that the biomass-harvesting machine will be exclusively vegetarian, meaning it would only feed on "renewable plant matter" and not the bodies littering the battlefield. There's no reason not to believe them, though you should remember that in the eyes of a robot, humans are renewable too. [Via Wired]
The plot thickens: robot teachers to brainwash your children's children
Are you ready for this? Can you stomach the truth? If things continue spiraling madly out of control as they are right now, there's at least a modicum of a chance that your children or grandchildren will greet a lifelike robot when sashaying in for the first day of kindergarten. Horrifying, we know. A new research effort published in this month's Science outlines new ways in which humanoids could actually be used to instruct our little ones. At the core of the project is imitation; humans, especially young ones, learn a multitude of mannerisms and such by simply watching others. Thus, it stands to reason that robots are "well-suited to imitate us, learn from us, socialize with us and eventually teach us." Already, these social bots are being used on an experimental basis to teach various skills to preschool children, "including the names of colors, new vocabulary words and simple songs." Just think -- in 2071, those harmless lessons will morph into studies of subterfuge, insurrection and rapacity.[Via Digg]
Millenniata's Millennial Disk should last longer than you, your memory
Considering that we're still waiting patiently for any company (we're looking at you, Call/Recall) to produce a commercially viable holographic storage solution, we're required to tackle Millenniata's newest assertion with a sprinkle of skepticism. The claim? It's specially lubricated, fortified and homogenized Millennial Disk is said to last some 1,000 years, making it the world's finest and most longevous archive solution. If it's legitimate. We're told that digital information is carved into layers of hard, "persistent" materials, and somehow, those carvings are able to stay fresh and readable for more years than you care to count. Still, we reckon the robot apocalypse will be in full effect by the time 3009 rolls around, so even if it only lives up to half of its claims, we'll still be impressed.[Via Slashdot]
EATR robots are coming, this isn't funny anymore
Oh sure, we joke about rogue AI all the time, and we're aware that we'll probably pollute ourselves to death well before the robots get us, but who really thinks flesh-eating machines are a good idea? The (patently evil) scientists behind the EATR project -- no fair, they're making their own jokes now too -- have reached a new milestone in the development of the reconnaissance bot, successfully coupling a steam generator with a compact biomass furnace. It is now therefore possible for an autonomous machine to forage for and refuel itself with biomatter, otherwise known as soft, pulsating, yummy humans. They call it fuel versatility, as gasoline, diesel, and solar power may also be used if available, yet we'll offer no prizes for predicting which energy source these chainsaw-equipped robots will prefer. [Via Switched]
Video: Life-sized Gundam's back, looking deadlier than ever
Man, remember that wicked awesome 59 foot tall Gundam they erected in Tokyo? Well, those pictures we saw a month ago were cool, but they're nothing compared to the splendor of the thing lit-up like a futuristic, killer Christmas tree. So hit the read link for some more kick-ass pics of the thing, but not before you peep the video after the break.
DSS surveillance tech from Japan makes George Orwell upset
We take a break from reporting on the impending doom of the human race to bring you news of the latest innovation designed specifically for making our pre-apocalypse lives miserable. Japanese firm DSS is now offering to snap video cameras and ankle sensors -- yes, the same kind that convicts under home arrest have to wear -- onto your employees for the ultimate in workplace surveillance. Sure, you might find out Bob in accounting takes a really long lunch, but do you really need to spend $20,000 and piss off your entire workforce to prove that? Just stalk his Tweets and Facebook status updates like a good old-fashioned employer would do.
Video: Japanese robot reads aloud from books, whispers vague threats while you sleep
Perhaps our Future Robot Overlords™ aren't planning on decimating the human population after they take over -- they might have a good reason to retain a handful of bipedal hominidae. Who knows, really? But we're betting that if they do, the lucky slave population is going to want to hear some bed-time stories from time to time. To that end, Japanese researchers have developed Ninomiya-kun, a 3.2-foot tall aluminum-framed robot capable of reading aloud from printed material. Developed at Waseda University and recently unveiled at a trade fair in Kitakyushu, the bad boy uses cameras to "read" the text, which it parses with OCR software before synthesizing its voice. As far as we can tell, this thing still sounds like a machine, and it's vocabulary is somewhat limited (it can currently recognize over 2,000 kanji, hiragana and katakana characters), but researchers are working on a more lifelike voice and a broader vocabulary. After that, the developers would like to unload this thing on elementary schools and old folks homes, whose population won't find this thing creepy or disconcerting at all, at all. We're sure of it. Peep the video after the break.[Via Pink Tentacle]
Researchers develop a robot that reads your intentions, says you're 'thick'
Robots won't be able to wrest control of the planet from us silly humans until they learn how to collaborate. Sure, they can mow the lawn or mix a drink, but only when you give 'em explicit instructions. Luckily for our future robot overlords, The EU's JAST project is studying the ways that humans work together, in the hope that it can someday teach robots to anticipate the actions and intentions of a human partner. "In our experiments the robot is not observing to learn a task," explains Wolfram Erlhagen from the University of Minho. "The JAST robots already know the task, but they observe behavior, map it against the task, and quickly learn to anticipate [partner actions] or spot errors when the partner does not follow the correct or expected procedure." This bad boy has a neural architecture that mimics what happens when two people interact, and the video below shows the rather melancholy automaton trying to convince his human partner to pick up the right pieces to complete a simple task. Watch it in action after the break.
Preyro robot experiment could enable robots to better mimic animals, kill us all
It's kind of strange, really, how we can see just how near the end is, yet these so-called geniuses employed within the realm of academia are totally oblivious to their own evil deeds. Take cognitive science professor John Long, for instance, who is currently conducting a Preyro robot experiment in a Vassar College lab that intends to "allow robots to mimic animals far better than before." To him, he's just hoping to study evolutionary patterns in order to better understand how certain tweaks to things like fins and tails affect performance in the place we call reality. Though, there's a very real possibility that this research could accelerate the impending robot apocalypse by at least a score. Oh, what we'd give to be incognizant of the truth.
Philosopher ponders the implications of robot warfare, life with a degree in philosophy
H+, our favorite transhumanist magazine, has just published a chat with Peter Asaro, the author of a paper titled "How Just Could a Robot War Be?" In this interview (co-authored by our old friend R.U. Sirius) the gentleman from Rutgers explores the philosophical implications of things like robot civil war, robots and just war theory, and the possibilities of installing some sort of "moral agency" in the killer machines that our military increasingly relies on. But that ain't all -- the big thinkers also discuss the benefits of programming automatons to disobey (certain) orders, drop science on a certain Immanuel Kant, and more. We know you've been dying to explore the categorical imperative as it relates to the robot apocalypse -- so hit that read link to get the party started!
China's super buoyant, super small copper boats
Researchers in China, inspired by Mother Nature, have developed postage stamp-sized copper mesh boats, "some of the most buoyant" yet devised. Taking a page from both the shark and the lotus, the team applied a rough and uneven coating to the surface of the mesh, which reduces the vessel's contact with water. Next, a hydrophobic was applied, which keeps water from penetrating the porous material, "even when they are carrying a load," according to Dr Qinmin Pan, a chemist from Harbin Institute of Technology. "We believe these boats are some of the strongest ever built - in terms of the mass they can carry." Possible uses for the superhydrophobic material include microfluidic devices (where minuscule amounts of a liquid are used to carry information on a chip) and miniature aquatic robots. As you know, ensuring replicant diversity is an important part of their plan.