robotarm
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Dean Kamen's "Luke" artificial arm gets demoed on video
It's still awaiting formal clinical trials, but Dean Kamen's so-called "Luke" artificial arm has already gone through its share of tests, which we can now thankfully catch a glimpse of courtesy of a new video from the folks at IEEE Spectrum Online. That same video also helpfully provides a few more details on the arm, including word that it can be controlled through a variety of means including foot pedals, nerves or muscles, and that it packs force feedback to give the wearer an indication of grip strength, among other suitably sci-fi-like things. Of course, none of this exactly does the arm justice, so be sure to check out the video at the read link below to see it in action for yourself.[Thanks, Sarah]
Dutch robot promises to fill your gas tank, won't clean windshield
As if robots didn't already have enough of our jobs, a group of Dutch inventors have now taken the wraps off their new car-fueling robot, which they hope will one day be filling up your tank at a gas station near your. Coming in at the relatively bargain price of €75,000 (or $111,100), the bot can apparently identify cars as they pull up, and reference them against a database to determine the type of fuel cap and the fuel type to use, which should avoid any mishaps. Somewhat interestingly, the inventors admit that the technology isn't an entirely new idea, and they give credit for the inspiration to the robots used for milking cows, saying that "if a robot can do that then why can't it fill a car tank." While it's apparently not a done deal just yet, the team say they hope to roll out the robot to a "handful" of Dutch gas stations by the end of the year.[Photo courtesy of Reuters/Michael Kooren]
The Wooden Menace: DIY robotic arm on the cheap
Oh yeah, we've seen our fair share of robotic arms, but it's not everyday that a craftsman posts an eight-page tutorial on how to construct one of your own for less than $60. The Wooden Menace was designed to show that an inexpensive robotic arm could indeed be constructed using household junk and a few store-bought parts, and while its utility is relatively limited, there's a certain level of cool to having such a device guarding your paperwork at the office. Aside from a cloned PS1 controller and a few hunks of wood, you'll only need a voltage regulator, microcontroller, five servos, a 20MHz oscillator and a few other parts to make it all come together. No need in giving you the run down here -- there's eight pages chock full of details (videos included) awaiting you in the read link below.[Via MAKE]
"Justin" humanoid robot gets shown off, no one harmed
It may just be for demonstration purposes for now, but this humanoid robot dubbed "Justin" certainly looks like he means business, and we can all be thankful that's he's confined to a table or there's no telling how things might have gone down. Apparently, Justin's biggest claim to fame is his pair of DLR-III Light-Weight arms which, in addition to making other robot arms look positively retro, are dexterous enough to pick up a trash can and dump it or twist a lid off a jar. No word as to when Justin might be let loose from the lab, but you can get a better look at what he's capable of in the video at the site linked below.
Robot arm issues subtle plea for help in promotional video
Apparently looking to show off the dexterity of its "Airic's_arm," automation firm Festo recently put together a slick promotional video that appears to show the robot arm writing "HELLO" on a touchscreen monitor. It seems that the arm may have had ideas of its own, however, as the writing appears to spell out "HELP" as much as it does "HELLO." Exactly what sort of distress the arm had to endure to cause it to issue this potentially non-existent plea, we're not sure. but we'd recommend that the folks at Festo not turn their back on the thing unless they want some robot arms of their own. Hit up the read link below for the complete video. [Thanks, Chad]
Robotic arm rides, 5 cents
We've heard of robot arm-driven rides before, but this guy is seriously taking it to the next level. Watch as some brave soul in an anonymous factory floor tames a giant yellow robot arm and rides it to glory as family and friends look on admiringly, giggling uncontrollably in a giddy orgy of industrial robot exploitation. Video after the break. [Via hight3ch]
