robotic
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Creepy robotic heads serenade your wallet from deep inside the uncanny valley
No, it's not the Boyz II Men reunion tour, these are three other singing robots manufactured into a performing trio. The animatronic heads from artist Nathaniel Mellor are part of a $75,000 art piece on sale at Art Basel Miami Beach 2009. The artificial faces are controlled by servos which in turn are controlled by a computer. The uncontrolled fear you'll feel when watching the video is, however, completely natural.
Tokyo robosuit could make you the sack lifting champion
In Japan, the ultimate merit of a robotic suit is measured in sacks of rice. We've seen it before with the HAL-5. The latest suit created by students at Tokyo's University of Science provides enough assistance to the wearer's back to lift an additional 15 to 20 kilograms (that's 33 to 44 pounds) -- in other words, another two bags of rice for five in total. The university's previous robosuit was heavier and more bulky by comparison, in that it provided assistance to both the wearers back and arms (though clearly some support is provided based on the image above). The suit will ultimately benefit factory workers or those with physical limitations when it goes into production sometime in 2010. Outstanding. Surprisingly, nobody from the university seems willing to talk about that kid with sawblade arms in the corner.
Video: iropod turns your desk into a big-ass mobile computer
Look, we like the idea of an ergonomic workstation with a VESA monitor mount. Integrate a slip-in laptop dock and we might even be tempted to reach for our credit cards. But designer Rad Iliuta seems to have built the computer right into the chassis of the iropod (Interactive Robotic Pod) while fitting it with a battery "as powerful as a car battery" offering a claimed 24-hours of freedom... you know, when you want to pack this into your backpack or take it into the woods. It's said to be launching in the 3rd quarter of this year which by our count gives them until September to get this thing priced and rolled out the door, literally. However, without a single PC spec listed on its website of dubious design we have our doubts about that time schedule. Insane or insanely awesome, let Rad know your thoughts in the comments below. Quickie video after the break.
ECCEROBOT emulates your musculoskeletal system, looks like Beaker from the Muppets
Anthropomimetic robots. It's not something that rolls off the tongue, but the ECCEROBOT is just such a robot, and it's really a sight to behold. Developed by a consortium of European robotics labs, the motivation behind the creation is to more accurately copy human internal structure, using thermoplastic polymer for bones, screwdriver motors and shock cord for muscle, and kiteline for tendons. The results are impressive, if not a bit creepy. According to IEEE Spectrum, scientists hope in the future to use ECCEROBOT's human-like form to "explore human-like cognitive features," which may or may not include starring opposite Christian Bale in science fiction films. See for yourself in the video after the break.
Global Agenda producer interview explains Players vs. Playable Environments
How can we describe a game like Global Agenda? "It's like a sci-fi Team Fortress 2 with elements of territory and resource control." That works. Or we could say, "It's an MMO that's gene spliced with a first person shooter." That's pretty accurate as well. But whichever way you look at it, Global Agenda is a game that's hard to define with any single, existing label. You'll play as an "agent" in one of four classes -- Assault (heavy weapons), Recon (stealth and melee), Robotic (gadgets galore), or Medic -- in a game that's as much about fast-paced combat as it is about controlling territory and tapping resources on an alliance (guild) level. The title is in development at Hi-Rez Studios, and I4U News recently spoke with Global Agenda executive producer Todd Harris about what makes this game unique. Harris discusses Global Agenda's elements of world control and says, "When a player alliance successfully claims an entire zone, anticipated to take approximately 45 days, that group will be rewarded with prestige items, public display of their alliance banner, and permanent notation within the lore of the world."
Jet packs, mechs, and all-out carnage in latest Global Agenda screens
Global Agenda from Hi-Rez Studios is one of the upcoming games that is challenging our traditional definition of an MMO. Essentially Global Agenda will be a marriage of Team Fortress 2-style gameplay with a system of world control where guilds will tap resources to gain advantages. We got some hands-on time with GA at E3 2009 and Mike Schramm had a chance to try out the medic class. We know the game will have four classes at launch, and taking the Team Fortress 2 analog a bit further, Global Agenda's 'Assault' class is like the Heavy, 'Recon' is the Spy, 'Robotic' is similar to the Engineer, and 'Medic'... you get it. This is, however, a very broad generalization and what we've seen thus far suggests there will be a good range of abilities for each class with numerous gear options. However, since none of us are in the beta at present, we're always hoping to find out more about the game. We've come across some new Global Agenda screens that Hi-Rez Studios released today, which show the various class gear and abilities in action. Have a look through our gallery to see the Assault, Recon, Medic, and Robotic classes tearing into mechs and androids, and quite likely each other as well. Plus, jet packs! We've added these shots to our Global Agenda gallery for you, so check it out:%Gallery-35351%
Massively giveaway: Titan Online beta keys and special items
If you haven't heard the news, Titan Online has just entered their beta stage, and we're here to help you get in! That's right, Massively has yet another beta key giveaway, and this time it's for EYA Interactive's Titan Online, a free-to-play robotic MMO that we've previewed in the past.If you'd be interested in participating in this beta and learning a bit more about the game, simply leave a comment to this post telling us why. Unlike previous beta key giveaways where we chose winners at random from the pool of comments, this one offers beta keys to every person who leaves a comment from now until Tuesday, April 28th at 7am EST, when eligibility will close. That's right, it's a first-come first-serve giveaway this time and we have enough for everyone (up to 1,000). Tell your friends, but remember, only one entry per person. Winners will be notified and provided with their beta keys throughout the week, after the giveaway closes. In addition to providing these keys as an entry into the beta, they also generate special random items for your character. Keep reading below to find out more detailed information on how these beta keys will work.[Edit: Eligibility is now closed. Expect your keys soon if you made a comment within the eligibility period!]
DIY robotic foosball table is ready to throw down
Finally, your dreams of a constant foosball opponent have become a startling reality. Some clever DIY-types have come up with a solution for how to fill all those long, lonely nights -- a computer-controlled foosball table. The premise is simple: servos coupled with a micro-controller operate the arms of the table, while a camera above the action monitors the game, including the location of the ball and the opponents moves, then processes that information using a custom AI. Sure, your game won't include players like Hitler or Ghandi, but at least you won't have to go hunting for competition on those late nights. Check the video after the break, and hit the read link for all the how-to info.
MIT shows off load-bearing exoskeleton
While it isn't exactly treading new ground, MIT's new exoskeleton looks to boast more than enough robotics-enhanced super strength to garner some attention for itself, not to mention some interest from the folks at DARPA, who funded the project. As with similar systems, MIT's rig is designed to let individuals carry loads far heavier than they are normally able to, in this case taking 80 percent of the weight off an 80 pound load carried on a person's back. Unlike other systems, however, MIT's exoskeleton only requires a very small one watt power source, as opposed to the much larger gasoline engines used on some other rigs. The system apparently isn't quite perfected just yet though, as it currently "impedes the natural walking gait of the person wearing it," something MIT says it plans to improve. [Via The Register]
Get your own Daft Punk helmet... maybe
As far as bands go, Daft Punk is certainly one of the hardest for fans to emulate, with robotic suits and teams of animators unfortunately pretty hard to come by. Those with the dough to spare now have at least one option at their disposal, however, as the manufacturer of the duo's Discovery-era helmets is now offering to sell 'em to you for the hefty price of $65,000 apiece. It's apparently not quite that simple though, as you'll also have to somehow get permission from the band to call the helmets your own. Assuming you manage to do that, you'll then have to wait a whole year for the folks at LED Effects to put one together for you. Of course, you could also go the DIY route - and if you do, be sure to send us some pics.[Via The Daily Swarm]
Airsoft Roomba kits up with plastic pellets
We always knew that the eventual robotic rebellion would come in stages (and would start with Roombas), so while many may take a childish satisfaction in seeing an innocent Roomba hacked up to shoot Airsoft BB pellets, we're constantly aware that this is another step towards the ultimate annihilation of all meat-based life forms. "Cool Bots!" MAKE cries, oblivious to the destructive potential pent up inside the little hoover's circuitry -- it's thinking: "I don't even need to try, they're giving me weapons!" Fortunately, this is very much an early stage killer robot, as the photos over on isobot's flickr stream attest. The modified Roomba may look menacing with its red laser sight, but it appears as if the little thing can't aim its plastic payload any higher than a few inches off the ground, limiting its targets to feet and unsuspecting house cats. Of course, that red laser also gives it more than a passing similarity to a certain infamous robot / human hybrid. Today, Airsoft; tomorrow, assimilation?[Via MAKE]
Onyx precision guided parachutes
If you've ever fallen out of a plane before (or perhaps been pushed, not that we're bitter or anything), you might've realized that while hitting the ground isn't usually hard to manage, hitting a particular area of ground can be rather difficult. Even more so with unmanned cargo drops, which can land miles from their unintended drop point due to winds or a mis-timed release. Well, Atair Aerospace is bringing some hot "flocking" technology of theirs to bear on the problem, which allows you to deploy 50 or more cargo parachutes in the same airspace, from as high as 35,000 feet, and have them all autonomously glide for as far as 30 miles before landing within 50 meters of a preprogrammed target. The "Onyx" parachutes have parafoil systems to direct themselves, and the flocking and "Active Collision Avoidance" technologies allow the robotic parachutes to communicate with each other and avoid messy accidents. Altair was awarded a $3.2 million contract by the US Army to supply Onyx systems, slightly out-doing our bid of $5.95 and half a box of French fries to use the system for automatic tradeshow schwag deployment.
