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MekaMon is an anime-styled battle bot you pilot with your phone
Between the success of shows like BattleBots and the amount of interest in last month's MegaBots debacle, it's pretty obvious that people really want to watch robots fight. But while watching two mechanical titans grapple can be satisfying, few things have captured the feel of the robot battles in video games and anime. Reach Robotics' $300 MekaMon, which launches today in the Apple Store, might be the closest we've seen to capturing that cyber-future ambience. Its bots can run and climb around the physical world while also using AR to add virtual weaponry for the full Japanese mech experience.
Kondo's spring-loaded spider robot creeps on the cheap (video)
The latest in a long line of terrifying (and occasionally adorable) pseudo-arachnid robots, Kondo's upcoming KMR-M6 is doing more with less. Thanks to a unique spring supported linking leg joint, this hexapedal bug gives you the heebie-jeebies with only two servos per leg. The new leg design lowers build costs while improving performance and stability, and was developed for education, research, and hobbyist markets. The base kit hits Japan next month for about ¥76,000 (about $880) and comes with twelve servos, a control board, a 10.8V 800mAh NiMH battery, software, and a frame with extra space for adding optional, cameras, grippers, or other servo controlled fancies. Although it's not as lovable as Kondo's turtle-bot, watching this robo-bug scuttle and march (after the break, if you're wondering) is far more awesome than it is creepy. It's another sign of the robot apocalypse, sure, but are you seriously going to let that ruin your Friday, Friday, Friday, Friday?
DIY ArduSpider robot battles household pets, beats other homemade gifts
So Christmas is coming and your daughter asks you to build her a robot after she sees you building so many for yourself -- what do you do? You could build a cute and simple robot, or you could do what Jose Julio did and build something like the Arduino-based ArduSpider robot (since nicknamed Sara), which he's now showing off for everyone to see. As you can see in the video after the break, the bot is able to both operate autonomously or be controlled remotely, and it packs a surprising number of tricks, including the ability to get tired or bored, and even some basic gymnastic and acrobatic skills. Interested in building your own? You can find all the details and code you need at the source link below.
