Pole Climbing Robotic Rescue Worker

Pole Climbing Robotic Rescue Worker

Author JoeDigital | 01.01.2009 | Category Robotics, world news

Critical Inspections are one of many recognized uses for the HyDRAS robotic Climber

The Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) of the College of Engineering from Virginia Tech won the grand prize at the 2008 International Capstone Design Fair, recently. Their entry was a robotic device intended to be used for rescue and other high risk missions that involve vertical climbing. Little more than a set of computerized wheels, the device is able to wrap itself around a pole or other vertical object, cling to it, and manuver upwards.

Inspecting high rise buildings, or the pilings under bridges are other potential uses for the HyDRAS, which is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) long, and employs computers and cameras both for navigation and for inspection on arrival at a work location when in use. These pole climbing rescue workers could be used for shuttling equipment and information, as well as other tasks that would endanger additional lives.

Another contender in the competition was the CIRCA, which was similar, but employed compressed air for movement and actuation, as opposed to the electrical methods used with HyDRAS. Both showed enormous potential, and may soon be saving lives and preventing human endangerment in hazardous locations worldwide.

VEX Robotics World Championship

Author JoeDigital | 18.12.2008 | Category Computers, Robotics

Doing things on a larger scale this year, the VEX robotics world championship competition is moving to the Dallas convention centre and arena. The competition, which will takes place April 30^th to May 2^nd 2009 will have over 200 teams from about 13 countries, drawing students from middle to high schools and a college pilot program, a first.

New game play activities are planned for this year’s event. The focus this year will be on the new game elevation along with the traditional team alliance matches. Also the students will be able to showcase their skills with separate categories for elevation programming skills and robot skill challenges. Contestants can even show off their skills prior to the competition by entering into online challenges in three different categories on the official website.

The teams will have an opportunity to work on the VEX Robotics system, as well as interact will peers from all over the world. The competition is aimed at promoting interest in students in the fields of maths and science, while teaching real world skills like teamwork and project management in the process.

Aiko - Humanoid Robot Hobby

Author ColGlobe | 05.11.2008 | Category Computers, Robotics

Project Aiko is an entertaining and exciting robotic creation from Canada. While it is not yet an autonomous robot (it does not currently change location under its own power), this fascinating invention holds a great deal of promis for future development. Get Wikipedia’s Take.

Take, for instance, it’s ability to process face recognition as well as object regcognition.  Add to that the link to everybody’s favorite animation, anime, and you’ve got a real winner. But if you still crave a little more, we’ll give Aiko a sweet voice, and throw in a bit of self awareness. Watch the Aiko Video!

Not only that but Aiko (which translates to “love child”) has B.R.A.I.N.S.  No, really,  that’s the software (Biometric Robot Artificial Intelligence Neural System) developed by Mr. Le designed, its creator. Aiko speaks English and Japanese, and is programmed with over 13000 spoken phrases, and has touch sensors in her body and arms to allow her to interact more humanly. She is able to learn what pain is, and avoid it.

Aside from being the only one, she is the cutest Japanese fembot we have ever seen.

ReadyBot Robotic Housekeeper (2 of 2)

Author ColGlobe | 03.11.2008 | Category Robotics

ReadyBot is a boxier, smaller robotic housekeeper

The ReadyBot is a collaborative effort of several technologies, based in Silicon Valley. It is a much boxier design than the AR, which we mentioned previously, but incorporates some of teh same basic recognition features.  It is able to distinguish size and location of objects using a storied comparison, and do minor cleaning tasks.

While we have to admit that the AR was a more impressive unit, it is also important to consider that ReadyBot is much less expensive, making it more commercially feasible. Both robots employ touch sensitivity controls to prevent breaking items or harming people, but the ReadyBot has not yet progressed to the level of 3D stereoscopic vision used on the AR.

So while the features of the AR outpace the readyBot, let’s keep in mind that ReadyBot is also much more likely to go into mass production, with a lower overall cost.

Robotic Housekeeper (1 of 2)

Author ColGlobe | 01.11.2008 | Category Japanese Technology, Robotics

This robotic assistant does the floors, the laundry, and serves breakfast in bed.

Japan, eager to find ways to cope with a growing ratio of elderly, has been actively pursuing robotics as one way to cope. The newly unveiled “AR”, as it is named, is intended to be a robotic maid, vacuuming, picking up, and doing the laundry.

The project is developed by the University of Tokyo and Toyota Motor Corp, among other major japanese electronics firms.  The protoype unit weighs in at 130Kg (286lbs), and is able to locate objects using prototype stereoscopic vision.

You can see a short video of the AR in operation. The robot is not yet available for use, but should be coming soon.

Stereoscopic Computer Vision - Open Source Solution

Author ColGlobe | 30.10.2008 | Category Computers, Robotics, cameras

A plug in camera module and open source software and you've got stereo-vision!

Have you been considering building your own robot? Me neither. But Stanford University has a key device for doing it.. a plug in device to give stereovision to robotic contraptions.  The concept is really quite simple,, build a basic hardware configuration, and then create customizable software instead of building the vision system in an hard-wired mode.

So the controls reside in a PC, and all that’s left is to tie the coding to the device, which turns stereoscopic vision into little more than a conventional I/O routine. And to keep the idea going strong, the University has released the basic code as Open Source, which allows anyone to make the changes necessary to bend the stero vision hardware to their own needs.

Surveyor Corporation has even stepped in to make the hardware part of the combination, building a stereoscopic vision module that plugs into the robot, and is accessed wirelessly by the programmer/controller.

Robotic Wheelchair Follows Voice Commands

Author ColGlobe | 21.10.2008 | Category Robotics, Technology

Powered wheelchairs are poised to enter the robotic world of tomorrow.

Powered wheelchairs are rolling into the robotic age!  Researchers at MIT are working on an autonomous robotic wheelchair that can be manuvered around the house with single spoken commands.  Because everyone has different speech patterns, the chairs are expected to be custom “fitted” to recognize the voice of their owners.

In order to work efficiently, these robotic chairs on wheels must be taken to each location, which is then identified by a spoken name, and stored in memory, along with a computerized map of how to get there.

If all goes well, the next step for autonomous wheelchairs is to equip then with robotic arms, allowing people with reduced grasping ability to “pick up” objects using the assitance of the chair they are using.  For the elderly and the severely disabled, these miraculous devices may be offering mobility and interaction in new ways that can broaden the scope of their daily lives.

Japanese can rent HAL Robot Suits

Author JoeDigital | 13.10.2008 | Category Japanese Technology, Robotics

Robotic Assitive Mobility devices are now for rent in Japan.

You may recall an article posted here not long about the HAL robotic suits invented by Cyberdyne Systems, of Japan.  These exo-sketal attachment can multiply the flesh and blood force of legs or arms by an exponential factor.  And Japan is putting them to use.

The leg units will be available for rent in japan, and will be targeted at empowering the disabled.  For less than $3000 per month, a needy person can strap on the bio-assistive devices, and it becomes possible for even severely weakened legs to help their own walk again.  Cyberdyne says that the unit s can be rented individually also, at roughly half the cost of renting a pair.  But that brings up an interesting question.. would wearing only one give too much power to one side, and make navigating difficult?