We know this looks like a plastic trashcan full of junk electronics, but it’s actually the inside of WowWee’s Rovio robot webcam just after he’s been given a remote-control mod. Obviously blind to the dangers of granting your robot power over high-voltage appliances, RoboCommunity member Thel has hacked together a system whereby he can switch devices on and off at the mains using Rovio.
If the thought of remotely controlling you Rovio robot webcam from a cellphone is appealing, but you don’t have a BlackBerry, then AndRovio may be the solution. Poignant Projects’ app runs on Android devices, and allows full control of Rovio including live webcam viewing, camera position control and snapshots.
With the weather picking up, there’s nothing like stepping outside and kicking a ball around with some friends. Or so I hear; I’m too busy inside glued to my laptop. But a team of Rovio robots over at NYU decided to have a kickabout, their student trainers coming up with software that allows the WowWee ‘bots to recognize a bright yellow tennis ball and shovel it toward the red goal.
If WowWee’s Rovio whet your appetite for a remote-controlled WiFi webcam robot, but it’s just too big to surreptitiously scurry around your office, then how about the Surveyor SRV-1 Mobile Robot. Small enough to fit into a (relatively meaty) palm, the SRV-1 connects via WiFi b/g and can beam back video from its 1.3-megapixel camera.
Video demo of the SRV-1 after the cut
Sentry robots like WowWee’s Rovio are all well and good – wandering around your house while you’re away, and allowing you to log-in remotely and make sure nothing amiss is taking place – but they generally fall short when it comes to actually dealing with a problem. That was the starting point for RoboCommunity member Colt45, who hacked his Rovio into a remote fire extinguisher.
When the robots come for you, first they try nets and then it’s the lasers. Thankfully the Tmsuk T-34 only comes equipped with the former – at least for the moment – being in effect a remote-controlled car with an integrated net launcher. Designed by a Japanese robotics company in conjunction with a security firm, the Tmsuk T-34 is operated via a cellphone with live video feedback.
Video demo of the net-firing T-34 robot after the cut
WowWee’s Rovio has now got a BlackBerry remote control app, courtesy of RoboCommunity member bbrovio. The software, which is still in its early stages, allows BlackBerry users to operate all of the main functions of the WiFi webcam ‘bot – including directional movement and head control – from their smartphone, while viewing “video” updates over the cell network. Right now, the video is only a few frames per second, but it’s enough to control the Rovio remotely.
When we looked at WowWee’s Rovio last month, one thing we were certain of was its mod-potential. As of next year, one of the more ambitious hacks will go live: RoboDance 5, with added support for Skype. While setting up the Rovio’s WiFi webcam streaming currently requires a little router tinkering, RoboDance 5 will utilize Skype’s zero-config setup to instantly connect the robot and a remote client, whether that client be Windows or Mac, or even a smartphone.
It’s been all about the smartphones this week, with the long-awaited HTC Touch HD finally reaching our hands for one of the first full English-language reviews online. If our initial video demos last week whetted your appetite, head over to part one and part two of our full review to really gorge yourself. Meanwhile, to cheer up those in the US who are still smarting over HTC’s decision not to offer the Touch HD there, we reviewed AT&T’s newly released BlackBerry Bold.
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