The people behind the project say that you can build your own customized wake-up routine using any combination of several different items while your device charges. You can be woke up using a standard alarm including soft, loud, or progressive chimes. You can also be woke into a song from your device.

If normal alarms aren’t your deal, you can also wake to the days weather report or traffic alerts. The alarm can also wake you using voice reminders to remind you do specific things during the day. You can also program the alarm to offer a brainteaser before it will turn off to ensure that you’re actually awake. One of the brainteasers has the user trying to touch a fly buzzing across the screen on tim-E’s face.

If you poke the robot and not the fly, he will say things like “Swat the fly, not the eye, sleepyhead!” The traffic reports come in the form of phrases from the robot with things like, “Give yourself some extra time today, because the 405 is jammed!” The robot will also give you perky little phrases the weather forecasts such as “75 and sunny today! Forget work, let’s hit the beach!”

I think that’s much better than just having a buzzer that goes off and having to read the forecast on the screen of your iPhone. It also makes this device particularly well-suited to younger children who have a difficult time getting up and may not be the best readers. Rather than using the blue robot face, you can also use pictures of friends and family as the robot’s face. The project is seeking $150,000 and has 28 days to go. So far, it has raised a little under $3200 and the pledge of $60 or more will get you your own tim-E.

SOURCE: Kickstarter

According to the team working on the robot, the melting plastic feet offer enough sticking forced to allow the robot to scale a vertical cliff face carrying five times its own mass. The idea is that robots of this type could be used to act as a scout for mountain rescue or to help construction crews working on multistory buildings.

While the rapid heating of the plastic footpads allows the robot to stick to vertical surfaces, those same footpads are then rapidly cooled to allow them to release. The robot is being created by researcher Fumiya Lida and colleagues at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich.

The researchers say that the plastic on the robot feet melt at approximately 70-degrees Celsius. Above that temperature the surface of the robot feet are fluidic with a high degree of stickiness. The team uses resistors to heat the material above that 70-degree threshold. To cool the feet back down, the robot uses thermoelectric effect to allow the foot to release again. The researchers have built a test robot that was able to carry a 7 kg weight up walls made of plastic, wood, stone, and aluminum.

[via Roschler]

This is because tools, switches, valves, and environments where robots of the future are likely to work were created with humans in mind. DARPA and iRobot are currently working on one of the most important components of any humanoid robot, the hand. DARPA and iRobot have unveiled a robotic hand that has both strength and dexterity, something that is a requirement for any functional robot.

According to DARPA, the three-fingered robot hand is strong enough to lift a 50-pound weight, yet has the dexterity to utilize a small set of keys or even a set of tweezers. The robotic hand is also very strong and can survive being bashed by a baseball bat. DARPA stayed away from a five-finger human-style hand because the three-fingered hand features a usable palm making it easier to achieve fluid motion.

The hand created by DARPA and iRobot is known as the ARM-H and is constructed using 3-D printing, custom molded plastic and rubber, and plastic machining techniques. DARPA thinks that the hand will also be surprisingly affordable when produced in batches of 1000. DARPA predicts that in batches of thousand each robotic hand would cost about $3000. Current robotic hands can cost as much as $50,000 each.

[via CBS News]

The rover is called GROVER, which stands for two things: Greenland ROVER, and Goddard Remotely Operated Vehicle for Exploration and Research. The rover is an autonomic machine equipped with a solar panel on both its sides to power its batteries. Under the hood, so to speak, there is ground-penetrating radar for analyzing the different layers of ice and how they formed over time.

This projects follows a recent rapid change in Greenland’s icy surface, which melted drastically last summer as temperatures reached higher-than-normal temperatures. The result was a 97-percent melting of Greeland’s surface ice, with the current ice sheet being the subject of GROVER’s mission. A prototype of the rover has already been tested at an Idaho ski resort, which you can see in the image above.

While all of that is interesting, the perhaps most fascinating part of the story is that GROVER was made by students in what NASA calls summer engineering boot camps at the Goddard Space Flight Center. The development process lasted through summers 2010 and 2011, and is a by-product of the students’ desire to create a rover for studying snow accumulation on the ice sheets, a task most commonly carried out by airplanes and snowmobiles. Says NASA, the project costs less than space-bound rovers.

[via NASA]

The communications moratorium was in place due to a planetary alignment that could see communications sent to the rovers corrupted, resulting in actions that caused serious damage. As such, communications were stopped for a few weeks, leaving the ground team to discover the problem with Opportunity on April 27, about five days after it had switched itself into automode.

After making the discovery, NASA put together a series of commands on April 29 to switch the rover back into normal operations mode. The automode was triggered, the agency believed, when the rover’s cameras were checking out the sun and it rebooted its flight software, the combination of which sent it into the altered functioning mode.

Said NASA about the matter: “The Opportunity rover is back under ground control, executing a sequence of commands sent by the rover team. Opportunity is no longer in standby automode and has resumed normal operations.” Such is the simple life of a robot who has spent many years rolling around the Red Planet. Communication with the Curiosity rover will happen soon.

[via Space]

The DIY ‘bot pairs a PhantomX Hexapod kit and a custom MLI hexacopter, using carbon-fiber and aluminum components to keep the weight down. In total, the whole thing tips the scales at 10.8 pounds, and is strong enough to not only transport its own weight, but light objects it can grasp with its legs.

Possible future improvements could include the ability for the two sections to detach and be independently controlled, meaning Hexa could fly in, deposit the hexapod, and then fly back out again. That could eventually be useful for search & rescue operations, transporting Hexa-style hunting drones to a disaster area and then leaving them to rummage through the rubble for survivors.

The MLI team said back in December that, if demand was deemed sufficiently strong, it would consider Kickstarter for a Hexa kit. No word on what stage that project is up to, nor how much it might eventually cost.

Of course, right now there are human controllers in charge of Hexa, but AI research is doing its level best to cook up autonomous versions that are so ominous that even Google’s Eric Schmidt is calling for drone increased regulation. The situation is only likely to get more serious, however, with recent DARPA proposals suggesting potential funding for companies capable of delivering self-controlled flying gadgets.

[via Hack'n'Mod]

The image was tweeted by Idealab founder Bill Gross, along with a claim that the self-driving car collects almost 1GB of data every second (yes, every second). This data includes imagery of the cars surroundings in order to effectively and safely navigate roads. The image shows that the car sees its surroundings through an infrared-like camera sensor, and it even can pick out people walking on the sidewalk.

Of course, 1GB of data every second isn’t too surprising when you consider that the car has to get a 360-degree image of its surroundings at all times. The image we see above even distinguishes different objects by color and shape. For instance, pedestrians are in bright green, cars are shaped like boxes, and the road is in dark blue.

However, we’re not sure where this photo came from, so it could simply be a rendering of someone’s idea of what Google’s self-driving car sees. Either way, Google says that we could see self-driving cars make their way to public roads in the next five years or so, which actually isn’t that far off, and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is even interested in developing self-driving cars as well. However, they certainly don’t come without their problems, and we’re guessing that the first batch of self-driving cars probably won’t be in 100% tip-top shape.

[via BuzzFeed]

The robot only stands a couple feet tall, and it uses a giant flyswatter-like bat in order to make contact with the ball, so it essentially can’t hit like Alex Rodriguez, but maybe in the future the robot will give the all-star a run for his money. The robot features an artificial brain with the power of 100,000 neurons that allow the robot to learn and improve on its swing over time.

How the whole thing works is that when a ball is pitched to the robot, an accelerometer behind the robot records information about the flight and speed of the ball, and this data is sent to a separate machine off to the side that holds the robot’s brain. The data gets processed and it lets the robot know when to swing.

The impressive part is that if the speed of the ball changes, the robot can re-learn the swing all over again to try and hit the ball at the new speed. Hopefully the researchers will be able to soon give the robot a real bat instead of a giant flyswatter and be able to hit real baseballs, but that kind of technology probably won’t be on its way for several more years.

[via Wired]

The robot is called Tlaloc II-TC and gets its name from the Aztec god of rain. The robot is 3 feet long and designed to allow to easily pass through tight passageways that are too small for a human. The robotic explorer has a video camera and mechanical arms to help move any obstructions out of the way.

The human archaeologists lowered the robot into a 2000-year-old tunnel so that the robot could check how safe the tunnel was for human exploration. The researchers explored for several months using the robot and this week an investigation of the data retrieved by the robot led to images that archaeologists believed to be three ancient rooms. The tunnels in question are approximately 37 miles north of Mexico City underneath the Temple of Quetzacoatl, near the Pyramid of the Sun.

The configuration of the space discovered by the robotic archaeologist is said to be similar to a tunnel previously discovered beneath Teotihuacan’s Pyramid of the Sun. Archaeologists know very little about the rulers of the ancient city and have no depictions of a ruler or tombs of monarchs to study. Archaeologists hope that further investigation could reveal clues about the people who built ancient constructs.

[via Science World Report]

Liquid Robotics is hailing the Wave Glider SV3 as a technology that will help in the scientific research of climate change, ocean conditions, and more. The robot is capable of taking on harsh conditions, including hurricanes and cyclones, doldrums, and high currents, to name a few. As the name indicates, this latest edition builds upon the previous Wave Glider SV2.

The Wave Glider SV3 offers on-board processing, offering a way to collect and process data that wasn’t previously available. The ocean robot has a hybrid propulsion system composed of both solar and wave-powered energy generation, as well as an adaptable modular power system that can handle energy-intensive resources, such as running sonar. No word on how much this beast will cost you.

Liquid Robotics CEO Bill Gliders said: “The SV3 is a tremendous step forward in terms of what we can accomplish in the ocean and gives customers a competitive advantage to capture data in the most challenging ocean conditions. By providing the ability to deploy Wave Gliders across most of the planet and deliver ocean data in a new and cost-effective way, we’re enabling broad access to affordable ocean exploration.”

[via Liquidr]

The award was split down the middle and given to two individuals – Aaron Foss and Serdar Danis – each of whom submitted their own entries for their own respective solutions, both of which apparently had equal appeal to the FTC. As such, each winner has been awarded $25,000 and will be flown to Washington D.C. at no expense, where each will present their solutions to an audience.

Foss’s idea centered around a cloud-based platform that operated a secondary phone line that initially accepted calls. The platform would have a way to identify the robotic calls, and would hang up on them, meaning the end destination would never receive the call. Danis’s entry involves an operator-provided device or app that recognized the robocalls and intercepted them, hanging up before the homeowner had to deal with it.

In addition to the cash award for entries, we also noted in October that the FTC was offering a Technology Achievement Award to companies with more than ten employees, which ended up going to Dean Jackson and Daniel Klein of Google. Said the FTC: “The solutions that our winners came up with have the potential to turn the tide on illegal robocalls, and they show the wisdom of tapping into the genius and technical expertise of the public.”

[via PC Magazine]

One caveat for the program was that the robot had to have the dexterity needed to be able to climb ladders and use tools. Carnegie Mellon University is one of the educational institutions that participated in the challenge. The robot created by the University is called the CMU Highly Intelligent Mobile Platform or CHIMP.

The robot has an interesting motivation system using triple-jointed limbs that are able to move on tank treads over roads and rough ground. The robot is also able to lift itself up and travel using two of the tracks while using claw-like manipulator arms to climb ladders, move debris, or turn a steering wheel. DARPA is seeking robots it would be able to enter facilities during serious accidents, such as the accident that occurred at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan.

Robots that enter the competition also have to be able to operate without a power line or a wired connection. CHIMP uses onboard processing power for balance, collision avoidance, and navigation. The design was accepted by DARPA into the top group of Robotics Challenge entries. The first round of tests for this group of robots, including the CHIMP will begin in June. The first challenges are purely based on software. Physical task challenges will happen in December.

[via The Register]

Joel Bianchi, the coach of the Harlem Knights, stated, “They struggle with seeing how some of the things they learn in school, like math or science, are really applicable or important.” By constructing the robots for this event, the students are able to see the practical uses of math and science in the real world. Julia Lapino, the captain of the Cyber Warriors, stated, “You see technology very often, like phones and stuff. We don’t think about it, but once you learn how to build it, you appreciate it so much more.”

This year’s competition, the students had to implement flying discs into their robots. The game was called “Ultimate Ascent” and robots had to shoot their discs as far as possible, and also climb up the pyramids on the field in order to score points for their teams. Students were given six weeks to construct their robots. During the competition, the students would work from pits in order to apply any last-minute changes and alterations to their robots before they’re sent off to battle.

The competition encouraged creativity. The students were met with a lot of problems while constructing their robots, and they had to think “outside of the box” in order to come up with solutions. During the event, there were little issues that plagued their robots, causing stress among the students, but in the end, it was a great learning experience. The FIRST program is working to encourage students to venture into careers related to technology and science. Some students who participate at these competitions are even offered internships with the corporate sponsors of the event.

[via NY1]

The process happened over the period of about a week, which the space agency had initially stated would be the estimated transition period during which operations were switched to the secondary computer. The cause of the corruption is still being determined, but word has it that space radiation could be to blame.

The corruption issue was limited to the computer’s memory, and so NASA is in the process of getting it back up and running to use as the backup computer for the secondary side, which is now in use. The secondary computer is known as the “B-side,” while the first computer is known as the “A-side.” This is the worst problem the rover has encountered over the last seven months.

Said NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Project Manager Richard Cook, “We are making good progress in the recovery. One path of progress is evaluating the A-side with intent to recover it as a backup. Also, we need to go through a series of steps with the B-side, such as informing the computer about the state of the rover — the position of the arm, the position of the mast, that kind of information.”

[via NASA]

The vacuum cleaners are programmable allowing them to come on and clean on the schedule the owner programs. The vacuums can be set up for daily cleanings, spot cleanings, and will begin to clean instantly at the press of a button. Both of the robotic vacuum cleaners use advanced laser-guided navigation to map the room.

Using that information, the vacuum cleaners are able to choose the smartest cleaning path and the tech avoids stairs as well as furniture. The vacuum can return to its charging station to recharge its batteries and remember where it stopped cleaning allowing it to return after the batteries are full. The XV Signature series promised to pick up 50% more dust than previous models.

The high-powered vacuum picks up dirt, debris, pet hair, dander, and microscopic fibers. The vacuum will work on carpet, wood, tile, and rugs even if those rugs have fringe. The vacuum has integrated filters to remove allergens from the air in the home and particles down to 3 µ in size. The vacuum series use bagless designs. The XV Signature Pro will sell for $449 while the XV Signature sells for $399. The difference between the two models appears to be that the Pro has a combination brush and a blade brush for superior cleaning on multiple surface types.

[via Neato Robotics]

Boston Dynamics ended up recording a video of the robot throwing the cinder block across the testing field, and it’s quite impressive, but also extremely freaky and scary at the same time. You can watch as the robot grabs onto the cinder block and picks up while attempting to keep its balance. However, just as you think the robot might tip over, it flings its arm around and tosses the cinder block a good 30 feet or so.

Cinder blocks aren’t light by any means. They can weigh anywhere from 20 to 30 pounds, and most of us would have to use two hands to pick one up. After that, we’d probably only be able to throw one half the distant that the robot threw its cinder block. In any case, you now know that robots are capable of throwing heavy objects straight at you.

Of course, we’re not quite sure what the implications would be for a military robot that’s going to be used for carrying supplies. We’re guessing the arm could be used for moving small obstacles out of the way, or maybe hurling heavy objects (like cinder blocks) at enemies. Whatever the case, we now know what robots are capable of if they ever turn on us.

The announcement came earlier today from NASA, which confirmed that Curiosity is analyzing a sample of soil approximately 1 tablespoon in quantity. The drilling was successfully completed despite concerns over a known flaw with the device that had the potential to severely damage the robot. If the drilling mechanism broke while boring into the Martian rock, the results could have been a complete short-circuiting of the device’s electrical system. Fortunately, the process did not harm the robot, and the project was successfully completed.

The process is both extensive and rather simple. The soil will first undergo Simple Analysis of Mars, SAM for short, which will heat the soil to almost 2000-degrees Fahrenheit and release the rock’s elements and compounds into a gas. After this, the second process will be initiated, with the gas being analyzed to see what it is made of, as well as providing an approximate date for when the compounds entered the rock.

Scientists will now spend the next several weeks analyzing the soil results from Curiosity to determine both its mineral and chemical properties, according to NASA. In other news, earlier this month, the robot snapped a picture of what appeared to be a piece of metal protruding from the ground. Although they aren’t certain, scientists think it is exposed ore or a piece of meteorite.

[via Associated Press]

With this ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) you’ll be able to dive on deep into the sea with a collection of parts that are at once easy to construct and inexpensive to purchase. This project includes no less than some of the brand new F5 Robotics XStream Brushless Thrusters, a rather successful set of robot-friendly parts that are selling like wild right this minute. DiveBot uses at least two of these thrusters as a set of its most important components.

With DiveBot, users will have the option to choose from one of several different kits. First there’s a DIY Development Platform that users can purchase to create whatever final vision they’ve got for their version of DiveBot at home. This set comes with the chassis and the thrusters so you’ll be able to create your own model.

Next there’s the Standard Version which will be wired with a high definition camera and a 50-foot tether complete with controls as well as video-out so you can hook up your own display onboard your ship, whatever that may be. The price of the DIY kit is currently projected to be between $600 and $700 USD while the Standard Version will be closer to $1200, then there’s one final version – the Deluxe Version.

The Deluxe Version is so exclusive that there’s not even a price for it yet – it’s so wild and crazy that you’ll not even be able to handle it! It includes the same hardware you get with the Standard Version but in this case you’ve got a 150-foot tether, a Waterproof Pelican case to carry everything in on the go, and a lovely daylight-viewable 7-inch LCD display (for all your viewing needs.) This and each other version coming soon will be available with optional “upgrades” to 500 feet of tether and AUX lighting – go big!

The all-new 2014 KIA Forte has a stylish design and plenty of high-tech features given the price point. This commercial is simply titled “Respect the Tech” and you’ll quickly see why. Let’s just say you should treat your car with care. For a better look at all those new features and its luxury interior take a look at our 2014 KIA Forte test drive for additional details. Enjoy the sexy robot commercial below starring former Miss USA Alyssa Campanella as a robot.

Next up to highlight the new 2014 KIA Sorento that’s been redesigned almost completely inside to offer the up-most luxury and quality features we all want in a crossover, is their new “Space Babies” commercial set to get airtime in the 3rd quarter of the big game on Sunday. KIA promises to answer the age old kid question: Daddy, where do babies come from? So check it out for the answer:

“UVO, Play Wheels on the bus!” This is a quick glance at the new and improved redesigned UVO 2.0 Infotainment system that comes standard in all 2014 KIA vehicles. Featuring large TFT displays, backup cameras, smartphone integrate and accompanying iPhone apps and more. We figured they were both worth a quick laugh. Enjoy the big game as surely they have a few tricks up their sleeve come Sunday. Hopefully that Ravens D has a few more tricks up their sleeve too. Who’s your pick?

The robot stands approximately the height that a human would and has technology inside to allow it to self navigate. The technology is designed to support remote Doctor and patient consultations allowing the physician to be where he’s needed to be at the right time. The robot is packed with sensors allowing it to move around without bumping into people or other objects.

The system has an iPad interface that allows the doctor to communicate with staff and patients. With the FDA granting approval for the robot to be used in hospitals, it can now be used for active patient monitoring in pre-operative, peri-operative, and postsurgical settings. I wonder if this means on-call doctors might not have to rush back into the hospital when the phone rings if one of these robots is available.

The FDA approval includes clearances to work in the cardiovascular, neurological, prenatal, psychological, and critical care areas. The robot has an integrated monitor and web cam and allows the remotely operating physician to access patient information using Wi-Fi. It also has a built-in stethoscope allowing the doctor to perform ears on assessments from a distance. The robot is far from cheap with previous estimates that between $4000 and $6000 monthly to operate.

[via Science World Report]

What we’re seeing here is a palm-sized device that works with a single-core processor (Cortex A9 for the curious) and works with 1GB of RAM and keeps all its captured media on a microSD card. It has the ability to connect to your smartphone device with Bluetooth and wi-fi, and will be bringing on streaming video, video capture, and an automatic panorama photo mode. Inside this device you’ve got 14 sensors, 3 stabilization algorithms and more from the developers at Morpho – magicians of this modern mobile age.

The thing about the MeCam is that it’s not going to be made unless someone with the manufacturing power to make it takes on the investment. The team at Always Innovating is made up of developers and inventors, lacking the manufacturing connections to make this project a reality on their own. Always Innovating’s team is confident that they will find someone soon, however, and aim for a Q1 2014 release date – so you can keep your fifty dollar bill in your pocket for now.

This machine will almost certainly be working with connections to iOS and Android machines when it is lunched, as well as instant sharing abilities for YouTube, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and the rest. Streaming video from this little gadget is not being pegged for any definite quality at the moment, nor is the quality of the camera as of yet. We’ll see more as the actual device comes around in a few months – we hope!

[via Liliputing]

The Mirra 530 deep cleans any type of in-ground pool, both the surface and the water. iRobot has engineered the machine to remove all of the pesky gunk from your pool, including leaves, hair, and dirt. However, it also tackles the things you can’t see, such as algae, pollen, and bacteria as small as two microns.

The pool-cleaning robot can go through up to 70 gallons of water per minute and filter out all the debris that makes its way through. Thanks to its iAdapt Nautiq system, it’ll even automatically figure out the size of your pool to determine which cleaning program is the most efficient.

Furthermore, the company is also unveiling the Looj 330 gutter-washer to those outside of the US, and it’s the first time that iRobot is selling an outdoor unit outside of the US. The Mirra 530 pool cleaner will set you back a cool $1,299 (€1,499 in Europe) and will launch in the spring. The Looj 330 will also arrive in the spring, costing €299.

The team hopes that Roboy might become a blueprint for service robots that are able to work with humans and provide services such as support for elderly people. The robot stands 1.2 m tall and is driven by a series of mechanical tendons giving it the ability to move around. The tendon functionality in the robot is said to closely mimic the function of human tendons allowing Roboy to move like a human does.

For now, the robot is still in the construction phase. Development has involved the completion of the torso, leg development, and computer-assisted drafting of the entire robot along with assembly and teaching the robot to move. The team announced in the middle of December that the robot was “getting a new face and can already moved his arms.”

While the robot has exposed components right now, it would eventually be covered with a soft skin to make the robot more comfortable for humans to touch. The design team is trying to raise money to help complete the construction of the robot by selling logo space on the robot body where names or company logos can be engraved. Check out the video below to see the robot in action.

[via Phys.org]

This cool little toy is called the Hybrid Terrestrial and Aerial Quadrotor (HyTAQ) and was designed by Arash Kalantari and Matthew Spenko. Both of the designers hail from the robotics laboratory at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The device looks a lot like your typical four rotor flying helicopter toy inside a cage to help prevent you from breaking it when you smack into the wall.

Rather than that cage being for the protection of the rotors alone, it actually acts as a large wheel that allows the remote control device to roll around on the ground. The cage is made from a combination of polycarbonate and carbon fiber and has a long axle that is attached to the sides of the quadrotor flying machine. While the primary purpose of the cage is to allow ground mobility, it does actually protect the rotors.

You can see the device in action in the video below. It appears that the same controls that control flight for the little machine also control movement on the ground. The robotic machine can transition from ground operation to flight impressively quick and appears to be controlled like any other quadrotor we’ve seen before. The HyTAQ is capable of operating on just about any surface.

[via Technabob]

The Legged Squad Support System (LS3) robot, as it’s called, has evolved into a quieter, and more robust machine compared to past DARPA robots, which were louder than anticipated. The latest LS3 version represents the US military’s best hope for a robotic assistant that can carry combat loads across rough terrain for soldiers.

The new robot can also play “follow the leader” of sorts and be trained to follow a specific person, similar to an actual trained mule or horse. And it can regain its balance if it accidentally tumbles over rough terrain. During field testing, the robot successfully navigated ditches, streams, wooded slopes, and other rough environments.

Aside from carrying precious cargo for the military, these robotic mules could also be used as mobile recharging station for US troops to recharge batteries used in radios, transmitters, and other handheld mobile devices. The US Marines have already experimented with using renewable energy sources such as portable solar panels, but a charging station for soldiers would be pretty convenient as well.

[via Live Science]

In addition to feeding herself, Ms. Scheuermann was also able to pick up and move various objects. In doing so, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC were able to show the first instance of someone who has had quadriplegia for an extended period of time controlling the robotic arm in seven dimensions.

The Department of Neurobiology’s senior investigator at Pitt School of Medicine Andrew Schwartz, Ph.D, offered this statement. “This is a spectacular leap toward greater function and independence for people who are unable to move their own arms. This technology, which interprets brain signals to guide a robot arm, has enormous potential that we are continuing to explore. Our study has shown us that it is technically feasible to restore ability; the participants have told us that BCI gives them hope for the future.”

This came about after Scheuermann was shown a video of a Pennsylvanian man with quadriplegia controlling a robotic arm and digital objects on a screen with his mind. The video called for volunteers, for which Scheuermann was more than happy to oblige. After going through the formalities, she underwent a surgery that put two 1/4th-inch electrodes on her brain that allow her to control the robot. The electrodes work by detecting firing neurons and interpreting patterns using computer algorithms.

Said Jennifer Collinger, Ph. D: “We could actually see the neurons fire on the computer screen when she thought about closing her hand. When she stopped, they stopped firing. So we thought, ‘This is really going to work.”

[via UPMC]

The Navy has announced that it plans to begin replacing the dolphins with unmanned underwater vehicles starting in 2017. The dolphins use their unique echolocation capabilities to find underwater mines and warn personnel so the mines can be avoided or removed. The unmanned underwater vehicles that will place the dolphins will use a broadband sonar system to perform the same task.

The robotic underwater vehicles will use low-frequency broadband sonar to perform a similar task at a greater distance and for longer duration. The unmanned underwater vehicles will also be able to operate without the need for manned support boats or surface-based assistance that the Dolphins require.

The Navy likens its dolphin mine hunting program to programs that use dogs to detect bombs and drugs in airports and other locations around the world. The dolphins in the Navy’s program will be reassigned for other tasks. What exactly those tasks will be is unknown at this time.

[viaPCMag]

In fact, the artificial smarts are so good, the robot can automatically avoid obstacles as it wanders through the Tokyo Electric power plant, in addition to climbing stairs. A maximum speed of 1km/h (0.6mph) means it’s hardly going to worry the 18mph DARPA cheetah robot which broke records back in March, but should be enough a fair amount of exploration given its 2hr battery life.

Toshiba developed the robot because there are still plenty of areas at the Fukushima plant where wheeled or tracked alternatives simply can’t get through. However, it’s not small – standing more than a meter high, and over half a meter wide – and so there’s a second camera robot that can be deployed via a robotic arm, for narrower gaps.

That companion ‘bot – a little taller than a 1U rack unit – is tethered back to the main tetrapod via a cable, but carries its own battery good for an hour of use. It’s even slower than its parent, with a top speed of 0.12mph, but means the safety team can navigate through pipes and around toppled equipment.

Toshiba says the next stage is to give the robot the ability to install shielding, end leaks, and remove obstacles, helping make the power plant safer for human involvement. There’s no word on when it might first go exploring.

The vacuum has rotating “whiskers” to pull out dust from corners, and a HEPA filter to clean air before it’s vented. It uses a combination of brushes and suction for cleaning, while navigation is via ultrasonics, which Sharp claims is more accurate and less easily confused by glass surfaces than infrared. Up to 50 minutes of runtime is promised from a 2hr charge, and the cleaner can automatically find its way back to its docking station when it’s running low.

It’s the control options that potentially set the RX-V60 above rivals, however. The vacuum can react to spoken commands, and report its own status verbally; however, those of a geekier nature are likely to prefer using the Cocorobo Square app for Android or iOS. That allows for remote control of the cleaner through the home, as well as viewing of photos the ‘bot takes with its integrated camera.

Strap on the Navi extra to the vacuum’s USB port, however, and the app also allows you to control your smart home kit remotely. Sharp says it plans to update the Navi attachment to support equipment from other brands in due course. Initially, though, it will operate Sharp TVs, air conditioners, LED lights, and a Sharp ion fan.

The DigInfo team got their hands on the new vacuum and its remote adapter, which will go on sale in mid-December in Japan. The RX-V60 robot vacuum will be priced at the equivalent of around $900, while the Navi add-on will be the equivalent of around $190.

The Sphero robotic ball is now available to purchase in the UK and brings with it all the fun that has been available in the US for a long time now. There are over 20 apps to choose from including multiple player apps and arcade-style games to be enjoyed with your Sphero. The games include Drive allowing you to race Sphero around an obstacle course of your own design.

Multiple Sphero balls can be controlled at one time using separate control devices. One Sphero can also be controlled by multiple devices. Those devices include any Android or iOS device. Sphero balls can also be used as a controller for games on your Android or iOS device by holding it to tilt, turn, and aim.

The company behind Sphero offers a SDK allowing users to create their own apps to enjoy your balls in even more exciting ways. Sphero is available in the UK for £99.99 and can be purchased from MenKind and online from Amazon or Firebox among others.

The developers want the additional funding to help make the robot smarter, faster, and easier to use. The team says that they have redesigned the robot from the circuit board up and then set up production at a manufacturer in China. The developers are now trying to raise money to improve the software and are seeking another $100,000.

This next-generation Romo robot is described as “almost” everything a personal robot should be. The developers say that the new bot is cute, responsive, and really fast. The developers want to use the money raised to develop software to allow Romo to perform two-way telepresence, computer vision, autonomous navigation, and facial recognition.

The team says that with funding the new features will be released as updated apps. The team also promises to wrap a SDK around each function allowing developers to create their own apps to share. A pledge of $150 will get you one of the first next-generation Romo robots. So far, the team has raised $42,931 out of its goal of $100,000. The team has 28 days to go so it’s very likely they’ll get the money they need.

The “Jake rock,” as it is called, has a composition that is similar to that of igneous rocks found in volcanic areas on earth. It is the only rock they have discovered with this composition, for the time being, at least. The Jake rock is the first rock analyzed by Curiosity’s Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer, which is arm-mounted. Watch the video below to see Curiosity poke and prod at Jake.

Rocks with the composition of Jake are typically the result of crystallization of pressurized, water-rich magma. According to an APXS investigator, the Jake rock is particularly interesting because it is high in mineral feldspare-consistent elements, yet low in both iron and magnesium. The unique compositions were found at 14 different points on the rock.

Next up for Curiosity is a 100 yard trek eastwards, where a rock will be selected and used as the first subject to be drilled. Rock and soil samples are collected by the robot, and are utilized by researches to help analyze the environment. Over the next two years, a total of ten instruments on Curiosity will be used to try to determine whether the particular area has ever provided conditions for microbial life.

Both of these robotic vacuums are able to clean a variety of surfaces, including carpet, tile, and wood. The RC530A has an integrated cleaning schedule program that allows you to program the robotic vacuum to clean at specific times of the day. This high-end robotic vacuum cleaner is also able to return to include a recharging station automatically when it needs to charge.

The main difference between the RC530A and the RX330A is that the 330A has to be physically plugged in when it needs to charge. The manufacturer says that it has a cleaning time of up to 60 minutes per charge and when it runs out of power, it turns itself off. Both robotic vacuums have anti-touch and anti-cliff sensors.

Those sensors keep them from banging into your furniture and from falling off stairs or other drops while cleaning. Both vacuum cleaners have several cleaning options to ensure that the room is thoroughly cleaned including along the wall, spiral, and random modes. The 530A also has a zigzag cleaning pattern. Both the products are available in Canada now and will come to the US in November.

The Beam RPS system has three components, including the remote presence device, the client software, and the beam docking station for charging. The robot has a display that shows the operator along with the camera on top placed approximately at eye level to allow face-to-face interaction with workers remotely. The robot itself is 62-inches tall and weighs 95 pounds.

The display attached to the device is 17-inches allowing the operators face to be seen in life-size. The internal rechargeable battery for the Beam RPD is good for eight hours of use and the motors propel the robot at human walking speeds. The telepresence robot has a pair of HD cameras with a 170° field of view vertically and horizontally.

The device also features a six-microphone beam forming array to reproduce audio, reduce background noise, and canceling echoes the system. The bot also has an integrated speaker system with enough volume to allow the operator to be heard in noisy environments. It also features integrated LED lights for operation in dark environments. The client software is available for Windows 7 and Mac computers. Pricing for the system begins at $16,000 for the robot plus an additional $950 for the charging dock. Shipments will begin in November.

Shimi turned up this week on Kickstarter seeking funding for a new iPhone version of the little dancing speaker dock. The project will fund on October 10, assuming it meets its fundraising goal. That fundraising goal is $100,000 and so far, it has raised $16,244 from 124 backers. The project has 28 more days to go before funding ends.

If you’re interested in the Shimi, the cheapest pledge that will get you one of the little robots worked out to $129 and was available to the first 100 backers, but that is sold out. Right now if you want to get your own Shimi pre-ordered on Kickstarter, it will cost you $149. The developers are also offering a pack for $800 that gets six of the Shimi devices.

The funds raised via the Kickstarter campaign will be used to move from the Android-based prototype to the iPhone platform. The developers promise there will be an Android version as well. Money will also be used to redesign the components used in the robot for low-cost durability. One key part to the fundraising is to raise money to create tooling and parts for mass production.

One robot design that DARPA has been funding is called the Cheetah and it’s a robot that might eventually be used to carry gear into combat. Cheetah is a four-legged robot designed to mimic the real animal in how it moves. Cheetah isn’t as fast as its namesake mammal, but it’s getting closer.

The cheetah robot has now set a record by running 28.3 mph. What that means is should the cheetah robot ever decide to take over the world, you won’t be able to outrun it. In fact, the fastest runner on Earth, sprinter Usain Bolt, wouldn’t even be able to outrun Cheetah.

Bolt has been able to hit a top speed briefly of 27.78 mph making it a close race, but Cheetah would win. When the robot apocalypse comes, take solace in the fact that you don’t necessarily have to outrun Cheetah, just be willing to trip the person next to you. Cheetah’s record for all-out speed previously was only 18 mph. It’s also worth noting that Cheetah set its speed record running on treadmill with no drag and requires power supply that is external and not carried by the robot.

[via Wired]

The Double robot uses a pair of wheels, a battery-powered motor, adjustable pole, and an iPad holder. The robot is controlled by an operator in a remote location using the Double app on another iPad. Using the app the operator of the robot can move around the remote location and the adjustable pole Double uses is to allow the iPad on the bot to put the operators face on level with workers in the remote facility.

Double weighs in at 15 pounds making it light enough to prevent damage to equipment or merchandise in the remote location or injury to any real workers Double’s remote operator might accidentally run into. The company behind Double season is a way for companies who communicate with remote workers or school campuses to allow more interactivity.

The real hallmark of the Double telepresence robot is the price. Its standard MSRP will be $2499. Buyers who pre-order now can get the robot for $1999. Neither of those prices includes the iPad that needs to be installed on the Double or the iPad used to control the Double remotely. The first batch of robots is expected to ship in December with pre-orders placed this week going out in early 2013.

[via DigitalTrends]

An updated version of that robot has now surfaced from researchers at Harvard University that is designed exactly like the robot from last year with one notable addition. The new version of the robot now has camouflage skills that allow it to either stand out or blend into its surroundings. The robots camouflage system is likened to that used by certain sea creatures such as cuttlefish, squid, and octopus.

The new camouflage enabled robot comes from the same team that released the plain robot last year. The robot is made from silicon-based polymers and is still driven by air that is pumped into tiny cylinders in the robot’s legs. In the camouflage version, the robot is covered in a network of tiny channels filled that various dyes can be pumped into.

By quickly pumping dye into the channels, the robot can be made to blend into its surroundings. According to the scientists, the bot can also be made to thermally camouflage itself by pumping in hot or cold fluids. The bot can also be pumped full of fluorescent fluids to allow it to glow-in-the-dark. In the current design, the fluid for camouflaging the robot comes from an external reservoir, but the researchers say in the future it could be incorporated directly into the body of the robot.

[via BBC]

Unlike helicopters, which can hover, rotate on the spot, easily travel in three-dimensions and go sideways, planes must keep moving and have reduced flexibility in where they can redirect themselves. MIT’s solution was a custom-designed aircraft with shorter, chunkier wings that combine tight turning, the possibility of relatively low speeds without stalling, and reasonable cargo capabilities for the AI smarts and camera equipment.

Inside, along with the cameras which allow for the bird’s-eye view in the video below, the plane has a laser rangefinder, accelerometers and gyroscopes to track whereabouts in the room it is, what speed it’s traveling, acceleration, and more. At any one moment in time, the plane is figuring out 15 different values, MIT says, and part of what makes the new system special is a duo of algorithms – one fast and rough, the other slow and accurate – to first filter out the most relevant data and then crunch only that.

It’s not all magic, at least not yet. The plane must be preloaded with a high-res digital map of the area, unlike helicopters which are capable of building their own maps. That’s next on the MIT team’s agenda, however, boosting the algorithms and building in more visual information to the other sensors.

Of course, an alternative approach might be pairing the best of helicopters and planes, using both in sequence. An autonomous helicopter could enter an unknown area and quickly gather reconnaissance data of the environment, taking advantage of the flexibility of movement to be more comprehensive, and then be followed by an autonomous plane using that fresh data but bringing greater flight time to the table.

[via Gizmodo]

This little beast uses muscles along the length of its body to move forward with contraction after contraction. The device uses two main muscle groups to move, one of them being circular muscle fibers that wrap around its body, the other being longitudinal muscle fibers that run along its length. The tubular body is made of a heat-sealed sheet of polymer mesh, the mesh made of interlacing polymer fibers.

With this body, the tube is able to stretch and contract, just like a spring. The artificial muscle that makes it all move is made of a nickel-titanium alloy fabricated into a wire. The wire was wound around the mesh tube, and a small battery and circuit board was fitted within the tube as well. The board tells the battery to generate a current that heats the wire at certain segments along the body.

As each segment is heated to a certain temperature, the wire contracts. When the wire contracts, the tube is squeezed and the robot is propelled forward – into the future! And it’s pretty darn versatile, too.

“You can throw it, and it won’t collapse. Most mechanical parts are rigid and fragile at small scale, but the parts in Meshworms are all fibrous and flexible. The muscles are soft, and the body is soft … we’re starting to show some body-morphing capability.” – Sangbae Kim

Kellar Autumn, professor of biology at Lewis and Clark College, studies the biomechanics of animal motion in designing soft robotics and also had a bit to say about the project and future projects using similar technologies. Specifically endoscopes, implants, and prosthetics are on the docket here with Autumn.

“Even though the robot’s body is much simpler than a real worm — it has only a few segments — it appears to have quite impressive performance. I predict that in the next decade we will see shape-changing artificial muscles in many products, such as mobile phones, portable computers and automobiles.” – Autumn

Researchers at MIT, Harvard University and Seoul National University are currently at work on this project as we speak. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency supported this research as well.

[via MIT]