New AI technology seems to be popping up all over the place these days and a team over at Stanford have utilized autonomous bot tech for a little helicopter fun. They’ve developed robotic helicopters that can learn new tricks by watching other helicopters. For real!
Sometimes I’m just amazed by technology and this is one of those moments. ReWalk uses motorized leg supports to help people that do not have the use of their legs to walk again. Now that’s tech done right!
Australia-based company, Emotiv Systems has just developed EPOC, a headset that could make for a truly unique video gaming experience. In fact, this helmet can read your thoughts.
A group of scientists at Reading University in the UK have developed a robot that is controlled by rat neurons. In case you’re wondering why anyone would take rat brain cells and stuff them in a robot, the answer is simple: to learn more about the human brain, how it works and potentially make progress in the battle against degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Bristol UK researchers have created a new robot that can display emotions and apparently, bring about emotional reactions from humans. Heart Robot looks rather pale, but people seem to really react to his lifelike features and movements.
This puppet-like robot responds to sound, light and movement and shows this by means of eye movement, a heartbeat and breathing. He’s made of a soft plastic and wrapped in Egyptian cotton. The bot’s “nervous system” is made up of five computers and motors to move his hands and eyelids and make his heart beat faster or slower depending on his stress level.
It could be time to start your holiday robot shopping a little early, as pre-orders for two of the most anticipated film and TV tie-ins begin. First up is Disney’s Wall-E, in the shape of the Thinkways Ultimate Wall-E, which is available from both Toys-R-Us for $249.99 and the official Disney Shopping store for $259.95. The former says shipping on September 13th, but Robert Oschler tells us he had an email saying mid-October instead; that tallies with the Disney Store.
Ugobe’s Pleo robotic dinosaur may be a cute toy, but it’s also a useful starting point for messing about with robotics. A team at Otto-Friedrich-University in Bamberg, Germany, calling themselves GRIP (Group for Interdisciplinary Psychology) have posted two tutorials designed to wirelessly connect Pleo to a remote computer and give him the ability to recognise faces.
WowWee seem to be in a routine of releasing new robots every couple of months, and it’s now the turn of the Femisapien – also known as SEGA’s E.M.A. or ‘Kissing Robot’ – to go through the Robots Rule review process. What makes her particularly special is the way WowWee encourage you to interact and programme her; yes, you can use their remote control, but the Femisapien will just as happily respond to touch and tapping, together with hand gestures and even posing her limbs for the robot to memorize.
Check out the video demo of the Femisapien after the cut
The promise of improved robot technology is exciting. There are so many options there. But when I see things like the Actroid DER-2 I can’t help but feel a bit queasy. First of all, she’s creepy. Second, it looks as if she may run off of her platform and starting killing people. Well, not really, but she’s a bit frightening, don’t you think? And third, she’s a fembot. Of course. It’s always a “she,” isn’t it? You never see any male prototypes, do you?
The “Readybot Challenge” team have released footage of their domestic robot, intended to demonstrate the feasibility of a home-help robot capable of performing up to 80-percent of routine chores. This current Readybot prototype – which resembles a dishwasher with a bin-lid dome and outstretched “hug me!” arms – can tidy up mess left on the floor, empty trash and, thanks to a flip-down garage at the back, release a Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner.
Check out the video of Readybot in action, after the cut!
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