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‘robots’ Stories

Hopping Robot Legs use artificial fibreglass tendons

By Chris Davies on Friday, Sep 5th 2008 No Comments

A team at Oregon State University have apparently taken another step toward giving walking robots a more human-like – and energy efficient – gait, by fitting them with artificial tendons. Existing robotic limbs struggle to recover energy through a springy gait, but the Oregon team have introduced steel cable tendons and fibreglass springs made from the same material as archers’ bows that allow far smaller motors to be used.

Hopping robot leg 1

Check out the demo video of the hopping robot leg in action after the cut

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Poseable Robot Calculator makes arithmetic interesting

By Brenda Stokes on Monday, Sep 1st 2008 No Comments

Calculators aren’t known for being a lot of fun or even interesting, for that matter. But the Poseable Robot Calculator brings back the fun to math.

calculator

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WowWee’s Femisapien & Tri-Bot robots go on sale

By Chris Davies on Thursday, Aug 21st 2008 No Comments

Anybody waiting anxiously for the latest robots from WowWee’s stables should grab their credit cards and begin whistling with glee, as both the Femisapien (aka Sega’s Kissing Robot) and Tri-Bot models are now available to buy. Femisapien, you may remember, is the first “female” ‘bot from WowWee, with a clever new programming system in which you merely have to reposition the robot’s limbs in order to teach her new routines.

WowWee Femisapien Tri Bot

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Rat neuron-infused robot learns, avoids obstacles

By Brenda Stokes on Thursday, Aug 14th 2008 1 Comment

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.

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Heart Robot brings emotions to robotics

By Brenda Stokes on Tuesday, Aug 12th 2008 No Comments

heartovershoulder 270x189

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.

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It’s Always a Fembot: Why I Can’t Take Robot Tech Seriously

By Brenda Stokes on Tuesday, Jul 29th 2008 3 Comments

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?

actroid preshower uv

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WowWee Alive Cub: White Tiger robot unboxed

By Chris Davies on Monday, Jul 21st 2008 No Comments

We’ve learnt to expect great things from WowWee’s ever-increasing robot range, and while their next creation – the Alive Cub – might not be able to wander your house or play games of laser tag with you, it’ll probably be a hit with a new, younger audience. Basically a robotic version of a baby animal, the Alive Cubs are plush and interactive; RoboCommunity have unboxed the White Tiger version, and you can see their demo video after the cut.

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WowWee Tri-Bot spotted on shelves pre-August 21st launch

By Chris Davies on Wednesday, Jul 16th 2008 1 Comment

WowWee’s Tri-Bot is still down at eToys for official US release on August 21st, but an eagle-eyed visitor to a Radio Shack near San Francisco has spotted the omni-directional robot already on the shelves. There’s currently no sign of Tri-Bot on Radio Shack’s online store, and it’s still listed for pre-order at WowWee’s.

WowWee Tri Bot 1

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The Gamecube WALL-E Case Mod

By Abby McVay on Monday, Jul 7th 2008 3 Comments

With Wall-E hitting theaters and even before that there have been a few Wall-E replicas pop up. Some are just non-working units that just look cool and others are very basic robots. This Wall-E is now my favorite so far.

gamecube wall-e case mod

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Readybot domestic robot prototype video: now with Roomba garage

By Chris Davies on Tuesday, Jun 24th 2008 No Comments

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.

ReadyBot 1