Robotics posts

Researcher Daniel Goldman from CRAB Lab (Complex Rheology and Biomechanics) at Georgia Tech studied how baby sea turtles were able to move so quickly along the beach straight out of their sandy nests after hatching in their trek towards the safety of the distant water. To test his hypotheses without having to bring baby turtles into the lab, one of his students built FlipperBot to mimic the movements. This isn’t just a feel-good waste of research dollars. The data can be used to help advance robotic technology by solving locomotion problems across multiple terrains. The baby sea turtles are of…

In 2011, robot sales hit about 160,000 units, translating to $8.5 billion in sales—this was by far the highest level recorded for any single year. Employment isn’t for humans only—there are currently 1.1 million working robots in the world. Today, robots sort through construction waste for reusable materials, and the even play a major role in automobile production. In fact, 80 percent of car production is completed by machines. By using artificial intelligence, Hyundai Motors reduced delivery time by 20 percent and increased inventory turns from 3 to 3.4. “Baxter” is a humanoid…

Many people, such as myself, are stuck in the position where they’re too poor to afford a maid but too lazy to clean their house themselves. Some have gotten around this by making their kids clean the house. I don’t have kids and the effort required to cultivate one to proper house cleaning age is as unappealing as cleaning the house myself. Fortunately for me and those like me, a new, self-powered cleaning robot will be hitting the market soon. The first images to pop into your brain were probably those of Rosey, the robo-maid from the Jetsons or maybe Wadsworth, the housekeeper from Fallout 3….

Most people don’t bother to think about how automated our society is. So many basic utilities that are necessary for our society to function are working around the clock without any human assistance. Technological advancements and the growing transition to renewable energy are quickly turning our society into a completely automated mechanism. Power stations that once required a constant stream of fuel can now sit unattended under the sun and still provide us with energy. That energy is then automatically distributed to whatever automatic utility requires it. Notice a pattern? As fascinating…

Boston Dynamics has made us cringe more than once in the past with their BigDog and LS3 robotic abominations in the past. This time, they’ve gone too far and we’re all officially creeped out. If you’ve seen any of the Terminator movies, you should be afraid. This is it without Arnold’s skin covering it. The funny part is that PETMAN is being billed as “an anthropomorphic robot designed for testing chemical protection clothing.” Before you start thinking that it sounds reasonable, keep in mind that this is a project that is funded by a “Robotics Challenge” put out by DARPA. For those not familiar with…

The flight of the dragonfly is unique in the animal kingdom. It’s complex four-wing mechanics give it significant advantages over traditional two-wing flyers. By moving two sets of wings independently of each other, the dragonfly is able to enjoy much more maneuverability and speed control. It’s no wonder so many robotics designers have tried to replicate this design in their flying robots. Unfortunately, the flight mechanics of the dragonfly are decidedly difficult to replicate. Although many have tried to perfect their design, few have managed to create anything more than a clumsy…

If there’s one thing that can be said about Boston Dynamics, it’s that they never cease to amaze us with the capabilities of their robotic creations. “BigDog” has been the topic of past posts here and this one may be the most awesome capability yet. Maintaining balance is one of the biggest challenges facing legged-robot designers. It seems easy for us and other animals to walk, climb, and jump because the portion of our mind that controls this is mostly subconscious. We don’t have to think, “left foot forward, balance on it, lift right leg, move it forward…” It just happens. In robotics, each movement…

The image above is not one of the drone that was spotted by a pilot flying into New York City, but it may appear something like this. Then again, it may not be the drone you’re looking for if you’re the FBI. The one they want was spotted by an Alitalia airlines pilot on final approach to John F. Kennedy Airport on Monday afternoon. It was small, only about three feet wide, and had four propellers. If you think that it was probably just an RC plane or something, keep in mind that it was seen at approximately 1,750 feet. Here’s the FBI’s release: On Monday, March, 4, 2013, at approximately 1:15 p.m., the pilot…

In the world of robotic automation, one of the toughest challenges that scientists face is getting them to perform transfer maneuvers. As easy as it is for two humans to throw and catch a baton, the split-second computations that happen unconsciously in our minds are much harder to duplicate with computers. This is why the video below is so amazing. One quadrocopter balances a pole on its “head”. This in itself is pretty impressive. Then, the pole is tossed in the air in a way that it rotates at a very specific rate. Again, this is a pretty challenging maneuver, but not exactly amazing. Where the mind…

Anyone who was a kid at some point in their lives has probably imagined having a robotic exoskeleton. If that’s not you, you’re probably reading the wrong blog. This is a site for geeks, afterall. For the rest of us who wanted a rocket-resistant, well-armed battle mech either remotely controlled from a platform in the background or, even better, that wrapped around our bodies and flowed through our bodily movements to match our actions, the technology behind battle mechs hasn’t come along quite as quickly as hoped. Don’t fret. If you have a mini-fridge, terracotta pots, and a colander, you have…