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….

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 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) have been working on the Legged Squad Support System (LS3) for years. This creepy, “thinking” robot is designed to help troops carry equipment on terrain that is normally not suitable for vehicles. The latest advancements are demonstrated below, showing improved maneuverability, voice commands, stability controls, and recovery abilities. When it falls, it can get back up. Fortunately, it doesn’t fall very often even in difficult terrain. In this video, they demonstrate the ability…

It’s one thing that it’s shaped like a human with a torso, two arms, and two legs. It’s another thing that the way it climbs, jumps, and circumvents holes is strikingly similar to a clumsy human. This “Pet-Proto” is a predecessor to DARPA’s Atlas robot. By using a combination of decision-making and enhanced human suggestion, the robot is designed to face obstacles similar to what it will face in the DARPA Robotic Challenge. The goal – to create a robot that can be used in extreme conditions when humans would be put in too much danger such as search and rescue in hostile environments. …

Sometimes, a video or story requires an introduction based upon the content itself. In this case, we’re better off just presenting the video to you. Make of it what you will. …

They may not make an appearance on The Iin a way that people ron Chef any time soon but the “Robot Chef” is able to slice noodles quickly, efficiently, and in a way that hasn’t turned off patrons of noodle houses in Beijing. Perhaps most importantly for business owners, they are cheaper and don’t complain as much as human employees. When Cui Runguan came up with the idea to make the robot chef in 2006, the idea was that it’s the type of job that most people cannot do long term. It’s tiring, repetitive, and simple enough for the windshield-wiper technology of the robot to duplicate. At less than $2000 a machine,…