Baby sea turtles’ mad dash to the sea reproduced by FlipperBot

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 particular interest because they are able to maintain high speeds whether they are on solid ground or shifting sand. The research concluded that it was “all in the wrists” which they would bend when traversing sand but keep rigid on solid ground.

FlipperBot confirmed this in the labs using their wooden flippers in different positions depending on the surface of travel. Here’s the bot in action:

Artificial intelligence – working hard, so we can hardly work

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 robot that is designed to work safely alongside people on factory production lines. Incredibly enough, Baxter can be trained in less than 30 minutes by applying common sense and by adapting to the environment. The robots of today can even save lives. South Korea’s “Hoya Robot” can enter burning buildings, withstanding temperatures of up to 320 F. It transmits image, sound, temperature, smoke, and gas data to firefighters up to 54 yards away.

Robotics is a major industry that is already boosting job creation. Globally, due to automation and robotics, 3-5 million jobs exist. 300,00 people are estimated to already be employed in industrial robotics, with 45,000 more jobs expected to be added by 2018. Computer simulation of the brain, however, may be at least 100 years away. After all, the human brain does have 85.9 billion neurons and processes 70,000 thoughts a day.

To learn more about the amazing advancements in artificial intelligence, check out the infographic below by ClickSoftware.

Get a robotic maid and pay it with garbage

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. As awesome as that would be, the Limbo looks more like an advanced auto-vacuum than a humanoid robo-maid. Its wheels have a honey comb design and are tipped with rubber traction studs.

This means that it can go pretty much anywhere in your house with ease, even up and down the stairs. The Limbo uses a combination of cameras, sensors, and lights on its front side to detect trash and avoid obstacles. Do you want to know what the coolest part is? I mentioned before that it was a self-powered machine. It powers itself on the bacteria from the trash that it picks up! I haven’t the faintest idea how this works but sounds awesome, and efficient.

I’m surprised that auto-cleaning robots haven’t been made before, or if they have, why they haven’t become popular. It seems like a no-brainer. As of yet, the Limbo isn’t being mass produced so we won’t be able to buy it yet. Once it’s released though, I’m sure all the childless, lazy people, such as myself, will be clamoring to get their hands on one.

If the Petman robot doesn’t scare you, you’re not paying attention

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 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, it is widely speculated that they are responsible for the most secretive and advanced military projects that the US government develops.

Here’s their explanation:

Unlike previous suit testers that had a limited repertoire of motion and had to be supported mechanically, PETMAN balances itself and moves freely; walking, bending and doing a variety of suit-stressing calisthenics during exposure to chemical warfare agents. PETMAN also simulates human physiology within the protective suit by controlling temperature, humidity and sweating, all to provide realistic test conditions.

The chances that they’re truly in the market for an extremely advanced and maneuverable robot that can mimic human movement for the sole task of testing clothing is absurd.

Here are some images of the robot followed by a video of it in action. Take a look and ask yourself if this is something that’s designed to try on clothing.

Festo BionicOpter may bring dragonfly drones to a sky near you

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 rendition. However, Festo, a German based automation company, claims to have “technically mastered” the flight mechanics of the dragonfly with their new robotic insect called the BionicOpter. From what can be seen in the BionicOpter demonstration video, they may be right.

Measuring 24.8 inches from wing to wing and 17.3 inches from head to tail, the BionicOpter is significantly larger than an actual dragonfly. Though quite large, the robotic insect only weighs 6 ounces due to the lightweight materials that it’s made out of. Its light weight and unique design give it a large amount of maneuverability and allow it to fly in any direction.

Several adjustments need to be made mid-flight for the robot to stay in the air. Tiny changes in inertia or angle need to be accounted for and the internal mechanisms must be adjusted accordingly for the dragonfly to remain flying. Fortunately, the complexities of the flight are all handled by the BionicOpter’s incredible pair of electronics and software that calculates and processes all the needed adjustments. All the user needs to do is steer the dragonfly with a simple remote control or even a smartphone.

While flying a robotic dragonfly around your house is sure to be a blast, many have speculated that the design will soon see use outside of the home. The versatility and maneuverability of the design would make it incredibly useful for certain government agencies. In the future, we may very well see robotic dragonflies being used to defuse a bomb from a distance, secretly gathering intelligence, or even exploring the surface of Mars.

BigDog tosses cinder blocks across the room like a robotic boss

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 is a calculation, each obstacle is a further set of calculations, each result from those further calculations is a reassessment and even more calculations, et cetera.

When other things are added to the mix such as the act of tossing a cinder block, most robots would fail miserably. BigDog, of course. does not.

DARPA’s LS3 robot advances maneuverability, still extremely creepy

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 to “follow the leader” and make decisions of how to make that happen. With the ability to carry 400 lbs of equipment, a working LS3 can prove to be very useful.

“This was the first time DARPA and MCWL were able to get LS3 out on the testing grounds together to simulate military-relevant training conditions,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Hitt, DARPA program manager. “The robot’s performance in the field expanded on our expectations, demonstrating, for example, how voice commands and “follow the leader” capability would enhance the robot’s ability to interact with warfighters. We were able to put the robot through difficult natural terrain and test its ability to right itself with minimal interaction from humans.”

This demonstration was recorded at Fort Pickett in Virginia.

DARPA robot navigates obstacles in creepy human-like manner

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.

A 4-armed robot with a mohawk playing the drums

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.

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