Love With Robots - Photomanipulation from Steiner Creative Back in 2012, I bought the domain name www.robotshop.xxx. It was more for Brand protection than selling Sexbots, but I certainly foresaw at that time the possibility of a future where the relationships between humans and technol…
Vision of a bionic runner In many ways, the human race has advanced radically in a very short period of time. People born with missing limbs can now live full and “normal” lives, as can those who have suffered injuries and amputations. This is a far cry from the days when an amputat
What has a pair of seven degree of freedom robotic arms, 360 degree sonar and inherited a bunch of robust features from its industrial "father"? Why, the Baxter Research Robot of course! This next generation educational / research tool combines features normally found only on expensive industrial r…
Hovis Genie Specifications Dongbu Robotics released the Hovis Genie, a new humanoid robot. This platform is built on the Hovis Eco biped platform but the legs have been replaced by a holonomic omniwheel drive system and an additional smart device holder in the chest. The resulting…
Aldebaran Roméo Aldebaran, the manufacturers of the very popular Nao humanoid robot, just unveiled their new full-scale humanoid platform: the Roméo. This new 1.4 m tall, 40 kg robot is still in the drawing board but a first prototype is planned to be completed by March 2011.…
As we reported before, DARPA issued its latest challenge where they will require a humanoid robot to complete a series of tasks (worthy of an action movie) which include driving a car, breaking down a wall, and using tools - all with the goal of "saving the day" during a mock…
When we first saw Robotis release their new line of professional (and large) Dynamixel Pro servo motors, we knew it would not be long until they were used to create larger humanoids. So, not long after their release, "THOR" was revealed; Robotis' child-sized humanoid entry into the…
ASIMO working at museum In the past, ASIMO's public performances have heavily monitored by humans and orchestrated by hidden operators. With the hope of rendering the robot more autonomous, Honda has partnered with Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation to create an interacti…
Atlas going for a ride We covered previously the announcement of the 2013 DARPA Robotic Challenge. Today, DARPA released two very interesting videos: one presenting Atlas, the official humanoid platform for the challenge developed by Boston Dynamics, and another introducing the other contestant
Petman tries on its new clothes PETMAN, the biped humanoid from Boston Dynamics, recently got to do its job: to test military clothing and equipment. As seen in the video below, the robot was given some clothes and equipment to test... and it did just that. It is very interesting to see the rob
Robot Combat League The SyFy Channel recently launched the new "Robot Combat League"; a new series featuring large, ~2m tall humanoid robots fighting against each other one on one (almost identical to the robots in the movie "Real Steel"). Each robot is controlled by two operators (one for th
Humanoid robots are becoming larger and more capable, and the prices are dropping every year, contributing to the dramatic increase in popularity. Since we are privileged to have access to the most popular ones, including the Bioloid, DARwIn OP, Nao, and Robokind, we created the picture below so y
CIROS Robot Cuts Cucumber The Korean Institute of Science and Technology had the very good (read "terrible") idea of giving a very sharp kitchen knife to a robot and teaching it how to use it. Fortunately until now, CIROR, the knife-wielding humanoid robot, can only cut cucumbers with its new too
HUBO holding a powertool We reported on the DARPA Humanoid Challenge before, but now we finally have a video that shows what would be the ideal winner of the contest, as imagined by the Universities behind the HUBO humanoid robot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3gnPp97jD8 Of course this is just…
Kuratas Ride-in Giant Robot The Japanese did it again. This time they are fulfilling the dream of pretty much any robotic geek: to have your own functional giant Battle Mech that can be piloted by a grown adult and used to cruise through the city and defeat all your arch-enemies. Suidobashi heavy…
Researchers from the Vere project are using an fMRI machine to "read" thoughts from a human user and use those signals to control the motion of a small humanoid robot as demonstrated in the video below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXFmRzNZHqc This project is very interesting because the use o
