Researchers at the University of Michigan in the US have developed a biped robot called MABEL, capable of walking without falling even when faced with improvised obstacles. Most surprisingly, this 57 kg robot has no vision (no video camera) but only sensors (encoders) which measure the angles of…
Scout Lego Robot Here's a prototype of the Lego robot made by Belisario Russefl de la Torre. The young man, aged 28 today, built his first robot when he was 10 years old. Scout is the project of a robotic helicopter with two fans. It still doesn't fly but the foundations of the project …
Here's a video introducing the latest model of the exoskeleton by Lockheed Martin. The purpose of an exoskeleton is to increase the physical strength and endurance of whoever's wearing it. It can allow soldiers to walk much longer and carry heavy loads without tiring. With the HULC by Lockheed…
The company, Bebionic, has just unveiled its new bionic robotic hand. It can do almost anything like a human hand (video below). Everything can be configured: speed, grip strength and estheticism. Its big advantage is that it's covered in silicone, giving it the impression of real skin. What's…
An unusual style for a robot, here's a prototype that you've surely never seen before: the bridge robot! Even if the model shown below is a miniature the size of a toy, the principle could certainly be replicated on a scale the size of a military vehicle, for example. The Stilzkin EXT3 robot …
Boston Dynamics' LittleDog has made progress recently. Not only was this little robotic critter able to move alone over difficult terrain, but now it does so with greater confidence: It jumps, climbs stairs, and reacts to real-time obstacles. "Little Dog" means "petit chien" in French, and it i…
The Advanced Security Guard (ASGuard) is a design by the Center for Robotics Innovation at the University of Bremen in Germany. This robot prototype can go underwater and on any type of rough terrain. Its role is to intervene in rescue operations during accidents or natural disasters. Asguard …
Here is a pretty amazing performance by a small humanoid robot. Surprising for two reasons: The first is that the stunts are rather sophisticated: he can do a handstand comparable to a great gymnast. The second is more mysterious: the music that accompanies the video is a song by Jacques Brel's …
In the Netherlands, some robots are already replacing gas pump attendants. The robot's code name: Tank Pit Stop. So, you no longer need to leave your vehicle; it's a little like the drive-in at fast-food restaurants :-) This robot was invented in 2008 and costs 75 000 euros. Its effectiveness…
Warehouse robots that help with the packing and stacking of sugar bags, it's a lot faster than "arms". At first glance, these bags of sugar must weigh about 50 kg each. You can imagine the effort spent by workers on carrying out a similar type of loading. Featured in this video, industrial robot…
The Micropilot MP-Vision Glider is an unmanned air vehicle. It can be preprogrammed with specific flight plans in advance. This drone can be optionally equipped with a camera to take snapshots of crops or forest areas, for example. The MP-Vision has a radio control but can also fly autonomou…
Tomohiro Shibata, a researcher in robotics and Satoko Inoue, who works for Kokoro (a robotics firm) in Japan, have found an original way of getting married. They used a priest robot. The humanoid robot, I-Fairy, officially performed the marriage. It's a world first. I-Fairy by Kokoro costs ab…
This sculpture is actually a robotic cube capable of keeping its balance by itself with an automatic stabilization mechanism to shift the center of gravity. The modules sway and can maintain the balanced position. Even more incredibly, the structure can be pushed and still not fall. Of course, …
The German Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics presented, at the IEEE 2010, a safety demonstration with an industrial robotic arm. In this case, they wanted to study the contact between a robot handling a sharp tool (scissors, kitchen knife, saw, scalpel) and human skin in order to prevent acci…
The bionic hand by the British company, Touch Bionics, is called i-Limb and its purpose is to replace the amputated limbs of people who have suffered accidents or injuries. The i-Limb Pulse is a revolutionary robotic hand-arm which can grab objects in a natural way. As well as shaking hands wit…
We recently told you about the oil spill and the important role played by robots to contain it in the tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico and the BP offshore oil rig. Here's a first new video reported by DeepWaterHorizonResponse yesterday, from a site of support and reflection in order to find a solutio…
