Update: iRobot is going to relase the "hacking kit" sometime in November I was flipping through Business 2.0 and came across this about the Roomba: Ever wish you could dispatch a robot to grab you a beer? That day might soon be here, thanks to an as-yet-unannounced decision by iRobot. In e…
This is a little how-to guide on crimping connectors for various electronics projects. The art of crimping is sometimes a difficult one, but necessary for 1) reliable and 2) decent looking connections. Breadboards are nice for quick wiring projects but in the long run they are unreliable and look …
Everyone's favorite robots+art exhibit, Artbots, has announced it's exhibitors for this years show, to be held in Dublin, Ireland on July 15-17, 2005. 22 exhibits were chosen which encompass 33 different artists from 10 different countries. You can view a full list of exhibitors here. The projects…
Dragon Runner - military.comTwo news stories about robots in the military and how they are helping to save our soldiers lives: The first story, says that the enemy is wising up to their mechanical adversaries and are starting to target them. Better a robot than a soldier. The story focus' on the D…
I never could have imagined that circuit components could make such attractive jewelery. Seriously. Not only do I (a male) find it really geeky and hot but I have it from a reliable female source (my not too geeky girlfriend) that it's also quite cute. My favorite would have to be the diode choker…
Take a look at NASA's latest revision to it's Miniature Autonomous Extravehicular Robotic Camera (Mini AERCam) designed to help out spacecraft and ground crew see around and inside the spacecraft. The latest prototype, "nanosatelite", is 7.5 inches in diameter and weights around 10lbs. &…
The first time I heard about this guy, Theo Jansen, was in this news article. The video of one of his creations was amazing. Really amazing. "Theo Jansen creates unique machines that collect wind with their wings, and store the energy in bottles that he calls their stomachs." '"It …
Here's a pretty comprehensive article on Toshiba's quest for a "life support robot." They will be demoing the robots at the Prototype Robot Exhibition in Japan from June 9 to 19th. The will be demoing two robots - Robot one is able to recognize a specific voice in a crowd from any directi…
Check out the picture and tell me if it isn't a bit ... weird. No, not the guy, the woman - She's fake! She's yet another feature at the World Expo 2005 which we covered previously. It/she breaths in a human like manner, has 31 points of articulation in her torso, skin-like silicon covering, natu…
Well folks, here's your opportunity to fulfill all your childhood dreams of having a robotic helicopter. Check out the Cheap Robotic Helicopter Howto. The intro reads: This document explains how to build a 300 g, 3D-capable helicopter with embedded Linux and Bluetooth datalink for less than 500 EU…
Circle you calendars for June 28-30. AUVSI is putting on their annual robotics shindig! You can read the official press release or visit the website here. Highlights are said to include "150,000 square feet of hardware and static equipment displax," lots of cool talks, good networking, an…
I wish I were there: "Word is the robots are the stars of World Expo 2005. Japanese robots of various designs serve functional roles here as multilingual information guides, security guards, garbage collectors, and floor cleaners." "The Toyota exhibit has a two-part robot show featuring a robot j…
Mmmm hmmmm ... well, it's very bizzare looking. Not only does it have, "a woman's face, a sensor around its waist and can move in all directions on its three wheels hidden underneath an evening gown," but a very evident female body. Don't worry ladies, "a male version [is] under development." Oh …
It seems to me that this article is full of handwaving, but here goes - apparently, a doctor of Mechanical Engineering in the UK has come up with a self replicating rapid prototype machine, you know, the ones that can create anything by building up layers of plastic? His plans are to eventually mar…
Well, this is by far one of the more interesting robot sensing devices I've seen in a while. It's like your standard bump sensor whiskers on steroids. A group of researchers from schools that I can't pronounce have come up with the ultimate robot whiskers solution - a motor spins the whisker in a…
I have to say, the art of Arthur Ganson is some of the most amazing stuff I've seen in a long time. " Self-described as a cross between a mechanical engineer and a choreographer, Ganson creates contraptions composed of a range of materials from delicate wire to…
