“Tuna Robot” Introduced By Homeland Security
What? Robots that look like tuna?! Isn’t Jessica Simpson confused enough already?!?!
(Source: Mashable)
The MacGyver Disaster Robot
This would be useful in parts of New York and New Jersey suffering the after-effects of Sandy. I had no power for 2 days but other areas are in absolute carnage. My heart goes out to all those who are still suffering.
From PSFK.com:
Georgia Tech has received a $900,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research to develop a robot that can complete missions in dangerous situations by utilizing what’s found around the area. Professor Mike Stilman, team leader of the project, refers the robot as “MacGyver bot” and explains that:
Our goal is to develop a robot that behaves like MacGyver, the television character from the 1980s who solved complex problems and escaped dangerous situations by using everyday objects and materials he found at hand.
The MacGyver bot can be placed in disaster and war zones to help find people and rebuild the areas. The robot will have the basic cognitive processes to take advantage of arbitrary objects around the environment and use them as tools. There’s still a long way to go before we will see a prototype MacGyver bot being implemented in the military service. The next step for the Georgia Tech team is to develop a software to run simulations on a computer, before installing and testing the software further in a Stilman’s Golem Krang humanoid robot.
Baxter: The Manufacturing Robot with Common Sense
There go your manufacturing jobs people. The future of this country will be in producing entrepreneurs and a highly-technical workforce.
(Source: Mashable)
Robotic Wheelchair Beats Obstacles
Flying and dancing robots may be cool, but stories like this actually prove robotic technology is worth it!
(Source: popsci.com)
Meet Wall-Ye: The Farmer
Managing vineyards today…getting us drunk tomorrow! More useful than that trash-collecting robot Wall-E, if you ask me!
(Source: futuristicnews.com)
Robot Walks on Tightrope - Niagara Falls Next?!
Robots are taking our jobs but I thought Nik Wallenda’s job was fairly safe before seeing this!
(Source: Mashable)
RoboRoach Checks In…Will He Check Out?!
Real cockroaches remotely controlled. What will they think of next??
(Source: futuristicnews.com)
Exoskeletal Robotic Suit
We’re one step closer to the APU in the Matrix and the robotic suit in Alien!
(Source: TIME)
Hector - The Senior Care Robot
Love stories about robots actually making a difference (no offense to the dancing robots).
From Mashable.com:
Hector is an in-home caregiver for elderly people who have mild cognitive impairment. It provides reminders for everyday tasks, like taking medications, calling people back and storing grocery lists. For individuals experiencing occasional memory loss, it’s no doubt useful to have Hector collect wallet and keys. Hector can even detect falls and respond to verbal commands. He’s like a walking, talking smartphone, with a much larger touch screen and smarter “brain.”
Robots pivot solar panels to face the sun
These robots make solar energy generation much more efficient.
(Source: CNET)