[PP]

Having the ability to move at an average speed of 5mph, the robot can complete difficult tasks (for a robot) for the British army. For example, while using its forward extending manipulator arm, DR can open doors, move debris out of the way, and even dig up explosives (though it can only lift up to 10 pounds in weight.) Dragon Runner can also be used as a surveillance robot since it is equipped with four video cameras. Based on a six wheel design, it can even climb up stairs. Not many robots are capable of that. About one hundred of these bomb squad robots have been made by QinetiQ UK.

Here’s a closer look at the backpack and controller.

[GW]

[Theawesomer]

When CIROMI detects someone (via laser range finder), it rolls over to the person and greets him or her with a friendly greeting. Then, the customer can choose to do a select amount of things. Right now, you can only use the touch screen software to play games, send simple e-mails, or take photos with the built in camera. Specifically, this work in progress is only good for entertainment when waiting in a long line. So when you and your sweetheart are going to a movie, you shouldn’t be afraid of a long line anymore. In the future though, it will be able to make simple conversation, recommend specific movies based on personal interests of the person, and then buy the ticket right there. The simple version of CIROMI is also being used in train stations and restaurants. This way, the simple CIROMI can branch off into many different occupations.

[PP]

It’s called a Robotic Underground Munition (RUM). The robot would be delivered by air, land softly, then drill into the ground and navigate under the Earth until it reaches its target. Once it arrives to its destination, say an underground man-made structure, the robot would explode inside.

I hope it doesn’t miss and enter my home from beneath before blowing me up.

[Gizmodo]

One of the themes of my research is understanding the ways in which intelligence is not just all about what’s above your shoulders. Nervous systems evolved with the bodies they control-the interaction is extremely sophisticated, and stubbornly resists our attempts to understand it through basic science research or emulation in robotics . . . One of the things we’ve learned about the cleverness that resides outside the cranium is that things like the spinal cord are incredibly sophisticated “brains” operating sometimes without much input from upstairs. Through some old experiments that are better not gone into, scientists showed that animals can walk with little brain beyond the parts that regulate circulation and breathing and their spinal cord. This is because the spinal cord can do most of what we need for basic locomotion without any input. The point is that control of the body is distributed-it doesn’t just live in the brain. The lesson hasn’t been lost on robotics folks; for example, Rodney Brooks popularized an approach called “subsumption architecture” based on this idea. So – back to Caprica: For episode 2, “Rebirth,” the show needed some explanation for why the metacognitive processor was only working in one robot. The real reason, as we know, is that only one had Zoe in it; but the roboticists were being pressed by Daniel Graystone as to why it wasn’t working in others. The idea that I gave them, which they used, was that it was because this particular metacognitive processor had distributed its control to peripheral subunits. Because of this, it had become tied to one particular robot. It’s an idea straight out of contemporary neuroscience and efforts to emulate this in robotics.

[io9]

Originally they wanted to use a motor to get the fish swimming, but power consumption was about 1W, so they switched to a magnet system that reduced that number to just 10mW. Now they want to develop a robotic fish that can swim for three days on a single charge.

[CG]

For example, if they are talking about a dinosaur footprint. Gemini1 would ask something like “when was this found?” and Gemini2 would respond something like “1948 A.D.” It has been proven that humans are more apt to learn by eavesdropping rather than being spoken to directly. If you think about it, to eavesdrop is much more interesting than to just listen. It also creates a more appealing environment. The two talking robots appeared at an art installation called Kansei x Tsukuba x Design, though they were not fully functional.

[PP]

The one drawback to this design is that it won’t be able to go under furniture, like your couch, and keep it all clean in those areas. It will run you $500.

[Chinavasion]

[Etsy]