Are in you grades 9 – 12 and have some deep thoughts to share about the future of robotics and its societal implications? Create a two- to three-minute video with your thoughts, and you could win a chance to see the DARPA Robotics Challenge in Pomona, CA this …
Read More »R Kremen
Naval Humanoid Fights Fires on Decommissioned Vessel
Researchers from Virginia Tech revealed more details about their ongoing project with the US Navy: the Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot (SAFFiR). Speaking at the Naval Future Force Science & Technology EXPO, the researchers discussed the results of recent tests of SAFFiR as it walked on uneven …
Read More »The Arduino-Compatible Scamper Robot Kit
The Scamper Robot Kit looks like a lot of fun for those who enjoy integrating art and robotics. Among other things, the bot can be used to draw programmed patterns. The creators of the bot have even been experimenting with using a 100 mL syringe to release …
Read More »Design Giant Robot Parts, Win Prizes!
MegaBots and Autodesk are hosting design and mechanical engineering competitions. Two $2,500 prizes are up for grabs in the design competition, for the best armor plating. In addition to the cash prize, these two winners will enjoy seeing their designs created in miniature. The MiniBots will even …
Read More »Leading AI Researcher Says Fully Autonomous Vehicles Are Far From Imminent
Excited by the prospect of a fully-autonomous vehicle? Don’t hold your breath! Shlomo Zilberstein, the conference committee chair the 29th conference of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence(AAAI) in Austin, Texas, says such vehicles are likely a long way off. Zilberstein studies the way artificial agents …
Read More »New Shield Makes Integrating Arduino with Lego Sensors and Motors Easy
Want to use all of your Lego sensors and motors with an Arduino? The EVShield makes it easy. The board pops on top of any Arduino Uno, Duemilanove, or Leonard, to let roboticists take advantage of all of their easy-to-connect Lego EV3 /NXT sensors and motors, …
Read More »Upgrade Your Electronic Fashion Sense with this Wearables Kit
Want to make your shoes light up when you walk, or your skirt change from ankle length to mid thigh based on the temperature? With a little electronics knowledge you can easily integrate your love of robotics with your love of fashion, and create functional clothes …
Read More »Boston Dynamic’s New Quadruped is Quiet, Robust, and Generally Cool
Boston Dynamics isn’t saying much about their new robot, Spot, but the video posted to YouTube yesterday speaks volumes. The quadroped is significantly quieter than the company’s previous efforts in this area, and also appears to be faster and more nimble. It easily climbs steep hills, …
Read More »Raspberry Pi 2 Considerably Faster, But Camera Shy
With a quad core ARMv7 processor running at 900mHZ, the freshest Pi in the shop — the Raspberry Pi 2 — is considerably faster than its predecessors. In fact, it boasts speeds of up to six times faster! It also offers twice as much memory, with …
Read More »Octopus-Inspired Robot Speeds Through Water
Researchers at the University of Southampton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology have built a speedy, underwater robot modeled after an octopus. The robot features a 3D printed skeleton but has no moving parts or energy storage device, aside from …
Read More »Robobuilder UXA-90 Humanoid is Ready for Robocup!
Looking for a new Robocup competitor? The Robobuilder UXA-90 Humanoid Robot from Cogibot could be your next star player. The 3-foot tall bot has a 300 frames-per second vision processor that allows it to track colors and estimate distances. So it can kick a ball at a target with …
Read More »Tiny, Internally Powered Robot Gripper for Biopsies
A self-folding, robotic microgripper could one day make biopsies less invasive. The star-shaped devices are made from a carefully assembled arrangement of a hydrogel (N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid), a polymer (polypropylene fumarate), and magnetic nanoparticles. The soft hydrogel component swells in response to changes in light, acidity, and temperature. The polymer stiffens …
Read More »Raspberry Pi Camera Robot
Dawn Robotics’ new kit offers a low-cost solution for those who want to add mobility to their Raspberry Pi camera. The Chassis Kit includes everything you’ll need to get started, minus the Raspberry Pi, Raspberry Pi camera, WiFi dongle, and SD card. An online tutorial details …
Read More »