Tag archive: Robots

Back in October, we gave you a look at Boston Dynamic’s four legged creation the LS3 — Legged Squad Support Systems — also known as AlphaDog, which was equal parts scary and amazing. For those that may be unfamiliar with Boston Dynamics’s robotic Rover, the DARPA-funded robot was designed to lift – er, carry – the burden of soldiers by effectively slugging around their equipment over rough terrain. As many active and former soldiers… Read More

We humans have a peculiar relationship with robots. On the one hand, we create them, and they amaze us with their awesomeness. On the other, well, have you ever heard of a little thing called Terminator? In few instances is our love-hate relationship with our mechanical brethren so fully realized as in this video (below) of a swarm of “nano quadrotors” performing advanced maneuvers. The whole thing is both amazing and chilling, all… Read More

For those familiar with the original Borderlands, arguably the one character that has the most iconic and lasting appeal is that of Claptrap, the robot—or robots—that populate the landscape of Pandora (Search your feelings Lilith fans, you know it to be true). They were there to offer quests, lead you to hidden items, and offer a bit of comic relief–before they decide to eliminate all of us puny human meat sacks in the DLC “Claptrap’s New… Read More

One of the most striking bits of automotive technology showcased at CES 2012 was the 17-inch Nvidia-backed screen in the new Tesla S Sedan. It reminded me more of a tablet than a car entertainment system, and Tesla has been the first to really get aggressive on things like apps for automobiles. Personally, I remain annoyed that the services I use to enjoy media at home just won’t work in a car yet, and even more annoyed that I have to pay for… Read More

The heart of CES is consumer technology–the odds and ends that are sure to hit your homes and wishlists within the next year. The show floor is full of every predictable type of user electronic, from cameras and laptops, to refrigerators and cars. While it’s all new and some of it edges on conceptual, it’s based in reality. But there’s one department that doesn’t have its feet as firmly on the ground, and that’s robotics. We took a stroll… Read More

Though they've been around for a good portion of 2011, only today did I finally check out a video for Cubelets. These are block-shaped robots that, much like Legos or Knex, can snap together and form new creations. The only difference is that when you build something with Cubelets, it will actually move when you're done.  The blocks snap together with magnets and each perform a different function (15 in all). Action Blocks do things… Read More

Just so you know it's not all doom and cold, metal gloom when it comes to stories about our future robotic overlords, here's a nice story that combines the internet's love of robots with the internet's love of, well.. cats. Oh, and there's some interesting elements for gaming fans in this one, too. Software engineer Taylor Veltrop recently posted a video showing the culmination of a year's work making a… Read More

Now that we're starting to embrace the impending robot revolution, it's probably a good time to start thinking about the legal issues surrounding robot-human coexistence. Thankfully, the University of Miami School of Law is already on top of the issue, and is organizing a conference to discuss how the law should be interpreted when it comes to robots. Called “We Robot: Inaugural Conference on Legal and Policy Issues Relating to… Read More

Let’s face it, robots are awesome. We, as a society, and perhaps even more broadly, as a species have had a fascination for our eventual robotic overlords dating to as far back as ancient China, Greece, and ancient Egypt. All of which are recorded to have attempted to build self-operating machines, some resembling animals as well as humans. It would appear that this tradition has not been lost on modern society, as Norwegian engineer Kåre… Read More

Robots are often used to great effect these days thanks to incredibly advanced technology giving them the ability to get to places too confined or too dangerous for humans. But did you know that they can also make sandwiches? It’s true – engineers at the Intelligent Autonomous Systems Group from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have come up with a pair of robots called Rosie and James that are capable of making salami sandwiches as… Read More

Another example of the line between man and machine, or more specifically, bird and machine, has blurred even further with AeroVironment’s tiny mechanical flying bird. As brought to our attention by Design You Trust, the diminutive bird has been engineered to mimic the natural flight patterns of the hummingbird and is a startling example of how far robotic technology has come along. The flying Nano Hummingbird was created through a program… Read More

Engineers at a robotics design firm in Bristol, UK have come up with a unique snake-like machine that wouldn’t look out of place in a big budget sci-fi movie. Developed by OC Robotics, engineers have been working on the revolutionary bendy robot, known as the snake-arm, for the last 10 years. The result is a remarkable piece of technology that can, according to its designers, “reach the unreachable.” Industries around the world have been showing… Read More

Science is going to need to start inventing superheroes to offset all these creepy nightmare robots that are popping up. This year, a large and diverse Canadian team of designers thought it would be a good idea to invent a gigantic robot snake based on the 50-foot prehistoric Titanoboa. The snake-bot is the vision of Charlie Brinson, who began constructing the 60 million year-old monsters' replica with his team in the beginning of 2011.… Read More

Anyone who has tried to get some shut-eye beside someone snoring like an elephant breaking wind every five seconds knows how it can totally ruin a night’s sleep.  In an attempt to put an end to your bedfellow’s rumblings, you may have administered a gentle nudge or swift kick, but the chances are it will only have resulted in temporary success, or possibly just an angry complaint. In a worse case scenario, you may have been forced to retreat to… Read More