When someone calls out and tell you to look at a flying bird, you might ignore. But what if that bird that they referred to is a robot bird? Yes ladies and gentlemen, now robotic birds can fly just like real bird, and they don’t just use any propellers, they just flappy wings!
This is the SmartBird, and he’s not the size of Big Bird from Sesame Street. In fact, he’s only 1-pound heavy, and has wingspan of a very huge 6-feet. What’s more, it can also take off and land with no assistance, while you control the route of its flight from the ground using a ZigBee radio.
“This bionic technology-bearer, which is inspired by the herring gull, can start, fly and land autonomously — with no additional drive mechanism. Its wings not only beat up and down, but also twist at specific angles. This is made possible by an active articulated torsional drive unit, which in combination with a complex control system attains an unprecedented level of efficiency in flight operation.”
The picture above shows three pairs of twins, but apparently there are only three real people, and the rest are all Skynet’s spies to understand us humans more, before slaughtering us all. They’re called the Geminoids, lifelike robots created by professors Hiroshi Ishiguro and Henrik Scharfe in their image and that of one other willing assistant, all of whom got together for a little photo op last month. Gosh, is the next person beside me even real?
Here’s the new Quadrocopter developed by the Zurich-based mad scientists, possibly working for Skynet. What’s cool about these ROFL-copters are that they don’t just fly, but they jiggle balls, because the mad scientists played too much Pong game.
These days technology are getting more bizarre than they are ten years ago. As crazy as it sound, vacuums being robotic and automated are already a killer, but they’re also stuffing in WiFi connectivity, and even a camera! Samsung’s latest Tango cleaner (model VC-RL87W) features an integrated video camera that lets PC, smartphone, and tablet owners to use the vacuum as a remote controlled surveillance camera when not sweeping the floors. Thanks to the relatively quiet operation sound of 48dB, you can now easily tailgate any school girls, though it’ll be hard to escape with such tiny wheels. This new Peeping Tom tool ain’t cheap though, as the vacuum cleaner and combo surveillance camera is going to cost you KRW 799,000 (or about $711 if you don’t speak zerg language).
Tokyo University’s ISI Lab has been working on a robot that can actually run, ever since 2007. Called the Athlete Robot, it’s slightly different from your typical robot with mechanical devices at connected joints, like Honda’s ASIMO.
The way they need to run is to have movements nearly like humans, and that’s where the AR gets its concept from: human muscles. While it doesn’t really receive the humanoid treatment and shape, it works very much like how a human does, at least the legs.
Balls. Some people grab em’ and run half a field. Some kick them for a living. Some uses a metal stick to swing them around the world and get chicks. But you there with your new smartphone. Would you like to control a ball with your new phone? Here’s Sphero. Sphero is a small, robotic toy ball made by Orbotix, and controlled remotely via Bluetooth and your smartphone’s tilt sensor. Imagine the “Haro Haro”, minus the space and the Gundams. The Sphero is gearing up for its CES 2011 debut. Let’s see how we can play this ball, with our fingers on screen.
Yes, this is as bizarre as how the Pinkon gets. Pentax has painted their K-r camera with a three-color theme, as well as an unknown Gundam’s head at the place of the flash hotshoe, but I’m not sure if the mecha’s head will really shoots out flashy hyper beams. In response to customers’ demand, Pentax has happily obliging them with this limited run of 100 “robotized” K-r sets.
The internal specs are unchanged from the original, but you do get a new 35mm prime lens with a wide F2.4 aperture to play with. Pre-orders costing ¥99,800 ($1,187) will start on December 24th for a delivery in early January. Time to look outstanding; holding a black DSLR is just so uncool and too professional.
Here’s something you don’t get to see every day. Robots are no stranger to games of chess, but when they put up a good fight to a human, things get rather tense; especially the human counterpart is a World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007. Vladimir Kramnik gave a good challenge to the robot, albeit he took it rather relaxingly.
What does the above picture looks to you? Miniature and unfinished Strike Gundam, or the robot used by Morpheus in Matrix? It reminds me of the classic Mospeada, though it shorts on wheels. This is an exoskeleton BattleMech designed specifically for children, by Sakakibara Kikai. Yes, it’s Japanese. What are you expecting, mate? It’s called the Kid’s Walker, and it walks. That’s all. No bullets, no flamethrower, and no nuclear-power. Read more…
Here we have a PR2 robot ‘trained’ to help you put on your socks during the morning rush hours, while you panic-ly gulp down your breakfast before dashing into your car. But please, don’t let the video fool you. It’s been fast forward, like 15x! What’s more, the robot seemed to be more efficient in helping you accomplish ‘other missions’ instead of wearing your socks. Like, how hard is putting up socks? Damn, the world where obese people sitting on hovering chairs (remember Wall-E?) are getting nearer day by day.
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