1. Robot Suit to Help the Disabled Walk, Climb, Lift Weights
Recently a Japanese company presented a robotic suit, developed to help people who suffer from strike-induce paralysis or those who had spinal cord injuries. Cyberdyne Corporation called its latest invention HAL, which stands for Hybrid Assistive Limb. According to the company the suit was designed to "upgrade the existing physical capabilities of the human body".
The device weights 23 kilograms and includes robotic limbs along with a backpack that features the battery and computer system. Cyberdyne's latest invention is attached to the body and managed by thought. The technology works as follows: whenever an individual tries to make a move, the brain sends nerve signals to the muscles. The robotic suit then identifies these weak signals from the surface of the human skin with the help of a sensor that is attached on the wearer's skin. Then the signal is transmitted to HAL's power unit, signaling the unit to start moving in harmony with the limb of the wearer.
At the moment the latest invention from Cyberdyne can be hired for Y220,000 a month. The company claims that the device has various applications. For example it can help a person to perform every day tasks like walking, climbing up and down stairs and even lifting heavy objects. On a full charge the suit will function for about 5 hours. In addition, the wearer will not feel the heaviness of the suit due to the fact that HAL supports its own weight, Cyberdyne says. It is worth mentioning that a similar exoskeleton was developed by Honda and you can read about it her at www.InfoNIAC.com - check the links at the bottom of the article.
Cyberdyne's founder and CEO, Professor Yoshiyuki Sankai, initially developed the suit for mountain climbing. The company says that its latest invention can function in extremely cold conditions and at a height of 4,000 meters above sea level.
2. Adizero f50 - Smart Boot from Adidas
Adidas has recently unveiled its latest innovation - a football (soccer) boot called adizero f50. The company has equipped its boot with a miCoach SPEED_CELL, fitting it in a cavity in the sole of the f50.
The chip collects information on speed (maximum and average), the number of sprints, distance, steps and more.
The information that has been recorded is stored in the on-board memory found in the boot. It is worth mentioning that the memory boasts a capacity able to accumulate 7 hours of data that can be wirelessly sent to a tablet, PC or Mac after the game.
With the help of miCoach Website, users can use the collected information to compare their performance with that of other football players.
Although Adidas equipped its new boots with the miCoach SPEED_CELL, it says that the new football footwear weights only 165 grams (5.8 oz), which makes it world's lightest football boot. One of the main materials that make the boot so lightweight is called Sprint Skin. It's a synthetic material that is both thinner and lighter than its counterparts available on the market today.
In addition, Adidas' new boot includes Agion anti-microbial technology. It also allows the player to show maximum acceleration thanks to a new stud shape.
The adizero f50 is expected to hit the stores around the world in November, wearing a price tag of EUR210 ($277), while the package featuring the boots, a Speed Cell, a dongle for linking to an iPod or iPhone, as well as the miCoach CONNECT for PC and Mac will be available for EUR245 ($324).
[via Adidas]
3. MABEL - World's Fastest Human-Like Running Robot
A group of scientists at a University of Michigan (U-M) lab managed to come up with a bipedal robot dubbed MABEL that can run at a speed 10.9 km/h (6.8 mph). This is the world's fastest robot that runs like a human.
The first appearance of the robot was in 2008 when it was invented by professor Jessy Grizzle who worked together with doctoral students at the University of Michigan Koushil Sreenath and Hae-Won Park and later Jonathan Hurst, a doctoral student at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. Back then the robot could run on a flat surface only.
The next step was to improve the robot so it could move fast on an uneven terrain. The team required a couple of years to come up with feedback algorithms that allowed MABEL to maintain its balance while responding to its surroundings in real time. The first real test of the machine took place in July 2011.
To be able to run like a human, the robot was built to distribute its weight the same way a person does. It features a heavier torso and light, flexible legs fitted with springs that play the role of muscles.
According to the researchers, their latest invention can deal with uneven terrain, run inside different structures and avoid obstacles better than its counterparts, like ASIMO. In the near future such machine could be used as soldiers and/or rescuers.
More about the project find here.
4. 7 Robots for Rescue Missions
According to a team of U.S. researchers they are currently working on a rescue robot that will be able to deal with various obstacles to help trapped miners. It is worth mentioning that in mines people can face serious dangers such as hazardous gases, flooded channels, weakened walls and more.
Researchers from the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque stated that their latest 4-foot long invention, called Gemini-Scout Mine Rescue Robot, will be able to pass through 18 inches of water, travel over boulders and other obstacles and search for survivors ahead of rescuers, accurately examining environments. In addition, the robot can deliver food, medicine and other important cargo to people trapped underground. More about the machine find here.
Two electrical engineers, Ayanna Howard and Paul Robinette, managed to come up with small and mobile machines able to instantly provide information to emergency personnel on the exact location of people that are injured or trapped in a burning construction.
The duo at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta says these small robots can also help trapped people by guiding them to the closest exit, finding the safest route through smoke filled surroundings.
Before the operation the robots are programmed in "hunt" mode to search for victims, but as soon as they identify humans that needs assistance they instantly switch to "leader" mode to guide people to a safe location. In case the machine spots an injured person it will transmit the information on the location of that person to the rescuers. [Via NewScientist]
Developed by a Japanese firm called BL Autotec, the remote-controlled robotic hand can easily open a wide range of doors during rescue operations. The machine can be used to save people trapped in buildings during fire, earthquake, as well as during nuclear, biological and chemical disasters.
A very interesting feature of this invention is that it can be worn by a human as a backpack. The Japanese company mounted a CCD camera on its 34-kilogram machine. In addition, the robot has LED lighting to work remotely in low light zones. Read more about it here.
The small robot that resembles a hummingbird was created by Hiroshi Liu, a Japanese researcher at the Chiba University east of Tokyo. Interestingly enough the robot is able to flutter around in the air just like a real hummingbird - by moving its wings very fast. With the help of a micro motor the 4 wings of the robot make 30 moves each second.
The invention of the 46-year-old researcher can move up, down, left or right using a built-in infrared sensor. Weighting 2.6 grams, the small robotic hummingbird cost $2.1 million to build. It can be used during rescue missions to look for people trapped among ruins. At the same time the machine may be useful to police that can use it to search for criminals. Find more about it here.
Japan has been greatly affected by earthquakes and tsunamis that made thousands of victims in a short period of time. With this in mind a group of researchers from Tohoku University was able to invent a robot that resembles a snake and which can move into the debris in search of people trapped under ruins. It can move deep into the devastated buildings and use the camera to help rescuers spot victims.
Led by Satoshi Tadokoro, the team named their robot the Active Scope Camera. The machine is composed of a 26-foot long fiberscope wrapped in a special servomotor system. The Active Scope Camera features hair-like structures that use vibrations in order to move the robot forward and allow it to reach a speed of 2.7 inches per second.
Another group of Japanese scientists from the Chiba Institute of Technology's Future Robotics Technology Center is looking forward to launch a robot that will be able to study hazardous sites suffered from disasters.
Led by Eiji Koyanagi, the team came up with a robot that can roll on treads and sense chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear hazards in regions that firefighters are unable to reach. The robot features a built-in camera and can move at a speed of approximately 5.2 feet per second. [via cnet]
Developed by scientist from the Kyoto University, this mini rescue robot was used to rescue people trapped inside a partially devastated structure in Hachinohe, a small city located in North Eastern Japan. Part of the building collapsed as a result of an earthquake, and it was very difficult for rescuers to enter it themselves.
KOHGA3, which was officially presented in 2007, is a 40-kilogram robot that was used during the mission. The robot is able to climb upstairs and deal with various obstacles.The remote-controlled robot is equipped with CCD cameras, sensors for gas, a LED light and a thermal camera.
More about the machine can be found here.
5. Self-Steering Robotic Tractor
An uneven field is one of the major problems that a group of researchers managed to overcome with their latest invention.
Scientists from Belgium's Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven) and Flanders' Mechatronics Technology Centre (FMTC) say they were able to come up with a robotic autonomous tractor that can deal with an inconsistent terrain.
At first the construction might look simple, it is, in fact, very complicated to keep a tractor on track over an uneven field.
According to Erik Hostens, project engineer for FMTC, only an experience professional will be able to work in such a field. This job is rather complex, with the person having to observe the current position of the machine, and figure out a route that the tractor has to follow in order to show the highest possible level of efficiency.
In order to come up with the navigation system for the machine, researchers mounted a linear propulsion system and then equipped the tractor with a computer and a number of positional sensors like GPS.
Due to the fact that conventional navigation systems cannot be used in multi-terrain conditions, the team had to calibrate various settings for each type of terrain and allow the tractor to navigate on both hard and wet terrain.
The new steering system examines the terrain conditions and calculates the possible wheel slippage. By analyzing the type of terrain and the tractor, the system estimates the best possible speed and turning radius. All operations are made in real-time.
The first prototype is expected to be presented at the 30th Annual International Agriculture and Horticulture Days of Mechanisation that will take place in Oudenaarde, Belgium, on the 24th and 25th of September,2011. Watch out for this tractor.
6. Robotic Child Nominated for 2012 Olympic Torch Relay
A team of researchers from Wales' Aberystwyth University developed a robotic child that was nominated to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay for London's 2012 Summer Olympics.
The participation of the iCub humanoid machine at the event will represent a tribute to Alan Turing, who is considered to be the father of computer science and AI. The year 2012 will mark his 100th birthday.
Dr James Law, from Aberystwyth's Department of Computer Science, was the on who proposed the use of iCub at the Olympic Torch Relay program.
Researchers wanted to create a robot that would be the size of an average 3.5-year-old child. They outfitted the machine with visual, vestibular, auditory, haptic, proprioceptive and torque sensors. Being able to show different facial expressions, the robot has two VGA cameras, two microphones, gyros and accelerometers mounted to its head.
However, according to New Scientist, the robot does not meet the basic requirements. The rules state that a nominee must be at least 12 years old and be an official resident of the United Kingdom. But it is possible that for this unusual nominee, built under the RobotCub international project, there might be an exception.
The main goal of the humanoid robot is to study the children's learning processes and using them to developed strategies for learning in robotics.
7. AlphaDog - Quadruped Robot for the Military
With financial support from DARPA and US Marine Corps, researchers at Boston Dynamics, an MIT spinoff, managed to build a combat escort called AlphaDog.
The company from Waltham, Massachusetts, has recently unveiled a video in which it shows the abilities of the AlphaDog. The official name of the robotic escort is LS3, which stands for Legged Squad Support System.
As soon as it is built, the robot will be able to cross any type terrain, being able to carry up to 400 pounds (180kg) of equipments for about 20 miles(30km) before it needs to be refueled. The machine is completely autonomous, which means that no driver is required. It walks along with the troops using GPS, computer vision and most up-to-date hydraulics.
It would be interesting to note that AlphaDog is in fact an improved version of the BigDog, a prototype that was 10 times noisier and was able to carry a much lower weight, registering a shorter distance than the new quadruped model.
The official presentation of AlphaDog is expected to be made next year. "This video shows early results from the control development process," mentioned the company's representatives.
In order to assemble the machine, Boston Dynamics worked together with a number of outside groups, including researchers from Bell Helicopter, AAI Corporation, Carnegie Mellon, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Woodward HRT, which focuses on the development of motion control systems and components, reports Spectrum IEEE.
8. DIY Flying Car Made of 1987 Soviet Vehicle
Valery Bulgakov, a former Russian pilot managed to come up with a flying vehicle that was created using an old Ukrainian 1987 ZAZ Tavria hatchback.
The three-door car served as the central cockpit component for the pilot. The design of the flying vehicle is almost the same as the original version with just wings and a horizontal tail-plane added.
The flying car doesn't have a powerful engine. Although the vehicle does really fly, the engine requires about 20 seconds in order to get to a minimum speed of 60 miles per hour at which it can take off.
The DIY flying ZAZ Tavria can fly at an altitude of just 10 feet (3 meters) but it's probably enough for a home-made vehicle, which can hardly boast any safety features.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7sw5S9d9C4&feature=player_embedded
9. HOSPI-Rimo, Robotic Bed, Hair-Washing Robot from Panasonic
The world population is continuously increasing, which leads to a larger number of elderly that need care. This problem is very acute in Japan, where the number of young people that take care of the elderly is very low.
With this in mind Panasonic decided to create 3 robotic devices that are expected to appear at the forthcoming 38th International Home Care & Rehabilitation Exhibition (H.C.R.2011) that will take place in Tokyo in the period between October 5 and 7, 2011.
The trio will include HOSPI-Rimo, a communication assistance robot, and two new robots: Panasonic's Hair-Washing Robot and RoboticBed.
It would be interesting to note that the company's "HOSPI" automatic medication delivery machine is already in use at hospitals across Japan and other countries. The robot helps sort and transport medicines to nurse stations.
The new HOSPI-Rimo makes use of the same autonomous steering technology and HD visual communications technology the HOSPI is equipped with. However, the robot was programmed to play the role of a mediator to allow people that are confined to bed due to an illness to easily communicate with each other, their friends and family, as well as with the hospital personnel.
The presentation of the Hair-Washing Robot follows the launch of Panasonic's H.C.R.2010 machine launched in 2010. The robot can carry out all the tasks of a hairdresser, including wetting, shampooing, rinsing, conditioning, drying, and performing a spot massage.
The new model also has washing arms with 24 fingers (8 fingers more than the previous model) and upgraded mechanics, which produces a more comfortable wash.
The RoboticBed, saw light in 2009. It represents an electric bed that can turn into an electric wheelchair and vice-versa. According to Panasonic it improved the robot after considering various suggestions from both caregivers and recipients, reports Gizmag. The company made a simplified control interface, for instance.
10. Robots Taught to Act More Like Humans
According to Sebastien Lengagne, a researcher from Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba, today roboticists try to develop machines that avoid obstacles instead of thinking how of use these objects to help them. Currently Lengagne together with his team is working on a system that would allow humanoid robots use their bodies and different nearby objects to help them travel around different environments and perform various complex tasks.
The team created a robot called HRP-2 that can act more like a human. For example, the machine can place both of its arms on a table in order to keep balance when attempting to sit down in a chair. The robot can also use one of its arms as a support when performing a big swinging kick at a ball, reports NewScientist.
It is worth mentioning that the latest invention of Lengagne and his team was presented this month at the Humanoids 2010 conference that took place in Nashville, Tennessee.
http://bcove.me/4rs0hsgc
11. Yumbo - Robotic Waiter that Caries Dishes, Takes and Delivers Orders
Located in Bangkok, Thailand, the MK Restaurant is about to shift hospitality services to a new level by "hiring" robotic waiters. The MK Robot Project, initiated by Bangkok University, involves the use of robotic waiters that will take orders and deliver meals.
In addition, the restaurant looks forward to using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags that will record the likes and dislikes of customers.
It is worth mentioning that in 2009 the MK Restaurants had a robot called Din Sow, but it was used mainly to entertain customers. The new robotic waiter, however, will be much more useful.
Dubbed Yumbo, the machine will be able to carry dishes, store meals on a dish and deliver them to the customer without any risk.
Just like the previous robot, Yumbo will navigate by following lines on the floor. In order to avoid collisions, the machine will make use of ultrasonic range detection, reports Plastic Pals.
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