Face-shifting Robot

Posted by Erin, the RobotGrrl on Friday, September 21st, 2007

Check out this japanese face-shifiting robot. It has a whopping 56 degrees of freedom! WOAH!

The WD-2 (Waseda-Docomo face robot No.2) is a face-changing robot from the Takanishi Laboratory at Waseda University in Japan. Servo motors move armatures connected to contact points on a face mask made of Septon, a thermoplastic rubber. The face has 56 degrees of freedom which, driven by a microcontroller, allow it to morph into different facial types. Project actual human faces onto it, and wonder ensues.

Freaky-ish, a bit!

Link.

Posted in: News, Robot News.

12 Year Old Gets $6.5M for Gaming Company

Posted by Erin, the RobotGrrl on Friday, September 21st, 2007

A Silicon Valley company co-founded by a 12-year-old has just raised $6.5 million in venture capital. PlaySpan, based in Santa Clara, Calif. says it offers game publishers a technology that lets users make payments and shop for other items. It calls itself the first “publisher-sponsored in-game commerce network.” Arjun Mehta, a 6th grader, says on his Web site that he is passionate about software that can make the game experience more “rewarding,” and that he started the company last year in his garage. He paid for it from earnings made from selling online game items he won.

Hmm, I think he has a great future ahead of him!
Link.

Posted in: News, Other News.

Carnegie Mellon To Compete In Google Lunar X-Prize

Posted by Erin, the RobotGrrl on Friday, September 21st, 2007

Google’s Lunar X-Prize already has a prominent entry. William Whittaker, a researcher from Carnegie Mellon University said that he will be assembling a team to develope a robot that will be be competing for the $20 million grand prize. According to a TG Daily story, Whittaker has some unfair advantages, as he previously developed a lunar rover for NASA that ‘can find concentrations of hydrogen, possibly water and other volatile chemicals on the moon that could be mined to produce fuel, water and air that are essential for supporting lunar outposts.’ The Lunar X-Prize runs until the end of 2012 and Carnegie Mellon’s announcement could be a first indication that researchers are taking this challenge very seriously.

This is shaping up to be quite a rough competition!

Link.

Posted in: News, Robot News.

Adept to Display World’s Fastest Robot at Major International Industry Events

Posted by Erin, the RobotGrrl on Friday, September 21st, 2007

The Adept Quattro is a new type of kinematic robot with a unique four arm design that was designed exclusively for high-speed pick-and-place applications. The robot is the newest mechanism to join Adept’s proven packaging product portfolio.

Sounds cool to me!
Link.

Posted in: News, Robot News.

Blaser Tag

Posted by Erin, the RobotGrrl on Friday, September 21st, 2007

Check out this cool new accessory for Kondo robots!

It is being released, in Japan, in October.
Link.

Posted in: News, Robot News.

Head-mounted device is the cat’s whiskers

Posted by Erin, the RobotGrrl on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007

A series of infrared sensors positioned around the device act as invisible whisker or antenna sensors. When these detect an object, a small motor vibrates on the appropriate side of the wearer’s head to alert them.

Sounds interesting! But will anyone wear it?

Link.

Posted in: News, Tech News.

Little Dog Bot

Posted by Erin, the RobotGrrl on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007

Oooh, this lil guy is pretty awesome. It reminds me of the tortoise and the hare, slowly but surely!

Link.

Posted in: News, Robot News.

Gripperz

Posted by Erin, the RobotGrrl on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007

Looks like this robot could crush anything it touchs, right? Well, not this time. Intel’s Robot hand/arm/thingy here uses sensors. For example, it could test for conductive properties… thus making you stay safe! Not exactly rocket science, but cool nonetheless!

Link. Link.

Posted in: News, Robot News.

Robo Midi

Posted by Erin, the RobotGrrl on Monday, September 17th, 2007

Heheheh, turns out this robot must have just finished some tea and then began playing the midi keyboard!

Link.

Posted in: News, Robot News.

Let’s Play Catch!

Posted by Erin, the RobotGrrl on Sunday, September 16th, 2007

Could this be, possibly, one of the funniest shots from Robo-One?

Link.

Posted in: News, Robot News.