robotics

Have you ever heard of the Homebrew Computer Club? I'm sure you've heard of the products designed by its members: the Apple I and Apple II, the Osborne I, maybe even the earlier Sol-20 (one of the prettiest little personal computers ever; I have a beautiful example myself).

Wikipedia reports that the Homebrew Computer Club stopped meeting in "roughly 1977"-- about 30 years ago. But a small part of it survives. Some of the people in the Homebrew Computer Club spun off the Homebrew Robotics Club, and that club still meets regularly.

I try to … Read more

There's nothing we hate more on the face of the planet than cockroaches--the mere thought of them can send us into a skin-crawling fit. So we think that the geniuses at Bandai Japan who invented the "Hex Bug" should be shot or, better yet, ordered to serve a life sentence in a gigantic Roach Motel.

Just reading Technabob's description of the $16 bug-bots makes us twitch: "The Hex Bug series of miniature insect robots scurry along on six legs, just like real bugs," and will "change direction when you clap in their vicinity.&… Read more

Taser International, the people who make the stun guns, and iRobot have kicked off a collaboration to develop machines for the military and police agencies that ideally will incapacitate, but not kill, suspects.

Thus, instead of sending a rookie cop into a strip club to break up a fight between a bouncer and a coked-up drummer from a heavy-metal band, the robot can do it for him.

And think of the improvements in crowd control you could achieve at those messy Greenpeace rallies.

The two companies have already integrated a Taser X26 stun gun--also known as "an electronic control … Read more

Maybe it's an extension of our latently adolescent excitement over the pending Speed Racer movie, but we've been thinking a lot about TV shows from the '60s of late, especially of the sci-fi variety. So it was only a matter of time before we got around to full-length features from the era as well.

As others have noted, obvious comparisons can be made between the microscopic submarine in the 1966 movie Fantastic Voyage and a minuscule robot that's being developed by Israeli scientists. In both cases, the vehicle is designed to travel through the human bloodstream for … Read more

Something tells me it's all happening at the zoo, but not the one Simon and Garfunkel sang about.

The Robotarium X, an art installation made by Leonel Moura, opened on Tuesday at the Jardim Central in Alverca, Portugal.

The artist, who has been working with autonomous robots since 2003, has constructed "the first zoo for artificial life" filled with 45 different robots in corrals and a cages.

Most of the simple robots run off of solar power with some from electrical outlets in the floor of their cages.

The hairy black Araneax is a robot modeled after … Read more

Robots with names like Eyeball, Dragon Runner, ToughBot, Marv, Matilda and Talon fearlessly rolled and hovered over wreckage and rubble last week in Disaster City, a 52-acre training center for first responders and emergency workers.

Last week's robotics exercise, the fourth in two years sponsored by the Science and Technology Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Commerce Department, has a complex task: finding ways of evaluating performance of robots so that they can be fairly compared, according to The New York Times.

It's been months since our last update on the march toward a human-free society throughout parts of Asia, and we profusely apologize for this dereliction. We fear that, in our neglect, the robots have made significant advances.

Case in point: A South Korean bot known as "Tiro" has struck a blow that's psychological as well as symbolic, presiding as master of ceremonies at a wedding--of humans, no less. As if this weren't bad enough (and it is), the mechanical MC was joined by other bots that escorted guests and even gave provided life entertainment, … Read more

While Asahi's beer-pouring Robocco BeerBot debuted last year, it has been a difficult item to track down--especially in the States. Online retailer CScout has come to the rescue and is now selling "slightly used" Robocco BeerBots for $799 (plus $94 shipping). While it's a bargain compared to the $1,500 Beer-Launching Fridge, $900 is still a healthy chunk of change for an adorable can opener. To be fair, you'll also receive two custom glass mugs and a plastic floor protector (those Colt 45 tallboys might get messy).

I feel compelled to mention that this is … Read more

Ever since we were reminded of Uncle Fester's lightbulb last week, we've been reminiscing about old TV shows. And then, by the miracle of coincidence, today we see the ultimate example of Hollywood's version of technology from the '60s: "Robot" from Lost in Space. (That would be the original TV series, not that pathetic movie with Matt LeBlanc.)

Thanks to Technabob, we learned that "Robot B9"--we never knew his full name--has been resurrected in the form of a full-size replica for sale to the public at a mere $24,500. But before … Read more