Panasonic wants to prove that its AA alkaline Evolta batteries are the best in the world--even though it already has a certificate from Guinness World Records.
The electronics giant plans to send its 12-inch Evolta robot car in France, where it will race around part of the Le Mans endurance circuit for as long as possible.
Evolta batteries have a 10-year shelf life. Panasonic boasts they're the longest-lasting batteries of their kind in the world.
Built of carbon fiber over an aluminum frame, the Evolta robot car (more like a tricycle) travels at a blinding top speed of 0.8 mph. It has two small forward motors powered by a pair of batteries in its robot driver's back, and autonomously follows a lead car emitting an infrared guide signal.
The robot, called "Mr. Evolta" in English, was designed by entrepreneur Tomotaka Takahashi, known for his designs for humanoid kit robots inspired by Japanese animation and science fiction.
Mr. Evolta is no stranger to challenges. Last year, he managed to climb out of the Grand Canyon--it took over six hours but he successfully scaled 1,700 feet after two aborted attempts. Check out the video below.
The Evolta campaign is another illustration of how Japanese manufacturers are willing to use robots as pitchmen in Japan, catering to an innate Japanese love of machines. Honda Motor's Asimo robot is probably a more effective "spokesperson" than any of its human colleagues.
How would people respond if GM replaced Fritz Henderson with a robot CEO?
A video of the robot mind control system shows a user being shown a card with a picture of a hand on it. After pondering his hand, the command from the user's brain is then transferred to Asimo, which acknowledges the request by raising its robotic limb. Thankfully, users are not required to wear Crocs.
(Credit: Honda)We're not just moving toward the day when robots can do everything for us. We're apparently moving toward the day when we can just think about what we want done, and get it (almost) presto.
Japan's Honda Research Institute and precision-equipment manufacturer Shimadzu on Tuesday demonstrated a rather mind-boggling technology that lets humans control a bot through thought alone--thus taking the pesky button pressing, voice commands, and remote controls out of the equation.
The system uses a black helmet fitted with sensors to measure brain activity corresponding to thought.
(Credit: Honda)But don't start trying to telepath your Scooba into writing your doctoral thesis just yet. For now, researchers are focusing on getting the latest version of Honda's Asimo humanoid bot to perform simple actions like raising an arm or leg.
The system involves a helmet full of electroencephalography and near-infrared spectroscopy sensors that monitor electrical brainwaves and cerebral blood flow, signals that alter slightly during the human thought process. The robot controller thinks of one of a limited number of specific gestures it wants from Asimo, which has been fitted with a Brain Machine Interface.
The data is then analyzed on a real-time basis to distinguish what the user imagined and transmitted wirelessly to the bot, which makes corresponding movements.
Researchers in Tokyo showed a demonstration video of the system in which a user is shown a card with a picture of a right hand on it. After the user thinks about his right hand, the command from the user's brain is then transferred to Asimo, which acknowledges the request and raises its own right robotic limb.
Unfortunately, the scientists did not demo the technology live due to what they said were space constraints and concerns about possible distractions to the person's concentration--presumably in the form of blinding flashbulbs and the stunned faces of onlookers.
Honda nonetheless says tests of the system have produced results with 90 percent accuracy.
Honda's new support system can do stairs.
(Credit: Honda)See all the cool things we'll have to look forward to when we're older?
Honda unveiled another experimental walking-assistant device on Friday that lets people's legs still do the walking while taking take some of the weight off leg muscles and joints. The device looks like a follow-up to another walking aid from Honda shown off earlier this year.
With the latest one, a person steps into the device shoes and leans back into the high seat. Honda does the rest by supporting a large portion of the person's body weight during walking, stair-climbing, or even squatting.
The seat level can be adjusted for different heights. People wear their own shoes and place them into the device shoes. The device is controlled through an individual's body movement with the assisting force from two motors being automatically directed toward the person's center of gravity to maintain balance, according to Honda.
The technology applied to the device grew out of studies Honda research groups did to develop walking techniques for Asimo, its humanoid robot.
Honda announced it will begin testing the device this month at its assembly plant in Sayama, Saitama, Japan.
After being named world champion of Crave's nonviolent robot tournament, most robots would probably have been content to rest on their laurels, put on a little weight, and settle into a sad, drug-addled existence only to wake up 10 years later and realize that they're out of money, and their fans have moved on. But Honda Motor's Asimo is not like most robots.
(Credit:
Honda)
After handily taking that title, Asimo has a new role now. He'll be conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on May 13, leading the orchestra on just one song, "Impossible Dream" from Lost in La Mancha.
Famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma will also be performing that night, though not on that particular number. Both celebrity appearances are part of a program that will benefit music programs at Detroit schools. Honda has given more than $1 million to the symphony orchestra to create The Power of Dreams Music Education Fund, which will help fund master classes, an introductory class, and private lessons for Detroit students. (More details on the program are here.)
You may remember that a few months ago, Toyota unveiled a robot that can play the violin. Let's just hope that the two companies don't team up, or those music-loving robots are bound to figure out that they can get rid of us pesky humans altogether.
(Credit:
Fareastgizmos)
It's nice to see Japanese scientists developing technology that can actually help the elderly help themselves for a change, rather than creating more robots that ostensibly are designed to minister to their needs but may well have ulterior motives. To wit: Honda is developing a lightweight walking assistance device that can be worn around the hip and thighs to help ease a person's gait.
The mechanism works with brushless motors that get their cues from hip angle sensors and commands from the control CPU, according to press release. Being that this is Japan, however--the land that's headed for a human-free society--a robot's influence was still key to this invention. Fareastgizmos says that the R&D that went into Asimo, Honda's celebrity "advanced humoid robot," was used in developing this automated walker.
On Thursday afternoon I was back at the Computer History Museum. The Honda Research Institute was hosting its tenth Technical Horizon Symposium and announcing this year's Honda Initiation Grant awards.
Honda's Asimo robot
(Credit: Peter Glaskowsky)The grants are part of the Institute's efforts to stimulate collaborate research between Honda and the academic community. Since 1997, Honda says it has awarded 75 grants totalling "several million dollars" to universities in the US. This year, Honda received 300 proposals; it chose seven. This year's awards (listed here along with those of past years) cover research in safety, efficiency, emissions control, and user interfaces.
Also on hand for the event, which attracted an audience of some 300 people, was Asimo, Honda's famous robot. This Asimo is actually the second-generation model, and there were also three generations of prototypes. Over the years, Honda's been able to reduce the size of the necessary motors, power supplies, and control systems; the current Asimo is a cute little thing, just 4'3" (130cm) tall. Although it conveys the impression of solidity and weight, it's actually just 119 pounds (54kg). At this size, Asimo is big enough to interact with humans without posing much of a threat in case it bumps into someone or--as it can do if the power fails suddenly--falls down.
Honda put Asimo through its paces for us-- walking around the stage, balancing on one leg, kicking a soccer ball, traversing a set of stairs, and even running. The latter skill involves a peculiar loping gait; it's almost impossible to tell that Asimo is actually running, but Honda assures us that both feet leave the floor for about 80 milliseconds, during which time the robot moves about 2 inches forward. I was surprised to learn that Asimo is controlled by just four microprocessors, only two of which manage balance and locomotion.
In the audience were several members of the local Homebrew Robotics Club and the founders of Anybots, which I wrote about back in September. Asimo is far beyond the accomplishments of Anybots and other developers of autonomous robots... but then, it should be; Honda has poured untold amounts into its development. I'd guess the total amount must be in excess of $40 million, but Honda isn't saying.
Anyway, it was interesting to get a close look at Asimo. It's an impressive accomplishment, but it has a long way to go before it's ready for commercial sale. I suspect Honda's investment to date is just a drop in the bucket compared to the work that still remains. I can't begin to guess whether Honda will ever recoup its investments, but I'm glad it's doing the work.
Congratulations to Honda's Asimo, world champion of Crave's 2007 nonviolent robot tournament. In the final battle of the tournament, the smooth and sophisticated bipedal robot ousted Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data by a 78-22 percentage score.
Oh, and get your Asimo souvenir pennant here.
The total vote count was even more impressive. Asimo boasted 2,873 votes to Data's 861. Either total would have won any other game in the tournament, a testament to the feverish excitement created by the tourney across the world.
When Asimo isn't serving snacks to pretty ladies, he's serving beat-downs to his competitors.
(Credit: Honda.com)The odds-on favorite to win the competition, Asimo beat out 32 other robots (including the Crow T. Robot vs. Tom Servo play-in game) to take home top honors. Honda's robot was seeded No. 1 in the ultracompetitive Prototype Division.
To relive the entire nonviolent robot tournament in its full glory, visit the links below.
Voting is now closed! See the exciting conclusion of the Nonviolent Robot Tournament right here.
Asimo vs. Data for all the robo-marbles.
The nonviolent robotic cream has risen to the top. Figuratively.
All this week, Honda's Asimo and Star Trek: The Next Generation's Commander Data will be hitting the hardwood and competing for your votes. The robot with the most votes will take its place among the pantheon of greats, immortalized as the champion of all nonviolent robots.
It's been a long, crazy tournament (get the brackets here). For the round-by-round results, visit the links below. Or just click here for the championship scouting reports and to vote on a champion.
- See the Final Four final scores
- See last week's Final Four matchups
- See the Elite Eight final scores
- See the Elite Eight matchups
- See the Sweet Sixteen matchups
- See the first round matchups: Week one | Week two
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ASIMO VS. DATA: SCOUTING REPORTS
======================================
(Credit:
Honda.com)
Competitor: Honda Asimo
Tourney ranking: Top seed, Prototype Division
Tournament history: Defeated Partner Ballroom Dance Robot 91-9 in first round; defeated OmniZero.4 84-16 in second round; defeated Beer-Launching Fridge 54-46 in Elite Eight; defeated Sony QRIO 64-36 in Final Four.
Fun fact: One day, Asimo will take your job!
Strengths: Is awesome; looks like an astronaut.
Weaknesses: Climbing stairs; descending stairs (see game footage below).
====
(Credit:
StarTrek.com)
Competitor: Lieutenant Commander Data
Tourney ranking: Sixth seed, TV Division
Tournament history: Defeated KITT 66-34 in first round; defeated Twiki 81-19 in second round; defeated Bender 60-40 in Elite Eight; defeated Johnny Five 53-47 in Final Four.
Fun fact: Data's hobby is uploading photos of his cat Spot to Halolcats.com!
Strengths: Thrives on pseudo-emotion; memorizes opponent's playbook; Vulcan nerve-pinch.
Weaknesses: Once beat up some Borg and then made out with the Borg Queen (see game footage below).
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V(OTE): THE FINAL BATTLE
======================================
Asimo. Data. One shining moment. Vote now.
(1) Asimo vs. (6) Data: Who is the greatest nonviolent robot of them all?
Asimo
Data
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LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
======================================
(1) Asimo 64
(2) Sony QRIO 36
(6) Data 53
(5) Johnny Five 47
We're down to four robots. How are you doing in your office pool?
Voting is now closed for this round. See the results of these battles here and vote on the championship battle here!
Get it now! Your updated, printer-friendly tournament bracket.
This is why they play the games have online robot polls.
The Final Four is set, and only one No. 1 seed is still in contention. Not only that, but fan darlings The Beer-Launching Fridge, Bender, Marvin the Paranoid Android, and Nintendo R.O.B. have been sent packing due to heart-wrenching losses in the Elite Eight. They are still champions in the hearts of many, but when it comes to this tourney, they are grade-A losers.
Warm up that mouse finger. You have until Sunday, September 30, to vote on these Final Four matchups and send two tourney-tested robots to the final battle.
- See last week's final scores
- See last week's Elite Eight matchups
- See the Sweet Sixteen matchups
- See the first round matchups: Week one | Week two
======================================
SEMIFINALS: PROTOTYPE VS. CONSUMER
======================================
(Credit:
Honda.com)
(Credit:
Mobile-review.com)
(1) Asimo vs. (2) Sony QRIO
Could anyone other than Asimo have defeated the Beer-Launching Fridge? Honda's fluid, bipedal humanoid robot has methodically destroyed its competition throughout this tournament. In its closest matchup yet, Asimo overcame an early-week deficit to defeat the Beer-Launching Fridge 54-46. Now, it has its facial-recognition units set on Sony's QRIO robot. QRIO's a resilient competitor, having edged fan favorite Nintendo R.O.B. 52-48 in last week's Elite Eight battle. Unfortunately for QRIO, it doesn't match up well against Asimo. It employs a smaller, less sophisticated, and less awe-inducing version of Asimo's playbook...but don't underestimate QRIO's lower center of gravity. It's time to vote for a winner in this intense Final Four battle.
(1) Asimo vs. (2) Sony QRIO: Who advances to the finals?
Asimo
Sony QRIO
==================================
SEMIFINALS: MOVIES VS. TV
==================================
(Credit:
Johnny-Five.com)
(Credit:
StarTrek.com)
(5) Johnny Five vs. (6) Data
Wow. Thanks to this battle of Cinderellas, there will be either a 5 seed or a 6 seed in the nonviolent robot battle championship game. Johnny Five is very much alive. The Short Circuit robot continues to shock the world; its latest victim was the ingenious Marvin the Paranoid Android from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Marvin has the entire robot offseason to get over his depressive state after a hard-fought 52-48 loss to Johnny Five in last week's battle. But don't call Star Trek's Data an underdog. The most emotionally driven robot in the tournament, "The Commander" absolutely pummeled the heavily favored Bender from Futurama by a score of 60-40. Can Data keep rolling into the finals, or will his impressive run end at the hands of Johnny Five? Vote now for a winner.
(5) Johnny Five vs. (6) Data: Who advances to the finals?
Johnny Five
Data
Prototype Division Championship
(1) Asimo 54
(4) Beer-Launching Fridge 46
Consumer Division Championship
(2) Sony QRIO 52
(6) Nintendo R.O.B. 48
Movie Division Championship
(5) Johnny Five 52
(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android 48
TV Division Championship
(6) Data 60
(2) Bender 40
Get your printer-friendly bracket and start your own high-stakes office pool. For you, free.
Voting is now closed for this round. See the results of these battles here and vote on the Final Four matchups here.
Get it now! Your updated, printer-friendly tournament bracket.
This is why they call it Late September Lack-of-Sanity. Upsets, upsets, upsets were the theme of last week's nonviolent robot vote-battles, and only two No. 1 seeds are still in the mix.
Which nonviolent robots will win their division finals and go on to the Final Four? Vote for the winners right now; you have until Sept. 23 to vote on these Elite 1000 matchups.
- See last week's final scores
- See last week's Sweet Sixteen matchups
- See the first round matchups: Week one | Week two
============================
PROTOTYPE DIVISION FINALS
============================
(Credit:
Honda.com)
(Credit:
John W. Cornwell)
(1) Asimo vs. (4) Beer-Launching Fridge
In the most intriguing matchup of the Elite 1000, Honda's amazingly smooth astronaut-looking robot takes on a mini-fridge that launches frosty cans of beer. This one really could go either way. Asimo should take the lion's share of robotics enthusiasts' votes, while the Beer-Launching Fridge should capture the hearts and minds of beer aficionados. Like the Rams-Patriots Super Bowl and the Lakers-Pistons NBA Finals, this is a classic finesse vs. blue-collar grit matchup. Will pure heart (and beer) win out over sophisticated technological prowess? You make the call.
(1) Asimo vs. (4) Beer-Launching Fridge: Who wins the Prototype Division championship?
Asimo
Beer-Launching Fridge
==========================
CONSUMER DIVISION FINALS
==========================
(Credit:
Caleb Goessling)
(Credit:
Mobile-review.com)
(6) Nintendo R.O.B. vs. (2) Sony QRIO
If only Nintendo R.O.B's sales had been as strong as its tourney showing thus far. The Cinderella story 6 seed has breezed its way through two "better" opponents, the top-seeded Pleo dinosaur robot and the 3-seed WowWee Alive Chimpanzee. Sony's humanoid QRIO robot had no problem in the first round, crushing 2-XL by a comfortable 50 percentage points. But QRIO's second-round match against Robosapien was the closest of the tourney so far; QRIO squeaked out a 51-49 win. Did last week's close battle get QRIO's competitive juices flowing to the fullest, or is it a sign of vulnerability? After two easy victories, is R.O.B. primed for a letdown? It's game time; cast your vote.
(6) Nintendo R.O.B. vs. (2) Sony QRIO: Who wins the Consumer Division championship?
Nintendo R.O.B.
Sony QRIO
=====================
MOVIE DIVISION FINALS
=====================
(Credit:
Johnny-Five.com)
(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android vs. (5) Johnny Five
Finally, it looks like Marvin has shaken the depression and is playing to his full potential. A 79-21 trouncing of Spaceballs' Dot Matrix in round one was just an appetizer for an impressive 57-43 win over the over-hyped C-3PO in the Sweet Sixteen. That said, Johnny Five-seed shouldn't be overlooked. The Short Circuit robot has nothing to lose, and a 50-percentage-point trouncing of A.I.'s Teddy in the first round and an 85-15 thrashing of D.A.R.Y.L. in the round of 16 shows that he brought his A-game. Johnny Five is alive...but will he still be after this Elite 1000 tete-a-tete with big number 42? Vote now for a winner.
(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android vs. (5) Johnny Five: Who wins the Movie Division championship?
Marvin the Paranoid Android
Johnny Five
===================
TV DIVISION FINALS
===================
(Credit:
StarTrek.com)
(6) Data vs. (2) Bender
From Star Wars geeks to Dr. Who-ligans, this year's tourney saw no shortage of rabid fanbases. The TV Division championship ensures that there will be no love lost between Trekkies and Futurama freaks. The 6-seeded Commander Data is at the top of his game, ripping Twiki a new Dr. Theopolis port 81-19 in the Sweet Sixteen and jacking KITT by a comfortable 32-point margin in the first round. But can he out-muscle Bender? The hard-drinking Futurama bot defeated two robots in the first round and hasn't looked back since. He dogged K-9 by a score of 78-22 in the second round, and if he can get past Data, the dream matchup of Bender vs. Beer-Launching Fridge for all the marbles could become a reality. Who will win the TV Division? Your vote counts.
(6) Data vs. (2) Bender: Who wins the TV Division championships?
Data
Bender
====
PROTOTYPE DIVISION
(1) Asimo 84
(3) OmniZero.4 16
(4) Beer-Launching Fridge 67
(2) Keepon 33
CONSUMER DIVISION
(6) Nintendo R.O.B. 62
(1) Pleo 38
(2) Sony QRIO 51
(4) Robosapien 49
MOVIE DIVISION
(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android 57
(6) C-3PO 43
(5) Johnny Five 85
(2) D.A.R.Y.L. 15
TV DIVISION
(6) Data 81
(1) Twiki 19
(2) Bender 78
(5) K-9 22
