Telepresence Robots from RoboDynamics

RoboDynamics is a company that researches and develops advanced robots designed to automate "life", just as the machines of the industrial revolution automated "work". We went over to their Santa Monica headquarters to check out one of their telepresence robots, with Leah helping host the episode from outside the room, thanks to one of Robodynamic's clever little bots.

The Real WALL-E: U-Bot

The new Disney movie WALL-E features robots of the future actively helping humans. But the future is now. This ScienCentral News video reports on a real robot that could help us take care of elderly relatives from miles away.


When Money attacks... robots!

Microsoft Research is rocking (again)

This video shows some great projects run by Microsoft. You can see WorldWide Telescope, Windows Search vNext and some other amazing projects.



When money attacks... technology.

Microsoft's future vision on manufacturing

Seamless transfer of data, touch interfaces and mobile computers - that's a future of manufacturing according to Microsoft.



When money attacks... manufacturing.

Boston Dynamics Big Dog (new video March 2008)

"Boston Dynamics just released a new video of the Big Dog on ice and snow, and also demoing its walking gait."

"It looks EXACTLY like a Metal Gear(except with 4 legs), realistic legs and all.
The worst is when its slipping on ice. It's so creepy! I'm sure you're used to kicking a robot and watching it fall over, legs flailing. This thing's movements are TOO realistic. Did you see how it reacted on the ice? It was like bambi. Robots should not look like bambi. This is the stuff that starts The Terminator/I Robot/Matrix scenarios."

Enjoy!

Marker Tracking - Motorized Object Interaction

This is motorized object interaction with Surface computing.

TMX Elmo - Fully Automated Elmo Toy (and Cookie Monster)

This Elmo laughs so hard that he falls down, and then he gets back up.




When Money Attacks... Sesame Street.





Here it is with a French Elmo and with the Cookie Monster:




And here a Shizzu dog faces off against the Elmo:

Lego Mindstorms Gumball Sorter

When money attacks... gumballs!

One person said:

"This is great, a set of modular thigns you put together, using light wave recognition and a recorded set of areas to drop the balls in. Now to add to this, wouldn't it be cool to tell the system to stop and alarm if there are too many balls for one column? A register to know the limit of your palette board. 10, or whatever. Awesome stuff, I really loved watching this."

Cockroach Controlled Mobile Robot

"By Garnet Hertz (2005) "Cockroach Controlled Mobile Robot" is an experimental mechanism that uses a living Madagascan hissing cockroach atop a modified trackball to control a three-wheeled robot. If the cockroach moves left, the robot moves left. Infrared sensors also provide navigation feedback to the cockroach, striving to create a pseudo-intelligent system with the cockroach as the CPU."

When money attacks... cockroaches!!!