Robotics - Robot News

“University of Washington researchers can control the movement of a humanoid robot with signals from a human brain.

Rajesh Rao, associate professor of computer science and engineering, and his students have demonstrated that an individual can “order” a robot to move to specific locations and pick up specific objects merely by generating the proper brain waves that reflect the individual’s instructions. The results were presented last week at the Current Trends in Brain-Computer Interfacing meeting in Whistler, B.C.

The controlling individual — in this case a graduate student in Rao’s lab — wears a cap dotted with 32 electrodes. The electrodes pick up brain signals from the scalp based on a technique called electroencephalography. The person watches the robot’s movements on a computer screen via two cameras, one mounted on the robot and another above it.”

Read more at Direct Brain Control of Humanoid Robot

“The negative population growth rate in Japan is a source of great concern, but is ironically proving to be a key driver of growth in the country’s robotics industry. This is because a declining workforce composed of young people that are often disinclined to perform repetitive and dull jobs, has created a gap in the labor force that robots have strong potential to fill.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.industrialautomation.frost.com ), Japanese Robotics Market, finds that this market earned revenues of $4.60 billion in 2005 and is likely to reach $19 billion in 2012.”

Read more at Declining Population to Propel Japanese Robotics Market

“Vietnam would defend its regional students robot making title at home next year, Vietnam Television (VTV) announced Friday.

VTV will organize Robocon Vietnam 2007 from April to June from which the two best teams will be selected for the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union’s Robot Competition (ABU Robocon 2007), slated for August 24-29.”

Read more at Vietnam to host Asia Pacific students robot contest

‘Microsoft on Wednesday plans to take the wraps off its first commercial operating system for robots, with hopes of paving the way for a broader robotics industry and taking a central role in its development.

The technology, called Microsoft Robotics Studio, is a Windows-based software platform designed to make it relatively simple to program robots–real or simulated. Compatible with several different pieces of hardware, like iRobot’s Roomba or LEGO Mindstorms NXT “tribot,” the software lets enterprising gadget hounds command a device to communicate, send alerts or perform scheduled tasks.’

Read more at Microsoft unveils public robotics software

‘Staring with glowing red eyes at a young woman strolling by, bartender Chapok slowly extends his arm to offer her a gin and orange.

She takes the glass, murmurs a flustered “thank you” and walks away while the cocktail-mixing robot turns his attention back to a row of bottles.

“People are interacting, they are actually talking to my robot,” smiles David Calkins, who teaches robotics at San Francisco State University.

“This is fantastic, exactly what I was hoping for.”‘

Read more at Robots mix cocktails in Vienna

‘Robomoji is the latest robot bartender that is making waves in the net by making drinks. In January, we saw the Asahi robot bartender, which pours Japan’s favourite drink. Then in July, we covered the RoboBar a polished Robot Bar available for purchase. Now, there’s Robomoji.’

Read more at Robotic Bartenders - Robomoji, Asahi and RoboBar

‘Staring with glowing red eyes at a young woman strolling by, bartender Chapok slowly extends his arm to offer her a gin and orange.

She takes the glass, murmurs a flustered “thank you” and walks away while the cocktail-mixing robot turns his attention back to a row of bottles.

“People are interacting, they are actually talking to my robot,” smiles David Calkins, who teaches robotics at San Francisco State University. ‘

Read more at Cocktail robots mix mojitos in Vienna

‘Canadian hospitals are planning to spend millions of dollars on robotic equipment to remove prostates less invasively, but the benefits of the expensive technology have yet to be proven.

Every year in Canada, almost 20,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and about 8,000 are advised to have the prostate removed.’

Read more at Hospitals eye prostate surgery robot that some call ‘a toy’

“This past Summer, the U.S. Army conducted experiments with robotic Stryker armored vehicles. Several Strykers were equipped with robotic drivers, and additional sensors that enabled a computer to participate in tactical decision making.

The main objective of the experiment was to see how troops would react to this type of automation. There were two surprises. First, the troops were not overloaded by all the sensor input and computer acticvity.”

Read more at Troops Test Robotic Stryker

“NASA rolled out Monday a strategy and rationale for robotic and human exploration of the moon — determining that a lunar outpost is the best approach to achieve a sustained, human presence on the moon, U.S. medias reported on Monday.

The lunar base will be the central theme in NASA’s going back to the moon effort, in preparation to go to Mars and beyond. The base would be built in incremental steps, starting with four-person crews making several seven-day visits. The first mission would begin by 2020, with the base growing over time, beefed up with more power, mobility rovers and living quarters.”

Read more at NASA unveils strategy for return to moon

“Next year an inexpensive but technologically advanced autonomous underwater robot is expected to hit the market to boost scientists’ efforts to monitor an area that covers two-thirds of the planet’s surface. The Starbug will keep tabs on water quality, map fish habitat and survey threatened coral reefs. Starbug’s designer, scientist Matthew Dunbabin, told Green Wombat that the little yellow robot also could be deployed to monitor fish populations and detect over-fishing as well as for use in underwater gas and oil exploration and to patrol harbors. DevelopeStarbug2d by Dunbabin’s team at the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the 4-foot-long (1.2 meter) Starbug (CSIRO photo above) is highly manueverable thanks to innovative thruster technology that lets it explore coral reefs and other areas off limits to traditional - read big and heavy - submersibles. ”

Read more at New breed of robot to monitor oceans, coral reefs

“The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan said it has shortlisted 10 robots, including a robot to provide feeding assistance to disabled people, for the inaugural Robot Award to be given Dec. 21.

Security service provider Secom Co.’s “My Spoon” was among 10 robots selected from 152 entries submitted to the ministry for the award to commend promising robots expected to lead the market in the future, so as to encourage research and development and increase demand for the machines, it said.

Among the other robots shortlisted was an automated squid-fishing robot developed by Towa Denki Seisakusho Co. based in Hokkaido Prefecture, it added.”

Read more at Robot to provide feeding assistance

“Automotive supplier Decoma GmbH of Sulzbach, Germany was preparing to install two new production lines for handling its Chrysler PT Cruiser and Audi A4 convertible vehicles. Previously the company employed linear units for production of other bumpers which utilized much valued floor space.

“We needed a more flexible handling solution that would provide higher repeatability, shorter cycle times and continuous operation as we were running three shifts, six days a week,” said Dietmar Hurth, Industrial Engineer for Decoma GmbH. “We needed a solution that would cover handling the car bumpers and sill covers after the injection molding process was complete as well as removing the film gates from the sill covers.”"

Read more at Enhancing Automotive Manufacturing with Robots

“The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Friday it has shortlisted 10 robots, including a robot to provide feeding assistance to disabled people, for the inaugural Robot Award to be given Dec 21.

Security service provider Secom Co’s “My Spoon” was among 10 robots selected from 152 entries submitted to the ministry for the award to commend promising robots expected to lead the market in the future, so as to encourage research and development and increase demand for the machines, it said. Among the other robots shortlisted was an automated squid-fishing robot developed by Towa Denki Seisakusho Co based in Hokkaido Prefecture, it added.”

Read more at Japan- 10 robots shortlisted for inaugural award

“The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Friday it has shortlisted 10 robots, including a robot to provide feeding assistance to disabled people, for the inaugural Robot Award to be given Dec. 21.

Security service provider Secom Co.’s ”My Spoon” was among 10 robots selected from 152 entries submitted to the ministry for the award to commend promising robots expected to lead the market in the future, so as to encourage research and development and increase demand for the machines, it said.”

Read more at Robot to provide feeding assistance shortlisted for Robot Award