Archive for Februari 2012

Autonomous Robotic Truss Reconfiguration and Manipulation


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Wouldn't it be amazing if robots could replace hard jobs such as constructing a building or tower? Well, this robot makes that dream look like a realty. The video below shows a robot that  is capable of traversing and manipulating a 3D truss structure. This is also all done autonomously, and so that means that no humans would ever have to control these when there at work. Thanks for reading and check out the video above to see what I mean!





Sumo robot battle


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Here is a video that I found on YouTube. It shows sumo battles and I find it pretty interesting to watch. Hope you enjoy!

Universal Gripping Robot can now throw Darts and Shoot Hoops


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If you still remember the universal jamming robot then you know that it can pick up many objects. However, thats only a fraction of what it can do! In this video, the robot uses its coffee ground packed balloon to shoot some hoops and even throw darts. Not only that, but it got a bulls eye every time it threw the darts. If I were to even bet money on who could get the most bulls eyes with ten darts, theres no doubt I would pick this bot. Thanks for reading and check out the video above to see the robot in action!

RoboBrrds are now active in the dark.


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After checking my G+ stream, I found out that the RoboBrrds have gotten an upgrade. They can now light up in the dark! Here's a picture of the whole tribe. Pretty neat, huh?

Official SimpleBotics app


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Today, I am excited to announce that we have an official app. Its still in development, but so far its doing great. The apps is for android and iPhone, its free, and its my site except mobile! Here are the steps. Go to the app store and download "bloapp." Don't worry, it's free. Once downloaded, launch the app and then search, "simplebotics." that's how to get my app! Thanks and please spread the news.

Update on synapse


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It's been a while since I have written a post on this project. A few days ago, I added two photo resistors, and I made the arms. I don't know when I'll be getting my parts, but when I do synapse will alive and roaming my house.

Huge robotic spiders created by Jaimie Mantzel


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In case you didn't know, Jamie came up with original design for the hexbug spider. However, hexbug stole that design, and now Jamie has created his own spider bots! Not to mention there better and bigger. So far he has made them walk in all directions and even shoot ping pong balls. Watch out hexbug spider, there's a new bot on the market!

Interview with Co-Founder of iRobot, Helen Greiner


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A few weeks ago, I sent a message to the co-founder of iRobot, Helen Greiner. I asked if I could interview her by asking robot related questions.
I was amazed when I got a reply back that said, "yes!" I hope you guys enjoy!

Me: "When did you first become interested in robotics?"

Helen Greiner: "1977, when I saw Star Wars. R2D2 did it for me."

Me: "Did you ever think that you would help with the founding of a robotics company."

Helen Greiner: "No, I thought I would be a robotics engineer working in Academia or Corp Research Center. This changed when I saw the impractical systems that were and still are being worked on."

Me: "Were you interesting in technology as a child?"

Helen Greiner: "Yes, my dad brought home a trs80 Radio Shack computer which quickly became mine... as the only one with the interest and patience to program it."

Me: "Who was your major role-model as a child?"

Helen Greiner: "R2D2"

Me: "How do you think robotics will change people's lives in the future?"

Helen Greiner: "Robots will make people more efficient at work, stronger, faster, and more precise. We need to capitalize on the strengths on both robots and people, which are different."


Quadrotor gets zapped by tesla coil


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I know I have been writing a lot about quadrotors lately, but they seem to be sparking up some audience on the web. Anyways, I found this video on YouTube, and it shows a quadrotor (not quite nano but it's still small) and a tesla coil. One guy controls the bot while the other activates the coil. Sounds pretty neat huh? It's pretty obvious what happens to the robot, but it's still interesting to watch. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy that zapping video!



Source: video listed

New quadrotor controlled via Kinect


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What do you get when you merge a Kinect sensor and a quadcopter? The answer is, awesomeness! Unlike it's cousin, CrazyFlie, this robot is controlled via hand and arm movement using the Kinect. The way it works is that the Kinect tracks the human's movements and then converts them to the robot's movement. This robot is even capable of flipping and swirling in mid-air, and it can land with the clap of a hand. Just like playing a game with Kinect, this robot requires light. All together, I think that this kind of control will bump up robotics to the next level. Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment below!


Info source: video listed

The Biggest Swarm of Nano Quadrotors


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If you thought that the PCB quadcopter was interesting, then you'll love this. A team at the University of Pennsylvania has experimented with a swarm of quadrotor robots developed by KMel Robotics. These robots are small, have four propellers, a lightweight PCB, and a size that makes an ant look like King Kong (not really, but they still are pretty small). I was actually amazed when I saw the swarm in action. Each robot was in its correct position, and they all moved together at once. You can clearly tell that creating 3D shapes is no hassle for these bots, and weaving in and out of small areas seams to be no problem too. I guess that nano size really does make a difference. Thanks for reading and check out the video above to see the best robotics video ever!



Source: video listed