Robots

Howe and Howe Technologies of Waterboro, Maine, has unveiled the firefighter of tomorrow called the Thermite RS1-T2. Based on technology developed for the U.S. Army, this squat little modular robot on tank treads is a small, powerful fire fighting machine that provides crews with a means for remote reconnaissance and fighting fires in hazardous areas safely.  Read More

Tosy is a Vietnamese robotics manufacturer in the fascinating position of manufacturing industrial robots as well as robotic toys. It seems determined to meld these two worlds with mROBO, an inexpensive robot that transforms from its speaker form to an 18-inch (46 cm) tall dancing fool of a robot.  Read More

Well, we shouldn’t be surprised. Scientists have created swimming robotic versions of the cow-nosed ray, the jellyfish, the sunfish, the tuna, and just the generic “fish,” so why not the sea turtle? That’s what a group of scientists from the ETH Zurich research group are in the process of doing, and they’ve named it naro - tartaruga (the original naro was another robotic tuna). As it turns out, a couple of the sea turtle’s natural features make for a pretty good robot.  Read More

Honey bees are fascinating creatures. They live harmoniously in large communities, divided into different castes, with some of the worker bees heading out on daily expeditions to gather nectar and pollen from flowers. Already, a study has suggested that the efficient method in which bees visit those flowers could inspire the improvement of human endeavors such as the building of faster computer networks. Now, scientists from the Universities of Sheffield and Sussex hope to build a computer model of the honey bee’s brain, with the ultimate hope of using it to control tiny autonomous flying robots.  Read More

A five foot long (1.5 meter) robo-fish prototype that monitors oxygen levels and salinity is currently being tested in waters north of Spain as part of the EU-funded Shoal Consortium project. If the project proves successful, teams of autonomous robot fish could be patrolling ports, harbors, and estuaries for telltale signs of pollutants in the next few years.  Read More

Telepresence robots are already making their way into space and operating rooms and onto the battlefield, but Jeremy Robbins, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, wants to get telepresence robots (or telebots) on the mean streets to combat crime. He’s enlisted the help of researchers at Florida International University (FIU) to develop telerobotics systems that would let disabled law enforcement officers get back onto the beat using robots originally conceived for military applications.  Read More

Swiss researchers have published a new video showcasing the impressive aerial cooperation capabilities of robotic quadrocopters. In the demonstration, a trio of quadrocopters tethered to a net fly in formation to catch balls tossed at them. Once they've caught the ball in the net, they are able to launch it upwards by stretching the net at each end.  Read More

Future Robot has unveiled a new service robot called FURO-K that will function as a friendly kiosk. The company claims that people often prefer to wait in line to speak with a human employee rather than using an intimidating kiosk, so it has been designed to look cute and inviting. Furthermore, instead of sitting in a corner, the robot scoots around greeting customers in a synthesized voice to explain its features.  Read More

If finding the perfect spot to place a potted plant to ensure it gets the maximum amount of sunlight throughout the day is proving difficult, then the Plant Host Drone (PHD) is here to help. Developed by Belgian sculptor Stephen Verstraete, the PHD is a wheeled robotic pot plant holder that seeks out the sun to keep the plant soaking up the rays as the sun moves across the sky over the course of the day.  Read More