Researchers Create Three-‘Legged’ Snake Robot
March 15, 2009
Most snake robots, being biologically inspired, tend to look like real snakes: long, thin, and with a somewhat slithery motion. But a new snake robot design, called the trident snake robot, isn’t biologically inspired. Instead, it has a central “body” with three “branch legs,” each of which has a wheel.
Driverless Vehicle Could Bear Bomb Attacks Aimed at Soldiers
March 8, 2009
In Iraq and Afghanistan, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and roadside bombs have killed more than 2,000 soldiers so far. Because of these surprise bombs, the most dangerous vehicle in a traveling convoy is the front vehicle.
Japanese School ‘Hires’ World’s First Robot Teacher
March 8, 2009
A robot teacher will soon be teaching students at a primary school in Tokyo. The robot, named Saya, was designed by Hiroshi Kobayashi, a professor at the University of Tokyo.
Roboworld asks public to vote for name of robot greeter
March 2, 2009
The Carnegie Science Center has announced a poll for the new name of its newest staff member, a humanoid robot that will greet visitors to roboworld. When it opens on June 13, roboworld will be the world’s largest permanent robotics exhibition, located on the Science Center’s second floor.
Robots to Tend Wind Farms
February 22, 2008
A future generation of green-minded robots may take care of the dangerous and tedious tasks associated with inspecting and maintaining the growing number of wind turbines around the world.
Self-Fueling Robot Eats Plants for Power
February 17, 2008
A new robot is being developed that will find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in its environment, such as plants. The robot, called Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR), will have applications in tasks where conventional fueling would be difficult, such as border patrol and searching for nuclear facilities.
Robots to perform "Phantom of the Opera"
December 15, 2008
An all-robot cast is preparing to perform the classic musical "The Phantom of the Opera" in Taiwan on December 27. According to the China Post, the event could mark the world's first robot theater.
Chinese Farmer an Unlikely Robot Inventor
December 8, 2008
If you've ever wondered if some people were born to be engineers, look no further than Wu Yulu, a 46-year-old repairman who lives in a small village outside of Beijing. Ever since he was 11 years old, Wu has been building robots out of scrap, simply to see how they work.
Roofus the robot plows roof snow
November 19, 2008
Michal Glogowski's snow-shoveling robot is currently just a concept, but Roofus seems like it could definitely make human lives a bit easier.
Roofus is a robotic snowplow that can shovel and dump snow either autonomously or via remote control. The 220-pound robot is specially designed to clear off flat roofs, especially on those large commercial buildings that otherwise require a lot of man-hours.
Musical robots coordinate to sing novel tunes
November 3, 2008
At first, the two robots had two completely different musical styles. But after a few weeks of "jamming," the robots began to synchronize their music and sing more or less in harmony.
Robots could replace service dogs for disabled people
October 29, 2008
Researchers from Georgia Tech are designing a robot to take the place of service dogs that help disabled people with everyday activities. Like a service dog, the robot can fetch objects and open drawers on command.
Snake-arm robot built of vertebrae, not elbows
August 19, 2008
The US Department of Defense was looking for a robot that could inspect small, cluttered spaces. But the problem with most conventional industrial robots was that their "elbows" got in the way, allowing them to bend only at certain places. Or, at the other end of the spectrum, endoscopes were flexible enough but too floppy to be precisely positioned.
US Air Force Converts First Wing of Combat Planes to UAVs
August 14, 2008
Pilots of the US 174th Fighter Wing have begun a new job this week. Instead of flying their F-16 combat planes over Iraq and Afghanistan, they'll be flying robotic MQ-9 Reaper drones remotely, mostly from stations in the US.