Automomous robot band covers 'Come Together' by The Beatles

Here's a fun video of a group of robots performing The Beatles classic song Come Together. They really bring their own sound to the tune.

An explanation from the YouTube description:

Four of Drexel's HUBO robots perform the Beatles' "Come Together" in a demonstration that combines cutting-edge engineering technology and research with creative expression, produced by the Music & Entertainment Technology Laboratory (MET-lab). The HUBOs are operating autonomously (not human-controlled). Their movements are directed by student-developed software to perform the gestures necessary to produce the appropriate notes and beats as dictated by a musical score. Every sound in the video was performed by the robots.

Here's where you can learn more about the robotics at Drexel Univerisity.

[ Thanks Bob! ]

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Elenco Scarab Robot - kit for soldering practice

I have an affinity for small robots based on insects. This Scarab robot kit by Elenco features two touch sensors which detect obstacles in its path. Once it detects an obstacle, the beetle will execute a two-step maneuver to bypass it. The robot is capable of moving left, right, and in reverse. This kit is rated at an intermediate skill level, so if you want to hone your soldering skills this is a fun and affordable way to do it.

Here's a link to Elenco Scarab Robot Kit (soldering required).

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Wall-hugging magnetic cars - store-bought & DIY

I was recently exposed to this nifty little advancement in the world of wind-up toys -- the Fridge Rover Zero Gravity Magnetic Wind-up Toy. This little wind-up car is like most others except that it has two small magnets mounted on either side of it, just above its base. These magnets allow the car to perform a minor miracle: it can drive on vertical metal surfaces such as your refrigerator door. I also put the Fridge Rover on my stove door and opened it such that the car was upside down. It still worked!

Here's where you can order your own Fridge Rover Zero Gravity Magnetic Wind-up Toy.

If you like the idea and are feeling much more ambitious, here is an instructable on how to make an autonomous magnetic robots that traverse vertical surfaces:

[ Thanks Julia! ]

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Roboni-i programmable gaming robot system

Roboni-i is a programmable gaming robot system that comes with a base station, energy port, special effects hub, and three universal gaming pads. You can play one of seven included games or modify parts using a Windows PC (XP or Vista) and the included software. This looks like a pretty sophisticated toy!

From the robot description:

Depending upon the game you select (or modify using the software) each accessory serves a unique purpose: the base station can act as a depot, timer, or target; the energy port ejects a ball (which is corralled by the robot's built-in scoop) and recharges the robot; and the special effects hub provides robots with advanced maneuvers and abilities. The robot has infrared sensors and radio frequency identification chips that allow the robot to react to the game's accessories and other competing robots, helping it to avoid obstacles, navigate autonomously, and participate in any of the six included games. The games involve the robot picking up different colors by driving over encoded pads and delivering them to the hub before time expires, collecting a ball while avoiding "bullets," dropping electronic "land mines" to obstruct competing robots, and more.

Here's where you can get the The Roboni-i programmable gaming robot.

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Video of LittleDog autonomous quadruped robot

Check out this amazing autonomous four-legged robot, created at the University of Southern California.

From the USC's Computational Learning and Motor Control Lab site:

The goal of the Learning Locomotion Project was to use machine learning techniques to create autonomous control software for a robot quadruped such that it can traverse unknown rugged and complex terrains. As experimental platform, the LittleDog robot was chosen, which is about 30cm long and 20cm high, with three degrees of freedom per leg. The specifications for the project required that the robot should achieve a speed of at least 7.2 cm/s and climb over obstacles up to 10.7cm (for humans, this would correspond to obstacles of 50% body height which are traversed at slow walking speed).

Here is an full article on the robot entitled Teaching a RoboDog New Tricks.

[ Thanks Christoph!]

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Build your own obstacle-avoiding beetle robot

Why not build a capable little beetle robot that can scurry about and avoid obstacles? The really cool thing about it is that the behavior is all hard-wired and/or mechanical -- no computer or programming required. The parts are easy to find too!

Here's a link to the Instructable on How to Build The BeetleBot.

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Husqvarna's semi-automomous stealth Automower

In case you missed this over on the BoingBoing Gadgets blog the other day, you've got to check out the latest totally stealth-looking autonomous robotic lawn mower from Husqvarna. I wonder if it can be detected by radar.

From the product description

The Automower 260 ACX is designed for semi-professional use in business or public environments as well as for demanding consumers. Like all Husqvarna's robotic mowers, it charges and operates itself without need for supervision. Should anything disturb the operation, 260 ACX sends a text message to your mobile phone. Thanks to 6000 sq. meter (1.4 acre) capacity, low noise level and no requirement of labour, Automower 260 ACX is perfectly suited for use in quiet environments such as hospitals, hotels and leisure facilities, and office locations. Day or night, rain or shine, it simply gets on with the mowing, leaving you free to get on with managing your business.

Here is a link for more info on the Husqvarna Automower.

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Semi-automomous household robots store

It is now the year 2009. We may not have flying cars or ray-guns, but -- at long last -- we have personal robots that can actually do some useful things. They can vacuum your carpet, scrub your floor, clean you gutters, empty the cat litter, and monitor your home.

Take a look at a bunch of the household robots that are currently available. The future has finally arrived!

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Rovio: personal tele-presence robot by WowWee

Robotic toy-makers WowWee venture into the fully-adult world of robotics with their relatively new tele-presence robot dubbed, Rovio.

Marketed as a home sentry, they may have overstated its capabilities a bit. While it may not be stopping any intruders, it is an intriguing robot nevertheless.

You'll need a full-fledged computer with a broadband internet connection and wireless at the location where Rovio is to be used. The robot can then be controlled by any remote internet-enabled device.

The Rovio sends back both audio and tv-resolution video streamed in MPEG4 format. It has a two-way speaker/microphone setup that allows you to "talk" with entities on the robot-end of the arrangement. It can also take snap-shots and find its own way back to its recharging base. Not bad for $300.

Now...what to do with it? The stand-in for business meeting, "Say goodnight to daddy", and pet-soother all seem a bit of a stretch to me. I think it's best to assume, that you can use the Rovio to take a look around your place (one flat level of it anyway) when you are not there. While a more modest goal, that could truly be useful.

Here's a page with a full description and video of the Rovio robot.

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WowWee's FemiSapien Humanoid Robot

Femisapien is WowWee's latetst humanoid robot. Femisapien has 3 functional modes that may be engaged by tilting the robot's head in one of three a specific positions:

Attentive Mode: Femisapien interacts directly with the user.

Learning Mode: allows you to program Femisapien to do a sequence of movements up to 80 steps long.

Responsive Mode: The robot's main autonomous walking mode. Femisapien can interact with sounds, detect objects, and stop when something is in her path.

Learn more about all of the capacities of the FemiSapien Humanoid Robot by WowWee Toys.

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