robots

Humanoid robot gets a grip, literally

If we toured a factory and saw these guys working the assembly line, we'd probably run in the other direction.

Japanese researchers are working on a multi-jointed humanoid robot with a "robust and dexterous human-sized robotic hand," a significant advancement beyond its clumsier and weaker predecessors, according to Pink Tentacle.

While other robots developed for fun boast features such as 17 adjustable joints, the hand alone of the prototype pictured here has four joints in each finger and a thumb with five. This allows flexibility that can perform far more delicate operations than previous robots could possibly … Read more

A backflipping fighting machine

Remember when the Robosapien was everywhere you turned, in any mall or shopping catalog? If only we had the KONDO KHR-2HV back then, we could have driven him into the ground like a thumbtack. OhGizmo says this roid-bot can do backflips and cartwheels with its 17 adjustable joints and "has a bigger chest for a muscular look which is sure to strike fear into the stickers used to represent their opponents eyes." Not to mention the neighbor's annoying yap dog. It's almost worth the $1,200 price for the kit.

(Photos: OhGizmo)

Robot smackdown on hardwood floors

Be warned, a robot war is brewing. The battlefront: Your kitchen floor.

iRobot--maker of the unlikely consumer hit the Roomba--has gone virtually unchallenged as it cleaned up (sorry) the market in automated carpet vacuums. Competitors are starting to come forth, however, such as one from Evolution Robotics. Now, the Roomba may meet yet another formidable opponent on hard surfaces, this one from Europe.

Last year, iRobot came out with the Scooba, a wet-cleaning device, for $400. That has since been cut to $300, but it's still way more than the price of rival RoboMop--a Norwegian-made bot for … Read more

Yes, another post on robots

It's kind of like "I, Robot" meets "The Amazing Race," with a dash of "Deal or No Deal."

That's our take, at least, on DARPA's 2007 Urban Challenge, an autonomous robot race through city traffic with a $2 million prize. In naming the final 89 contestants, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency says all but three of the 23 teams that raced in 2005's Grand Challenge--across the Mojave desert--will compete next year. Notable returns are the 2005 winner, Stanford Racing Team, 2005 finisher Team Oshkosh Truck (Terramax) and Team CalTech. … Read more

Morphing robot heading for Mars

There's a new robot in town, and it can shift its shape in order to tackle strange and otherworldly environments. Designed for planetary exploration, the utilitarian rover is being tested at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

From David Chandler's article: "Instead of driving, walking, or rolling around like other vehicles designed to traverse distant, rugged landscapes, the new rover changes its shape and topples along, veering a bit from side to side as it moves ahead. 'We call it the drunken-sailor walk,' says Pamela Clark, one of the designers of the project at Goddard and a … Read more

Forget the Roomba--get a robot spy

This is one little guy that could be dangerous. At first glance, Bandai's NetTansor looks like a lot of other cute robot toys on the market--but don't be fooled.

It's equipped with a WiFi webcam that can beam transmissions back to its owner's screen, according to Gizmodo, with a power supply that can provide up to "two and a half hours of voyeuristic fun." You can talk to it through email or just let it bop around on its own, because the NetTansor has sensors to keep it from running into walls or inflicting … Read more