“!Hop” is a toy robot that can hop. It uses two independently actuated arms in order to simultaneously hop and balance in the lateral plane. The “sagittal” plane is stabilized by torque applied to the two drive wheels (note that the wheels are, for the most part, stationary due to the lack of disturbances about this axis). The symmetric design allows it to hop on either end of the central “leg”
+50The title may be a little misleading, while this robot does make sushi, it is in fact a complex robotic hand with interesting technology to actuate it. Skip to the middle to see the pneumatic actuators for the finder tips. The bladders are inflated and deflated to provide the actuation needed to grasp the delicate food without crushing it completely.
+50Cars can drive in forward and backwards. This robot can drive sideways, while sitting on top of a round ball. The concept of a “ball drive” to move a vehicle has been explored many times due to the advantages of being able to drive in any direction at “full speed” and being able to change direction almost instantaneously. However, there are drawbacks, one of the most notable being the added complexity of 3 wheels/motors (or more) driving a single ball. Furthermore, these kinds of robots dont have very much traction, so unlike your car, they wont be able to accelerate quickly from a stop sign or climb a steep hill. Regardless, the circus act is the result of an impressive use of sensors.
+70Alright, maybe I exaggerated a little when I said “robotic spider.” This spider is more of a robotic arm, but that doesn’t make the feat of weaving a web any less impressive. MIT’s Media Lab is developing a robot that is weaving a cocoon-like structure with a little programming help from humans. Eventually it will be autonomous
Right now, the technology isn’t as impressive because the robot knows what is surrounding it. MIT researchers’ ultimate goal is to have the robot be able to map out the environment and create an artistic web on string. Maybe they’ll add in colors and make 3D rainbow string structures!
+20Have any of you tried to get fit and run at your school’s track during the summer by yourself? Well, I know I have, and each time I would get bored and lonely then end up stopping in around fifteen minutes.
Thanks to the Joggobot, a companion and pacekeeper for runners can track you and run a certain distance in front of you at a steady pace. Not only does this allow for a runner to feel like he is running with someone, but Joggobot will also keep the runner running at a constant pace. Built by the extetion games lab, this drone is only the beginning of a generation of robots to keep you fit.
+40The technique of digging effectively into sand has always been a difficult task for those who wish to anchor into the water. But, with surprising technique derived from the razor clam, which burrows effectively into the water. It’s quite amusing to look at, too.
Although the razor clam’s burrowing is slow, it goes straight in, and is an extremely effective way of burrowing. So, a student and professor and MIT created the RoboClam, a burrowing apparatus that behaves a lot like the Razor Clam, burrowing with two separate halves that open and close.
+40Microsoft’s Kinect is perhaps one of the coolest game controllers in existence today– the affordability and effectiveness of the technology is spectacular.
And now, it appears that Microsoft has employed a similar technology for their prototype of a “3D desktop monitor.” It is equipped with two depth cameras, similar to those in Kinects; one is used to track the motion of your hands and the others to track the motion of your head, allowing it to compensate for parallax caused by changes in perspective.
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