Mac News: Robotics

Movable Prosthetics: The Biomechanical Interface
August 24, 2009

Thanks to research that will culminate this year in a major set of new designs, procedures and prototypes for artificial limbs, highly advanced prosthetics might eventually become commonplace, perhaps in another generation. However, much more research must be done in the ways human tissue interacts with mechanical parts.

Robots and the Law: Will the Real Inventor Please Stand Up?
April 28, 2009

Earlier this month, the journal Science reported on a robot that could formulate hypotheses, perform experiments to test those hypotheses, and thereby contribute to scientific knowledge. This technological advance raises legal concerns: Based on current law, if a robot conceived the idea for an "invention," this invention might not have the possibility for patent protection in the U.S.

Robo-Scientist 'Adam' Performs Landmark Solo Experiment
April 03, 2009

There may not be a white lab coat big enough for Adam, the newest and most expensive member of the scientific department at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK. Adam, a $1 million robot-computer amalgam about the size of a large pickup truck, carried out genetic experiments on yeast and reached groundbreaking conclusions without human help, according to a report in the journal Science.

At Home With Robots: The Coming Revolution
November 26, 2008

You might not think you have robots in your house, but think again. There's your dishwasher, for instance; you put dishes in it, walk away, and a half hour later they're clean. Same thing with your washing machine. Or your programmable coffeemaker. Though these everyday mechanical devices aren't humanoid, they are on the robotic spectrum, in the sense that they perform functions with minimal human involvement.

Intel Talks Up Our Wire-Free, Robot-Ruled Future
August 22, 2008

Intel outlined an ambitious vision of future technologies Thursday at this year's Intel Developer Forum held in San Francisco. In his keynote address Justin Rattner, Intel's chief technology officer, spoke about and demonstrated several technologies he said would be part of an evolution that closes the gap between humans and machines by 2050.

Ready for the Robot Revolution
May 03, 2008

Despite some impressive showings in robotics lately, the accolades are slow to come from industry outsiders. We, the general public, watch Honda's Asimo slowly make its way down a few steps, for example, and unfairly compare it to the glib and golden C-3PO of science fiction, and thus blind ourselves to the miracle before us.

Fulfillment: The Unexpected Key to Successful E-Commerce
February 11, 2008

Growing at more than 25 percent per year, e-commerce gives consumers a lot of what they want: broad assortment and convenient shopping any time from anywhere. To successfully compete with the bricks, all e-commerce has to do is stock the "long tail," ensure order accuracy, ensure nearly instant gratification with overnight shipping and keep shipping costs down.

Carnegie Mellon Automated Car Grabs the Gold at DARPA Challenge
November 05, 2007

An autonomous robotic SUV from Carnegie Mellon's Tartan Racing team won the $2 million prize in the DARPA Urban Challenge by successfully completing an urban obstacle course faster than 10 other finalists in the race, held Nov. 3. "Boss," as the robotized 2007 Chevy Tahoe is called, averaged 14 miles per hour over 55 miles.

Robot-Car Finalists Rev Up for DARPA's Urban Road Rally
November 02, 2007

Eleven robotic vehicles will compete in the final race Saturday of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Urban Challenge event. Selected from a group of 35 that participated in qualifying events over the past week or so, the 11 finalists will now have to successfully complete a complex, 60-mile urban course with live traffic in less than six hours.

Robotic Vehicles to Look for Life in Arctic Depths
June 22, 2007

Three new robotic vehicles designed by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute will embark on an expedition next month to search for life on the Arctic Ocean floor. The vehicles -- two autonomous underwater vehicles and a tethered, remote controlled sampling system -- were designed specifically for the challenges of operating in Arctic ice, which can easily crush most small vehicles.

Researchers Create 'Creepy' Child Robot
June 08, 2007

Researchers at Osaka University in Japan demonstrated on Friday a toddler robot designed to assist in studies of child development. Called the "Child-Robot with Biomimetic Body," or CB2, the robot is designed to mimic a real, human child between one and three years old. It stands just over 4 feet tall, weighs 73 pounds, and crawls, changes its facial expressions, and can make sounds.

Robot Salamander Helps Unlock Evolution Mysteries
March 09, 2007

Scientists in Europe have created a robotic salamander that uses an amphibian type central nervous system to switch from swimming to walking as it crawls onto land out of water. The "Salamandra Robotica," built by the Biologically Inspired Robotics Group at Ecole Polytechnique Federale in Lausanne, Switzerland, is a groundbreaking creation, said the scientists involved in the project.

Self-Aware Robot Can Adapt To Environment
November 20, 2006

Cornell University researchers have created a robot capable of self-awareness, learning and adapting -- all keys to the intelligence and technology needed for robots to function in adverse and changing environments. The Cornell researchers said their robot did not rely on predetermined models of movement in order to learn how to walk on its four legs.

Robotics in the Special Needs Classroom
November 18, 2006

Robotics, which has played a longstanding role in industrial applications, has finally entered the classroom in the form of applications for disabled students. It's a trend that could move beyond special needs and into the education mainstream. Gallaudet University recently added Anystream's Apreso Classroom, which lets its deaf and hard of hearing students review lectures online.

Bionic Arm Enables Neurological Control
September 15, 2006

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago has produced a real-life bionic woman. The RIC introduced Claudia Mitchell on Thursday, the first woman to be successfully fit with its original Bionic Arm technology. Three men were previously fitted with the bionic arm that weighs about six pounds and costs between US$60,000 and $75,000.

Redmond Revs Up Robotics R&D
June 21, 2006

Microsoft made a major move into robotics this week as the software giant previewed its Windows-based Robotics Studio robot software development platform. Microsoft said its robotics development tools would address fragmentation of different robot platforms and systems, and would galvanize the robotics industry the way its software ushered in the PC era.