Where all our magnets are going! Hope they are recycling harddrives for them. MOSS DIY kit car (via Modular Robotics)
If you grew up watching the Jetsons or remember seeing Warner Bros.’ Artificial Intelligence, it seems like it’s only a matter of time until robots begin taking over our world. But rather than a vision of a distant future, recent developments in the world of robotics makes a world of human and robot co-inhabitance only a handful of years away.
At this year’s Toy Fair, Modular Robotics revealed its robot-building kit for dummies. The DIY robot, called MOSS, isn’t your average children’s toy. The MOSS kit allows for the simultaneous building and programming of a robot that features Bluetooth capabilities and broad functionality.
MOSS is similar to its predecessor, Cubelets, and features magnetic, color-coded cubes for easy assembly. The corners of each block are rounded and magnetic, but the cubes actually connect to one another through a steel ball bearing positioned on the center of each block.
Depending on how the cubes are connected, they can either create a secure and sturdy structure or a mobile structure. Placing steel balls in all four corners of a cube creates a sturdy base for your robot, while connecting only two balls results in a mobile hinge.
It’s important to note that the cubes can be connected incorrectly, because each cube serves a different purpose; some cubes even serve more than one purpose and are color coded accordingly. Everything begins with a green power cube and the user can interchange blue conductivity cubes, orange output cubes and brown input cubes to build the robot of their dreams. The construction possibilities are endless – the more blocks you have the larger the structure you can build.
The technology behind MOSS allows for the development of motion-sensor robots, automatic card shufflers, carousels and more. The kit also supports Bluetooth, which allows the user to connect their robot to an iOS or Android device. Modular Robotics is in the process of creating apps to support the innovative robots, but also want to give developers the freedom to create their own programs for truly unlimited possibilities.
The MOSS kit is recommended for persons 8 years of age and older. It is available in two packages, the basic, available on pre-order for $149.99 and the advanced, available for $399.99. The kit is expected to be released onto the market between April and May.
The robotic kit is not your average children’s DIY project, but it isn’t the only innovative robotic technology to have recently surfaced. British inventor Sir James Dyson (of vacuum cleaner fame) recently announced he is committed to the development of a robot that can help humans with everyday household chores.
Dyson announced that he will invest £5 million into Imperial College London’s new robotics laboratory to create a robot that can “think” about its environment and respond appropriately. The intent is to create a robot that can help with mindless chores around the house, such as folding laundry or prepping dinner.
The new developments in robotics show promise for a world where humans and robots co-exist in such a way that we can utilize our brainpower in the most effective way – which most likely does not involve the folding of laundry.
C
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