Blog

Purdue creates robotic fabric suitable for space

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Robotic fabric in operation. (via Purdue)Soft robots are beginning to make a name for themselves within the community for robotics. First came the indestructible worm and now Purdue University is joining in on the fun with its robotic skin – a thin,...
- 1 Oct 2014
Rice University researchers develop ‘squid skin’ camouflage using metamaterials

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RU’s new color display technology can produce vivid colors likened to HD LCD displays (via Rice University) Having the ultimate camouflage has certainly helped fictional characters such as Harry Potter, the Predator and Sue Richards (Fantastic ...
- 29 Sep 2014
MIT engineers design new material that enables water to flow uphill

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These hair-like structures bend when exposed to a magnetic field allowing water to defy gravity (via MIT)MIT engineers have designed some interesting materials that include a graphite-based foam that converts solar energy into steam and a self-assem...
- 22 Sep 2014
USB Standard readies release of USB Type-C, making all others obsolete

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Right side up, upside down makes no difference when utilizing the USB Type-C cable (via USB.org)Most all of our devices have a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port of some type in order to be recharged and sync data with other devices. There are several ...
- 19 Sep 2014
UNSW Australia students build motorized couch that takes you to class

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Engineering students Laura Hodges and Fred Westling test drive robotic couch (via UNSW) If you belong to the group of folks whose couch is indented with butt prints from prolonged hours of gaming and TV-watching, you're in for a treat. Now you c...
- 18 Sep 2014
MIT’s Atlas bot makes great strides while dragging a metal truss like a behemoth

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Strike a pose! MIT is developing software for Boston Dynamic’s DARPA-funded robot. Put a human inside the Atlas frame somehow, bam, Iron Man. (via MIT)Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot has been around only for about a year or so and has been making great ...
- 16 Sep 2014
The Next Iron Man? Exoskeloton gives The Hackman Superhero Strength

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James Hobson demonstrating his super strength fortified by his DIY exoskeloton. Looks like he's about to blow an o-ring too. (via the Hacksmith)Alright folks, do you know what time it is? It's time to geek out! As part of a collection of DIY ...
- 15 Sep 2014
Pepper, Softbank’s Humanoid, Friendly, Helpful Robot, Set for February Debut

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Pepper, the first humanoid robot with emotions, at a press conference in Tokyo. (via Softbank)Holy moly! Your next hospital nurse could be a robot! Masayoshi Son, the CEO of SoftBank, has announced the first humanoid robot with an emotional engine in...
- 12 Sep 2014
Bipedal Robot Uses High-speed Camera to Run 2.6 mph

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Again from Japan, new improvements in robotics in an effort to fuel the new robot uprising – I mean – research. This tiny robot isn't groundbreaking, but it could open up new avenues for using less processing power to walk, run, and somersault. W...
- 12 Sep 2014
Aloft Cupertino hotel employs robot butler to perform various house duties

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SaviOne robot (AKA A.L.O. Botlr) is programmed to assist the hotel’s concierge. (via Savioke) Robots were designed to serve humans to perform menial tasks such as vacuuming, building cars or sorting products on conveyors. The last few years hav...
- 9 Sep 2014
Apple reported to feature the new Apple iWatch and iPhone 6 on September 9th

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A mock up of the much awaited iWatch which will be unveiled at the September 9th Apple event As some of you may already know, Apple is holding a huge media event on September 9th, and it is suspected by everyone in the Macrumors community ...
- 3 Sep 2014
Harvard engineers design swarms of tiny robots that collaborate to form different shapes

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Harvard’s Kilobots assemble to form complex shapes using simple programmed rules (via Harvard)Harvard isn’t usually an institution we associate with robotics like we do with MIT, Carnegie Mellon or Georgia Tech, however the Ivy-League school can hol...
- 2 Sep 2014
NASA ‘swarmies’ to take planets by storm

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NASA created self-driving 'swarmie' robots that could explore extraterrestrial life one day (via NASA) A small group of NASA engineers and interns, including Kurt Leucht, Gil Montague, and Karl Stollieis, have been testing a new concept, which i...
- 2 Sep 2014
Man's New Best Friend: Poochi the Robot Dog Connects to Nintendo’s 3DS

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Poochi has been available in Japan and the USA for 2 years but now it has Nintendo 3DS capabilities. (via Nintendo) Oh, Japanese robot toys... they are at it again and back with a vengeance, it seems. Coming to the market is an old idea recycled for ...
- 29 Aug 2014
Sproutling Launches Pre-order Campaign for “World’s Smartest Baby Monitor”

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Sproutling Baby Monitor and iOS app interface (via Sprouting Baby) Sproutling recently launched its pre-order campaign for what it calls the “world’s smartest baby monitor,” which learns the natural habits of a child and lets parents know when t...
- 28 Aug 2014
SEFT-1: Mapping Abandoned Railway Tracks, Taking Pictures and Gathering Data about its Surroundings

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The SEFT-1 going en-route through Mexico’s abandoned railway documenting the sights and the people. (via Ivan Puig and Padilla Domene)Artists Ivan Puig and Andrés Padilla Domene are making an epic journey for a very interesting cause in their homemad...
- 27 Aug 2014
Transformers Come to Life: Autonomous Origami Robot that Folds Itself and Walks Away

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Shots of the Origami bot in action folding from flat, to a walking stance. (via Wyss Institute/Harvard)The same team of MIT and Wyss Institute Harvard students that demo’ed a self folding inch worm at the 2013 IEEE International Conference on Robotic...
- 26 Aug 2014
Beacon Technology Helps the Blind Navigate San Francisco Airport

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Promo of the Beacon tech (via indoors)I love technology that actually helps people. I had almost lost all hope after seeing a selfie toaster, but humanity has won over my heart again. Indoo.rs and San Francisco Airport are collaborating together to r...
- 14 Aug 2014
Hitchbot, a hitchhiking robot, is making friends along his trip across Canada

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Hitchbot waiting for a ride! (via Hitchbot's Instagram) This is a zany and fun pet project that is sweeping Canada and catching a lot of attention. University researchers David Harris Smith and Frauke Zeller created Hitchbot, a hitchhiking ...
- 11 Aug 2014
Enjoyed RoboCup 2014? Tokyo is set to hold the next cup in 2020

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Nao Humanoid robots preparing for a game of football (via RoboCup) With the 2014 Robot Olympics in Brazil already over, Tokyo has decided to declare it's ambitious plans for the 2020 Olympics. The Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, has mad...
- 5 Aug 2014
Cornell Researchers Design Robot that Understands Natural Language Commands

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Cornell University’s PR2 robot is being trained to understand natural communication (via Cornell University)Robots perform their functions using specific software written for certain tasks. Some of them are able to understand rudimentary spoken word ...
- 1 Aug 2014
Robotic Device Gives Users Two Extra Fingers

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MIT’s new wrist-mounted device enhances the ‘grasping’ motion of the human hand worn by Faye Wu (via MIT)We could all use a helping hand in life, even if it’s something as simple as using a screwdriver or twisting off a bottle cap, which isn’t so eas...
- 31 Jul 2014
MIT and Boston Dynamics create a squish robot

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A prototype of this ‘squishy’ robot made with phase-changing materials (via MIT)MIT and Google’s Boston Dynamic have collaborated to solve one of the age-old issues in robotic mechanics by inventing a new material. While robots are typically either c...
- 28 Jul 2014
Lightest Available This Fall: The Lightest Electric Skateboard Ever Built

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The Marbel Board (via Kickstarter) The most lightweight electric skateboard in the world is here. The Marbel Board is making its splash in the market, weighing in at a record-breaking 9.9lbs with enough power to reach 20mph and with a range of 1...
- 23 Jul 2014
A robot that bakes perfect bread but costs a lot of dough

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The Rotimatic which can create perfect flatbread in minutes. (via Rotimatic) Yes, there is now a robot for everything and this robot is making me hungry. It is called the Rotimatic and can make perfect roti, flatbread, or wraps in under a minut...
- 17 Jul 2014