Blog

Grendel One: Background.

johnfire

I started this project about 2 years ago, after visiting a Maker Faire in Hannover Germany. I saw the NAO robot there, and after doing some research and thinking, realized I could try building a home brew version using a Raspberry Pi. At the time I w...
- 26 Sep 2017
Grendel One

johnfire

Hi, to anyone who comes to read this. My name is Christopher Rehm and I am working on a robotics project that some of you may be interested in. basically i have built a custom cluster computer using 5 raspberry pis, which is the control system for a ...
- 25 Sep 2017
Medicine goes to the robots who will heal from the inside

Catwell

Given Imaging’s PillCam is outfitted with tiny cameras to visualize colon abnormalities. (Image credit Given Imaging) “The doctor will see you now, and so will his robots,” ─ a phrase inching its way towards reality as medical institutions are...
- 19 Sep 2017
Panasonic Unveils Movable Fridge as Part of Their Better Living for Tomorrow Line

Catwell

The Movable Fridge is voice activated and navigates on its own using onboard sensors. (Image credit Panasonic via YouTube) Never again will you miss that all-important play during a football game, or miss that all important dialog exchange durin...
- 8 Sep 2017
Robotic companions make life a little less lonely for the elderly

Catwell

Companion bots don’t just help take care of the elderly; they’re a source of comfort and friendship as well. More companion bots are cropping up in assisted living facilities due to the drop in health care workers (Image via Toyota) Support bots...
- 5 Sep 2017
Pepper the robot has a new job; conducting funerals

Catwell

www.youtube.com/watchSoftBot’s Pepper now has the means to conduct Buddhist funerals when a priest is unavailable Pepper dressed up in traditional robes ready to conduct a funeral (Video via Japan Times) Seeing a robot doing everyday human jobs ...
- 29 Aug 2017
Walmart turns to blimps for drone delivery service

Catwell

Retail giant Walmart recently filed a patent for a blimp-like aircraft to deploy drones. The patent Walmart filed is similar to a patent Amazon filed last year (Photo from USPTO) Walmart and Amazon have been fighting each other to dominate onlin...
- 23 Aug 2017
(Casual Friday) Miyubi Turns You into a Family Toy Robot for an Emotional Rollercoaster Ride

Catwell

(Image credit Oculus) The 80’s are making a comeback in more ways than one- Stranger Things (set in that decade) is set to roll on season 2, 80’s fashion trends are ‘like totally’ returning (shoulder pads, leggings, mirrored sunglasses, etc.) an...
- 18 Aug 2017
Marty the Robot

Workshopshed

The other week my daughter and I were lucky enough to be given a "Marty the Robot" from robotical.io as a gift from a friend who'd bought a whole load of them when they were still a crowd funded project. The robot has 3 servos in ...
- 16 Aug 2017
Panasonic Provides Autonomous Wheelchairs to the Revamp of a Japanese Airport

Catwell

Panasonic’s contribution is part of Japan’s larger plan to renovate navigation and transportation within airport terminals starting with Haneda Airport in Tokyo. The autonomous wheelchairs can navigate independently or in tandem with other chairs. (P...
- 14 Aug 2017
A “Swimming Robot” is Being Used to Explore the Ruins of the Fukushima Plant

Catwell

An underwater robot is investigating the site of the Fukushima nuclear plant which was destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami that hit the coast of Japan in 2011. The “swimming robot” is called “the little sunfish” and is about the size of a loaf of ...
- 27 Jul 2017
Plant inspired soft robots grow and slither around their environment

Catwell

These bots are narrow enough to move through small spaces and cluttered areas (Photo via L.A. Cicero & Stanford) Robots have a lot of movement and capabilities, but ever think they can actually grow? A team of scientists has created a soft r...
- 25 Jul 2017
Security robot quits job by falling in fountain

Catwell

A security robot at Washington DC’s MRP Realty rolled itself into a fountain in an unfortunate accident. What a way to quit a job. (Photo via MRP Realty) When Washington, DC’s MRP Realty hired an autonomous robot to be part of their security tea...
- 24 Jul 2017
Blanca Li creates dance routine with robots

Catwell

Blanca Li’s Robot aims to explore humans’ relationship with robots and AI technology. A robot and its human dance partner make art together (Photo via Blanca Li) When you scroll past news stories about the latest companion robot, ever think to a...
- 21 Jul 2017
Third Thumb: A Useful Tool for Increased Functionality and Dexterity

Catwell

(Image credit Dani Clode) Having an extra limb can come in handy, even if it’s just an extra digit- in this case, another thumb. Think of all the extra words you could type per-minute, playing complex chords on a guitar or finally being able to...
- 18 Jul 2017
Robot helps milk scorpions’ venom for use in medical field

Catwell

Researchers from Ben M’sik Hassan II University create a new robot that easily milks scorpions for their venom. A mockup of the device that clamps the scorpion’s tail (Picture via Ben M’sik Hassan II University) Did you know that scorpions can b...
- 11 Jul 2017
Sphero Launches new Company Misty Robotics- Looks to Develop Intelligent Robots

Catwell

Sphero is looking to develop intelligent robots through their spinoff company Misty Robotics. (Image credit Sphero) Sphero is largely known for their connected robots- Sphero, SPRK+, OLLIE and Pixar/Marvel toy-bots, which are successful in thei...
- 7 Jul 2017
Evezor is a go-to tool for all your building needs

Catwell

Evezor is an open sources robotic arm that can cut, etch, engrave, 3D print, and carry out various tasks for your project needs. This robotic arm can help take your product from the prototype phase to the final stages (Images&Video via Evezor)&nb...
- 18 May 2017
No joke, Kristen Stewart writes paper on machine learning

Catwell

The Twilight star helped co-write a paper on machine learning and discusses the style transfer technique. An example of how the technique works (image via ArXiv) From watching her play Bella in the Twilight series or just trying to read her ston...
- 2 May 2017
Farming robot uses sloth movements to watch crops

Catwell

A team from Georgia Tech built a swinging robot named Tarzan, inspired by sloth movements. This bot has more in common with a sloth than the King of the Jungle (Photo from Georgia Tech) What do sloths, Tarzan, and agriculture have in common? A n...
- 27 Apr 2017
Researchers use muscle stimulants to simulate walls in VR

Catwell

A team from Hasso-Plattner-Institut create a new wearable using muscle stimulants to create walls in VR. The muscle stimulants simulate the fulling of resistance in objects. (Photo via Hasso-Plattner-Institut) With VR technology integrated into ...
- 19 Apr 2017
MIT Researchers Develop 3D Printed “Skin” That Uses Touch Sensors To Change Colors

Catwell

Researchers designed a device based on the golden tortoise beetle, and like the beetle, the device can changes colors when a mechanical stress is applied. This image shows the various components that comprise the 3-D printable device. (via MIT News /...
- 13 Apr 2017
NASA Developing Robotic Tools For Exploring Icy Ocean Worlds

Catwell

Scientists at the NASA are designing instruments that can navigate tricky terrain, withstand temperatures hundreds of degrees below zero, and collect samples. A robotic claw is one of the tools being developed at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (J...
- 12 Apr 2017
Researchers control soft robots with magnetic fields

Catwell

A group of researchers discovered how to use magnetic fields to help control and steer soft robots. Researchers created these three robots using the new technique (Image via North Carolina State University) Soft robots, often made with deformabl...
- 10 Apr 2017
Robots - Science Museum London Exhibition

shabaz

There is a fun Science Museum exhibition running currently (until September 3rd 2017) called Robots.It is free to visit the museum but this particular exhibition has a charge but it is worth it. The exhibition is split into five themes of Marvel...
- 19 Mar 2017