http://phys.org/electronics-news/robotics/ en-us Phys.org Phys.Org provides the latest news on robotics, robots, robotics sciences and technology science. A humanoid robot can receive an object handed to it by a person with something approaching natural, human-like motion thanks to a new method developed by scientists at Disney Research, Pittsburgh in a project partially funded by the International Center for Advanced Communication Technologies (interACT) at Carnegie Mellon University and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). http://phys.org/news288267089.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-20T11:11:38-07:00 (AP)—The growing use of unmanned surveillance "eyes in the sky" aircraft raises a thicket of privacy concerns, but the U.S. Congress is getting mixed advice on what, if anything, to do about it. http://phys.org/news288028868.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-17T17:01:26-07:00 (Phys.org) —We're told it's the wave of the future. Design, make, enjoy. Beyond home-based 3-D printers, there will be new machines and display screens and apps that will invite you to have day to day products just the way you want them. Digital buffets await and not surprisingly the time is now to contemplate robot bartender systems. Such a system is on display now, which can serve the cocktail of your latest twist of imagination. Makr Shakr is the name of the new system which goes on display at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco, starting Wednesday. The drink-making robotic system made its debut during Milan Design Week 2013, and is making a debut in its final configuration at the Google event. The system can make the cocktail you want with its three robotic arms, which mimic the actions of a bartender. Shaking a Martini and slicing lemon garnishes are part of its repertoire. A smartphone app allows users create their cocktail concoctions from scratch. http://phys.org/news287855567.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-15T17:30:01-07:00 Having hospital visits from a robot may sound like a strange form of therapy, but according to robotics experts, they can be extremely helpful therapeutic devices. http://phys.org/news287732003.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-14T06:50:02-07:00 (Phys.org) —University of Pennsylvania robotics teams are at it again, this time coming up with a robot that aggressively expands the range of how many moves can be made to successfully cross rough terrain full of climbing and leaping challenges. Aaron M. Jonson, and D. E. Koditschek from the University of Pennsylvania's Kod *lab (a subsidiary of the school's GRASP Lab) presented their research, "Toward a Vocabulary of Legged Leaping," at ICRA 2013 in Germany. The video of their device in motion, showing gymnastic-style feats, recently made the rounds of tech sites. The authors also won attention in being one of five finalists for Best Student Paper Award. ICRA stands for the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. http://phys.org/news287412883.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-10T14:10:03-07:00 (Phys.org) —A team from Harvard and MIT presented their work at the 2013 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Germany. Their contribution: "Robot Self-Assembly by Folding: A Printed Inchworm Robot." The authors, Samuel M. Felton, Michael T. Tolley, Cagdas D. Onal, Daniela Rus, and Robert J. Wood are from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, at Harvard, and the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT. They presented their printed inchworm robot that can assemble itself. Felton did the introductions in a video of the self-folding device. http://phys.org/news287337739.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-09T17:02:31-07:00 When Michael Gore stands, it's a triumph of science and engineering. Eleven years ago, Gore was paralyzed from the waist down in a workplace accident, yet he rises from his wheelchair and walks across the room with help from a lightweight wearable robot. http://phys.org/news287290690.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-09T03:58:28-07:00 A robot can struggle to discover objects in its surroundings when it relies on computer vision alone. But by taking advantage of all of the information available to it—an object's location, size, shape and even whether it can be lifted—a robot can continually discover and refine its understanding of objects, say researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute. http://phys.org/news287060685.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-06T12:04:52-07:00 This is Angel Perez Garcia. He can make a robot move exactly as he wants via the electrodes attached to his head. http://phys.org/news287047845.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-06T08:32:21-07:00 The two robots Flobi and Nao worked full time for three weeks in an isolation study in Cologne. Scientists from Bielefeld University's Research Institute for Cognition and Robotics (CoR-Lab) were studying how these intelligent assistance systems can help astronauts to keep fit – both physically and mentally. However, it was not just the persons who were on trial, but the robots as well. The scientists were testing both their suitability and their durability. The experiment ended on Saturday. Professor Dr. Franz Kummert, who is running the study together with Professor Dr. Britta Wrede, delivered an initial assessment: 'I am proud of the members of this project – the way they handled the enormous challenges that such a long-term study imposes on the endurance of our robots was just excellent.' http://phys.org/news286784240.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-03T07:30:01-07:00 (Phys.org) —Robotic hands designed and engineered for versatility and dexterity in handling harmful, harmless, small, large, light, and heavy objects tease robotics teams today. The US government's DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is getting attention this month in its steps forward to develop robotic hands that can do the jobs of the human hand's advanced movements, but capable of being built at less prohibitive costs. http://phys.org/news286726923.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-02T16:10:01-07:00 Killer robots that can attack targets without any human input "should not have the power of life and death over human beings," a new draft U.N. report says. http://phys.org/news286726043.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-02T15:07:29-07:00 (Phys.org) —Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have used stop-motion technology to capture gait primitives of real animals—the data captured was then used to allow a small quadruped robot to walk and trot like a real horse. The team describes their project in their paper published in Biological Cybernetics. http://phys.org/news286620788.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-01T10:10:01-07:00 (Phys.org) —In this age of advanced technology, how hard could it be to develop a robotic bird that flies by flapping its wings? Despite the apparent simplicity of the idea, it's very hard—if you want the bird to actually fly. http://phys.org/news286618719.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-01T09:18:56-07:00 It sounds like something from a science fiction film, but the concept of robots cleaning our streets is becoming a reality with what is believed to be a world first. http://phys.org/news286609217.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-05-01T07:30:01-07:00 (Phys.org) —Whether reaching for a book out of a cluttered cabinet or pruning a bush in the backyard, a person's arm frequently makes contact with objects during everyday tasks. Animals do it too, when foraging for food, for example. http://phys.org/news286521782.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-30T06:50:01-07:00 (Phys.org) —Roboticists are currently developing machines that have the potential to help patients with caregiving tasks, such as housework, feeding and walking. But before they reach the care recipients, assistive robots will first have to be accepted by healthcare providers such as nurses and nursing assistants. Based on a Georgia Institute of Technology study, it appears that they may be welcomed with open arms depending on the tasks at hand. http://phys.org/news286455845.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-29T12:04:11-07:00 (Phys.org) —The young boy, Jack, shyly approaches his friend in a classroom at Whiting Lane Elementary School. This is the last time they'll see each other, and Jack has a gift for his playmate: a picture of the two of them together, and the words, "I'll miss you." http://phys.org/news286180681.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-26T08:00:03-07:00 (Phys.org) —Your typical robot story tends to be about robotics teams finding clever ways to make their mechanical devices mimic real animals in shape and movement. A study coming out of South Korea has a twist. Researchers there are working with live animals subjected to remote control. Their study subjects are being described by bloggers as cyborg creatures or remote-control pets. The team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have shown how a live turtle can be made to follow a winding path through special apparatus that is used as a "noninvasive" steering system. Their study, titled "Remote Guidance of Untrained Turtles by Controlling Voluntary Instinct Behavior," describes their work and their results in taking "red-eared sliders" (Trachemys scripta elegans). and placing an attachment to the shells, a half-cylinder remotely rotated with a servo. http://phys.org/news286018923.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-24T10:42:54-07:00 (Phys.org) —For sea turtle hatchlings struggling to reach the ocean, success may depend on having flexible wrists that allow them to move without disturbing too much sand. A similar wrist also helps a robot known as "FlipperBot" move through a test bed, demonstrating how animals and bio-inspired robots can together provide new information on the principles governing locomotion on granular surfaces. http://phys.org/news285956537.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-23T19:00:01-07:00 A global rights group launched a campaign on Tuesday to ban Terminator-style "killer robots" amid fears the rise of drone warfare could lead to machines with the power to make their own decisions about killing humans. http://phys.org/news285936719.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-23T11:52:12-07:00 From the T-101 to Data from Star Trek, humans have been presented with the fictional dilemma of how we empathize with robots. Robots now infiltrate our lives, toys like Furbies or robot vacuum cleaners bring us closer, but how do we really feel about these non-sentient objects on a human level? A recent study by researchers at the University of Duisburg Essen in Germany found that humans have similar brain function when shown images of affection and violence being inflicted on robots and humans. http://phys.org/news285918887.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-23T06:54:54-07:00 As people enter old age it can become increasingly difficult to maintain a good quality of life without help. Perhaps a faltering memory leads to missed meals or drinks, or a decrease in mobility leads to loneliness and social isolation. Many elderly people are lucky enough to have a carer, but sometimes that person - maybe a partner - is also of a similar age and may need help caring for the other. http://phys.org/news285576431.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-19T07:47:17-07:00 A Maine company that's developed manned and unmanned tanks with names like "Ripsaw" and "Riptide" for the military and Hollywood filmmakers has unveiled a new contraption—a high-tech police shield that sits atop a miniature, remote-controlled tank-like vehicle. http://phys.org/news285517731.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-18T15:28:56-07:00 Mechanical engineers at the University of California, San Diego invented a robot designed to scoot along utility lines, searching for damage and other problems that require repairs. Made of off-the-shelf electronics and plastic parts printed on an inexpensive 3D printer, the SkySweeper prototype could be scaled up for less than $1,000, making it significantly more economical than the two models of robots currently used to inspect power lines. http://phys.org/news285407505.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-17T08:52:08-07:00 A system that imitates navigation of a space rover, originally intended for use in North West schools, will become part of NASA's International Space Apps Challenge later this month. http://phys.org/news284810484.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-10T11:01:41-07:00 (Phys.org) —Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology with funding from the European AMARSI project have built the first passive compliant robot that features both arms and legs. Passive compliant robots are those that have flexible joints that allow the robot to move in more human-like ways. The new robot, called the COmpliant huMANoid (COMAN), is approximately the size of a child and is able to maintain its upright position even when knocked around. http://phys.org/news284799144.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-10T07:52:36-07:00 (Phys.org) —PETMAN, the anthropomorphic, arm-pumping, walker who can step off the treadmill long enough to do some morning pushups, is a remarkable member of Boston Dynamic's stable of robots. PETMAN is remarkable in its humanlike range of movements, a visually entertaining match for the likes of Big Dog and Cheetah. Visual entertainment, however, is not the top agenda item for Boston Dynamics, with a number of projects that get funding support from the Department of Defense and which deliver functional goals. This time around, PETMAN is impressing viewers with this month's released video of the latest and greatest performance, dressed in a hazmat suit and gas mask. http://phys.org/news284553937.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-07T11:46:16-07:00 (Phys.org) —DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is getting closer to its goal of securing robotic hands that mimic the hand's finer movements, at an affordable cost. A research project has been under way to develop artificial hands; the main goals have been of an economic as well as technical nature; DARPA has been looking for robotic hand systems that offer not only optimal dexterity but can also come at a lower cost than in the past. The high costs associated with effective robotic hands have been $10,000 and up. http://phys.org/news284097939.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-02T05:30:01-07:00 (Phys.org) —German technology company Festo has unveiled the BionicOpter, a fully functional robotic dragonfly. It can fly forwards, backwards, hover and even fly sideways—just like a real dragonfly. Its introduction marks another step forward in robotics engineering. http://phys.org/news284031157.html Electronics - Robotics 2013-04-01T10:50:02-07:00