Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Humanoids

Misty Robotics launches new Misty II personal robot

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Today at the Collision Conference, Misty Robotics, the personal robot company spun out from Sphero, the creators of the best-selling BB-8 toy robot, announced its newest personal robot, the Misty II, and the launch of a limited-time crowdfunding campaign to purchase the robot at a 50 per cent discount.

People interested will have 30 days, from May 2 through May 31, to order the Misty II.

Misty Robotics is offering 1,500 Misty II robots at a 50 per cent discount off MSRP for the price of $1,599, which will begin shipping by December 4, 2018.  [Read more…] about Misty Robotics launches new Misty II personal robot

Toyota’s basketball robot is why humans should give up and go home

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If you find being confronted by a 7-foot human basketball player somewhat intimidating, wait ’til you see the new Toyota basketball-playing robot. 

Luckily, the 6-foot-3-inch monstrosity doesn’t move around at all and only throws the ball into the hoop – but it does so with 100 per cent accuracy. (See video below.)

According to Asahi Shimbun via CNBC, ZDNet and others, the robot – named “Cue” for some reason – threw 200,000 hoops with almost perfect accuracy.  [Read more…] about Toyota’s basketball robot is why humans should give up and go home

European scientists show off humanoid robot that can put out fires

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Scientists in Europe have demonstrated a humanoid robot which can put out fires and do similar kinds of dangerous work in the aftermath of an industrial accident. (See video below.)

The research project was led by the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, and was conducted in collaboration with University of Pisa in Italy, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany and the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium.

The humanoid robot is called Walk-Man, and was funded within a project of the same name by the European Union through the European Commission.  [Read more…] about European scientists show off humanoid robot that can put out fires

Robotic clones of dead family members on the way

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Swedish scientists are developing robotic clones to replace family members who have died, according to a report on Sputnik News.

It might sound macabre to some, but to others, it might seem a natural thing to want to hold on to whatever they can of loved ones they have lost.

Sputnik cites a report in Dagen daily which adds that the scientists plan to use artificial intelligence to make the androids speak like the dead people they replace, using their voices and mannerisms.  [Read more…] about Robotic clones of dead family members on the way

LG buys 10 per cent of Robotis for $8.5 million

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South Korean electronics giant LG has acquired a 10.12 per cent stake in Robotis, according to the Korea Herald. 

The website reports that LG paid $8.5 million for a share of Robotis, which is also a South Korean company.

Robotis develops a while range of robotics technologies, including robotic controllers and sensor modules.  [Read more…] about LG buys 10 per cent of Robotis for $8.5 million

Shadow Robot hands help new AI research

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The Shadow Robot Company, a leader in robotic hands, is working with OpenAI, a non-profit company focusing on the path to safe artificial intelligence, by supplying OpenAI its Shadow Dexterous Hands for AI research.

The research, led by OpenAI, has created eight newly released environments, four of which uses the Shadow Hand robot to solve realistic manipulation tasks. The Shadow Hand is tactile enough to rotate a block and a solid egg and flexible enough to move a pen between its fingers.

All the new tasks have the concept of a “goal” such as achieving the desired orientation of a block in the Shadow hand block manipulation task.

[Read more…] about Shadow Robot hands help new AI research

Humanoid robots will take over the world, claims industry group

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Your home is in line to be taken over by a humanoid robot, if the views of an industry group are anything to go by. 

Roboticists and technologies have long dreamed of building humanoids capable of moving around the house and doing chores just like the average human.

And although they look to be many years away from releasing humanoids as capable as the ones routinely seen in science fiction films and television shows, the scientists are not giving up.  [Read more…] about Humanoid robots will take over the world, claims industry group

Humanoid roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro unveils news-reading android

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Dr Hiroshi Ishiguro, one of the world’s leading humanoid roboticists, has unveiled his latest creation, a news-reading android. 

Innocuously named “Erica”, the terrifying robot will be reading the news to the Japanese nation from April this year, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In comments reported by the Mirror, Dr Ishiguro says Erica is “the most beautiful and most human-like autonomous android in this world”.  [Read more…] about Humanoid roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro unveils news-reading android

Top celebrities most likely to be remade as robots and androids

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There’s probably an awful lot of lonely people out there who yearn for companionship, for intimacy, comfort, or for whatever reason.

And at least some of those people may be more than happy to buy a walking, talking, physical likeness of whoever is the most desirable celebrity of the day perhaps.  [Read more…] about Top celebrities most likely to be remade as robots and androids

Toyota unveils its third-generation humanoid robot T-HR3

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Company says new robot is enabled through advanced torque servo module and master maneuvering system

Toyota has revealed the third generation of its humanoid robot, the T-HR3, designed and developed by its Partner Robot business unit. 

The company’s aim seems to be to market the robot for use in the home, perhaps for elderly care or companionship, but says it can also be applied in industrial sectors such as healthcare, construction and disaster recovery. (See video below.)

Toyota says its latest robotics platform will explore new technologies for safely managing physical interactions between robots and their surroundings, and it features a new remote maneuvering system that mirrors user movements to the robot.

Toyota says the T-HR3 reflects the company’s broad-based exploration of how advanced technologies can help to meet people’s unique mobility needs.  [Read more…] about Toyota unveils its third-generation humanoid robot T-HR3