Category: Robots

Crusher, UGCV

The Crusher

To heck with UAV, UGCV is the real ticket. If you were wondering where the brains behind the DARAP Grand Challenge robots were destine to end up, it’s in a machine like the ‘Crusher’. Crusher is a 6.5 ton unmanned all terrain vehicle capable of packing loads of 8,000 pounds where it will be needed the most. It’s still years away from being a solders mechanical pack mule of choice, but when is does come into general use it should reduce the amount of casualties in convoys. That is assuming that the robots don’t decide to drive off the wrong direction due to a programming glitch.

[via neat-o-rama]

Engineers Unveil Futuristic Unmanned ‘Crusher’ Vehicle

The Claw of Wooden Destruction

I spotted this on MAKE today, looks pretty cool. Sadly, it’s not part of some giant Victorian inspired wooden robot thats driven by steam and springs that will clamber across the lowlands in search of villages to trounce. It’s part of an assignment to build a wooden toy that was inspired by the works of Leonardo da Vinci.

[via MAKE] 

The Claw – Progress on Flickr – Photo Sharing!

Dance Robot, Dance!

Robonova-1 

The degrees of freedom on these things just gets better and better as time goes on. I keep thinking that a clip of dancing robots will surface showing the guys building ‘robot’ pyramids or doing monkey chains. Looking forward to when they become waterproof and start doing synchronized swimming routines. The coolest innovation so far has got to be the way they can be programmed. You can still use the old spread sheet looking method of setting the joint position on a time line sort of interface if you want but the coolest way is the following:

The simplest way to program ROBONOVA-1 is with the “catch and play” function. Using RoboScript or RoboBasic, just move the robot into any position and click the mouse to “capture” that position. Move the robot into another position and repeat the process. The software then links these “captured” positions and once activated, smoothly transitions the robot’s movements through these programmed positions.

Hard to beat that!

Robonovanova-1

(Thanks to special agent Kevin who is on assignment at the digital frontier for this link)

30 Foot Tall Walking Robot Elephant

Giant 30' tall robotic elephant

As part of a Jules Verne celebration in France (back in November ’05), a 30 foot tall robotic elephant was constructed. The ears, head and trunk move about an will even spray water on the crowd as it walks (yes walks) down the street. You have got to see the video to believe it! The event called Royal de Luxe also had some other Verne inspired images like the moon capsule that was fired out of a giant canon, giant marionettes, more images can be seen here. I’m wondering how this totally missed me until now, it’s a stunning display of engineering magic.

[via Red Ferret]

Robot Elephant 

More Japanese Robots

 

This is worth reading. The integration of robots into society is best seen in Japan. I don’t know exactly what the cause is but whatever it is, it could be the way of the future.

Kiyomori surely catches people’s eyes but is it something worthwhile to talk about when there are already other humanoid robots that can stand on two feet?

we make money not art: Whatever You Imagine, Including Kiyomori