Eclectic junk from the four corners of the ‘Net. And pictures too!
The latest in a series of humanoid looking robot kits to come out of Japan is here. The Robofie is displays a surprising degree of freedom as opposed to other anthropomorphic robots, face it – every new kit is going to be better than the last. It can also make farting noises, remember this is Japan after all. The kit sells for about $1,800US but looks hot. It’s a bit smaller (30cm and 1kg) than a Robosapian but it’s not even a bet as to who would win in hand to hand combat.
This thing looks like it is built like a brick! he massive LCD on the top makes this even cooler.
Dana is a successful successor of Barbora. Thus you can find the same BLDC motors (each with 600W), motherboard with AMD K6 500MHz, 128MB RAM and 128MB CompactFlash, video input, 100Mb Ethernet and of course Linux. The navigation is based on odometry and infra sensors CN70 detecting the color of the floor under the robot. Camera is used to search for the pucks. The last sensor is a bumper to provide something as a “last hope” of catching that the more advanced sensors and algos missed.
These things are so darn cool. I love the idea of telepresence.
Base weight is 2.6 pounds, takes five minutes to assemble, and will loiter on target up to 3-1/2. It has a GPS over lay on its joystick driven control box and it equipped with a visible camera and could use an optional IR camera if you want to shell out the bucks. And speaking of that, this is going to run you about $11,000US!
Not that I’d ever want to lose a limb but if it happened then I’d want something like this. And a lightsaber.
Now this is the kind of thing that I like to see in the news.
Here is some current information on the mission:
Hayabusa completes journey to asteroid Itokawa by ion engine propulsion
For more background…
…Scientists hope to gain an even better understanding of the physical properties and chemical make-up of the asteroid using Hayabusa’s instruments to locate potential locations for sample retrieval, scheduled to get underway in November.
When landing sites are chosen, the Hayabusa spacecraft can make up to three passes to attempt to capture a total of one gram of surface samples, or about two one-thousandths of a pound.
The approaches will heavily lean on the autonomous navigation system aboard the probe, which must operate correctly with little input from engineers 200 million miles away on Earth and cope with the extremely weak gravity field of Itokawa. A target marker will be released on the surface as the spacecraft closes in.
During each opportunity, a 16-inch funnel will first make contact with the asteroid, followed by the firing of a small metal projectile into the surface at well over 600 feet per second. Rocks and dust kicked up by the impact will be gathered by the funnel and fed into the sample collection capsule to be returned to Earth.
“It breaks the surface and ejecta climbing up through a funnel-like device are collected by a sample catcher,” Jun Kawaguchi explained.
On the first pass, it is planned for Hayabusa to deploy a tiny rover called MINERVA to move across the asteroid for up to two days by leaping from place to place in Itokawa’s near-microgravity environment. The 1.3-pound rover will take stereo images using three cameras, and six thermometers will gather temperature measurements. …
Just what all kids want under the Christmas tree, there very own little homicidal alien cyborgs.
Someone needs to add a little computer to these and let them rove around in a maze somewhere (thats a hint for all PAReX members out there)
Due September 2005.
Challenge your friends to a Dalek battle! Who will exterminate who? You control the Daleks and duel with your opponent.
2 X 4 inch Daleks with controllers. Infrared movement control. flashing hit indicator head lights. Poseable arm and gun. 2 X IR Receivers on each Dalek (front and top of head). 1 X IR Emitter in each Dalek (Eyestalk). Featuring authentic sound and effects.
Pack comes with Doctor and Rose figure.