Showing posts with label robots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label robots. Show all posts
Friday, June 26, 2009
I’ve no doubt this video will be all over the place before long (if it isn’t already) but we’re suckers for transforming tech here at SlashGear. Apparently created for the French postal service, to publicize their new home printing service for shipping labels, it shows a MacBook option that, while cool, could get expensive after a while.
In the video, the user’s MacBook transforms into a Star Wars-esque spacecraft after he attempts to organize a shipment, complete with Transformers-style robotic noises. It’s not the first time we’ve seen such adverts – Citroen’s C4 commercials are a good prior example – but we still love them.
Perhaps even funnier are the discussions the video prompted in the 9to5Mac comments, about how this isn’t actually a real MacBook (pre-transformation, of course). It has the screen bezel of a pre-unibody model, but the keyboard of a newer machine.
In the video, the user’s MacBook transforms into a Star Wars-esque spacecraft after he attempts to organize a shipment, complete with Transformers-style robotic noises. It’s not the first time we’ve seen such adverts – Citroen’s C4 commercials are a good prior example – but we still love them.Perhaps even funnier are the discussions the video prompted in the 9to5Mac comments, about how this isn’t actually a real MacBook (pre-transformation, of course). It has the screen bezel of a pre-unibody model, but the keyboard of a newer machine.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
If you ever needed proof that the Japanese love their robots, then the viewing figures for this video of Hina should convince you. Already racking up over 100,000 views in just 24 hours, the clip shows Hina making a cup of coffee – including measuring out the beans, grinding them, adding the water and even pouring it.
Hina stands 36cm tall and has 21 degrees of freedom, two gyroscopes and an acceleration sensor. Her antenna are actually the swinging pig-tails you see in the video. It’s not entirely clear whether these were pre-programmed movements or done in real-time – a modified SEGA Saturn twin-stick controller is used – but either way, it’s impressive.
A copy of the video (embedded below) has been viewed more than 100,000 times on Japanese portal Nico Nico Douga. It’s brilliant stuff, and I now know what I want for Christmas.
Hina stands 36cm tall and has 21 degrees of freedom, two gyroscopes and an acceleration sensor. Her antenna are actually the swinging pig-tails you see in the video. It’s not entirely clear whether these were pre-programmed movements or done in real-time – a modified SEGA Saturn twin-stick controller is used – but either way, it’s impressive.A copy of the video (embedded below) has been viewed more than 100,000 times on Japanese portal Nico Nico Douga. It’s brilliant stuff, and I now know what I want for Christmas.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
If the thought of remotely controlling you Rovio robot webcam from a cellphone is appealing, but you don’t have a BlackBerry, then AndRovio may be the solution. Poignant Projects’ app runs on Android devices, and allows full control of Rovio including live webcam viewing, camera position control and snapshots.
As well as moving the Rovio around your home or office from wherever you have an internet connection, you’re also able to adjust the height of the webcam-neck, turn on or off the robot’s lights and set home points. There are also on-screen warnings should the WowWee robot’s IR obstacle detector spot anything in the way, plus you can capture snapshots from the camera and turn on a low-light mode.
A 3G connection is preferred, but AndRovio will work over EDGE if that’s all you’ve got. AndRovio is currently available to download through the Android Application Market, direct to your smartphone, priced at $0.99.
As well as moving the Rovio around your home or office from wherever you have an internet connection, you’re also able to adjust the height of the webcam-neck, turn on or off the robot’s lights and set home points. There are also on-screen warnings should the WowWee robot’s IR obstacle detector spot anything in the way, plus you can capture snapshots from the camera and turn on a low-light mode.A 3G connection is preferred, but AndRovio will work over EDGE if that’s all you’ve got. AndRovio is currently available to download through the Android Application Market, direct to your smartphone, priced at $0.99.
Autonomous, intelligent robots are great, but when they look like classic Transformers characters they’re even better. The handiwork of Mellon University’s Tekkotsu lab, the Chiara Robot has six independent legs, a claw arm with six degrees of freedom, and a combination of webcam and IR rangefinder for spotting objects and obstacles. Even better, this is no simple lab project: the Chiara Robot will actually be manufactured and sold by RoPro Design.
The brain of the Chiara is a 1GHz Pico-ITX board, with 1GB of RAM and an 80GB hard-drive. It’s loaded with Ubuntu and has the usual USB, ethernet and WiFi b/g connectivity, meaning you can remotely monitor and control Chiara together with allow the robots to communicate between themselves.
Chiara will be supplied assembled, and the development framework is written in C++ with integrated vision and kinematics, teleoperation and monitoring support. No word on when exactly the commercial version will ship, nor for how much, but it’s listed as “coming soon”.
The brain of the Chiara is a 1GHz Pico-ITX board, with 1GB of RAM and an 80GB hard-drive. It’s loaded with Ubuntu and has the usual USB, ethernet and WiFi b/g connectivity, meaning you can remotely monitor and control Chiara together with allow the robots to communicate between themselves.Chiara will be supplied assembled, and the development framework is written in C++ with integrated vision and kinematics, teleoperation and monitoring support. No word on when exactly the commercial version will ship, nor for how much, but it’s listed as “coming soon”.
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