Researchers teach ASIMO and HRP-2 a bit of real life Frogger

clipped from www.engadget.com Researchers teach ASIMO and HRP-2 a bit of real life Frogger Some George Costanza-types at Carnegie Mellon have repurposed their own hard earned knowledge of Frogger maneuvers at the university arcade into useful object avoidance techniques for robots. They've outfitted both ASIMO and HRP-2 with versions of the technology, which allows the robots to detect their surroundings, create 3D maps of obstacles and plan routes accordingly (and actually has nothing to do with Frogger). If you check out the two videos after the break, you can see that these guys really put the bots through the ringer, including some death defying spinning obstacles that ASIMO avoided with ease, and the "real life" environment the HRP-2 is faced with... but seriously, couldn't they just let ASIMO have the blue dot already?

InvenSense gloats about world's first 6-axis MEMS-based motion sensing solution

mechachonic

clipped from www.engadget.com InvenSense gloats about world's first 6-axis MEMS-based motion sensing solution We tell ya, some proud folks work at InvenSense. After boasting last year about its Wii MotionPlus-powering IDG-600 motion sensor, the company is set to gloat once more at E3 this year. The cause for celebration? Its 6-axis motion processing solution, which it's calling a world's first. Said solution weds its IME-3000 3-axis accelerometer with its IDG dual-axis family of gyros in order to produce a wicked small 6-axis motion sensor. In theory, at least, this creation is small enough to add MotionPlus-like capabilities to smartphones and other ridiculously small devices, with even TV remotes holding the promise of one day letting you "roll through" the EPG. Currently, the only big-name devices utilizing 5- or 6-axis motion functionality is Logitech's MX Air Mouse and the aforementioned MotionPlus accessory, but obviously InvenSense is hungry for more. Too bad that DSi already launched, right?

RiSE V3 Dynamic Climbing Robot

RiSE, my idea

clipped from www.technologyreview.com

Boston Dynamics-designed RiSE V3 robot climbs poles, haunts dreams

RISE3, My idea

clipped from hackedgadgets.com Hacked Gadgets Forum clipped from hackedgadgets.com Pole Climbing Robot The RiSE Version 3  robot looks freaky, it appears to be some type of small animal scampering up the pole. The University of Pennsylvania has some cool tech coming out of its Kod*lab. "Unlike RiSE V1 and RiSE V2, this newer version adopted a quadrupedal configuration, and was designed by Boston Dynamics, with input from the RiSE Project consortium. RiSE V3 uses brushless DC motors that increase power density. Coupled with a dramatically different leg mechanism, this robot exhibits rapid climbing (upwards of 22 cm/s) up a vertical surface such as a telephone pole."  Via: Technabob

Exmovere's wearable Chariot: for the mild-mannered cyborg

robot, exoskelentons

clipped from www.engadget.com Exmovere's wearable Chariot: for the mild-mannered cyborg What does it take to make robotic exoskeletons look like a quaint relic of the past? This -- a new wearable transportation device concept that Exmovere Holdings has dubbed the Chariot. Apparently, the device is specifically intended to help amputees and people that have difficulty standing, with a range of sensors used to let the wearer control the device at speeds up to 12 miles per hour with a minimum amount of physical effort. Better still, Exmovere looks to have even more ambitious plans for production versions of the device, including on-board vital sign sensors, built-in wireless and cellular connectivity and, yes, even specialized versions for military and law enforcement customers. Head on past the break for more evidence of the future.

Japan sending biped robots to conquer moon by 2020

robot

clipped from www.engadget.com Japan sending biped robots to conquer moon by 2020 Remember back in 2006 when we told you about Japan's goal to colonize the moon with robots? Some dreams don't seem to die, and the country's Strategic Headquarters for Space Development said recently that they expect a two-legged droid traversing the satellite's surface by 2020. Should that prove successful, it'll be followed later by a joint mission with humans -- that is, if the robots don't find a way to take over before then and deny the spacemen their planetary visas.

Viliv S5 and X70 MIDs hands-on with video!

haptics

clipped from www.engadget.com We just played around with Viliv's latest MIDs, the stylish S5 and X70. Both devices use haptic feedback for onscreen keyboard input, and despite the resistive screen we found them both to offer some of the best touchscreen interaction we've seen on devices like this. They were both running Windows Vista, and seemed rather responsive and usable, even with Atom under the hood. What's really impressive is the X70 (pictured), which is thinner than the S5, and also can be mounted to an optional leather case that brings a keyboard and foldability to the device, and turns the unit into a laptop of sorts. Neither device is particularly thin or light, but there's a lot of quality going on here, and for folks sold on this sort of functionality and form factor, it would be hard to do much better than these at the moment -- of course, you'll have to swim to Korea to do it. Video of the S5 is after the break.