We Have Nothing to Fear But…

A UK-based paper published an article discussing the possibility of robots eventually overthrowing mankind.  Because of a debate raised by scientists at The Science Museum, the issue has been given some light.

So then that brings me to my question:  Should we be worried?

As of today, robots are used mainly in scenarios that are too dangerous or tedious for humans.  Many aspects of production now rely on robots, and that seems safe.  Mechanical arms are unlikely to be programmed to think for themselves or harm anyone.

Yet, the Korean military is developing robots programmed to shoot individuals on sight, the Japanese are attempting to create child-raising robots and the U.S. military is developing robotic helicopters that are programmed to kill as well.

How far is too far?  Should we play God by creating a race (likely in our own image) that could eventually deny us as their masters and creators?  Really, who could we trust to program machines like this?  Clearly, man has never known limits before, but then again, man rarely considers the consequences.

 

Higher and Higher

Students at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Virginia constructed a robot as part of a competition they entered for their robotics club at school.  Atomic Dog, as the students have named it, was built to perform tasks–mainly lifting other robots.  However, Atomic dog was able to life one of the team members more than a foot in the air!

The club required $6,000 to get off the ground and funding was provided by the Beazley Foundation in Portsmouth.

The students hope that Atomic Dog’s feats will help get other students interested and help the club to grow.

 

Reaching out

A mechanical arm capable of grabbing 120 items per minute was declared the victor at Japan’s Robot of the Year Award.  The arm was selected because of its practicality.

The robot analyzed digital images of randomly placed items on a fast-moving conveyer belt and used a suction cup the blows air in and out to pick the items up.

Japan has established the competition (which is funded by the government) in order to keep the cutting edge of robot technology sharp and to promote further advances.  When judging, entrants are generally considered for their use in business and production rather than leisure.

 

I am Pleo.

Here’s another Pleo update.

UGOBE has announced they plan to release a software development kit for the robotic dinosaur that would allow users access to Pleo’s motors, sensors and other operating system features.  There will be a built in application that allows for an overide of Pleo’s previous programming.  In effect, you would have total control of Pleo.

Though UGOBE has yet to announce a release date, they do offer this link for anyone interested to brush up on the programming skills they would need to operate the software.

 

ACTing up

The Neurobiotics Lab at the University of Washington are currently developing what can only be escribed as the most realistic and anatomically correct robotic hand…ever.

The Anatomically Correct Testbed Hand (or ACT Hand for short) was constructed of passive compliant materials to allow for more fluid movement as opposed to traditional materials which provide a more rigid motion.  To program the hand, developers used simpler control algorithms instead of more advanced programming.  ACT developers hope that one day their work can be used to provide realistic and fully functional prosthetics.

 

What’s your flavor?

Professor Kerstin Dautenhahn and her team from the University of Hertfordshire Science and Technology Research Institute have conducted a study regarding people and the robot companion they choose.

The project was an investigation on people and what type of robot they would prefer to interact with and in what manner.  For their study, the team looked at two very broad personality types–extroverted and introverted.  Their thery is that robots should not be build and then have programs applied to them prior to placement, but rather that people should be involved with the building of robots they are going to interact with.

Their findings have shown that people with extrovert type personalities prefer humanoid robots whereas introverts tend to lean toward more machanical looking models.

 

Sometimes Cheaters DO Win

If only I could somehow get this thing in my brain.

Four undergrads at Texas A&M University have come up with a way to beat Guitar Hero at it’s own game…which is Guitar Hero.  They’ve created a robot that can not only win the game, but excel at it.  It doesnt look a thing like Slash, but Slashbot is a killer at rocking out.

The system uses a converter box to interpret pixels from the television screen into the correpsonding fret and strum presses.

Slashbot earns an average score of 90 percent on expert mode and has never lost to a human.  I say I’m next up for lessons.

 

 

A Helping ‘Hand’

The aging Baby Boomer generation may find some help from an unusual place.

Developers at the University of Massachussetts Amherst have created a robotic aid that can help perform tasks for the elderly, as well as serve as a reminder for medication doses, call 911 for help when needed, alert clients of incoming phone calls and act as a medium for doctors to make ‘house calls’.  The u-BOT5 is also capable of detecting dangerous situations (such as an object in the way) and act as a communication hub.

Fitted with sensors that allow it to ’see’ ad ‘hear’, the u-BOT5 will help ease the stress that is expected in the healthcare industry when more than 77 million Americans retire in the next few decades.

 

X Marks the Spot

Never send a man to do a robot’s job.

A silver mine in Mexico was recently scanned and mapped with the aid of robotic technology. 3D-R1 used sophisticated scanning equipment to map over 100 million data points by performing 80 scans of the area per day.

To complete the task, the robot, controlled remotely, relies on a long range 3-D scanner to gather data.  It’s also fitted with the software to inperet the data and a high-resolution digital camera.

The entire scan took just over 3 days and covered 1.4 miles of underground landscape.  Because of 3D-R1, old mine drawings have been replaced with accurate 3-D maps.

 

New Record

The Cornell Ranger has set an unofficial world record.  It has walked for just over 5 and a half miles.  It made 45 laps around the Barton Hall track at Cornell University.  The Ranger’s creators wanted to demonstrate the robot’s efficiency.  Instead of using traditional motors to power its movement, the Ranger relies on the force of gravity when swinging its legs out–more like a human.  A pair of outside and a pair of inside legs swing alternatively resulting in a walking movement.  Its legs are unjointed, but the feet can be tipped up and down with the help of an ordinary hobbyist’s remote control.