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ROBOT FILM FESTIVAL 2011 - Full Story |
It is always quite embarrassing, but
these past several months, perhaps he has
had good reason. Data started questioning
his relationship with me, his programmer,
because he was getting jealous of all the
other robot videos that were flowing into
my inbox for the Robot Film Festival. We
announced the festival in early April
(leaked via Bre Pettis on the Makerbot
blog), and over the next few months
received seventy-five short film submissions
from a diverse
background of creators. |
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Humanoid Buyers Guide |
Welcome to our humanoid buyers guide! If you are a newcomer to the fascinating world of tabletop humanoid robots and are curious about the variety of products available in this category, we’ve got you covered. This guide is based on web research and product reviews published in Robot and is not exhaustive. However, it is a representative sampling of many of the most popular humanoids available in the U.S. and Europe today. |
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The Meaning Of Artificial Life |
A fascinating discussion has taken hold among Robot readers, writers, and editors. Beginning in the July/August issue, continuing with emails and the article “Intelligent Machines – Plausible or Fantasy?” in the November/December issue, a significant and growing train of thought emerges. Where does software end and biology begin? What is the difference between a “grown” machine and a “natural” one? Can Mary Shelley’s character, Dr. Frankenstein, ever emerge in reality by creating artificial life? Robot continues pursuing this topic by interviewing two prominent authorities in the field of computer science and human thought processes. |
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Georgia Tech's Shimon Can Jam! |
When most of think of robots, we think of task-orientated machines, not grooving hep-cats laying down the sound with their bandmates while bobbing their head to the beat. However, that is what the team at Georgia Tech’s Center for Music Technology created when they designed Shimon, a marimba-playing robot that can improvise jazz solos and backup human musicians based upon their playing—not based on a pre-programmed sequence of notes and rhythms. And it learns over time to improve its virtuosity, accompaniment and improvisational skills! |
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Robotis DARwIn-OP Raises The Bar |
We caught up with Professor Dennis Hong, director of RoMeLa (Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory) at Virginia Tech and asked him to describe the latest iteration of this awesome humanoid. As always, Dennis spoke quickly and articulately, delivering a massive amount of information in a short amount of time with the greatest of ease, something his students love him for, and his enthusiasm is contagious. Here’s the inside scoop! |
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A Dream Of Robot Rights |
Capri foresees the programming of thoughts and feelings into robots as the next big step in robotic evolution and he is concerned humans won’t recognize a robot’s feelings. In the next 20 years, Capri envisions that robots will be sentient and that they’ll need protection. “This is where I would draw the line and call for a Bill of Rights for Robots.” He added, “We, as humans, need to exercise our sense of empathy toward the robots we are creating, and robots should be programmed with a sense of empathy toward us and each other.” |
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THE NEXT BIG THING! Service Oriented Architectures - Two leading systems, MRDS and ROS, point to the future of robotics |
A revolution is coming, and it is time to choose sides. Microsoft + .NET or Linux + Python. Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio (MRDS) and Robot Operating System (ROS) are the major contenders for service-based robotics libraries. The lines have been drawn, and whichever side you choose, you should be prepared for a new paradigm: distributed computing. |
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Robots Of China |
The opening ceremony began with something familiar. Two smaller humanoid robots from South Korea were set on the stage to autonomously perform like twins. The duo was obviously of the same family to the original Robonova humanoids, having a similar number of DOF, build and motions. They went through very interesting performances on their own, including dance, martial arts, acrobatics and spectacular motions. On occasion, one would fall down, then get back up and continue performing. |
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MythBusters - BONUS ONLINE REPORT: Grant Imahara discusses engineering details of the VEX "PackBot" project |
To explore the capabilities of the VEX Robotics System, we chose to build our simplified version of iRobot’s PackBot (see ). The goal was for the robot to be able to climb stairs and small piles of debris using only VEX components. Sounds like a tall order, right? You bet. Fortunately, our friends at Radio Shack were kind enough to allow us to preview some of the exciting accessories planned for the VEX system, including tank treads, a programming kit, ultrasonic rangefinder sensors, and optical shaft encoders. ROBOT magazine provided us with a wireless remote camera distributed by Shulman Aviation to complete our PackBot’s control package. |
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Mythbusters Test The Vex Robotic Design System - page 1 |
Jamie Hyneman, Grant Imahara and Adam Savage, cohosts of the popular MythBusters TV show on the Discovery Channel, have many years of experience designing animatronic robots used in commercials, science fiction movies and other popular media. This team also has broad experience in radio control and hobby robotics. We are proud to include their review of Radio Shack’s new VEXTM Robotics Design System in the inaugural issue of ROBOT. Visit www.botmag.com/issue1 for additional photos, a detailed, photo-rich “build report” by Grant Imahara and video clips of the MythBusters commenting on their VEX PackBot system. |
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The Evolution Of A Roboticist - Mark Tilden |
He is a standout not only for what he has accomplished in the world of robotics but for who he is. Not content with turning the robot world on its head by establishing a brand-new school of thought known as ”BEAM” robots (derived from “Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics,” see the July-August Robot , page 78), Tilden has since gone on to succeed in academic circles, build robots for the US military’s Los Alamos Labs and for NASA’s space program. And, get this—he can even lay claim to stupendous commercial success with his robots—with 22 million sold and counting! |
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EXCLUSIVE GALLERY!!- The Rise and Fall of Unimation Inc. |
A story of robotics innovation and triumph that changed the world--Supplementing the feature article by George Munson appearing in the September/October issue of Robot Magazine now on-sale (issue No. 24)Our thanks to Leslie Ballard, who condensed and edited the manuscript for publication, and who prepared this gallery in collaboration with George Munson--Tom Atwood, editor-in-chief |
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THE RISE AND FALL OF UNIMATION, INC. - Story of robotics innovation & triumph that changed the world! |
In the spring of 1951 the Korean War was in full swing, and I was sure I would be drafted. I saw no point in interviewing for employment, despite my newly awarded degree in physics from the University of Connecticut. When I heard about a starting position for a physicist at Manning, Maxwell and Moore (MM&M) in Bridgeport, Conn., I figured I had nothing to lose and made an appointment. A young engineer, sporting a bowtie, by the name of Joseph Engelberger, interviewed me—he hired me on the spot. Little did I suspect that this decision sealed my fate, as our association would change manufacturing the world over. Nor could I know that with his combination of entrepreneurship, marketing, and natural affinity for promotion he would become the “Father of Robotics.” |
