Here's a bonus Wednesday blog entry to recognize a few cool robot stories that have come my way lately.
First, for those who have been commenting about how some of the robots I've featured seem a little slow-moving, there's the fast cheetah robot from Boston Dynamics. It runs on four legs at up to 18 mph.
Next, for those who think some robots, like the cheetah above, isn't quite human enough, there's the Romeo from Aldebaran Robotics. This one is slated for commercial availability (for a few hundred thousand dollars) in the next few years and is intended to provide entertainment and home assistance.
Finally, right in my backyard at the University of Pennsylvania GRASP lab, flying quadrocopters work together to play the James Bond theme.
How long until dense Nanobot clouds start autonomously reconfiguring and shape-shifting? Then they won't just play the James Bond theme... they'll re-create a young Sean Connery and play the part of James Bond!
Links:
- http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2012/03/darpas-cheetah-robot-sets-new-speed-record-of-18mph-on-treadmill.ars
- http://www.bostondynamics.com/
- http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/humanoids/aldebaran-robotics-introduces-romeo-finally
- http://www.aldebaran-robotics.com/
- https://www.grasp.upenn.edu/
- https://www.grasp.upenn.edu/news/vijay_kumar_robots_fly_and_cooperate_ted_talk
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