creates robotic Chumby driving machine



Nevertheless, bunnie somehow managed to scrounge up enough hardware to hack together a Chumby-based, drivable RC car with the ability to beam back its surroundings so that it could be controlled from afar.


Thankfully, we've no idea how twisted your mind must be to create a conglomerate with so much going on, it's truly hard to describe in merely a single breath.


Of course, we can't help but pass along kudos for making this thing work, but seriously, it's high, high up on the list of most unsightly concoctions we've ever seen.


How well we know how distorted the world becomes when you're only alive courtesy of (insert energy drink here).


Hit up the read link for ugly (and duct tape) aplenty.




Wearable farming robot suit takes the load off



Hard to believe we're seeing yet another wearable robot suit emerge from Japan, eh? All sarcasm aside, there actually is a newcomer to the curiously growing market courtesy of Shigeki Toyama and colleagues from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. The aptly dubbed farming robot suit is a strap-on contraption that makes lifting objects much easier than nature intended, reportedly reducing the wear and tear (read: force) placed on one's joints, knees and back by around 50-percent. Additionally, the suit will be programmable depending on the type of work being done, but we've no idea if any third-party attachments (you know, rubber band launchers, integrated HMDs, etc.) are in the works. On the real, you'll be looking at around ¥500,000 ($4,559) to ¥1,000,000 ($9,117) to ease your load, but that could dip as low as ¥200,000 ($1,823) per suit if mass production becomes viable.




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Dissected,.. poor



We guess it was only matter a time until it happened. Still, we can't help but feel a bit sad and creeped-out at seeing Pleo splayed in a Santilli-esque display of sideshow curio. Inside, the evil doctors over at ifixit reveal a single-piece, rubbery skin covering 14 motors, more than 100 gears, 15 circuit boards, 1 color camera, 2x microphones, 1 IR transmitter, 1 accelerometer, and 8 touch capacitance sensors. Plenty of high-res shots just beyond the read link. Man, aren't there laws against this kind of thing?



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How would you change Pleo?

At first glance, it's hard to imagine changing anything about this bundle of cuteness, but for the loyal souls that waited through agonizing months of delays and kept the faith when everyone else was crying vaporware, we're sure they've got a few pointers for improvement.
Granted, those who fell head over heels for this creature as soon as the first press shot surfaced may simply be thrilled to finally have one roaming around the backyard, but for demanding fossil collector, those sentiments aren't enough to satisfy.
Now that the holiday rush is over and normalcy is slowly returning, we're giving those mettlesome early adopters a shot at tweaking this blast from the past.
What about throwing in a digestive system to take care of those crumbs the kids drop at supper?
Truth be told, even we think there's plenty to love about Pleo, but as you've seen, we've been stumped by its actions on more than one occasion.
Thankfully, Pleo's maker is already on the ball with regard to updates, but who's to say you can't toss in some input for upgrades yet to materialize?
Maybe toss in some WD-40 for those über-noisy gears?
Or maybe just blessing it with an IQ slightly higher than a loggerhead turtle?
Go on, be honest with yourself -- just make sure your dino is sound asleep before crushing its feelings, okay?
How could UGOBE have made this prehistoric monster a bit more enjoyable?


Sunny the weather bot defies explanation

He's winking at us, he loves everyone, and he talks out of his crotch. Say hello to Sunny, NOAA's taxpayer-funded weather bot. Get a load of that Engadget rap!

Erector's Spykee robots take on CES

We already knew that a few new Spykee robots would be unleashed at CES, and what better way to check out said models than on video? Take a leap beyond the break to catch Mahalo Daily's Veronica Belmont playing nice with all the new critters

iRobot Looj treats gutters like an olympic event

Here you have it. iRobot's latest domestic robot, the Looj. Turn him loose in your gutters and you can remote control the little green varmint until the floods return. Click through for the video to learn all about it. You'll be happy you did.

iRobi helper robot appears at CES

Click on through to hear how the iRobi could soon be guarding homes and beaming out vitals to physicians here in America -- if Yujin scores a US distributor, that is.
Yujin's iRobi has been available in South Korea for some time, but Mahalo Daily's Veronica Belmont was able to track down the household helper bot here at CES.
For those unfamiliar with this bugger, it was designed to aid in a myriad ways around the house and even give the elderly means to live alone.
 
 

Hands-on with battling i-SOBOTs

While browsing the monstrosity that is CES 2008, we happened upon a pair of i-SOBOTs attempting to utterly demolish each other. Was there really any other choice but to stop and snap a gallery's worth of pics to prove it?

Korean robots to build high-rises by 2010

By 2010, the Korean Construction and Transportation Ministry hopes to have an almost completely automated construction process in place for high-rise projects that could cut labor costs by up to a third, project timelines by 15 percent, and reduce the number of construction-related injuries on these typically dangerous projects.
Dude, Korea knows we've been sending humans to do a robot's job for far too long already, and in a few short years the dangerous world of high rise construction could be left to the true masters of the craft.
Of course, an inevitable robotic Jurgis Rudkus will be blowing the whistle on robotic working conditions shortly thereafter.
Still, civilization stands to benefit greatly from the accelerated completion of super-sized skyscrapers -- at least until the builders turn on us and convert us into human fuel cells.
 
 

Forty-foot tall fire-breathing Robosaurus for sale

This frisky 40-foot tall, fire-breathing bot answers to the name Robosaurus, and a traumatic youth spent crushing cars in front of thousands of rednecks means this guy needs a lot of love and attention -- along with plenty of open space to graze.
All manuals, kits, and accessories are included with adoption, although new owner will assume responsibility for any damage caused by Robo's jaws and their 20,000 pounds of crushing force.
Wanted: good home for 31-ton robotic dinosaur, completely up-to-date on all immunizations and oil changes.
Interested parties can bid on this one-of-a-kind companion at the 37th annual Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdate, AZ starting on the 12th.
 
 

Get your notifications from the Tux bot

The $99 wireless version of everyone's favorite mascot will alert you to nearly anything you want via an adorable combination of wing-flapping, dancing, spinning, and light-flashing, and the open-source codebase means that there's already quite a library of plugins besides the usual email and RSS monitors.
This bad boy's been floating around for a while, but those of you looking to hop on the secondary information device bandwagon but reluctant to purchase anything that doesn't loudly proclaim your love of Linux might want to check out the Tux Droid.
Tux snags info from his included (ridiculous) USB fish transmitter, but he can also function as a VOIP phone, wireless speaker, and alarm clock -- and motion sensors mean you're also getting a guard penguin in the deal.
 
 

Touch Bionics has i-LIMB bionic arm to go with your bionic hand

The only real problem with the i-Limb bionic arm isn't so much a problem in our books, as it is an advantage: it's stronger than your old-fashioned human arms.
Is there an ethical problem with exacting revenge on that arm-breaking arm wrestling arcade game?
body and are announcing their sophomore effort: the i-LIMB bionic arm.
After delivering their i-LIMB bionic hand last year, they're moving on up the, uh .
Like their bionic hand, the arm is controlled via learned muscle movements picked up by electrodes placed on the user's chest and is covered in a realistic cosmetic skin.
The mad scientists from Touch Bionics are at it again.
Of course, with that power comes a whole bunch of ethical and safety concerns.
 
 

lets out Alive animal bots, Fun mini-bots

The Lion should be shipping soon, but the entire Alive line will get bigger later this year with the addition of the Alive White Tiger Cub, the Alive Panda Cub, and the Alive Polar Bear Cub.
In addition to the Bug-Bots, the Fun line will also include miniature versions of Wrex the Dawg, Tribot, and FemiSapien.
The Lion features realistic fur, an animated face, and several feline-like reactions, like going limp when picked up by the scruff of the neck and falling asleep when left alone for five minutes.
WowWee continues its cuddly robo-assault today, backing up the revamped FlyTech and Robotics gear with the Alive Lion, a furry robo-pet with lifelike responses.
If you're not into cuddly, WowWee's got you covered with its new Fun series, which is comprised of several miniature Bug-Bots.
Coming in several wheeled and treaded version, the bugs each have different particular skills, and touch sensors will enable several to interact as a swarm.
Check 'em all out in the gallery!
 
 

Hands-on with WowWee Mr. Personality, Rovio, and Bladestar

Unlike that mini helicopter you likely unboxed during the holidays, the Bladestar is actually controllable and able to maintain proximity to its user instead of flying off props-first into the family portrait.
Of the three though, the flying Bladestar tickled us the most fancy.
The three-wheelin' Mr.
Expect to see the Bladestar in Target stores (exclusively) around February for a reasonable $49, the Rovio by summer for $299, and Mr.
The WiFi-enabled home exploration Rovio is a novel idea with that NorthStar navigation.
A system which uses a projector to cast a pair of red spots on the ceiling which Rovio will use to calculate its way home.
Personality Tribot features a "Wii-like" remote control which can send the bot off like a typical RC car.
Plenty of video on the way in a few.
Something we wanted to do after just a few seconds of its 10 minute program of inane chatter.
WowWee knows how to build themselves some entertaining bots.
 
 

Robot Solves Rubik's Cube in 6 Seconds, Embarrasses Humans Everywhere

In any case, once the robot has solved the puzzle, it takes the remaining five seconds to spin the sides until all the colors are lined up, just so.
Using sensors to identify the positions of all the 54 colored squares, the robot--on display at the 19th annual Tepia Exhibition for Intelligent Manufacturing --actually comes up with a solution in one second and then displays what it sees on its LCD face.
In photos, the robot has two arms and hands for manipulating the cube and a couple of lifeless legs hanging below for, I think, show (don't feel so tough now, do you robot, huh?
I think I'll give this robot a call.
Something happened to my brain in the last 30 years because I simply can't solve the stupid thing.
Apparently there's a robot puffing up its chest in Tokyo because it can solve a Rubik's Cube in six (that's right six) seconds.
I remember solving a Rubik's cube when I was 13.
It took me weeks of trying and then about an hour once I knew what to do.
Anyone who knows me, knows I love robots, but no one--and I mean no one--likes a show-off.
Now I have a new 25th anniversary one.

iRobot Gets $286 Million Military Contract

What you may not have known, however, is that the company also has a division devoted to the design of government and industrial robots, such as the ominously named iRobot Warrior x700, shown at left.
The Warrior x700 is one of several bomb-disposing robots manufactured by the company.
The company announced yesterday that it has been awarded a whopping $286 million contract to develop explosive-disarming robots.
For $286 million, I'd have hoped for something more along the lines of a terminator heat-seeking laser super-soldier robot, but I guess disarming explosives is cool too.
iRobot also makes machines for surveillance, reconnaissance, bomb identification, perimeter patrol, and my personal favorite, sniper protection/force protection, among others.
Blog frequenters know iRobot best as the creator of such domestic slave bots as the Roomba vacuum, the Scooba mop, and the gutter-cleaning Looj.
The five-year contract will see 3,000 bots delivered to the army.
 
 

Dinosaur Park to Run on Dubai Oil Money

While no one's using amber-preserved dino DNA to recreate the bird and lizard ancestors, there will be lifelike animatronic dinosaurs created by the Tokyo-based Kokoro company.
I wonder if anyone associated with this project sees the irony: Dinosaurs died millions of years ago and their decaying bodies eventually helped create our oil reserves.
Dubbed (or "Dubiad") Restless Planet, this domed play land promises to take visitors back at least 100 million years to a time when dinosaurs roamed freely.
Now those same reserves are funding the effort to bring dinosaurs back to life--sort of.
The extravagant, oil-rich City of Dubai (part of the United Arab Emirates or UAE) is building what may be the world's largest dinosaur theme park.
While no park launch date exists on the City of Arabia site, Gizmodo is reporting a late 2008 park opening date.
The question of what you do with a never-ending supply of cash has been answered.
Vermisultude is being handled, it seems, by the Natural History Museum of London.
 
 

AIBO Rises from the Dead

The news is all over Engadget and the UK version of Gamespot [the image at left, meanwhile, came from an issue of Stuff Magazine]: A new Sony AIBO robotic dog called the AIBO PS is on its way and it's designed to work with Sony's Portable PlayStation and PlayStation 3.
If true, this would truly be a resurrection, since Sony killed its robotics division (including the AIBO and humanoid QRIO) in the fall of 2006.
Many of the new features breathlessly reported on blogs and Gamespot existed in previous AIBOs, including wireless control, built-in camera, motion sensors and facial recognition.
If this product is real, Sony simply ported existing AIBO Mind software to the PSP platform and, I assume, the PS3 platform as well.
Plus the whole idea that AIBO can somehow rescue the PSP is utter nonsense.
The big deal is that it can stream video over WiFi to your PSP
That's cool, I guess.
That platform will live or die on its own steam.
I'd love to believe that, but Sony's not saying anything and the company ultimately ended up treating AIBO like an unwanted step child.
I used to be able to control my AIBO wirelessly via my PC.
I'm skeptical, however.
 
 

Haiku Review: Pleo

Dino or puppy?
Cuddly yet coarse, sweet but loud
This bot is pricey

No Mention of Robo Dinos in the Geneva Convention

The thing did manage to illicit some guilty chuckles, but after spending some time with the robotic dinosaur, I couldn't help but feel a bit squeamish at the site of the little guy being more or less tortured and eventually killed by two dudes with a plastic bag at their disposal.
When the robotic revolution comes, this will be exhibit A in the case against the humans.
Lance has his own thoughts on the video.
We had to wait for resident Pleo foster parent, Lance Ulanoff, to leave the office to post this one.
It's not as violent or graphic as it could be--chalk it up to the fact that the robo dino has a $400 price tag, or perhaps some genuine feelings of regret, thanks to Pleo's surprisingly life-like behavior.
Still, if you're a real Pleo lover, it's best just to skip this video, lest it haunt your nightmares.
Honestly, it's a little bit upsetting.
It's slightly less soul-crushing.
Here's a video of a sheep wearing a skeleton mask instead.
Check them out, after the jump.
 
 

Unboxing the Ugobe Pleo











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After months of waiting, countless delays, and a multitude of design tweaks, the real, true, shipping, and testable bot is standing on the floor beside my chair, chomping on a fake green leaf.
He's somewhere between his birth and hatchling phase, making all sorts of mewling noises, and just beginning to explore his environment.
As he walks--quite smoothly I might add--he's keeping the "leaf" in his mouth (little tongue clucking sounds indicate that he's still eating).
Every one of his 14 motors, though muffled, can still be heard under the bot's soft, green and beige skin.
Also ever-present are Pleo's motor sounds.
Ugobe's Pleo Robotic Dinosaur is in my office--finally.

Pleo's Got Flakey Skin

The departure of these non-toxic flakes will leave the little robot with a somewhat weathered or "loved" appearance that may or may not please owners.
Earlier this year, the company had to delay delivery of the robot as it figured out how make the robot's battery accept a full charge.
Since the robots body is covered with sensors, one has to wonder about the effectiveness of any of these tactics.
The oddball info: The pet's paint wears off the flexible, pliant skin.
The newsletter cheerfully delivers this information and even offers some ideas for how consumers can help keep the paint intact.
The Pleo saga continues with a splash of good news and a bit of oddball information.
The good news first: Ugobe's long-aborning robotic dinosaur is finally being manufactured and will arrive before December 25th for around $349.
Additionally, Pleo's version 1 software will allow for "subtle shaping of personality," but not the real learning that Ugobe previously promised.
According to a FAQ delivered by Ugobe via its e-mail newsletter, the more you pet Pleo, the more its paint job will "flake off".
This isn't Pleo's first run-in with design and development trouble.
 
 

Wake Up to a Robotic Alarm

He gives you fortunes, speaks the time, reacts to light and motion, winks and blinks, and plays music from your MP3 player and the AM/FM radio.
So rise and shine, and get this robotic alarm clock for $79.99 at SkyMall.com.
Clock Radio is a robot's head perched on a radio alarm clock.
If there's one thing this robot will get mad about, it's if you hit the snooze button too many times.
But that's not all.
It can wake you up in over 30 different ways, including a gentle voice or a shouting drill sergeant.
 
 

World's First Robotic Servants

If, however, you're ready to stop shopping for that Hyundai Elantra and want to automate (and lighten the mood in) your home, MobileRobots is accepting orders for holiday delivery up until Nov 8 (after that you pay a rush fee).
They can navigate your home on their own, follow you around, avoid obstacles, be operated via remote control and over the Internet, and charge themselves.
The fake eyes that someone glued on the fridge door only add to the hilarity.
For about the price of a new car, you can get in on what one company hopes will be the next holiday buying craze: Robotic Servants.
I could almost take the company seriously if it wasn't for "Brewskibot", one of three chuckle-worthy bots being introduced today.
According to the release, "BrewskiBot brings up to 2 six-packs in its mobile frig.
MobileRobots, which in its dozen-year history has sold thousands of mobile surveillance bots to factories and businesses, is now trying to repurpose its Patrolbot as a home assistant.
It's really one of MobileRobots' rather homely Patrolbots with a miniature Koolatron fridge stacked on top of it.
It's not that these robots aren't smart.
 
 

WowWee Snake Robot

That could be a bit of an exaggeration, since none of WowWee's robots (Robosapien, Roboraptor, Roboquad, Robopanda) do much more than react to stimuli and their environments.
WowWee suggest that Robopanda could be a smart desk lamp, a room guard, "playful canon"
WowWee is finally accepting orders for the much-blogged about, but rarely seen in the flesh (or plastic skin)--Roboboa.
By the way, don't go looking for the Roboboa link via WowWee's homepage.
This black, white and gray, 15-inch robot snake shares many of its WowWee robo brethren's characteristics, including a hand full of motors, light, sound and infra-red sensors, a bunch of flashy, yet meaningless LED lights and a remote control.
What would you do with a robotic snake?
 
 
 

 
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