Codie the Toy Robot Makes Coding Fun and Easy - http://clapway.com/2015/10/23/codie-the-toy-robot-makes-coding-fun-and-easy/

A project in Hungary is hoping to change the way people around the world view modern technology. We live in a time where people commuting, on the go or at home are always looking down, but not at their lap or at a newspaper; they’re looking down at their electronic devices, reading, playing or browsing for all kinds of information.

A Brand New Way of Working Code

Kids especially grow curious of what they see in smartphones and other handheld devices, and they wonder how it is made. How the apps they play in are made, how the toys they see on YouTube videos are made, how drones and robots are made.

For all of those curiosities, the world has brought us Codie, the first robot toy that teaches people of all ages the principles of coding in a fun, interactive way.

Codie Uses a Building Blocks System to Teach Logical Thinking and Problem Solving

Codie is a small robot that, alongside its app, teaches very basic things like logical thinking and problem solving in a very fun way. Anything input into the app gives immediate results, so through trial-and-error, learning about coding is immediately more fun and more engaging.

Courtesy of Codie

This gadget will emulate all movement that it’s commanded, and it will save the code input by their users for future use or to elaborate on later. It’s a creative robot that accompanies you through your learning process, giving active feedback.

See Your Code Become A Reality in Minutes

By writing code that becomes a reality right in front of your eyes in minutes, Codie makes for a great companions for beginners, novices and experts, as it gives everyone a way to experiment with what they may or may not know to create new innovative code.

Codie is handmade, with warm wood and hard hitting technology, stuffed with the most advanced equipment available. The robot is bound to prove entertainment to the whole family for hours on end, and it can be paired with your smartphone through wireless Bluetooth.

Codie comes fully assembled, it’s just a matter of opening its box, setting it down and pairing it with your smartphone for a simple, innovative way of seeing and working with code. You can find out more about this awesome gadget here.

Check Out Musio, The Cutest Artificial Intelligence!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTuL0nLmBw8

Codie the Toy Robot Makes Coding Fun and Easy

Researchers from MIT have created a robot to handle your delicates...or rather, your delicate things. #MIT #robot #robothand - http://clapway.com/2015/10/02/mit-robot-hand123/

Robots have gone soft on us, literally. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a robot made of silicone rubber that has the ability to determine the size and shape of an object it is holding. Gone are the days of hard metal robotics: this “soft robot” can actually feel what it is holding, which allows it to figure out how hard to grip an item. The design features a claw-like structure with three fingers, resemblant of a claw inside an arcade game. The difference is that this machine can actually continue to hold onto objects rather than letting them slip out of its grasp.

The FEATURES OF THE Soft Robot

The 3-D printed robot, created by the  Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), has a unique silicone rubber structure that provides stability and flexibility, almost allowing it to emulate the versatility of a human hand. This enables it to firmly grasp irregularly-shaped items. According to Daniela Rus, a co-author of this study and the director of CSAIL:”Grasping is an important step in being able to do useful tasks; with this work we set out to develop both the soft hands and the supporting control and planning systems that make dynamic grasping possible.”

The robot is controlled pneumatically, meaning it utilizes pressurized air to move the fingers of the structure. To understand the shape and size of an object, the robot holds sensors inside its finger tips and uses two different kinds of grasps: a full-handed grasp or a pinching grasp, which carries an object between two fingers.

However, in order for the robot to determine how much pressure to place on an item, the research team has to first train the machine, by making it grasp an object ten times. After doing so, the information is inputed into its software. In the future, scientists hope that the robot will be able to learn on its own by engaging in an action – a behavior familiar to all humans and especially to children, as they grow and mature.

Featured image courtesy of Jason Dorfman/CSAIL/MIT.

 

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HERE’s ANOTHER SOFT ROBOT (by soft, we actually mean cute).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTuL0nLmBw8

MIT Robot Hand Can Identify Objects By Feeling

An #ISS astronaut finally controls a Earth-bound #robot from #space. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/08/iss-astronaut-robot123/

Danish astronaut, Andreas Mogensen, has successfully proved he can remotely operate a robot on Earth while he flies aboard the International Space Station. Mogensen, of the European Space Agency Telerobotics and Haptics Laboratory, utilized haptic technology to “feel” the robot 249 miles below him and to place a rounded peg into a hole.

SPECIFICS OF THE EXPERIMENT

The European Space Agency’s Telerobotics and Haptics Laboratory developed the experiment in collaboration with the TU Delft Robotics Institute, according to BBC. Andreas Mogensen correctly positioned the small peg into a hole using the Interact Centaur rover’s robot arm and a laser-guided tool. The rover was situated at ESA’s technical center in Noordwijk, Netherlands. The blue-and-white fiberglass robot, which cost less than $224,000 to build, has a camera on its head which allows the controller to directly see the task it is performing.

According to the BBC, video signals and other feedback had to pass through a complex communications network involving ISS mission control, ground antennas, and relay satellites. The wide range of communication signals caused a one second delay, which Mogensen overcame.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR MANKIND

While the minute motion of placing a rounded peg into a hole seems like a small feat, it is major advance that will hopefully lead to human-controlled robots constructing sites on Mars, giving humans a home base to then explore the red planet. “Mars is much too far for direct remote control from Earth, but flying astronauts around the planet would overcome the problem of time delay,” said the European Space Agency last year.

SPACE ROBOT: IMAGINING THE POSSIBILITIES

Professor Frans van der Helm, from Delft University’s mechanical engineering unit, said one possibility of using this type of technology could be to have robots work in a massive nuclear fusion project in France. If the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is built, “the heat will be about one million degrees,” Van der Helm told AFP. This could make it difficult for the robots to perform tasks they have been programmed to complete. This is where the human-to-robot haptic technology could help, by allowing humans to feel their way through and fix problems.

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We love reading about space. So do your kids:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdcU4nKKV2E

ISS Astronaut Finally Controls Robot from Space

Sony Playing Big Brother with Harrier-Like Drone #sony #drone #robot - http://clapway.com/2015/08/25/sony-drone123/

Drones seem to be all the rage right now, and Sony doesn’t want to be left behind. That’s why it has partnered up with robotics company, ZMP, to create a drone capable of taking off vertically and spying on people below.

The VTOL UAV

Sony and ZMP have created a joint venture called Aerosense in an effort to create a drone that can be leased to businesses so they can perform aerial surveillance, which sounds a lot like Big Brother to me. According to the company, they intend businesses to use the VTOL UAV drone for “measuring, surveying, observing, and inspection.”

The VTOL UAV is bringing Sony’s camera, sensing, and telecommunications network together with ZMP’s robotic technologies expertise to create a drone they believe will be safe for businesses to use on major architectural, civil engineering, and mapping projects.

Read more news about drones here!

Now, all of that can be done by a typical drone to an extent, but what makes Sony’s new drone unique is that it can take off vertically like a traditional quad-copter, but it actually flies around like a jet. In an article, The Guardian compares Sony’s drone to the Lockheed Martin F35 Fighter, shown in Die Hard 4, and they’re pretty spot on with their comparison.

Intentions: Good or Bad?

Here is where things get a bit tricky. No one likes the idea of being under constant surveillance. The term “glassholes” was derived from people being uncomfortable with Google Glass explorers having the ability to constantly record everything; completely ignoring the fact that most people are caught on surveillance footage more than they’d like to know.

Aerospace is looking to provide a product aimed at solving a legitimate issue: why send a person into a dangerous situation that can be done by a machine? But domestic aerial surveillance via automated drones is relatively new turf. So, it’s equally understandable that many people would be eager to cry Big Brother before fully understanding how the final product will be used.

Sony and ZMP are Focusing on Safety

Drones kind of have a bad rap for something they aren’t entirely responsible for. ZMP’s mission statement is “Robot of Everything: To create a safe, fun and comfortable lifestyle with robotics technology.” One of the reasons the companies wanted to go automated was because they believed in providing a safer solution to problems that currently exist.

“By making them automated, drones will be considerably safer because many of accidents created today are caused by human error,” said Hisashi Taniguchi, CEO of Aerosense and ZMP.

So, it’s easy to raise concerns about drones taking on more domestic work, but it’s also great to see companies, like Sony, trying to create socially responsible drone solutions that can benefit everyone.

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Speaking of drones, here’s a cute little robot in the shape of an egg:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTuL0nLmBw8

Sony Playing Big Brother with Harrier-Like Drone

Check this #humanoid #robot enjoys nature thoroughly. - http://clapway.com/2015/08/18/watch-googles-new-humanoid-robot-run-through-the-woods-323/

ATLAS, THE HUMANOID ROBOT

Meet Atlas, the gargantuan humanoid robot developed by the Alphabet-owned Boston Dynamics. Atlas can be seen running through a forest in an astonishing new video. The video’s experiment is also the first time that the robot’s capabilities have been tested outdoors. It has inspired a comparison of the 344 lb, 6’2 tall Atlas to the Terminator.

Marc Raibert, the founder of Boston Dynamics, explained the details of the experiment at the Fab Lab 11 conference at MIT earlier this month. The purpose of Atlas’ run through the woods was to find out how the robot would perform in an unfamiliar setting and test its balance.

Though Atlas currently requires the assistance of someone holding a connected power pack to run, Raibert has said that it will be able to run on its own in the future.

The Irish Examiner commented “Yes, the robots can now chase us through the woods.”And, aside from running, Atlas can also turn doorknobs because it has the ability to rotate its own wrists.

HISTORY OF ATLAS

Atlas the humanoid robot was debuted in July 2013 by Boston Dynamics, when the company was owned by Google (which is now owned by Alphabet.) It receives funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is interested in using the robot for military situations.

Like Google’s self-driving cars, the humanoid robot perceives the world with a laser radar system. As PCWorld pointed out, several changes were made to the robot this year as part of an upgrade. Among other improvements, its arms were repositioned to become visible to it, its actuators were modified to help it pick itself up from the ground and it was given lighter materials.

ROBO SAPIENS

After its release, artificial intelligence expert Gary Bradski claimed that “A new species, Robo sapiens, are emerging.”

Raibert’s ultimate goal is to develop robots that can equal or exceed human capabilities, he explained at the conference. The Boston Dynamics founder told the Fab 11 conference’s crowd that “We’re making pretty good progress, so [Atlas] has mobility that’s sort of within shooting range of yours.”

This goal, if achieved, might lend credence to some fears about AI.

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Homo sapiens would like this:

Watch Google"s New Humanoid Robot Run Through The Woods

#Animal inspired #space technology -- coming your way! - http://clapway.com/2015/08/17/nasa-testing-climbing-robots-inspired-by-geckos-436/

Two pairs of sticky feet, a round body and some inspiration by geckos, the amazing lizards that can climb easily on walls, were enough for NASA to create a next generation climbing robot to help the engineers carry repair work on the ISS (International Space Station).

After that and NASA’s new rocket design to get us to Mars, you’ll believe that everything is possible.

GECKOS?

Geckos, according to the Wikipedia are lizards living in warm climates and their size ranges from 0.62 to 23.6 inches. Their toes have an adaptation that allow them to adhere to most surfaces using their spatula-shaped setae on their footpads.

That was the concept that Aaron Parness and his colleagues from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California used and created a material with synthetic hairs, much thinner than a human hair. These hairs bend everytime a force is applied and that’s how the designed material sticks to a desired surface, supporting more than 150 Newtons of force.

“This is how the gecko does it,” Parness says, and you can watch a mini demonstration by the team here.

WHAT DID THE TESTS SAY?

In a zero gravity test, the robots were able to hang on and handle a 22 pounds cube and a 220 pounds person. As with geckos’ toes, the prototype feet that NASA designed did not lose their effectiveness even after 30,000 stick-and-unstick repetitions and the hope is the new material could soon be used on the International Space Station.

The amazing material that was used to develop these revolutionary robotic parts has been tested under extreme conditions and its effectiveness is not influenced by radiation or temperature. Its strength could come handy for ISS employees and NASA has already created different sizes of patches that can be used to hang objects on walls in zero-gravity.

NASA HAS BEEN BUSY LATELY

With the vision to use robot technology beyond the ISS borders (or even in the outer space) Parness and his team of researchers created hand-operated “astronaut anchors,” and they are also testing a lemur climbing robot, which is equipped with gecko super-feet.

Ah, technology.

>FOR MORE SPACE NEWS YOU CAN ALWAYS VISIT CLAPWAY SPACE

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Been to space yet? Space Scouts will take you there:

NASA Testing Climbing Robots Inspired by Geckos

Soon You Won"t Even Have To Mow Your Own Lawn - Thanks to iRobot - http://clapway.com/2015/08/14/soon-you-wont-even-have-to-mow-your-own-lawn-thanks-to-irobot123/

The days of dreaming about sitting outside in the shade, sipping a delicious drink while you watch your lawn being mowed by autonomous robots are over. According to a report from Reuters, the FCC has just given iRobot approval to build a robot that completely automates the art of mowing a yard.

The FCC Steps In

It might sound odd that the Federal Communications Commission would need to approve the device for manufacturing, but iRobot plans to have the robot communicate with wireless beacons. These beacons are stakes that users would place on the ground in order to create a map of where the robot needs to cut.

“These beacons will be set out only during mowing season, and except for a brief set-up period, will only communicate with the robot,” said iRobot in its filing. The kinks in the technology are still being worked out, so much of the device is still unknown.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory Has Concerns Over Robots

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory worried that the increase in wireless chatter might crowd the air with wireless signals, which could interfere with telescopes. But iRobot assured the observatory that users would only need a limited number of beacons, and their range was small since they would only be around 24 inches tall. The FCC’s waiver indicates that it agrees with iRobot’s argument.

Development Is Still Underway

The Roomba maker isn’t the first company to attempt making a lawn-mowing robot. Brands like Flymo, Robomow, and Bosch have previously attempted to seek the FCC’s approval in the matter, but iRobot’s concept won them over since it didn’t require intricate setups.

“iRobot is constantly working to develop new practical robotic solutions that are designed to improve people’s lives, both inside and outside of the home. The FCC’s decision will allow iRobot to continue exploring the viability of wideband, alongside other technologies, as part of a long-term product exploration effort in the lawn mowing category,” said iRobot.

Landscaping companies, and teenagers with a little entrepreneurial spirit, don’t need to worry just yet. The company still has a lot of research ahead of it before it’s ready to release consumer-ready robots into society.

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The Sun LifeLight is bringing the sun indoors. If you’re stuck in the office all day, this tool will help you get the health benefits you receive when outdoors! Go over to out Clapway Trends to see for yourself!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p6_3c58qfE

Soon You Won"t Even Have To Mow Your Own Lawn - Thanks to iRobot

Watch Out for HERMES The Bipedal Robot With Human Reflexes - http://clapway.com/2015/08/11/watch-out-for-hermes-the-bipedal-robot-with-human-reflexes123/

HERMES brilliantly combines the safety and productivity of robotics with the dexterity and fine balance skills of the human body. Developed at MIT, this bipedal robot can punch through drywalls, smash soda cans and karate chop boards into half, provided it’s connected to a human doing the same. By translating the movements of the human operator to the robot instantaneously, this technology hopes to tap into movements that’s challenging to teach a robot to do, but comes automatically to humans. Something as simple as walking is arduous for a robot, but second nature to us.

How Does Hermes, the Bipedal Robot, work?

Here’s how this works: the human operator wears a sheath of motors and wires and remotely controls the movements of the robot. In order to punch into the dry wall, the operator has to initiate the movement by miming the punching action. The robot follows suit. Here’s where it gets interesting. Devoid of any human input, the force of punching into a drywall will send the robot headlong into the wall, because it lacks any sense of balance. Whereas, when HERMES’s fist meets the wall, the operator feels a jolt in his waist, and leans back against it, like one would normally do. This reflexive action is conveyed to the robot, which prevents itself from falling, as a result. This split-second communication is much faster than a robot trying to balance itself based on images captured by an internal camera.

The drywall example is a perfect proof of concept for what this robotic interface was built to do. It allows the operator to remotely feel the robot’s shifting weight, and quickly balance the robot by shifting their own weight. This balance-feedback mechanism allows HERMES to carry out momentum-driven and complex coordinated tasks, without losing balance. The process of building this complex interface involved mapping the robot’s center of pressure, or where it shifted its weight. This was matched with an exoskeleton network of wires and motors attached to the operator’s waist, which is the human center of mass. Any change in center of pressure was conveyed to the motors on the exoskeleton, which would transmit an equal force on the human. Thus, when the HERMES shifts its weight, the human moves.

Eventually, this interface could be developed into a full-blown apparatus with the human wearing a body suit and goggles and being able to see the feel the robot’s actions. The developers say that a scenario could be envisioned wherein a human operator could remotely deploy HERMES to disaster sites, and safely manage the situation.

Featured image courtesy of newsoffice.mit.edu. 

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Find more technology news and reviews on Clapway Trends:

Watch Out for HERMES The Bipedal Robot With Human Reflexes