tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56551352012-01-07T20:10:50.125-05:00News of the developing Robotic NationMarshall Brainnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-38692561073274237672011-12-19T03:19:00.003-05:002011-12-19T15:23:05.747-05:00

Are you an employer experiencing labor unrest because of low wages or poor working conditions? The easiest way to eliminate that problem is to replace the workers with machines, according to this article:Using Propaganda to Stop China's StrikesAfter Hong Kong’s Milo’s Knitwear (International) added new Japanese knitting machines at its Dongguan sweater factory, it reduced line workers from 80 to

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-72967679060345618192011-12-19T00:09:00.002-05:002011-12-19T14:14:23.970-05:00

The title says it all:Drones: A deeply unsettling futureThe technology itself is also developing at an alarmingly rapid pace. The New York Times reports that researchers in the US are working on "shrinking unmanned drones, the kind that fire missiles into Pakistan and spy on insurgents in Afghanistan, to the size of insects", along with oversized drones that can capture video of an entire city.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-6790667343467754352011-11-24T00:36:00.000-05:002011-11-24T05:40:38.964-05:00

With the development of Watson, IBM showed the world what computers can do with vast text databases like Wikipedia. In Watson's case, the goal was to win at Jeopardy. Now that same kind of technology is being deployed to win at science:Scientists are developing a computer that can read vast amounts of scientific literature, make connections between facts and develop hypothesesAt the heart of CRAB

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-29422282066451492902011-11-19T00:41:00.000-05:002011-11-24T05:45:34.834-05:00

Imagine a vast network of robots tracking license plates. Once the network is complete, robots will know the location every car on the road:License plate readers: A useful tool for police comes with privacy concernsThe plate readers are different from red-light or speed cameras, which issue traffic tickets and are tools for deterrence and enforcement. The readers are an investigative tool,

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-59687194380983924572011-11-15T00:08:00.001-05:002011-11-28T10:10:37.225-05:00

Computer more accurate than human doctor at breast cancer diagnosisComputer scientists and pathologists at Stanford University now have a computer system that can look a tissue sample and diagnose breast cancer more accurately than a human doctor. The computer system, called C-Path (Computational Pathologist), even went one step further and identified previously-undiscovered cellular structures

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-79935245883469744162011-11-09T00:56:00.002-05:002011-11-09T05:04:05.522-05:00

Asimo is new and improved, with the ability to run, jump, open things with his hands, communicate in sign language and avoid obstacles. This video catalogs the latest abilities:Asimo videoOne day in the not too distant future robots like those will be seen walking down the street...

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-69424484629562599592011-11-08T00:12:00.002-05:002011-11-08T09:19:43.874-05:00

Police forces are in the process of turning from civilian organizations into military organizations, as explained here:Cops With Machine Guns: How the War on Terror Has Militarized the PoliceThe most serious consequence of the rapid militarization of American police forces, however, is the subtle evolution in the mentality of the "men in blue" from "peace officer" to soldier. This development is

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-61994713299996079782011-11-04T00:36:00.000-04:002011-11-04T08:41:07.770-04:00

This article shows that trucks drivers could be near-term victims of robotic replacement:Rio Tinto boosts number of driverless trucksRio Tinto says worker shortages contributed to a decision to boost the number of driverless trucks at its WA iron ore mines from ten to 150.The trucks will be used at the company's Pilbara mine sites, controlled remotely from its operation centre in Perth, 1,500

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-55508865198802539002011-11-03T00:42:00.000-04:002011-11-04T08:45:13.439-04:00

Does information technology destroy or create jobs? Debate heats upIn the latest edition of MIT Technology Review, David Talbot reviewed Brynjolfsson and McAfee’s new book: Race Against The Machine: How the Digital Revolution is Accelerating Innovation, Driving Productivity, and Irreversibly Transforming Employment and the Economy, and pulls out the observation that the digital economy may be

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-7780898967944500952011-10-31T00:54:00.000-04:002011-10-31T15:55:35.494-04:00

An amazing video showing the PETMAN robot:From the video description: "PETMAN is an anthropomorphic robot developed by Boston Dynamics for testing special clothing used by the US Army. PETMAN balances itself as it walks, squats and does simple calisthenics. PETMAN simulates human physiology by controlling temperature, humidity and sweating inside the clothing to provide realistic test conditions.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-30159021981761685472011-10-26T00:06:00.000-04:002011-10-31T16:10:57.061-04:00

At this moment in history, IT jobs are generally considered to be "safe" from robotic encroachment. But it turns out cloud computing could have a huge negative effect on IT employment, as discussed here:Cloud computing's real creative destruction may be the IT workforceThe upshot from cloud computing is that companies will need fewer data centers. People run data centers. Those jobs are likely to

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-31860642055884061052011-08-16T21:03:00.001-04:002011-08-16T21:04:45.218-04:00

From the video's description: Swarmanoid is a heterogeneous robot swarm in which different groups of robots have different capabilities: some robots are specialized in manipulating objects and climbing, some in moving on the ground and transporting objects, and some in flying and observing the environment from above. This video presents the Swarmanoid project

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-14870370525652402502011-01-16T23:10:00.003-05:002011-08-16T21:15:21.863-04:00

SMSS is a autonomous robot that carries gear, equipment and supplies for infantry soldiers. According to this page: The largest unmanned vehicle ever deployed with U.S. ground forces, the Lockheed Martin Squad Mission Support System leverages robotic technologies for unmanned transport and logistical support for light, early entry and special operations forces. It solves capability gaps by

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-9559520397001729462009-07-05T21:58:00.001-04:002009-07-05T21:58:34.664-04:00

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-86676704703120803732009-04-13T20:49:00.000-04:002009-04-13T20:50:37.529-04:00

A robot with a sophisticated vision system and sophisticated arms is able to prune grape vines on a twig-by-twig basis:

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-43605999421983780682009-04-02T20:51:00.001-04:002009-04-13T20:53:02.258-04:00

Israelis' invulnerable, 60-tonne robot bulldozer force to doubleFrom the article: "The regular D9, from Caterpillar, is an imposing brute. It weighs nearly 50 tonnes - reportedly more than 60 with IDF armour - boasts better than 450 horsepower, and is generally equipped with a normal bulldozer blade at the front and a "ripper" delving tool at the back. The Black Thunder unmanned version is fitted

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-20787884032368948552009-03-22T07:36:00.000-04:002009-03-22T07:37:36.858-04:00

Driverless, Electric Taxis Set for UAE DebutFrom the article:The streets of Masdar City are said to be entirely free of traditional cars, so these podcars will be the only way of getting around short of taking a train, riding a bike, or just walking.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-80705102732744376702009-03-22T07:35:00.000-04:002009-03-22T07:35:49.842-04:00

Robots ready to run the worldFrom the article:An intensive study into the possible achievements of robots has allowed scientists to surmise there will be an amalgamation between humans and robots. Antonio Lopez Palaez, co-author of the research and a Professor of Sociology at Spain’s National Distance Learning University said,“Just as we depend on mobile phones and cars in our daily lives, the

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-62732396985245508452009-03-22T07:31:00.000-04:002009-03-22T07:32:56.973-04:00

Morphing programmable matter gadgets could soon be a realityFrom the article:Researchers are just a few years away from bringing to life revolutionary morphing devices known as programmable matter which can change size, shape and function.Programmable matter, or "claytronics", involves creating devices made of millions of microscopic robots that are to 3D objects what pixels are to a screen.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-74325217049741412802009-03-22T07:30:00.000-04:002009-03-22T07:30:09.944-04:00

SmartHand: Cyborg Limbs Will Feel Like User's OwnFrom the article: SmartHand is a European collaborative project to develop a next-generation robotic prosthetic limb, and as part of the project Swedish researchers have successfully demonstrated a neat psychological trick that makes wearers feel like an artificial limb is actually part of their body.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-13571019237220207532009-03-22T07:18:00.000-04:002009-03-22T07:18:48.065-04:00

New Army technology could save soldiers' livesFrom the article:This remotely controlled robot, called BEAR, could help remove injured soldiers from battlefields.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-73438900282883874772009-03-22T07:13:00.000-04:002009-03-22T07:16:42.316-04:00

RobotsFrom the article:Robotic systems continue to evolve, slowly penetrating many areas of our lives, from manufacturing, medicine and remote exploration to entertainment, security and personal assistance. Developers in Japan are currently building robots to assist the elderly, while NASA develops the next generation of space explorers, and artists are exploring new avenues of entertainment.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-53236875252142842612009-03-08T07:38:00.001-04:002009-03-22T07:39:10.871-04:00

Robots could replace army medics in battleFrom the article: In 10 years' time the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital may be replaced by a "Trauma Pod" manned by robot surgeons and nurses.A prototype already undergoing trials contains a three-armed remotely controlled robotic surgeon - the equivalent of Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce, played by Alan Alda in the M*A*S*H series.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-8682116624262276242009-02-01T22:42:00.000-05:002009-02-01T22:43:46.155-05:00

Autonomous Robots Invade Retail Warehouses

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-80163321278273883752009-01-26T22:48:00.001-05:002009-02-01T22:54:32.349-05:00

The LP960 is a simple UAV used for reconnaissance. It weighs 2 pounds and has a 10 megapixel camera. Basically a glorified radio controlled airplane:LP960 UAV flies around, shoots high def photographs, video of its journeySince it is just a glorified R/C airplane, it brings up the obvious question: can "normal people" modify R/C aircraft and turn them into their own UAVs? Yes - there are whole

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-49201592525710723242008-12-12T21:13:00.000-05:002008-12-12T21:22:34.475-05:00

A robot from Canada is getting a lot of press this week:Ontario man builds real-life female androidFrom the article:According to the official Project Aiko website, the android can read newspapers, provide weather reports and tell different types of medicine apart. Aiko can also distinguish between types of touch to her body and can even make toast. But she cannot walk -- yet. Trung said he needs

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-48508680137968485412008-12-12T04:31:00.000-05:002008-12-12T04:33:05.742-05:00

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-43900018689814120692008-11-16T21:53:00.000-05:002008-11-16T21:54:41.528-05:00

Ford's most advanced assembly plant operates in rural Brazil - video

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-51051724097972887072008-10-24T06:07:00.000-04:002008-10-24T06:08:25.871-04:00

Packs of robots will hunt down uncooperative humansFrom the article:robots.jpgThe latest request from the Pentagon jars the senses. At least, it did mine. They are looking for contractors to provide a "Multi-Robot Pursuit System" that will let packs of robots "search for and detect a non-cooperative human".

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-58727160826602396002008-10-02T06:58:00.000-04:002008-10-22T08:59:38.728-04:00

A photo essay on new robot hand designs:Robot Hands Get a Grip on the FutureFrom the article:For centuries, people have used the human body, and the hand in particular, as an inspiration and blueprint for engineering innovations.But copying the human hand hasn't been easy. Its complex muscular and skeletal structure offers a unique, tricky balance: It is dexterous, stable and precise, but also

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-3075856455502032942008-09-19T03:05:00.000-04:002008-10-22T09:07:14.783-04:00

Ten Thousand CentsFrom the site:"Ten Thousand Cents" is a digital artwork that creates a representation of a $100 bill. Using a custom drawing tool, thousands of individuals working in isolation from one another painted a tiny part of the bill without knowledge of the overall task. Workers were paid one cent each via Amazon's Mechanical Turk distributed labor tool.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-16091191381582765012008-09-18T13:44:00.001-04:002008-09-18T13:56:37.266-04:00

This is the science fiction version of tele-presence, where people control robots at a distance to get work done. In the trailer you can see people doing constuction work, agricultural work and military work:We already have people flying drone aircraft in this way, but the agricultural and construction robots are still a few years off.What we do have today is people willing to do more cerebral

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-48973504335335931532008-08-29T06:51:00.002-04:002008-10-22T09:08:47.124-04:00

daVinci S HD Surgical System at Westside Regional Medical Center

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-67268302629925725862008-08-26T15:06:00.001-04:002008-08-26T15:09:44.298-04:00

Intel looks into the future:Robots to be more intelligent than humans in 40 yearsFrom the article:The firm predicts in just over 40 years machines may have the reasoning power of humans, though stopped short of saying they will become our masters and we will be forced to do their bidding."The industry has taken much greater strides than anyone ever imagined 40 years ago," said Justin Rattner, CTO

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-73690049275754785952008-08-19T00:38:00.002-04:002008-08-19T00:42:49.992-04:00

Watch the video in this article to see how far "animated people" have come:Lifelike animation heralds new era for computer gamesHow long will it be before actors and actresses of every sort, along with newscasters, spokespeople, etc. are replaced by animated people like these?How long before this level of realism is available in games like SecondLife and WoW?

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-35483025408717855242008-07-11T20:00:00.000-04:002008-07-11T20:09:55.615-04:00

A Robot That Learns to Use Tools: "To assist humans around the house, robots will need to be able to deal with the unfamiliar. But while researchers can preprogram robots to do increasingly sophisticated tasks, they face a much bigger challenge in teaching them to adapt to unstructured environments. A robot developed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, however, is able to learn to use

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-58077534054525386272008-06-30T05:29:00.001-04:002008-06-30T10:33:03.141-04:00

It is exactly as predicted in a Robotic Nation:Dr. R2-D2 - The invasion of the surgeon robotsFrom the article:There is one realm, however, in which robots really are joining the gang: the operating room. It turns out that Americans love to be operated upon by them. Last year, robots participated in thousands of surgeries, and the years ahead promise even more choices. Cancer surgery, heart

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-17980198945253630902008-06-29T04:50:00.001-04:002008-06-29T04:53:15.714-04:00

Zappos tries robots on for sizeFrom the article:the company, which now sells more than just shoes, has just finished outfitting it's Kentucky warehouse with a robotic army to help fill orders, the company supplying the system announced Tuesday.The Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System from Massachusetts-based Kiva Systems, is basically a team of autonomous, stout, orange robots that sort, store, and

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-46727361859946012382008-06-28T04:55:00.000-04:002008-06-29T04:57:16.319-04:00

Germany's 'robot' restaurant

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-33532897000040046052008-06-19T22:40:00.000-04:002008-06-19T22:43:08.926-04:00

The Economist weighs in on robots:Robots are getting cleverer and more dexterous. Their time has almost come"Today, thanks to the relentless increase in the power of computing, the latest robots are being fitted with sophisticated systems that enable them to see, feel, move and work together. Robot engineers call this “mechatronics”: the union of mechanics, optics, electronics, computers and

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1162856206816943002008-06-18T22:19:00.000-04:002008-06-18T22:20:16.884-04:00

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-10127458557392373062008-06-05T14:33:00.000-04:002008-06-05T14:35:43.906-04:00

D.C. Police to Check Drivers In Violence-Plagued TrinidadFrom the article:D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier announced a military-style checkpoint yesterday to stop cars this weekend in a Northeast Washington neighborhood inundated by gun violence, saying it will help keep criminals out of the area.Starting on Saturday, officers will check drivers' identification and ask whether they have a "

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-64733855154977972982008-05-17T09:20:00.000-04:002008-05-19T09:22:39.488-04:00

Warwick University robo nurses straight from 'Star Wards'!From the article:ENGINEERS at the University of Warwick are helping to design 'R2D2'-type robo nurses which could be in hospitals by 2020. i-WARD is the name of the £2.6 million collaborative EU funded three-year project.It stands for Intelligent Robot Swarm for Attendance, Recognition, Cleaning and Delivery.Professor Vinesh Raja,

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-78747375109007182192007-11-30T08:36:00.000-05:002007-11-30T08:38:19.309-05:00

Robots at play and work - "The 2007 International Robot Exhibition, which began Wednesday and runs through Saturday, is sponsored by the Japan Robot Association. The show claims to be the largest robotics industry trade show in the world and showcases robots that do everything from manufacture cars to help those in the health care industry..."

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-52553270351893118962007-09-24T11:52:00.000-04:002007-09-28T07:55:00.989-04:00

UXV Combatant, a new class of warship being developed by BAE Systems to fight in the drone wars: "BAE believes that the future battlefield will be full of intelligent robots fighting against each other, probably until they realize they can join together to eliminate all humans from Earth. The ship looks and specs, expected to enter service past 2020, look terrifying: The 8,000-tonne carrier is

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-57601228534668920062007-09-04T05:11:00.000-04:002007-09-04T10:16:52.242-04:00

In The Day You Discard Your Body as well as Manna, people readily discard their carbon-based bodies to live in virtual worlds that are far more interesting and entertaining. This article talks about a man who has done nearly the same thing with Second Life today:Is This Man Cheating on His Wife? He is basically living in Second Life. The only thing he does is "real life" is eat, sleep and use the

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-72021709451283267852007-08-12T06:17:00.000-04:002007-08-12T06:19:02.854-04:00

China Enacting a High-Tech Plan to Track PeopleFrom the article:At least 20,000 police surveillance cameras are being installed along streets here in southern China and will soon be guided by sophisticated computer software from an American-financed company to recognize automatically the faces of police suspects and detect unusual activity.Starting this month in a port neighborhood and then

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-56370371707793692782007-08-09T06:15:00.000-04:002007-08-09T06:19:28.602-04:00

Farms Fund Robots to Replace Migrant Fruit Pickersfrom the article:Vision Robotics, a San Diego company, is working on a pair of robots that would trundle through orchards plucking oranges, apples or other fruit from the trees. In a few years, troops of these machines could perform the tedious and labor-intensive task of fruit picking that currently employs thousands of migrant workers each

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-8479789930896696012007-08-04T10:00:00.000-04:002007-08-04T10:07:43.664-04:00

Self-service economy arrives gradually The article reads like a page from Manna or Robotic Nation. Here is an excerpt:At airports, supermarkets and big-box retailers, "customer service" in recent years has meant self-serve — aided by touch-screen kiosks. As digital kiosks become more user-friendly and capable of handling more complicated tasks, health care providers, fast-food chains and other

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-59884927521786958862007-08-04T00:33:00.000-04:002007-08-04T00:36:27.212-04:00

First Armed Robots on Patrol in IraqFrom the article: Robots have been roaming the streets of Iraq, since shortly after the war began. Now, for the first time -- the first time in any warzone -- the machines are carrying guns. After years of development, three "special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system" (SWORDS) robots have deployed to Iraq, armed with M249 machine

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-35304475237666405252007-07-29T06:56:00.000-04:002007-07-29T07:00:13.355-04:00

A really interesting article on evolutionary algorithms and how they are replacing human designers:Evolutionary algorithms now surpass human designers

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-19080030501342154412007-07-27T06:48:00.000-04:002007-07-29T06:55:15.279-04:00

A very strange wheeled and legged bug-like robot. Here is a video:Engadget article:Halluc II

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-63919594697567682922007-07-21T16:48:00.000-04:002007-07-21T16:52:12.715-04:00

Robotic Insect Takes Off: "A life-size, robotic fly has taken flight at Harvard University. Weighing only 60 milligrams, with a wingspan of three centimeters, the tiny robot's movements are modeled on those of a real fly. While much work remains to be done on the mechanical insect, the researchers say that such small flying machines could one day be used as spies, or for detecting harmful

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-26250186904588065372007-07-19T04:41:00.000-04:002007-07-21T16:47:36.734-04:00

The game of checkers has now been completely solved:Check on Checkers: In perfect game, there's no winnerFrom the article: Computers have been able to beat people at checkers since 1994, when a program called Chinook won the checkers world championship. The program, written by computer scientist Jonathan Schaeffer of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, used rules of thumb to guess the best

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-57373709153237584682007-07-12T18:28:00.000-04:002007-07-12T12:29:51.821-04:00

Synthetic snot might help robot nose smell trouble: Now researchers at the University of Warwick in England have hit upon a way to dramatically improve a robot's sense of smell: synthetic snot...

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-22594028992027481372007-07-11T07:16:00.000-04:002007-07-11T07:23:28.637-04:00

Researchers Dream of Humanizing AndroidsFrom the article:Household androids, like flying cars and Martian colonies, have disappointed generations of science-fiction enthusiasts by failing to materialize. Most research in robotics has drifted toward robots that, like Mars rovers and Roombas, have no resemblance to anything living, let alone human. And while it may be cute, let's face it: Asimo

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-27394245122850535132007-07-01T21:49:00.000-04:002007-07-11T20:52:14.557-04:00

HRP-3 Promet II, Coming Soon to a Job Near YouFrom the article: Nicknamed Ma-Kun, the amazing new worker robot is dust-proof, water-proof, and has an improved balance system designed to navigate treacherous paths and slippery floors. The HRP-3 Promet II, a product of Kawada, Kawasaki, and Japan’s AIST, was designed with the goal of developing a humanoid robot with sufficient skills to enter the

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-13466516802731143832007-06-26T01:33:00.000-04:002007-06-25T13:38:23.854-04:00

The World Wide Web will soon be absorbed into the World Wide Sim: an environment combining elements of Second Life and Google Earth:Second EarthFrom the article:Second Life, which started out four years ago as a 1-square-kilometer patch with 500 residents, has grown into almost 600 square kilometers of territory spread over three minicontinents, with 6.9 million registered users and 30,000 to

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-86100606923095650882007-06-25T01:24:00.000-04:002007-06-25T13:25:36.574-04:00

Farms Fund Robots to Replace Migrant Fruit PickersFrom the article: Vision Robotics, a San Diego company, is working on a pair of robots that would trundle through orchards plucking oranges, apples or other fruit from the trees. In a few years, troops of these machines could perform the tedious and labor-intensive task of fruit picking that currently employs thousands of migrant workers each

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-19517468580255426232007-06-23T13:27:00.000-04:002007-06-25T13:29:31.287-04:00

Robots to Look for Life in Arctic OceanFrom the article:The organisms known to exist in the Arctic basin, where the Gakkel is located, may have evolved in a unique fashion because they were mostly isolated from the life in the deep waters of other oceans for all but the last 25 million years, said Robert Reves-Sohn, the expedition's lead scientist.The job of reaching any new organisms at the

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-22799563484760937992007-06-15T01:41:00.000-04:002007-06-25T13:43:03.822-04:00

First Public Release of CLARAty Software From the article:CLARAty is the Coupled Layer Architecture for Robotic Autonomy. The first release of its software, version 0.10-beta, is now available publicly at http://claraty.jpl.nasa.gov.CLARAty is an integrated framework for reusable robotic software. It defines interfaces for common robotic functionality and integrates multiple implementations of

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-58938472277830548052007-05-23T06:02:00.000-04:002007-05-23T06:03:13.612-04:00

IBM Unleashes 4.7 GHz POWER6 MicroprocessorFrom the article:IBM claims to be launching the world's fastest chip for UNIX serversIBM just launched the dual-core 64-bit POWER6 processor running at 4.7 GHz, which doubles the speed of the previous generation POWER5 while using nearly the same amount of electricity to run and cool it.The POWER6 processor is a result of a five-year R&D period, is

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-35541019810629994242007-05-21T07:10:00.000-04:002007-05-21T11:18:01.362-04:00

Many interesting items about robots can be seen in this article:Rise of the machinesExamples:"As part of its bid to put a robot in every household by 2015, South Korea has just drawn up a code of ethics for robots as they become a vital part of daily life. Meanwhile, at a meeting last month in Rome, the European Robotics Research Network called on the European Commission to set up a robot ethics

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-7731858274277475842007-05-21T07:00:00.000-04:002007-05-21T11:02:56.255-04:00

Robotic nurses set for wardsROBOTS could soon replace nurses by performing jobs like dispensing drugs, taking temperatures and cleaning up wards. Health ministers say the machines will make caring for patients cheaper and safer — after trials showed robots make fewer mistakes.A Department of Health spokesman said: “One robot being developed has an arm like C-3PO in Star Wars. It can mix cancer

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-56981390628111760882007-05-10T06:16:00.000-04:002007-05-10T06:17:52.468-04:00

Robots Are a Soldier's Best FriendFrom the article:The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have become an unprecedented field study in human relationships with intelligent machines. These conflicts are the first in history to see widespread deployment of thousands of battle bots. Flying bots range in size from Learjets to eagles. Some ground bots are like small tanks. Others are the size of two-pound

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-18653087066086621032007-04-29T23:43:00.000-04:002007-04-29T23:52:14.226-04:00

Mouse brain simulated on computerFrom the article: US researchers have simulated half a virtual mouse brain on a supercomputer. The scientists ran a "cortical simulator" that was as big and as complex as half of a mouse brain on the BlueGene L supercomputer. In other smaller simulations the researchers say they have seen characteristics of thought patterns observed in real mouse brains. Now the

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-28270083373963011642007-04-23T06:24:00.000-04:002007-04-23T08:48:24.712-04:00

The kind of thing you would expect in a robotic nation:Factory Jobs: 3 Million Lost Since 2000First:Three weeks ago, Dawn Zimmer became a statistic. Laid off from her job assembling trucks at Freightliner's plant in Portland, Ore., she and 800 of her colleagues joined a long line of U.S. manufacturing workers who have lost jobs in recent years. A total of 3.2 million—one in six factory jobs—have

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-40463642332484954212007-04-22T08:39:00.000-04:002007-04-23T08:41:33.701-04:00

Why Can't A Computer Be More Like A Brain?From the article:It is clear to many people that the brain must work in ways that are very different from digital computers. To build intelligent machines, then, why not understand how the brain works, and then ask how we can replicate it? My colleagues and I have been pursuing that approach for several years. We've focused on the brain's neocortex, and

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-9938520346361030052007-04-19T07:33:00.000-04:002007-04-23T08:51:31.521-04:00

Is AI Engineering the Shortest Path to a Positive Singularity?From the article:As a result of the specifics of my AI research, I have come to a position somewhat more radical than that of most Singularity pundits. Kurzweil estimates 2045 for the Singularity, and 2029 for human-level AI via a brain emulation methodology. I think this is basically a plausible scenario (Though I do think that, if a

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-74743067835812825852007-04-18T07:11:00.000-04:002007-04-23T07:15:48.579-04:00

An attempt to build an ethical robotic soldierFrom the article:WAR is expensive and it is bloody. That is why America’s Department of Defence wants to replace a third of its armed vehicles and weaponry with robots by 2015. Such a change would save money, as robots are usually cheaper to replace than people. As important for the generals, it would make waging war less prey to the politics of body

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-79335625461163714032007-04-17T07:22:00.000-04:002007-04-23T07:24:14.238-04:00

NASA to Test Portable Robot SurgeonFrom the article:The portable robot, which can be controlled over the Internet by a human surgeon many miles away, is being developed with money from the U.S. Defense Department to be used to treat wounded soldiers on a battlefield, to perform complicated surgery on patients in remote areas of the developing world and to help sick astronauts in space.The

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-29754807228773211452007-04-11T07:24:00.000-04:002007-04-23T07:31:18.080-04:00

New Robot Eyes Humans with Human-Like Eyes"Presently, Domo can identify objects, reach for them and place them on shelves. Unlike an assembly-line robot, Domo can sense its surroundings using a pair of video cameras for eyes; they are connected to 12 computers. The cameras are built into remarkably human-looking "eyeballs," for a reason, said Domo's developer, Aaron Edsinger."Assistive robot

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-92054771187032485452007-04-06T07:16:00.000-04:002007-04-23T07:20:02.712-04:00

A computer can now recognise classes of things as accurately as a person canFrom the article:Thomas Serre and his colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have built a computer processing system that tries to work in this general way. Among the tasks that computers are bad at is recognising broad categories of images. Tell one to search for something specific, such as a rectangle

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-83831237580375907102007-03-31T16:49:00.000-04:002007-03-31T16:50:21.164-04:00

Description: "Douglas Lenat Dr. Douglas Lenat is the President and CEO of Cycorp. Since 1984, he and his team have ... been constructing, experimenting with, and applying a broad real world knowledge base and reasoning engine, collectively "Cyc". Dr. Lenat was a professor of computer science at Carnegie-Mellon University and at Stanford University. His interest and experience in national

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-21399090083168184432007-03-29T06:22:00.000-04:002007-03-29T08:26:47.900-04:00

Growing a Brain in SwitzerlandFrom the article: A network of artificial nerves is growing in a Swiss supercomputer -- meant to simulate a natural brain, cell-for-cell. The researchers at work on "Blue Brain" promise new insights into the sources of human consciousness.The machine is beautiful as it wakes up -- nerve cells flicker on the screen in soft pastel tones, electrical charges flash

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-89177365834167083202007-03-27T04:41:00.000-04:002007-03-27T04:45:41.091-04:00

Robotic management has arrived:For fast-food help, call in the robotsFrom the article:Pittsburgh's Hyperactive Technologies has come up with a system, based on the computer vision and artificial intelligence systems employed by robots, to manage the kitchens at so-called quick-service restaurants. The vision system in Hyperactive Bob essentially scans the parking lot for incoming cars. It then

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-76775442295999837102007-03-20T04:48:00.000-04:002007-03-27T04:50:07.444-04:00

AI software to tighten up production linesFrom the article:Artificial intelligence software that provides expert advice on improving the efficiency of a complex production line has been created by researchers in the UK.The software analyses the relationship between an end product and the many variables in the production process. Other software-based attempts to address this problem have struggled

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-87834012545081077392007-03-10T04:53:00.000-05:002007-03-27T04:54:20.199-04:00

Robot Salamander May Give Evolution CluesFrom the article:The robot doesn't look much like a salamander _ it's nearly a yard long and made of nine bright yellow plastic segments each containing a battery and microcontroller _ but it does seem to move like one.The point was to understand how a spinal cord developed to direct a swimming motion that could handle the different coordination needed

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1172678071512355302007-02-20T05:53:00.000-05:002007-02-28T10:54:31.786-05:00

Description of what you are seeing is available here.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1171895232679899612007-02-17T09:24:00.000-05:002007-02-28T10:55:11.243-05:00

Robot-driven cars on roads by 2030From the article:The first wave of intelligent robot cars, capable of understanding and reacting to the world around them, will be tested this November in a competition run by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)...Thrun, who was speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in San Francisco, is a member of

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1171476367358990072007-02-14T00:53:00.000-05:002007-02-14T13:06:07.566-05:00

Intel has announced its path toward tera-scale computing, allowing "Teraflops of performance operating on Terabytes of data." The centerpiece of the progra right now is an 80-core demo chip with a radical architecture. Here is a great article with lots of graphics describing Intel's approach:The Era of Tera: Intel Reveals more about 80-core CPUHere is a shorter version: Intel pieces together 80-

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1171475490518021302007-02-14T00:50:00.000-05:002007-02-14T12:51:55.493-05:00

IBM speeds chips with DRAM memory: "In an upgrade that could improve chip performance for gamers and multimedia users, IBM plans to double the performance of its microprocessors in 2008 by using smaller, more efficient memory, according to a paper presented at the ISSCC (International Solid State Circuits Conference) trade show in San Francisco Wednesday. IBM plans to use dynamic RAM (DRAM)

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1170296943750832062007-01-31T21:28:00.000-05:002007-01-31T21:29:03.836-05:00

Neural 'extension cord' developed for brain implantsFrom the article:A "data cable" made from stretched nerve cells could someday help connect computers to the human nervous system. The modified cells should form better connections with human tissue than the metal electrodes currently used for purposes such as remotely controlling prosthetics (see Brain implant enables mind over matter)."The

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1170295295409243062007-01-31T20:59:00.000-05:002007-01-31T21:30:04.370-05:00

Street-fighting robot challenge announcedFrom the article: A contest to build a robot that can operate autonomously in urban warfare conditions, moving in and out of buildings to search and destroy targets like a human soldier, was launched in Singapore on Tuesday.The country's Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) is offering one million Singapore dollars ($652,000) to whoever develops a

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1170294166176699782007-01-29T20:41:00.000-05:002007-01-31T20:42:50.733-05:00

N.Y. scanners spark union cries of "geoslavery"From the article:Every morning Dennis Colson, a surveyor at New York City's Department of Design and Construction, begins his work day by placing his hand on a scanner to log his time and attendance at the office.The use of hand geometry and other biometric data, like facial and iris recognition, is not new -- the University of Georgia pioneered the

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1169442266713487032007-01-21T23:56:00.000-05:002007-01-22T00:04:48.090-05:00

Ethics dilemma in killer botsFrom the article:Reports out of Korea of newly developed guard robots capable of firing autonomously on human targets are raising concerns about their potential uses. The new Intelligent Surveillance and Security Guard Robots reportedly will be commercially available later this year and are expected to be deployed along the northern border of South Korea. At an

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1169473440073938492007-01-20T20:42:00.000-05:002007-01-22T08:44:00.346-05:00

Microsoft Robotics Studio

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1169121345353364742007-01-18T06:45:00.000-05:002007-01-18T06:56:54.586-05:00

Robo-builder threatens the brickieFrom the article:IS THE writing on the wall for the brickie? Engineers are racing to unveil the world’s first robot capable of building a house at the touch of a button. The first prototype — a watertight shell of a two-storey house built in 24 hours without a single builder on site — will be erected in California before April. A rival design, being pioneered in

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1169122086061209982007-01-18T06:02:00.000-05:002007-01-18T07:09:14.063-05:00

Fire Scout - VTUAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, USAFrom the article:Fire Scout has the ability to autonomously take-off from and land on any aviation-capable warship and also at unprepared landing zones close to the Forward Edge of the Battle Area (FEBA). It can carry out surveillance, find tactical targets, track and designate targets and provide accurate targeting data to strike platforms such as

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1169090372323965242007-01-17T22:14:00.000-05:002007-01-17T22:19:33.566-05:00

Futuristic automated bus unveiledHere is the first sentence of the article:A model of a futuristic driverless bus which promises to cut pollution and congestion has been unveiled. Also:The bus is an electric/bio-fuel hybrid and the lack of a driver is expected to reduce operating costs by up to 50%.It is that 50% reduction that will drive the Robotic Nation. In every industry, it will be the same.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1168961419769532432007-01-16T05:28:00.000-05:002007-01-16T10:30:22.306-05:00

HP Engineers Defy Moore’s Law, New Nano-Chip Prototype in 2008: "HP announced today that its research department came up with a breakthrough discovery, which could lead to the creation of field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) up to eight times denser... Applications of FPGAs include DSP, software-defined radio, aerospace and defense systems, ASIC prototyping, medical imaging, computer vision,

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1168961627388819782007-01-08T04:33:00.000-05:002007-01-16T10:33:47.476-05:00

Video:Surgical Robotics: Is R2D2 in Your Future?Description: "Surgical Robots are here now; they have their roots in Stanford based research and Silicon Valley development. How do they work? What can they do? Thomas Krummel, MD, addresses the current uses of surgical robotics, the reasons for using them and their role in future medical treatments."

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1167831651970060292007-01-03T08:32:00.000-05:002007-01-04T08:47:53.110-05:00

The following image was scanned from a science book for kids entitled "Mysteries and Marvels of Science", published by Usborne:It demonstrates the conventional wisdom for robots in the workplace - that robots will take only the "repetitive" and "dangerous" jobs. Of course, as robots get more and more capable, there will be nothing that boxes them into these specific job categories. Economic

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1167830455083424452007-01-03T08:16:00.000-05:002007-01-03T08:20:55.136-05:00

Plastic may spell the end of the silicon microchipPlastic won't spell the end of silicon, but it will offer a lower-cost alternative in many applications. From the article:The initial products from the factory will be pieces of plastic about A4 size. The basic plastic substrate will be polyethylene terephthalate, a form of plastic used to make drinks bottles.“I would not be surprised if Prof

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1167830160289816962007-01-03T08:15:00.000-05:002007-01-03T08:16:06.536-05:00

The article:Catching a Killer, With Help From a CameraAs more and more cameras are installed, police are able to track criminals across broader landscapes:Detectives needed more clues. While there were no human witnesses to the killing, there were potentially dozens of mechanical ones. On nearly every block of downtown Philadelphia, a motley assortment of cameras watch over department stores,

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1167143160985301762006-12-20T03:25:00.000-05:002006-12-26T09:26:02.050-05:00

UK report says robots will have rights

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1166016360040269112006-12-13T08:23:00.000-05:002006-12-13T08:26:26.300-05:00

Restaurants Embracing Self-Service TechnologyFrom the article: Two out of three US restaurant operators are implementing or testing self-service technology that would allow customers to place orders through kiosks or online.This trend comes straight out of Robotic Nation.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1165854893515774852006-12-12T03:34:00.000-05:002006-12-13T08:23:35.020-05:00

Honda has designs on car cam networkNot only will cars be driving themselves, but they will also become roving eyes.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1165864807540776122006-12-12T02:19:00.000-05:002006-12-13T08:22:08.813-05:00

Border webcams rack up millions of hits in a month.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655135.post-1165847825191514142006-12-11T09:36:00.000-05:002006-12-12T00:02:29.996-05:00

DARPA Finalizes 2007 Urban ChallengeFirst prize: $2 millionFrom the press release:The Urban Challenge will feature fully autonomous ground vehicles conducting simulated military supply missions safely and effectively in a mock urban area. The race will take place on November 3, 2007, at an undisclosed location in the western United States. Robotic vehicles will attempt to complete a 60-mile

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com8