Here First - Science and Technology Blog

The new Japanese robot is an "avatar" electronically controlled via an interactive suit that allows the user to see through the robot's eyes and feel with his hands, which allows an accurate objects grabbing actions. The robot, called V Telesar mimic the movements of its pilot. It was created by Japanese researchers from Keio University. The view "through the eye" of the robot is achieved through a 3D headset, the robotic body can move in seven different directions. Telesar's sensors are so sensitive and precise that the user can "taste" the touched object's temperature. Moreover, the user can feel the shape of small objects. The information obtained from sensors are transmitted to the user through gloves equipped with semiconductors and data engine that mimics the sensations of touch, pressure, texture and temperature of objects. One member of the Telesar team, Furukawa Mashahiro sais about the suit that it "makes you fe...

As the title evokes, this agile industrial robot can catch anything that lay in its way (via conveyer belt) and softly place it in its suitable space. Now, this may not appear all that new: even tiny children could play the Milton-Bradley game Perfection. Why not just lodge them on the production line and predate the cost of the industrial robot? But the FlexPicker is oh much more than that. This industrial robot is quicker than that child with attention deficit disorder who just can’t sit static. For cargoes of less than 100 grams, like diminished pliant pieces or pills, the FlexPicker calls for just 3 tenths of a second to execute its job. That implies that that by the time you are able to take the fastest Porsche 911 from 0 to 60 miles per hour (approximately 4 seconds), the FlexPicker can collect and relocation 13 objects and be well en route to number 14. Do not conceive it? Take a look at the following video: Whenever light objects aren’t on the transporter, dimmer models ...

In a extraordinary presentation of brain-machine user interface engineering, scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have schooled a monkey to expend only its thoughts to manipulate an advanced robotic arm and execute detailed maneuvers with it. There were other experiments monkey with brain detectors planted in its brains has commanded robotic devices with brain. This experiment with robot arm is likely the most complex system a monkey was involved with. In this brain-robotic experiment, the monkey underwent 2 brain implants: the first brain implant in the hand area and the second in the arm area of its motor cortex. These two brain implants detects the pulses of motor neurons and beam this information to a computer, which interprets the patterns into controls for the robotic arm. Two years ago, Dr. Schwartz and his team instructed a macaque to control a less complicated mechanical arm to feed itself. This was a four-degrees-of-freedom robotic arm with shoulder articulates,...

This robotic arm camed from Willow Garage and is pretty awesome. It seems that this robot arm is gravity balanced. It has a very complex mechanics behind it. The capture system has come up with a new teleoperation system for the robot. It seems that this system has many possibilities for fine-grained control of the arm's many degrees of freedom. They are planning to build 10 of these robots and loan them out for free to research labs/startups/universities. Their business model is basically "let's all work together to advance robotics to the point that we can start making money off it". I wish them Good Luck!!!

Robotic fish, developed by UK scientists, are to be released into the sea for the first time to detect pollution. This robotic fish is about 1.5 meters (1.6 yards) long, will be released in the port of Gijón in Asturias, Spain. If the project is a succes and the fish detects contaminated waters, it will then be used in rivers, lakes and seas all over the world. The robotic fish looks like a normal carp and swims like one, but is much more expensive. This roughly $29,000 fish swims at a speed of about one meter per second. It contains chemical sensors which aid in finding dangerous pollutants such as leakage from boats or underwater pipelines. If the fish finds traces of contamination, it then sends the information wirelessly back to the control center. This fish lasts about eight hours before it swims itself to a charging hub to refresh. “While using shoals of robotic fish for pollution detection in harbours might appear like something straight out of science fiction, there are very pr...