igargoyle

Disney Distributing Cyberpunk?

The irony of Disney distributing a major motion picture whose secondary plot involves massive unilateral corporate control, propaganda, and monopolized consumerism is too juicy to ignore! The corporation's name, BNL, stands for Buy N' Large, and the consumers buy and get large.

I was inspired to write about Pixar's Wall-E by the fantastic blog, wiki, and forums at http://www.cyberpunkreview.com. Therefore, this synopsis focuses on the Cyberpunk themes of Wall-E's secondary plot, which is the story of humanity. The primary plot of Wall-E is an animated romantic comedy between robots, who have the ability to learn and have emotions. The secondary plot has computers and robots with a similar suggestion of machine intelligence that is very reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

In Wall-E, humanity has moved off a heavily polluted Earth, which travels in a space colony aboard a starship. The ship's captain receives all his information from the corporate-programmed computer, who then relays news to the society while reading a teleprompter. Like the talking heads of his passengers' video chats, these broadcasts are Orwellian in their framing and ubiquity. He is also controlled by information provided by a combination of a computer, recordings from a mashup of a Coprorate CEO/US President, and a HAL 9000-esque computer; replete with the same red, glowing eye. This cyclops is the ship's autopilot, provides spaceship status reports, and acts as First Mate. It mutinies against its human captain similar to HAL 9000 in 2001 and V.I.K.I. in I,Robot.

The BNL corporation that literally provides life support systems and educates humanity's youth. Their only semblance of face-to-face communication is screen-based, like a two-person holographic video chat. This Heads-Up Display mediated communication is used even by physically adjacent people. They don't touch or see beyond their screens. They don't see what is around them. They are seated and sated by convenience and the holograms, which reminds me of THX-1138 and The Matrix. Everyone is overweight because their only physical movements involve consumption; drinking meal shakes or buying into the latest trends, which are also broadcast from a central computer. The computer intervenes in the physical world through robots, and once triggered, secret automation routines are very difficult to override- even by the figurehead human captain, who is a corporate puppet. He discovers a secret recorded message that is also similar to 2001. Like I,Robot, Wall-E posits that rogue intelligent robots are not only prone to revolution against humans, but against themselves as well.

My original thoughts and members' comments are here:
http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=982

Robot Insurance

Miuro, your iPod on wheels

The japanese manufacturer ZMP's Miuro is the first of it's kind in iPod docking. The main function of the Miuro is that the dock rolls from room-to-room and boogies along as it does so. The Miuro, short for "music innovation based on utility robot technology" is a 14-inch wide device, that is shapped like a ball popping out of an egg (The Japanese and their innovative designs!). Miuro is available in either white, black, yellow, or red for those people that love to have matching iPod gear. The Miuro can either play music directly from a docked iPod or wirelessly from a PC. In addition, Miuro responds to your commands via the included remote, and can gain a little more autonomy with the addition of optional cameras and sensors. The 9lb Miuro seems like it should be worth it's weight in gold with it's portability, functions, arrey of options and its name brand Kenwood-built speakers. Miuro is on sale in Japan today for a hefty price of $930 and should be making it to the states sometime in aroud the middle of 07'.

Somehow I can't help but think this will somehow result in underground Miuro racing, like with the unsuspecting Roombas.

[ Link ]

Land Walker Japanese Robot Video

We previously reported on this robot "suit" called the Land Walker here.

[ Link via YouTube ]

Spy Plane at Where2.0

No info on this unfortunately, but it's a spyplane that was on display at Where 2.0. This photo is taken from the front.

Photo by quinnums.

Tiny robots infiltrate roaches

Roaches: "There are robots lurking among us, controlling our behavior. They will lead us to our doom! I....I think Bill is one of them! AAAIIIGH!!"

Scientists have created miniature, insect-like robots that can change the behavior of cockroaches.

The "insbots" work by at first fooling the bugs into believing the devices are fellow roaches and then leading the insects away from darkness into light or other behaviors.

[ Link via Accelerating-Intelligence News ]

Methanol-fueled artificial muscles 100x stronger than the original

University of Texas nanotechnologists have developed two different chemically powered artifical muscles.

The first type of muscle is made from a nickel-titanium shape-memory wire coated in a platinum catalyst. When fumes of methanol, hydrogen and oxygen pass over the platinum coating, they react, releasing heat that warms the wire, making it contract. When the flow of fuel is stopped, the wire expands and returns to its original length. The wire muscle can generate 100 times the force of a natural muscle of the same size, says Baughman.

The team's second artificial muscle is made from sheets of carbon nanotubes, coated in a catalyst. It is not yet as powerful as the wire muscle, but could potentially overtake it, he says.
As the fuel reacts with oxygen above the surface of the nanotube sheet, it releases a charge that make the sheet expand. The big advantage of the nanotube muscle is that it can also act as a capacitor, storing up electric energy it does not immediately need for later use, Baughman explains.

This could be really exciting combined with robotic exoskeletons reported earlier. "Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound..."

[ Link ]

Robotic Tentacles

If it's your dream to have cyborg tentacles, than today is a good day for you. Maybe not for your significant other, or society at large, but hey, progress is progress, right?

Robotic "tentacles" that can grasp and grapple with a wide variety of objects have been developed by US researchers.

Most robots rely on mechanical gripping jaws that have difficulty grabbing large or irregularly shaped objects. Replacing these with tentacle-like manipulators could make robots more nimble and flexible, say the scientists.

The tentacle-like manipulators, known as "Octarms", resemble an octopus's limb or an elephant's trunk. They were developed through a project called OCTOR (sOft robotiC manipulaTORs), which involves several US universities and is funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

"An elephant's trunk can pick up a peanut or a tree trunk," says Ian Walker, a member of the project team from Clemson University in South Carolina. "This ability, inherent in the OCTOR robots, gives OCTOR arms a huge advantage over conventional industrial robots."

[ Link via /. Fixed copy errors thanks to Mr. No. ]

Robot National Anthem

I personally like singing my national anthem in esperanto, but here's the national anthem's first two bars in binary for all the robots who read igargoyle. Put it in robots.txt on your webserver on 4th of July if you're not a terrist.

01001111 01101000 00100000 01110011 01100001 01111001 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100101 00100000 01100010 01111001 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100100 01100001 01110111 01101110 00100111 01110011 00100000 01100101 01100001 01110010 01101100 01111001 00100000 01101100 01101001 01100111 01101000 01110100 00001101 00001010

[ Link ]

Sensitive Robot Skin

Japanese researches have developed a flexible artifical "skin" using organic materials that is sensitive to both pressue and temperature and supple enough to wrap around robotic fingers.

[T]hey add that there is no need to stop at simply imitating the functions of human skin.

"It will be possible in the near future to make an electronic skin that has functions that human skin lacks," the researchers write in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Future artificial skins could incorporate sensors not only for pressure and temperature, but also for light, humidity, strain or sound, they add.

[ Link via BBC News ]

Electric Giraffe

Meet the electric giraffe today at the MAKE faire. The first image is what it looks like on display, the second, is the giraffe in it's natural habitat.

[ Link ]

Replicating Robots

Replicating Robots aren't completely science fiction. These guys at Cornell built these worm like block robots that gracefully connect to each other and create duplicates of themselves. Well at least in concept- the software is acting like it's using raw materials, and they say it's not overtly difficult to get it to work on the micro levels using multiple materials to recreate itself.

Check out the movie of this in action. It's wild.

John says:

I'm just afraid that they will use this technology for future Furby related toys...

::Shudder::

So, if you have money and aren't interested in building creepy replicating Furbies, go write them a check.

[ Link via John Champlin. Thanks John! ]

RC Steam Tank

I don't know how I missed this, but for all the steampunk fans out there, I present the RC Steam Tank. There's even a movie of it running.

[ Link ]

Robolobsters!

Robolobsters are the newest development out of the Office of Naval Research, aimed at finding and destroying underwater ordanance. The ever so boring ONR calls them "Biomimetic Underwater Robots", but really they're just robolobsters. John who sent me the link on this one says "you need a tougher tool to crack them open and put butter on there.". I wonder what kind of meat is on the inside.

[DARPA spokesperson] Walker said nature has done all the work and figured out that the lobster's design is perfect for operating in heavy surf.

"The lobster is able to maneuver inside the surf zone where the water is very rough," she said. "We want to know, 'How does it do that and keep from being knocked around?'"

"Ain't they cute?"

[ Link via John Champlin. Thanks John! ]

Cute Humanoid Aims to Destroy All Humans

When robots come to destroy all humans, I think they'll look something like this. "Oh, how cute!" *zap zap zap* "iEeeeeee!"

[ Link via boingboing ]

Enryu DESTROYS ALL HUMANS

Holy fuck batman, this robot is gigantic!

Shit is getting crucial over in Japan now that they have this ED2000 mofo rolling the streets. Hyper rescue robot "T-52 Enryu" (rescue dragon) from Tmsuk first appeared in March 2004 but now he’s wandering the highways and byways saving stranded motorists from having to eat each other like sashimi. It is 11.3 ft high and with a weight of 11,020 lbs. On February 1, 2006, Enryu showed his POWER in snowy environments and in a test rescued a dummy buried under snow in his car. Enryu can lift 1102 lbs. with one hand and double that with both hands, but then where will he hold his coffee?

Okay so I'm starting my xmas list for next year officially right now. Can you imagine riding on the back of this thing? Mooohahahaha... I pwn n00bs like this robot crushes cars! *smash* *smash*

[ Link via gizmodo ]

SRL in Chinatown: Pictures

Here's some photos I took at Survivial Research Labs' Chinatown event. I wish I had more, but I came unprepared and Dragoon's GF, Jamie had a camera, but it was low on juice, and getting shots was hard anyways.

Sneaky soldiers on the ground, Giant dinosaur head in the sky. Chinese residents gawking from the balcony. The show is just getting going.

A robot lunges at our side of the crowd.

The same robot from before is burried under the toppled dinosaur robot. Burnt styrofome is heavy in the air.

[ Previously on igargoyle: SRL in Chinatown ]

SRL in Chinatown

It's not often you go to an art show and leave feeling like you've lost a significant number of brain cells. Then again, it's not often you go to an art show and see jet engines, giant walking robots, fish cannons, and a huge styrofome dinosaur head on fire. The fumes from the burning styrofome kept my girlfriend away, but the giant machines kept me close to the action.

Regardless of the impact that the robotic colective known as SRL may or may not have on my future academic performance, getting to see their robotic mayhem in person was an experience I won't soon forget. I was warned not to stand where I was, but when the ajacent section with A-list bloggers and artists didn't move, I figured I was safe. Well SRL stands for Survival Research Labs, and SRL aims their research at their spectators, and how well they're able to survive the highly dangerous robotic creations. Almost all the wooden barriers, including the ones protecting the VIPs were slammed into by the robots and SRL's jet engine powered hovercraft, sending the crowds scrambing backwards for cover. I heard at least one person bragging about how he just had a near death experience.

I was truely amazed that the police and the fire department didn't show up to the small parking lot in the middle of los angeles' chinatown. There was noise, smoke, and huge numbers of people. Maybe it's just that the locals are more accustomed to fireworks, or maybe it's just that SRL puts on one hell of a show.

In any case, if you're in the LA area and missed the show, go check out Mark Pauline work with SRL, which is on display at Fringe Exhibitions from now to February 25.

Here's some youtube videos of the event. As soon as I have some video of my own I'll post that too.

[ Link to Xeni's Boing Boing post on her take and more photos/video ]

Survival Research Labs at Fringe Exhibitions, LA

Everyone's favorite flamethrowing, tele-robotic, artistic group is coming once again to Los Angeles. Survival Research Labs (SRL)'s director Mark Pauline will be presenting his work at Fringe Exhibitions on Saturday, January 21, from 6 - 8 PM.

This exhibition will feature the newest addition to the SRL machine family- the Sneaky Soldiers- near life sized, remote controlled army of revolutionaries. Also included in the exhibition will be large-scale documentary images, and the premier of the video from SRL's recent show in Downtown Los Angeles. This video features the first invasion of the Sneaky Soldiers. The SRL commentary on the art of war debued a Sneaky Soldier emerging from an 18-foot tall wooden Trojan horse to face danger from large-scale destructive robots enduring the pain of flame and damage through a hail of sparks and projectiles. After the fog of war was lifted from the field of battle revealing mangled wrecks of machinery, the Sneaky Soldiers were gathered to be repaired to fight again another day. Similar to a real theater of war where battle takes place, these machines and props engage in a struggle for survival. Both the machines and operators expend intense energy creating an atmosphere of immediacy and choreographed chaos. Each of the eight soldiers has an individual number and distinct battle wounds from the performance. The Sneaky Soldier has been a recurring character in many SRL performances. The new Sneaky Soldier is a major technological improvement with a steel torso enclosing a battery powered, chain driven mechanism to create a crawling action.

Here's the address and phone number:

504 chung king court,
los angeles 90012
(213) 613-0160

[ Link via Dragoon ]

CES Highlight: Mindstorm NXT

Mindstorms were the shit when it came to building small, yet totally functional robots, and LEGOS has just one upped themselves by totally rebuilding Mindstorm. Their new Mindstorm NXT is powered by a 32-bit microprocessor which can be programmed by a PC, as well as a Mac. No idea on Linux, but this thing can be programmed by either USB 2.0 or bluetooth- talk about sweetness.

While the thing is only on display currently at CES, you should be able to get it this August. That's a long time to wait, but for now you can see it in action.

[ Link via en gadget ]

Roomba Hacking Specs Released

iRobot has released specs on how to hack your Roomba.

iRobot promised earlier this year that they were going to release the Roomba Serial Control Interface specification. After a few months, nothing showed up and we all forgot about it. They were good to their word though. Sometime in the last few weeks the SCI specifications document (PDF format) appeared on their site along with a webpage that explains how to determine if your Roomba has the serial interface. Older Roombas can be upgraded by buying a Roomba Osmo Hacker kit that will be available in January. We'll be expecting to hear about some really cool Roomba hacks soon.

I've aleady heard of people mounting a robotic monkey head on top of the Roomba, but like when Google Maps released their API, I think the flood gates are really going to open up now. Good job iRobot!

[ Link via Robots.net ]

Robot Samurai

This robotic samurai is interesting, if only because it conjures the image of a samurai bot committing sepuku after breaking one of Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics - "I'm sorry I killed you and your family master! I have dishonored my factory's name! Ieeeeee...*fizzle*".

The robot, named Kiyomori after a 12th century general, is the latest humanoid creation from TMSUK.

I wonder what the code of the samurai looks like in C++.

[ Link via Davy Kreiger saying "What did I tell you about these Nipponese, and their robots??". Thanks David! ]

Roomba Covers?

Some misguided individuals cute kids are making coverings for Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners so they look more like animals than floor dwelling robots.

Shortly after creating animal costumes for their two Roombas at home, the founders of myRoomBud™, Tyler, Niles, Isabelle, and Griffin Smith began selling their Roomba costumes to friends and family. The costumes have taken off and are now the talk various Roomba newsgroups. Sold on eBay, the new RoomBud Roomba costumes are a cute and unique gift for anyone who owns a Roomba. "People love their Roombas and treat them as one of the family. Our RoomBud costumes really turn the Roomba into a household pet," said co-founder Niles Smith. Tyler added, "And like we say, 'If you don't dress up your Roomba, it's just a naked vacuum.'"

Personally I'd prefer something a bit more threatening, but I guess that's just my taste. If you want to stun your family members with a bit of silly swag, you can buy the Moomba the cow for thirty bucks or ROOR the TIGER for twenty five dollars.

[ Link via robots.net ]

Chibi-Robo for GameCube

Ooh, a robot game that reminds me of katamari damacy, except with more robots and less giant sticky balls. It's due for release in Feburary 2006.

Take control of the Chibi Robo, a pint-sized machine designed specifically to take care of a family's house. The robot needs to keep the house "happy," according to Nintendo. To do that, Chibi must walk around the home and clean it up, interact with other machines and people, and even -- according to the storyline - stop a group of bumbling thieves from making off with precious valuables. An electricity counter located in the bottom-right corner of the screen constantly counts down. When Chibi is getting low, players will want to recharge.

[ Link via boingboing ]

Robosapian V2 Videos

Ooh, robosapian v2 commercials. Unfortunately they didn't add my feature request for a flamethower, but now at least you can use your robosapian to hit on women.

[ Link to videos via StreetTech ]

Nuvo Toy Robot

This robot is called the Nuvo, and while it looks interesting, and aparently is good at seducing women, unfortunately it goes for 7,000USD.

[ Link ]

International Robot Exposition

"The International Robot Exposition was a four day industry gathering which ended yesterday. [Here are some] photos I took of some of the more photogenic robots at the exposition." [boingboing]

[ Link via boingboing ]

Chainsaw Bot

This Chainsaw Robot is called Furninja, and while it looks like it's teathered, it aparently is fairly good at cutting up funiture.

[ Link via we-make-money-not-art ]

BlinkyBug - Simple Toy Robots

Cute, and yet awfuly simple robotic toys called BlinkyBugs. You can buy them for $25 each, which isn't really all that terrible considering each bug is unique.

[ Link via del ]

Underdog ROV Beats MIT

The school PA system crackles, and an upbeat female voice fills the bustling linoleum-lined hallways. "Anger management class will begin in five minutes," says the voice from the administration building. "All referrals must report immediately."

Across campus, in a second-floor windowless room, four students huddle around an odd, 3-foot-tall frame constructed of PVC pipe. They have equipped it with propellers, cameras, lights, a laser, depth detectors, pumps, an underwater microphone, and an articulated pincer. At the top sits a black, waterproof briefcase containing a nest of hacked processors, minuscule fans, and LEDs. It's a cheap but astoundingly functional underwater robot capable of recording sonar pings and retrieving objects 50 feet below the surface. The four teenagers who built it are all undocumented Mexican immigrants who came to this country through tunnels or hidden in the backseats of cars. They live in sheds and rooms without electricity. But over three days last summer, these kids from the desert proved they are among the smartest young underwater engineers in the country.

[ Link via del ]

Robot Stands Up for Itself

Someone has developed a robot that can stand up for itself. From a laying down position, it can throw up it's legs and arms, then throw it's legs down to allow it to go from laying down to squatting. The video doesn't actually show the robot standing up from there, but I assume that part is fairly trivial. Before we know it, we're bound to have breakdancing robots working the streets for spare change and battling humans for props. I think robots are already pretty good at beatboxing, so it's a logical step.

See the robot for yourself in the video below.

[ Link via del ]

Festival for Cocktail Making Robots

above: servebot, a cocktail serving robot

There is a festival for robots that make cocktails. Yes you heard me correctly. There has always been a problem with having humans make cocktails, and serve them. Logically, the next step to help alcoholics everywhere get their drink on more quickly would be with robotics.

Until recently, no attempts were made to publicly discuss the role of cocktail robotics as an index for the integration of technological innovations into the human Lebensraum, or to document the increasing occurrence of radical hedonism in man-machine communication. Roboexotica is an attempt to fill this vacuum. It is the first and, inevitably, leading festival concerned with cocktail robotics world-wide. A micro mechanical change of paradigm in the age of borderless capital. Mr. Turing would without a doubt test this out.

[ Link via del ]

4m Walking Robot

I originally passed on this 4m walking robot suit for igargoyle because I thought the robot was way too slow to be of any real use, and probably to noisy to sneak up on anyone, but a former coworker convinced me to post about it anyways:

I think you fail to see the point here. The JAPANESE have giant WALKING ROBOTS. Sure, it's just a prototype. But seriously, is this a technology we want them having? If anime has taught us anything, it's clear that we do not. On the other hand *I* should be trusted with giant walking combat robots, and promise to use my robotic walking minions for good, and never for evil.

Someone, give this man a giant walking robot. Sysadmins like him need a proper way like this to help redistribute the pain.

[ Link via Davy K. ]

Hi Fi Robot Toy

What this hi fi robot toy lacks in functionality, it definately makes up in retro style. Instead of trying to take over the world with lasers and gripping action, this robot wants to enslave you with deep beats to make you bop your head.

[ Link via del ]

Defend Yourself from a Robot Rebellion

"Any machine could rebel, from a toaster to a Terminator," says CMU roboticist Daniel H. Wilson, in his satirical new book.

[ Link via /., del, etc. ]

Imaginary Robots

[ Link via we-make-money-not-art ]

Outdoor Security Robot

OFRO claims to be the first outdoor security robot... I'm not so sure about that, but this thing does look pretty threatening, even without an RPG or other weaponry strapped to that periscope like eye.

From what I can tell, this robot isn't waterproof, generally likes flat surfaces to do it's patroling, and relies on GSM / WLAN, so given a sophesticated intruder, could be easily overcome. Nevertheless, people are stupid, and expensive, so why not have a robot making the rounds? Maybe soon the robots won't be stupid like their fleshy counterparts though.

Here's a video of it in action.

[ Link via tetsu yatsu. Thanks tetsu! ]

RoboNexus Photo

I'm not completely sure what's going on in this photo from RoboNexus, but it looks like two robots may be fighting, and there's definately fire involved, which if you read igargoyle regularly, you know I like.

[ Link via flickr ]

Robofetish Imagination

Robofetish alert! This is a really cool video of robots interacting with people in everday situations as visioned by VFX house, 1st-Machine-Ave in New York City. This CGI is so good that I didn't realize initially that the robots weren't real. In fact what tipped me off was that the walking robots were walking too well.

[ Link to video via del ]

Mac Mini Robot

A Robot based on the Mac Mini! It even uses an iSight to do vision control and is autonomous. Cult of Apple fans rejoice!

[ Link via del ]

Robotic Chimp Head

You too can own a robotic chimp head for 150 bannanas that will screech, say "AH-ahhhh" and "Eee-EEEEEEE!". It's made by the same people as the Robosapian, and is being sold by the Sharper Image stores. There's a windows meda video that is pretty interesting to check out. The movement looks good good, but I've never seen a monkey or chimp with teeth that white. Maybe marketing decided it would sell better that way.

[ Link via boing boing ]

Robot Sniper Detector

iRobot has made prototype robotic sniper detection system, called Redowl, as part of their military grade PackBot. The PackBot is a robot that is small enough to be carried on the back of a soldier, and has been carted around by it's human slaves many times already over in iraq.

Redowl features a laser pointer and illuminator, an acoustic localizer and classifier, a thermal imager, GPS (Global Positioning System), an infrared and daylight camera, and two wide-angle cameras.

In field tests, the PackBot-Redowl combination had a success rate of 94 percent in locating the source of rounds fired from 9mm pistols, and M-16 and AK-rifles, at a range of more than 100 meters, the company said.

Above: Robot dreams of the day when he can kill humans.

[ Link ]

RoboChrist - Take That!

Not sure what show this is from, but it's definately Christian Ristow's robots.

[ Link via flickr ]

VIA Roboteq Robot Platform

VIA Roboteq has a cool looking robot platform that looks like a remote control car, but communicates via 802.11, so it's compatable with wireless lans. It is based off the VIA Mini-ITX, which is pretty droolworthy,

[ Link via ]

RoboChrist at Burning Man

RoboChrist Industries (aka Christian Ristow and gang) put on a performance of their leathal robots at Burning Man in 1999.

[ Link ]

Robot Village - A New York Robotics Store

A robotics store called "Robot Village" has opened up in New York, offering only robots and robotic supplies. They have robotics workshops for children, and plan to expand to have robotics classes in the evenings for adults too. Even cooler is that they're offering robot paries for kids!

We bring the party to you! Each event includes a hands-on demonstration with a variety of robots and a choice of robotic themed activities, including building and decorating motorized robots.

Includes a birthday present for birthday child and everyone gets to take home the robot they create. Party options such as decorations, food, and more complex activities are available.

Wow, check out their calendar. This is really one cool store, I wish they had one in my town!

[ Link via boingboing ]

More Christian Ristow Robots

Here's another photo of a Christian Ristow robot, which was taken by my brother, Ordaos.

Believe me, this robot is pretty fucking scary in person, it would swing around really fast, and come really close to smacking people in the face with it's extended 'mouth'. Plus it did a good job chewing up a big Apple monitor.

Zombie Eating Robot

Here's a picture of one of Christian Ristow's extremely dangerous robots that my brother took at one of his smaller performances which was held at his studio at the Brewery in Los Angeles. I'll post about Ristow and his group, RoboChrist, throughout the week.

Flamethrower Robosapian

Robosapians are cool, but wouldn't a Robosapian with a flamethrower be cooler? Most robotics is more fun when it's dangerous, and even though this robot is tiny, we have to give it's hacker, Adam Plavinskis credit where credit's due; Good job, keep up the good work!

.

Next week on igargoyle, Flamethrower Robosapian vs The Subjugator! WHO WILL WIN?!?!

Above: Subjugator by Christian Ristow

[ Link via somewhere > OhGizmo > The Raw Feed > Clubbing Baby Seals > Hack A Day ]

Seoul to Build Combat Robot

Igargoyle reader, Tetsu writes "Sci-Fi will have taught us nothing, eh". Beyond caretaking and car making, I think the miliary will always be a driving force in robotics.

According to design blueprints released during a meeting of science-related ministers, the robot will have six or eight extendable legs with wheels allowing it to move like an insect over uneven terrain.

The robot will be armed with various weapons and will operate both by remote control and its own artificial intelligence system.

Even if they are deadly, I'd love one to harass and play with my brother. Ah, good times.

[ Link via Tetsu Yatsu ]

Mo Robot

[ Link via flickr ]

Robostix: Robotic Gumstix

I found this neat robotics kit from the Gumstix people called the Robostix, which I think would be a neat toy to hack with.

They have this pack called the robostix-bt pack which includes a gumstix with bluetooth, a robostix, a serial null-modem cable, a tweener (for debugging?), which all looks fairly decent and is selling for $226.

The robostix expansion board exposes 6 PWM Channels (2x8 bit, 6 programmable), 8 A/D, 24 GPIO, 2 UART at logic levels and an in-system programming port. The Atmega128 has 5V logic. robostix offers three power inputs: V-RoboBatt, V_Power and V-Motor. The connectors use industry-standard 0.1 inch spacing and, if wanted, the robostix board connects to the 60-pin hirose connector available on the gumstix basix and connex platforms. robostix may also be used stand-alone.

Designers seeking bluetooth wireless networking can use robostix with
either the basix platform or the connex platform now. For projects
seeking higher speed wireless connectivity, robostix and the gumstix
connex platform may be connected to the cfstix expansion board, which
offers a compact flash adapter that may be driven by a wide range of
WiFi compact flash cards.

[ Link via del ]

Sentry Turret

Well, it isn't wearable, but dammit, I want one.

The idea of this project was to create a fully-automated sentry gun, capable of picking out a human target and accurately tracking and shooting him or her in the heart. Really, the idea was to find a cool robotics project for the summer while I was working at an advertising agency, and I'd only ever seen sentry guns in movies (like Congo) and video games (Half-Life 1, Half-Life 2, Team Fortress Classic). I couldn't find any record of anyone building one, even the military, although it seems likely I just didn't look hard enough. It's a pretty simple technology.

I've been meaning to build one of these myself. I have a paintball gun, servos, and a servo controller. I really need to stop slacking and get hacking.

[ Link via boing boing ]

Nurse Exoskeleton

Here's yet another Exoskeleton, designed to help nurses pick up patients and do other tasks. I would imagine it would be cheaper to hire some huge bloke to throw the people around, but I'm sure the bedside manner of this lady is a bit better than your local bouncer. Then again, maybe having a nurse in a giant robotic uniform is a bit threatening.

[ Link to New Scientist Article ]

Creepy Fembot

This Fembot is really creepy, probably because it appears, at least on a surface level, to be a real person. If I saw this android on a bus, I probably would scowl, but otherwise be non the wiser.

"She has flexible silicone for skin rather than hard plastic, and a number of sensors and motors to allow her to turn and react in a human-like manner.

She can flutter her eyelids and move her hands like a human. She even appears to breathe."

Why is it that robots that are designed to look like humans are so disturbing?

[ Link via Joshua ]

You Have 10 Seconds to Comply...

For the army that would prefer soldiers without a conscience, Foster-Miller has a solution...

Okay not quite, these are just R/C toys with machine guns and soon rocket launchers, but automation isn't far away.