With smartphones getting more popular, more and more people are trying to find other uses for it. No longer are they just used to call, send messages or go online anywhere. People have also been using smartphones to get entertained in so many different ways. This unique Smartphone Controlled Desk Pet Tankbots will provide an ideal example.
The Smartphone Controlled Desk Pet Tankbots allow smartphones users the mean… Read More » 

It seems that the days of those giant robots roaming the earth is fast upon us. Well, it might sound like something that someone with paranoid tendencies may say. But then again, it is more possible now than ever since there have been huge strides made lately in the field of robotics. A Japanese company is now on its way to build a working humanoid robot standing 13 feet or 4 meters high.
Hajime Research Institute … Read More » 

A team of researchers at Osaka University has developed a six-legged insect robot that can perform moves that put some humanoids to shame.
The Asterisk robot weighs 4kg, measures 816mm wide and 78mm high. It is equipped with an acceleration sensor, gyro sensor, six touch sensors (one on each leg), three infrared sensors, and six CCD cameras. Each leg has four joints. These are arranged at a 60-degree intervals t… Read More » 

Speaking of robots, Osaka-based industrial equipment manufacturer Muscle Corporation–in collaboration with other Japanese companies–has developed a humanoid that can climb ladders on its own. Seeing how current humanoids could not even walk straight, this climbing robot is quite an amazing feat.
The “Dream Robo” stands at 1.4 meters high, weighs about 30 kilograms, and goes up and down ladd… Read More » 

Appearance can indeed be misleading. This pillow is shaped like a teddy bear that looks kawaii in Japanese standards, but it is not an ordinary pillow. It is actually a robot pillow.
Why need a robot pillow? If you suffer from sleep apnea, you probably need one. This pillow, dubbed Jukusui-kun, is a product of a research done at Waseda University in Tokyo, which monitors the sleep of patients. When it detects … Read More » 

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Are we drawing closer to the robotic age?
Japanese company Kawada Industries has developed a humanoid robot designed to work along with humans. The Nextage robot may not be the first of its kind, but this one is already commercialized.
Nextage features a high-speed stereo camea, as well as two arms with 12 joints each that can be positioned within 30 microns. In case a human worker approaches the robot, it stops … Read More » 

South Korea’s Ministry of Justice has announced that it is testing robot guards in prisons. The one-month trial will be conducted at a prison in the city of Pohang, located southeast of capital Seoul, starting March 2012. The project is expected to cost one billion won (about $863,000).
The robot guards are designed to patrol prison corridors and monitor conditions inside the cells. If the robots detect si… Read More » 

Speaking of Kinect hacks, here is one that have been getting noticed. Japan-based robot maker Yaskawa has developed a humanoid robot that can be remote-controlled using the Kinect interface.
The telepresence robot, named “SmartPal VII,” can be used to communicate with other people at a certain distance or even lend a hand in cleaning room by controlling its arms. It runs on wheels and is equipped with… Read More » 

Honda recently demonstrated the latest version of Asimo, its super-advanced humanoid robot. The update is the first since 2005. The 2011 edition of Asimo is thinner, lighter, faster, and “more intelligent” than its predecessors. The robot weighs 48 kilograms, which is six kilos lighter than the previous model. It also has 57 joints, 23 more than last time, and now walks at 9 kilometers per hour inst… Read More » 

Robotic dogs such as the Sony AIBO were dismissed as expensive toys that are inferior to the real thing. No wonder it was discontinued in 2006. Despite the notion, some Japanese companies are determined to develop similar robots. One such company, Tokyo-base NSK, just unveiled a yet-nameless robot dog. But instead of acting kawaii, this NSK robot is designed as seeing-eye dogs for blind people.
The project has … Read More » 

Researchers at Stanford University have been able to develop a touch-sensitive skin for androids and prosthetics, The “skin” has a gooey texture and allows robots sensitivity to touch, as well as allow amputees to regain feeling in their artificial limbs.
The plastic skin makes use of carbon nanotubes, which are embedded into the skin as tiny, compressible springs. These tubes work as sensors as they … Read More » 

Panasonic Japan has announced the development of its HOSPI-Rimo, a “communication assistance robot” that is specifically designed for hospital use. The HOSPI-Rimo (short for Remote Intelligence and Mobility) would enable bedridden patients to communicate with doctors or family members who are living far from her bedside through “virtual visits.” Patients can use the HOSPI-Rimo to talk to o… Read More » 

Tried every thing to lose weight? You have tried every exercise machine, every diet, every alternative treatments, but you still end up gaining more weight? Perhaps you need a help from a robot.
Autom is a 15-inch talking droid that prompts owners to enter their daily calorie consumption and exercise habits using its LCD touch screen. The robot responds kindly to keep them motivated, complete with that cute yet … Read More » 

Japan-based RIKEN has unveiled a new version of its bear-faced RIBA (Robot for Interactive Body Assistance) healthcare robot, which aims to assist care-giving personnel in lifting the elderly from their bed to a wheelchair. The robot was developed in response to Japan’s aging population, which is expected to reach 5.69 million by 2015.
The RIBA-II, developed in collaboration with Tokai Rubber Industries (TRI… Read More »