Tag: ‘Robot’

Kawasaki BULLDOG to sweep Cambodian landmines

23 Jun 2006

Kawasaki's BULLDOGOn June 21, Kawasaki Heavy Industries announced plans to send its BULLDOG landmine clearing system to Cambodia, where it will be put to the test in the field. The BULLDOG system, which employs Kawasaki's robotic remote control and electronic control technology, has undergone some upgrades after conducting mine clearing operations in Afghanistan in 2004 and 2005.

By conducting test operations in Cambodian minefields, Kawasaki hopes to gather data that will help them develop a BULLDOG system well-suited to the local vegetation, soil conditions, and terrain. As was the case in Afghanistan, the operations are financed by a grant extended by the Japanese government.

The BULLDOG system consists of three parts: (1) the MINE DOG, a mine-detecting vehicle equipped with mine detection sensors and a variety of cameras, (2) the MINE BULL, a mine-clearing vehicle equipped with a drum that drills the earth to excavate and detonate mines and a mechanism to collect waste products, and (3) a system of devices for remote control and operation.

Relying on an 8-channel system of mine detection sensors that automatically adjust their height with respect to uneven terrain, the MINE DOG can detect anti-personnel mines and unexploded bombs underground. A camera mounted on top of the vehicle detects trip wires and mines scattered on the ground surface. Sensor data is analyzed using software developed by Kawasaki, which allows operators to distinguish mines from objects such as rocks or cavities in the soil. For the tests in Cambodia, Kawasaki added features to help the MINE DOG deal with vegetation, as well as features to improve mobility on soft ground.

The MINE BULL detonates anti-personnel mines by means of a high-speed digging drum that turns the soil in front of the vehicle. The vehicle's excavation depth monitor, GPS antenna, and route-monitoring cameras ensure steady digging and forward motion, and a system of magnets extract waste materials that typically slow down the safety inspections that follow mine clearing operations. To deal with Cambodia's sticky soil, Kawasaki added a system of brushes to prevent soil buildup and mobility-enhancing features similar to those added to the MINE DOG.

The MINE BULL will be shipped to Cambodia in June, and work will begin in a minefield near Siem Reap in July. The MINE DOG will be shipped in August, and it will go to work beginning in October.

Kawasaki aims to use the data obtained from these tests to quickly develop a BULLDOG system well-suited for the Cambodian landscape, which they hope will make a valuable contribution to international demining activities that involve the Japanese government and international NGOs.

[Source: ZDNet Japan]

Animatronic panda suit for rent

01 Jun 2006

Here's some welcome news for anyone not jiving with the whole 2006 "cool biz" fashion campaign that was officially launched today...

Multimedia production company Buildup Co., Ltd. has announced plans to begin renting high-quality animatronic suits in June. First up for rent will be the company?s panda suit.

Animatronic panda suit
(The panda suit appeared on NHK's "Tensai Terebi-kun MAX")

The realistic-looking panda suit consists of two layers -- an inner layer of padding to reproduce the panda?s muscles and an outer layer featuring a coat of high-quality fur. The eyes, ears and mouth are equipped with a total of 14 remote control servo motors, allowing the panda to make facial expressions ranging from pleasant smiles to angry grimaces. To add to the realism, the designers eliminated the peepholes for the person inside. Instead, the performer sees by means of video goggles connected to a CCD camera system.

Although Buildup generally loans its suits to production companies, the panda suit is available for rent to individuals as well. With the rental service scheduled to begin today (June 1), the company has yet to announce the rental price. Only one panda suit is available at the moment, but Buildup is looking into expanding its lineup with suits modeled after other animals.

You can see a short video of the panda frolicking on the side of a road on Buildup's panda suit webpage.

[Source: IT Media]

METI to establish Robot of the Year Award?

16 May 2006

Robo-KoizumiIn an effort to further promote Japan?s robot industry, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) plans to establish an annual Robot of the Year Award to recognize outstanding robots developed and put into practical use each year.

Beginning this July, the ministry will begin accepting applications for this year's candidates. After review by a panel of experts, the results will be announced at an award ceremony held at the end of the year.

In addition to the grand prize, prizes will be awarded to robots in the following categories: (1) industrial robots, such as those used in painting and welding, (2) service robots, such as those used in cleaning and security, (3) robots for use in special environments, such as rescue robots, and (4) robots developed by small to medium sized venture firms.

Japan?s market for Japanese robots is expected to grow from its current 500 billion yen ($4.5 billion) to about 1.8 trillion yen ($16 billion) in 2010, with particularly strong growth expected in the household service robot industry.

[Source: Yomiuri Shimbun /// (Image via Shu's Blog)]

PaPeRo robot gets avatar, resides in your devices

10 May 2006

On May 9, NEC announced the development of new technology that enables its PaPeRo household robot to connect with a variety of personal devices. The technology provides PaPeRo with a digital avatar that "follows" you to the device of your choice, where it appears on the screen and interacts with you.

PaPeRo

Details of conversations with the robot and its avatar are exchanged between the devices so that PaPeRo can provide services and information tailored to your needs when you change devices. The avatar, a virtual representation of NEC?s PaPeRo, is designed to work on computers as well as other personal devices such as PDAs and car navigation systems.

When a WiFi connection is established between the robot and the devices, saved data -- including data about your interests and tastes -- can be shared between the robot and its avatars. For example, after telling the real PaPeRo at home that you would like to eat Chinese food, PaPeRo?s avatar appears on your car navigation screen when you get in your car. There, the avatar searches for the route from your home to the restaurant of choice and provides directions. The search results can also be easily transferred to your PDA.

The user-friendly conversation-based control is designed to eliminate the cumbersome task of learning how to operate the avatar on multiple devices with different interfaces. Originally developed by NEC in January 1997, PaPeRo has received upgrades in speech and face recognition skills, gaining the ability to provide information to users through conversation and manage schedule information.

NEC has not announced when this new technology will be made commercially available, but has expressed the intent to continue with technological developments aimed at helping inexperienced children and the elderly to operate a variety of devices.

(Watch VIDEO of PaPeRo in action (QuickTime, 1.24 MB). Here, the demonstrator asks PaPeRo for shopping recommendations and instructs it to move to the car navigation system and the PDA.)

[Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun]

Robo-patient tells where it hurts

08 May 2006

A "sick" robot developed by researchers at Gifu University?s Graduate School of Medicine is providing hands-on educational assistance to future medical practitioners. When students touch its head and abdomen in places it feels pain, the robot says, "That hurts."

Robot patient

With 24 sensors embedded in its head and body under a layer of soft, warm (near body temperature) silicone skin, the robot can detect the hand pressure applied by the examiner. And depending on which of the 8 pre-programmed medical conditions -- which range from acute gastroenteritis to appendicitis -- it is suffering from, the robot provides a vocal response to the examiner's questions and manual pressure.

Developers claim the robot helps students cultivate medical examination skills, and it is being used in classes beginning this academic year. The students appreciate the robot, claiming it helps improve confidence before performing examinations on real people.

"Great pains were taken to provide the sensors with a human level of sensitivity," says professor Yuzo Takahashi (57), who developed the robot. "We would like to make further improvements and expand the number of symptoms the robot can respond to."

[Source: Yomiuri Shimbun]

“Robo-carp” rehearses for public debut

14 Apr 2006

The robotic koi carp unveiled last month by a group of Hiroshima engineering companies (led by Ryomei Engineering) is scheduled to make its first public appearance this weekend.

It was spotted during rehearsal in a large tank at Miyajima Aquarium (in Hatsukaichi city in Hiroshima prefecture), practicing its trademark moves of spinning around, treading water, and swimming in reverse. The robot appeared to be getting along will with the other fish in the tank -- an alligator gar and three endangered pirarucu that measure over 2 meters in length.

?It looks like a robot, but it behaves like a real fish,? said one surprised onlooker.

Public demonstrations of the robot will be held at the aquarium this weekend (April 15 - 16).

[Source: Chugoku Shimbun]

ROBO-ONE sets 2010 date for space robot battles

11 Apr 2006

At the ROBO-ONE competition held in Tokyo in March, organizers announced plans to begin holding its robot competition in space in the year 2010. According to the recently launched "ROBO-ONE in the Space" official website, the project aims to further the progress of robot technology and boost the value of engineers by embracing the coming era of robotics and space. By taking the battles into space, ROBO-ONE hopes to fuel dreams and create an environment that inspires people to become engineers.

ROBO-ONE in space

The tentative date for the first space competition is October 10, 2010 (10/10/10), but a number of variables -- such as obtaining international approval for the use of radio frequencies, the satellite launch schedules, etc. -- make it difficult to set a firm date. Organizers are shooting for an actual date somewhere between 2010 and 2015.

Battles will be conducted in the space surrounding the ROBO-ONE satellite, which will be in a polar orbit at an altitude of 400 to 600 km. Tokyo will have 10-minute windows of communication with the satellite 4 times per day as it passes overhead. Battles will be conducted during these 10-minute periods. The satellite will be launched as a "piggyback satellite" (a small satellite launched together with a major satellite, using the launcher's surplus payload capacity) and will measure 50 x 50 x 50 cm and weigh less than 50 kg.

The rules of combat will be similar to those in previous competitions, the only difference being the definition of what is considered "out" of the ring. A 5-meter long safety line that connects each robot to the satellite will be outfitted with tension sensors that detect when the line is fully extended (determining that the robot is "out" of the ring). To be eligible for the competition, the biped robots must measure no more than 10 x 10 x 10 cm and must be capable of walking on terra firma. They also must be controllable from the Earth's surface.

Since conditions in space vary greatly from those on Earth, builders will have to consider a range of new issues, such as how to deal with the strains of operating in a vacuum under extreme temperatures and high levels of radiation.

ROBO-ONE's long-term plan is to hold competitions on the surface of the moon, which many believe will not be possible until at least 2030. In the meantime, the group will use the satellite.

(Click the link on this page to see the promo video. WMV file, requires Windows Media Player.)

[Source: ROBO-ONE in the Space, IT Media]

Robo Garage unveils FT mini-fembot

07 Apr 2006

FT, the feminine robotOn April 7, Robo Garage, a venture company of Kyoto University, unveiled a slender and agile biped female robot.

Named FT (short for "Female Type"), the robot has a plastic and carbon fiber body, weighs 800 grams (1.8 lbs.), and stands 35 centimeters (13 inches) tall. Her 23 joints enable her to perform a range of fashion model type moves, like arching her back and swinging her hips as she walks, as well as runway-style turns. FT's components were designed and arranged to create a feminine body line.

Robo Garage, who spent about one year working to realize its dream of creating a feminine robot, has not yet determined whether FT will be made commercially available.

"In developing FT, we also sought the advice of pro models," says Tomotaka Takahashi, head of Robo Garage. "I hope that by evoking a sense of familiarity and comfort, FT can expand the potential of robots."

[Source: Nishinippon Shimbun]

ITR robot seeks place in the home

04 Apr 2006

ITRRobot developer Speecys Corporation has unveiled its ITR ("Internet Renaissance") robot, a compact droid capable of downloading Internet content via wireless LAN. The company announced plans to begin selling developer evaluation kits (limited to 300 sets) to content developers at the end of May. The consumer version of ITR is scheduled to hit shelves at the beginning of September with a price tag of 190,000 yen (US$1,600).

ITR, which Speecys is billing as the world's first humanoid robot to be integrated into the family, connects to a dedicated server via the Internet to download "robot content" that it presents to the user with its voice and movements. ITR uses Speecys' own Robot Transaction Markup Language (RTML) as a protocol, and the company appears to be moving forward with plans to establish RTML as the standard protocol for robot communication. With an adaptor, the IEEE 802.11g compatible bot will be able to download content from a mobile phone web browser.

Initial plans call for 12 channels of content ranging from news and weather to children's programming, variety and music programs. Features such as a "motion browser" and a library function for storing emotional expression motion data enable ITR to use sound and motion to communicate the content to the user.

ITR's hardware includes an RPU-50 CPU manufactured by Futaba Corporation, Speecys' own NetBSD-based OS (Speecys OS Rev. 2.0), and Futaba's RS301CR servo motors. ITR is outfitted with a pair of speakers and a total of 168 LEDs in its chest and hands. The robot is powered by a built-in rechargeable lithium polymer battery, and is equipped with USB and serial ports, a Mini SD slot and audio connection port. ITR is 30 cm (12 inches) tall and weighs 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs).

With dreams of seeing ITR enjoy widespread adoption in the general household, Speecys hopes ITR will follow in the footsteps of radio, TV, PC, and mobile phone to become the fifth major form of household media.

[Source: Impress Watch]

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