Tag: ‘Robot’

Chatty shows face at local anime fair

25 Mar 2006

ChattyChatty, a talking mannequin with a human face, is on display at the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2006 (at Tokyo Big Sight through March 26).

Developed by Ishikawa Optics & Art Corporation, Chatty has a face that is brought to life by means of a video projector inside its head. A video image of an actual human face (or the face of a computer-generated character, if you prefer) is projected onto the inner surface of the mannequin's face, which serves as a three-dimensional video screen. Audio synced with Chatty's video lip movements gives the face an astonishingly realistic look.

Chatty's presence at the anime fair brings Ishikawa one step closer toward realizing its dream, which is to see the technology behind Chatty's face be put to use in speech-capable historical figures for museum exhibits, theme park guides, or human-faced androids.

[Sources: IT Media, Chatty homepage (check out the video of Chatty reciting Humpty Dumpty in Japanese!)]

UPDATE: Video of Chatty emerges. The Humpty Dumpty mantra continues.

Pirkus-R, the Bluetooth bot with facial recognition skills

17 Mar 2006

KDDI R&D Laboratories and I Bee, K.K. have upgraded their Bluetooth-enabled bipedal walking robot, named Pirkus-R Type-01, with facial recognition capabilities. Equipped with a built-in CCD camera, the 29-cm (1-foot) tall personal (build-it-yourself) robot can spot faces that it would like to inspect at closer range. Pirkus-R is able to self-correct its direction as it makes its approach, and once it captures a facial image, it can determine whether or not the person is registered in its file.

Pirkus-R Type-01

I Bee was responsible for developing the robot, which can be controlled from an au Bluetooth-enabled handset (W21T/W31T/W41T) using a BREW application. As I Bee continues to develop Pirkus-R?s control and facial recognition technology and the 8-bit CPU that links the robot with the handset, the price (250,000 yen for the deluxe model) may start to come down.

The robot?s facial recognition technology is based on technology that KDDI developed for mobile phones. KDDI has improved upon previous facial recognition technology, which used to require you to position your face directly in front of the camera in order to be recognized. Other problems with the human-robot interaction have been addressed, including lighting-related problems that occurred when capturing images. Pirkus-R is able to automatically detect which direction you are facing, and is no longer at the mercy of variations in lighting conditions. Furthermore, because it is equipped with Bluetooth technology, you can use your BREW-enabled au handset to check Pirkus-R?s operating status and facial recognition results. Of course, you can control it from your phone, too.

Pirkus-R Type-01 is scheduled to appear at the Robo-One fights being held this weekend (March 17 to 19) at Panasonic Center Tokyo.

(See videos here)

UPDATE 31/Mar/2006: Tempusmaster at www.robots-dreams.com has posted video of Pirkus-R in action (sort of) at Robo-One. The video suggests a need for further improvements to Pirkus-R's facial recognition capabilities. (Link)

[Sources: IT Media, Robot Labs]

Hiroshima engineers develop robotic carp

15 Mar 2006

Koi robotRyomei Engineering (a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), in cooperation with two other Hiroshima-area engineering companies, has developed a robot resembling a koi carp. The robot was demonstrated at a pond on the grounds of Hiroshima Machinery Works.

The robot is modeled after a Nishiki koi carp as a form of tribute to Hiroshima Castle (whose nickname Ri-jo means Koi Castle). The 80-cm (31-inch), 12-kg (26-pound) fish has a white body with bright red spots. Though the tail movement is very smooth and lifelike, the remote-controlled koi is capable of moves that a genuine koi is unable to perform, such as swimming in reverse and rotating in place.

The robot is Ryomei Engineering?s fifth in a line of fish robots that includes a sea bream, a prehistoric coelacanth, and a golden carp. New features added to the robotic koi include a CCD camera built into the head and sensors for analyzing water quality.

UPDATE: Check out the video at Riding Sun!

[Source: Kyodo News]

RI-MAN revisited

14 Mar 2006

RI-MANMore details about RI-MAN, the soft-skinned robot, were revealed in a press release issued by RIKEN yesterday.

RI-MAN is the world's first robot designed for lifting and carrying humans. A variety of sensors, including flexible tactile sensor sheets, provide RI-MAN with a sense of vision, hearing, touch, and smell. These senses help RI-MAN perform tasks such as locating people who are calling out to it, responding to spoken commands, carefully lifting those who need lifting, and checking the sanitary condition of the person it is carrying. RI-MAN is able to integrate a wide range of sensory data to adapt to changes in the environment.

The robot is also equipped with 19 motors, controlled by a system of hierarchical distributed processing that is modeled after the nervous system found in biological organisms. This "nervous system" -- a network of what RIKEN calls C-CHIPs -- integrates sensor data processing with motor control to provide RI-MAN the autonomy needed to respond quickly to changes in the environment. The head has 3 degrees of freedom, each arm has 6, the waist has 2, and the base (which acts as RI-MAN?s legs) has 2. Safety-related technology, including safety circuits and soft skin and joints designed to prevent injury, are incorporated into RI-MAN?s design.

Still in the initial testing phase, RI-MAN is currently practicing with dolls that weigh about 12 kg (26 lbs). Researchers plan to increase the weight of the practice dolls over time, with the aim of achieving the ability to lift human adults in 5 years. Researchers will continue working to upgrade RI-MAN's sensors and data processing skills to improve adaptability. The aim is to create a robot with the physical power needed for heavy lifting and the reasoning skills needed for operating in places like people's homes. RIKEN says that with these skills, RI-MAN can be put to work in nursing and rehabilitation, in furniture moving, or in any other job that requires muscle.

[Source: RIKEN press release]

[See also: RI-MAN homepage (includes video)]

Robo-Fisher swims with (and cleans up after) the fishes

10 Mar 2006

Robo-FisherRobo-Fisher, a submersible robot designed to clean the floors of giant aquariums, is being developed by Osaka City University and eight private companies. Underwater operations were tested last week at a diver training pool in Osaka.

The 1-meter (3.3-ft.) long, 160-kilogram (350-lb.) robot features a water-pressure powered motor that relies on water fed through a hose connected to an electric pump outside the aquarium. Robo-Fisher directs a jet of water at the floor to free up detritus in the sand, which it then vacuums up and removes from the aquarium through a hose. The water-powered motor eliminates the danger of accidentally electrocuting the fish in the aquarium.

Researchers are developing Robo-Fisher with the cooperation of Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, which is known for its giant whale shark. The robot is also equipped with a small camera that can shoot video of the surrounding fish. In the future, aquarium visitors will be able to simulate the experience of walking underwater by operating the remote control camera and watching real-time video. There are also plans to broadcast live video over the Internet.

At present, divers use shovels to clean the aquarium floor four times a day.

[Source: Asahi Shimun]

Size matters for Citizen’s Eco-Be!

07 Mar 2006

Eco-Be!On March 6 in Osaka, Japan, Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) unveiled a mini-robot driven by a small wristwatch motor.

The two-wheeled robot -- called ?Eco-Be!? -- is 1.8 cm wide and 2.5 cm tall and is operated via infrared remote control.

At the unveiling, the tiny robot demonstrated the ability to move forward and backward, as well as turn smoothly from side to side. Eco-Be!, which is powered by watch batteries and features low power consumption, will make an appearance at RoboCup 2006 in Germany this June.

Citizen president Makoto Umehara says he hopes Eco-Be! will prove useful in the development of smaller and lighter weight robots. The company will conduct further research with Osaka University to improve the robot?s performance.

[Source: Hokkaido Shimbun Press]

Robotic Maetel lands job at airport

02 Mar 2006

MaetelA robot modeled after Maetel, the heroine of Leiji Matusmoto?s legendary Galaxy Express 999 (Gingatetsudo 999) anime, will go to work as a guide at the New Kitakyushu Airport, which is scheduled to open on March 16. The android was unveiled on February 28.

The 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall Maetel, who was developed by the Kyushu Institute of Technology, will stand duty in the airport terminal?s tourist information center. She is programmed to respond verbally and non-verbally (with gestures) to 200 types of questions about airport facilities, transportation and local accommodations.

Leiji Matsumoto, a native of Kitakyushu, says he hopes to see the airport connect Kitakyushu to the rest of the world. However, the airport will provide no international service when it opens.

At the moment, Maetel is only able to respond to questions posed in Japanese.

[Source: Asahi Shimbun]

RI-MAN, the soft-skinned robot

28 Feb 2006

RI-MAN, an autonomous lifestyle-support robot developed at RIKEN's Bio-Mimetic Control Research Center (Nagoya, Japan), now has soft skin. If put to work in care facilities, RI-MAN's soft arms and chest will enable it to perform delicate work that present-day robots are not allowed to do, such as lifting patients up into its arms.

RI-MAN, the soft-skinned robot

The robot, which is 158 cm (5 ft 2 in) tall and weighs about 100 kg (220 lbs), consists of a humanoid upper body that sits atop a wheeled base. A 5-mm layer of silicone covers most of the upper body, including the face and chest. The skin sinks in slightly when pressed, giving it a resilient, supple feeling. Under the layer of silicone are 320 pressure sensors that enable RI-MAN to self-adjust the softness as needed.

Research team leader Zhiwei Luo says, "We may see commercial applications of this technology in as early as five years."

UPDATE: Read RI-MAN revisited for more details.

[Source: Asahi Shimbun]

Giant snow rescue robot put to the test

02 Feb 2006

A giant rescue robot with "feet" like a bulldozer and arms 5 meters in length is undergoing practical testing at Nagaoka University of Technology (Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture). Designed for avalanche disaster relief and snow removal operations, the robot -- known as T-52 Enryu (lit. "rescue dragon") -- is being developed by tmsuk, a Kitakyushu-based robot manufacturer. T-52 Enryu stands 3.45 meters tall and weighs 5 tons.

T-52 Enryu, the snow rescue robot

In the tests, which began on February 1, T-52 Enryu showed off its avalanche prevention skills by removing accumulated snow from the edge of a cliff. The robot also demonstrated its ability to extract a car buried under a bank of snow. Remote control operation is being tested at avalanche sites, where extreme caution is required to prevent secondary avalanches.

Tetsuya Kimura, an associate professor conducting rescue robot research at Nagaoka University of Technology, says, "In addition to performing avalanche-related work, we hope the robot will be useful in removing snow around the entrances to underground shopping arcades or tunnels." Tmsuk aims to put T-52 Enryu to practical use in another year or two. Testing will be open to the public on February 4.

[Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, Impress Watch]

« Older
Newer »