Hi there, and welcome to my weekly Robot Update. This is wear I do a
round up of what is going on in the Robot news around the world, so
stay tuned..
Hi Guys, I’m Philip English from robophil.com, and welcome to the
Robot Weekly update number 10.
Cyber Cuttlefish
Students at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, have made a Cyber Cuttlefish call Sepios!
It has four fins, each fitted with nine motors, that ripple efficiently through the water and is completely silent, so perfect for underwater exploration and photograph.
It is 27 inches (70cm) long with a ‘wingspan’ of 37 inches (95cm) and weighs 51 lbs (23 kg).
Its symmetrical fins were inspired by the cuttlefish and allow it to move in any direction, because they can be steered individually.
While the students do not explain the exact construction of the fins, they are soft with rods inside for rigidity.
They are controlled by a rippling motion using nine servo motors attached to each fin where they join the main body of the robot.
The students claim their robot is more environmentally friendly than devices with propellers, which can be noisy and get their blades tangled in sea grass, for example.
They tested their invention in a French river where they navigated through
weeds and grass as well as man-made obstacles to show the agility of the
robot.
Robot Spider easily reconfigured to suit user needs
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has created a new robot that has six legs, looks creepily like a spider when it walks, and is dubbed “Snake Monster”.
Not exactly endearing traits, but the Snake Monster isn’t designed to win any popularity contests.
It has been created as an easily reconfigurable platform using a modular system architecture that may be easily programmed to govern robots with a varied array of configurations.
Designed and created in around six months in the lab of Howie Choset, a professor in CMU’s Robotics Institute, Snake Monster is claimed to be the precursor to a range of robots intended to be built using a modular system.
Current work being carried out on various other modules in the lab include force-sensing feet, wheels and tank-style treads that will allow users to modify the base structure into a selection of totally different robots suited to a range of tasks.
Weighing in at a total of around 18 lb (8 kg), the robot has six multi-jointed legs that are capable of a reach of about 12 in (30 cm). Sporting a rectangular body, and currently supplied with power via an umbilical tether, the Snake Monster is capable of ambulation in any direction and has the ability to climb over obstacles.
SaviOne robot butler starts room service deliveries
A robot company called Savioke, has announced that it is to start trialling it’s service robots in hotels. The SaviOne robot can autonomously deliver items to guests in hotel rooms.
Savioke says it aims “to improve the lives of people by developing and deploying robotic technology in human environments,” such as the places people live and work. Its SaviOne robot was designed specifically for use in the hospitality industry.
The company spent 7 months researching and trying to understand the needs of end users like hotel staff and guests. An agile and iterative approach was taken to the development process, with Savioke conscious that there were few similar projects from which to draw inspiration.
The prototypes each focused on a key aspect of the robot’s design. For example, the ergonomic loading and unloading of the robot, providing an empathetic experience for the user and ensuring that interaction was quick and easy for staff and intuitive and fun for guests.
According to Savioke, the Google Ventures design team also contributed to the design and testing of SaviOne.
The first time SaviOne goes to a hotel, it travels around and maps the building. Hotel staff members then need only program in a particular room number and the robot knows how to get there.
It uses a variety of sensors to navigate and move around, including depth cameras, sonar and laser rangefinders, and is able communicate with elevators via Wi-Fi.
Japan Mints First Robot
Yoshiyuki Sankai, founder and head of cyborg-robot maker Cyberdyne, joins the ranks of Forbes’ Billionaires at a $1 billion net worth as the share price of his medical robotics company has quintupled since its March debut on Japan’s Mothers market for startups.
The University of Tsukuba PhD invented Cyberdyne’s main sci-fi offering, the Robot Suit HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) in tandem with“cybernics,” a multidisciplinary academic field which combines bionics, electronics and physics and others to create robot parts for the body (think: the 1970s U.S. TV Show Six Million Dollar Manmade real).
These robot arms and legs take over when our own fail through age or physical impairment. In Japan, the company rents HAL suits to hospitals and nursing homes. These same suits are also in use in Europe. They read electrical pulses in nerves going to the muscles, and offer the potential to restore movement. About 470 suits in all are currently being used in medical and non-medical facilities. Though bulky (some weigh up to 80 pounds) and expensive (approximately $150,000), Sankai has been working on more agile and cost efficient suits that will be able to be assist more people regain mobility.
That’s it guys, for a weekly world Robot News, I am your host Philip English
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Cyber Cuttlefish | Robot Spider | SaviOne Robot | Robot Suit HAL Weekly Update YouTube: https://youtu.be/LGyLVidLHw8
Philip English: https://philipenglish.com
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