Dan Kohn’s Blog

http://phys.org/news/2014-02-robots.html

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/32-absolutely-awesome-spacecraft-cutaways-1529779549/@barrett

From: TrendHunter.Com
Date: Feb 23, 2014

Filmmaker Fernando Livschitz created this engaging robot video that depicts a society where robots live and work right alongside humans. A robot woman walks her robot dog, colorful and strange looking robots stroll through parks and cross streets on pedestrian walkways. There’s even a cute robotic marching band coming down the street.

This robot video is an optimistic and endearing look at how technology could possibly develop and how it would blend into everyday human society. The robots are large, small, fast, slow and sometimes a little reckless, as shown by one robot man rolling a big box down a street haphazardly. This video is fun and imaginative and a great piece of whimsical storytelling about the future, reminiscent of the film Wall-E.

http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/robots_read_news_13/

http://news.discovery.com/tech/robotics/twisted-threads-make-strong-supple-robo-muscles-140220.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

From JPL

Meet RoboSimian, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s official entry at the DARPA Robotics Challenge in December 2013. Also known as “Clyde,” the robot is is four-footed, but can also stand on two feet. It has four general-purpose limbs and hands capable of both mobility and manipulation. It came in 5th place out of 16 entries. See RoboSimian in action at the disaster-response competition. Challenges includes turning a valve, traversing uneven terrain, clearing debris, opening and passing through doorways.

from: Dragon Innovation

[Editor note: This project is currently on Dragon Innovation (website like kickstarter) and looks real cool. A Lidar like distance sensor for $70! WOW!]

Optical Distance Measurement Sensors

Our sensor technology is ideally suited for any project requiring very compact, low power, high performance distance measurement sensors, such as drones, robots, or unmanned vehicles.

PulsedLight’s novel signal processing technology enables us to offer a low-cost optical distance measurement solution with performance comparable to systems costing hundreds of dollars.

“PulsedLight takes distance range finding from the expensive, closed solution that it is today to small, cheap and open. This is tremendously appealing to us at 3D Robotics, as is the potential this has for getting us to truly autonomous UAVs without relying solely on GPS.” – Chris Anderson, CEO of 3D Robotics