Tag: robots

Microsoft Robotics Studio

Post ImageIf you’ve been reading my blog for the last year or so, you probably know that I quite like robotics. Actually, it was almost exactly a year ago (June 24th) that the Podbot was launched. Basically the Podbot was a podcasting robot – we could control it wirelessly with a laptop, and it had an onboard microphone and webcam. Very cool stuff, but unfortuntely, now out of commission. Andrew, Ashish, Dickson and I all had a blast with the project, though it was quite a bit of work.

Looks like the next robot we build might be a little easier! Earlier today at the RoboBusiness Conference and Exposition 2006, Microsoft introduced a community technology preview of Robotics Studio:

“Microsoft sees great potential in robotics, and we are excited to deliver our first CTP of Robotics Studio, making it easier to create robotic applications across a wide variety of hardware, users and scenarios”, said Tandy Trower, general manager of the Microsoft Robotics Group at Microsoft. “We’ve reached out to a broad range of leading robotics companies and academics early on in the development process and are thrilled with the positive response from the community.”

Microsoft also featured a bunch of third party demos at the event. This is pretty exciting stuff for a hobbyist like myself! I’m going to install the CTP and check it out. You find out more on the project at MSDN, and at the official team blog.

Read: Microsoft PressPass

DARPA Race Won!

Post ImageMaybe the title should say “finished” instead of “won”, as DARPA’s race for robots has never before been completed. At least three robots have now completed the harsh race:

Stanford University’s Racing Team has accomplished a historic feat of robotics, finishing first in the DARPA Grand Challenge, a 131.6-mile driverless car race that no artificially intelligent machine has ever conquered before.

“We had a great day,” said Sebastian Thrun, director of Stanford’s artificial intelligence lab and head of the racing team. Stanford’s “Stanley,” a modified Volkswagen Toureg with sensors and radar mountings, crossed the finish line within eight hours and 14 minutes, under the 10 hour requirement, according to times posted on the DARPA race Web site.

Director Dr. Tony Tether had this to say in the press release:

“Its incredible what Stanford and the two Carnegie-Mellon teams did today, and what the
other two teams can still achieve,” Tether said. “We had anticipated from the beginning that we might
have to carry the competition over to a second day.”

“When the Wright Brothers flew their little plane, they proved it could be done,” Tether
continued. “And just as aviation took off after those achievements, so will the very exciting and
promising robotics technologies displayed here today.”

Truer words have never been spoken. I remember how difficult it was to get our robot to move when we were building it, so I have great respect for all the entrants of this competition. I can’t imagine how much ingenuity it would take to build a robot that can travel that distance, all by itself.

Read: CNET News.com

Podbot Video

Post ImageIf you haven’t really checked out the Podbot website, you definitely should! One of the things you’ll find is a collection of video that we recorded throughout the creation process. Some of them show us talking about what we’re learning, and others are more fun, like the Podbot driving over Micropets.

One really excellent video is Andrew’s Closing Monologue, in which he offers some comments on the project after we finished. And if you’d rather stick to static photos instead of video, you can check out my Podbot Photostream over at Flickr.

Read: Podbot Video

Cockroach Powered Robot

Post ImageAs some of you may know, we’re in the process of building a robot. We’ve encountered our fair share of problems so far, specifically with regards to getting the damn thing to move. So I was particularly interested to read about graduate student Garnet Hertz and his solution for robotic movement:

He uses the Madagascar hissing cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa, which can grow as big as a mouse. In the summer of 2004, he built a three-wheeled cart that rises about knee high. Atop the aluminum structure sits a modified computer trackball pointer, with a Ping-Pong ball in place of the usual trackball, which is heavier.

The roach–he currently maintains a stable of four–rides on top of the trackball. As it scampers, the robot moves in the direction the roach would travel if it were on the ground; a Velcro patch and harness keep it in place.

Quite an interesting approach! I guess the “robo-roach” could be seen as something of a glimpse into the future, where we might have hybrid biological and mechanical robots. I am not sure I would have picked roaches though – I wouldn’t want to have to look after them just for the robot!

Read: CNET News.com

Scooba from iRobot

Post ImageI am lazy. Some of you might know this. For others, it may be a shock. Sad, but it’s true! And because I am lazy, I like technologies that make my life easier in some way. For example, if someone invented something so that I’d never have to wash the floor again, I’d certainly be interested! And what do you know, the good folks at iRobot have created the Scooba, a robotic floor washer:

The Scooba is a household, robotic floor cleaner designed for hard floors made of materials such as tile and linoleum. It vacuums up loose particles and applies cleaner to soak up dirt, then dries the floor, which also makes it safe for wood.

As with the Roomba and other projects, iRobot teamed up with an industrial giant to develop the Scooba. This time, it was Clorox. One of the big engineering challenges was creating the cleaning fluid. Most are slippery, and would throw off a robot’s steering systems.

First they give us the Roomba for vaccuming, and now they give us the Scooba for floor washing. Those guys at iRobot are amazing! Pricing hasn’t been released for the Scooba yet, but if you want to get a sneak peak at the robot in action, watch this video.

Read: iRobot Scooba