Putting aside the two movie names present in the title of this article, which by the way are both closely tied to robotics, the HAL suit is real and is apparently entering into mass production according to its CEO. The HAL suits operates by detecting slight electric muscle impulses and enhances the wearers strength, making it ideal for the elderly, those without full control of their limbs, or jobs that require mobility and strength. Cyberdyne expects to begin production sometime this month, with a maximum output of 500 suits a year.
Robots-dreams, the purveyor of all things robot, got their hands on the Rovio robot. Looking very mars mission worthy - hence the name, perhaps - the Rovio is a remotely controlled 3 wheeled vehicle with a built-in camera, LED lights and a bevy of other features. The Rovio taps into your home’s network and is controlled via proprietary software installed on your computer. Fear not, WowWee has provided both Mac and PC installations. Setup sounds super simple, but they did note that some routers will require you to open up selects ports, which will surely prove difficult for the average user.
Their conclusion:
“We think ROVIO is positioned to be the hottest robot for the upcoming holiday season, and for a long time to come. This robots functionality, usefulness, styling, and ease of use sets new standards. Not only is it a fantastic mobile webcam platform, it also lends itself to other applications. We can easily imagine colleges and research labs using ROVIO as a robotic platform to investigate swarming, or, on the lighter side, a new robot soccer league.
There nothing quick like mainstream compatibility. In the last 8 months I’ve become a huge Skype fan, thanks to their $3 a month ‘call anywhere in the US unlimited plan’. I don’t leave my apartment, let alone my bedroom very much, but if I did, I’d wanna keep it surveilled with the Spykee Robot. The Spykee can be controlled via Skype, which enables not only streaming CCTV video, but voice conferencing with the perpetrator. Other features include playing MP3 players via your computer and WiFi network, motion sensors, and self charging in case the batteries run low.
Sony unveiled the Rolly Sound Entertainment Player, a robotic device that plays music and dances to it. With multiple moving parts, it can spin, move its “ears”, and flash numerous colors of light to the rhythm of it’s internally stored music (2GB to be exact). It can also stream music from a blue-tooth source for several hours on end.
You may be thinking, “it looks like an ugly rolly polly, sound must be crap?” to which I say you may be right! But watch this very cool demonstration and you’ll definitely want one.
More information and purchasing options ($399) here:
Ok, not really, but these robots sure are intimidating looking and scare the crap out of the bystanders. Looks like something out of the Sci Fi channel’s ‘made for TV’ movies’, if not cooler. Hit the video to see all the ‘tom foolery’. Ya, there’s some of that.
This thing is scary small boasting a 10 centimeter wing span. Built-in to the nose of the robotic insect is a camera. Check the video after the leap to see it in action, including an ‘in flight’ view.
This is WowWee’s newest robot. Watch the video review from RobotsRule, but Wrex the dog does some ‘wacky’ stuff (like pissing on the floor) and has a touch of Scooby Doo in him. Oh ya, he doesn’t walk, he rolls.
So the title is a little misleading, but after you see the finished product (or read my explanation) you’ll understand. These guys built a Lego robot that can be operated via the iPhone. They’ve incorporated the Lego Mindstorm’s light sensor which scans the iPhone screen sitting in its cradle. Meanwhile the user sends commands from another iPhone via Safari, which ultimately changes the gray scale on the screen telling the Lego Mindstorm’s sensor what command to execute.
I’ve been dieing to get my hands on a ZINK printer (go here and here for the additional info). Looks like Polaroid has made it official. Come July 6th the ZINK printer will be available at Best Buy stores for $149. The actualy product name, the thing that will utilize the ZINK printing technology, is the Polaroid PoGo, as in Polaroid-on-the-go. The PoGo is a pocket sized, full color printer that can connect to cell phones via Bluetooth and digital cameras via USB. The Polaroid PoGo will print 2-inch by 3-inch photos in less than 60 seconds.
For more details you can check out this page and more pics go here.
Some goofballs posted this video on Youtube. The woman is supposed to be a robot featuring advanced technologies. It’s some what believable until they interview the English speaking kid and then cut to the interview sans headshot and encrypted voice. Some of the voice overs soundbits are kinda funny, but pretty lame overall. The robot is a real woman covered in some sort of plastic makeup…at least that’s my guess.
