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DIY Servo Robot!

DIY iPhone Rockband-Playing Robot Fingers

max — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:20:41 +0000

Feelin’ lazy? Don’t want to actually play iPhone games yourself? Well then, you can make yourself one of these DIY iPhone Rockeband-playing robot fingers that will take all that hard work and hand-eye coordination out of the equation!

The iPhone touch screen isn’t like most PDAs. It uses a capacitive touch screen. More info about that HERE. It would seem that the iPhone is looking for a finger sized touch, from living flesh. According to the link, the screen actually looks for changes in electrical current. I had some conductive foam laying around, its usually used for shipping sensitive electronics. If I put my finger behind the foam and pressed on the iphone screen, it works. If I used something non conductive, like a plastic pen, the foam would do nothing to the screen. My solution to this was to put thin copper wires into the foam (I also used these wires to attach the foam to the servos) the other end of the wires were wrapped around the handle of an exacto knife. When the Robot is playing the game I touch the handle of the exacto and the robot fingers are able to press the screen.

DIY iPhone Rockband-Playing Robot Fingers

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DIY Robot that can Ski!

max — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:30:15 +0000

Check out this cool little DIY robot that can ski downhill, amazing ain’t it?

This could be the tip of the iceberg for future generation of ski robots. Of course, these can possibly save lives in the future under harsh snow conditions.

I’d also love to see if they can make a robot that can snowboard, as I rather snowboard than ski. (Well, there’s this snowboard robot for testing snowboards…)

via make

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DIY Robot that can Ski!

U.S. Army’s Petman Robot Prototype Walks Like a Real Human!

max — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:20:12 +0000

U.S. Army’s Petman Robot Prototype Walks Like a Real Human!

I know the Japanese have been advancing with robotics over the last decade or so with its advanced robots like Asimo but looks like the U.S. Army is fueling its efforts to have its own through the company Boston Dynamics.

Watch the video and see how this Petman Robot prototype can walk pretty well, almost like a real human being. I think there’s a whole lot more to go but this is certainly a great start for the U.S. Army.

I just can’t wait until the day the whole army is run by robots, no more human casualties suffered then except we will have to worry about terrorists hacking the army robots against us.

Petman will balance itself and move freely; walking, crawling and doing a variety of suit-stressing calisthenics during exposure to chemical warfare agents,” the company promises. “Petman will also simulate human physiology within the protective suit by controlling temperature, humidity and sweating when necessary, all to provide realistic test conditions.”

via gizmodo

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DIY Cockroach Robot can Survive a 300-foot Fall Off a Building!

max — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:04:29 +0000

The UC Berkeley EECS department has been developing these robots that mimic traits of a cockroach and can also survive a 300-foot fall from the top of a building to the ground. Apparently, this could possibly lead to better disaster-proof designs for airplanes, cars, and alike.

Heck, I would like them to build a life-sized cockroach that I can ride in, perhaps I can jump off buildings without worrying about actually killing myself. (like a cockroach)

Using compliant fiber board as structural material, and a single main driver motor, the DASH robot is capable of 15 body lengths per second on flat surfaces. The structure is resilient and survives ground impact at terminal velocity of 10 meters per second.

via singularityhub

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DIY Cockroach Robot can Survive a 300-foot Fall Off a Building!

RC WiFi Spy Robots!

max — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:36:07 +0000

Currently, there’s probably these two RC Wifi spy robots which might works the best for securing your home or even great as kid’s toys to beat house boredom.

First up is the Erector Spykee Wifi Spy Robot that can be controlled via WiFi, also doubles as a digital music player. This one is really for the kids as its features are made for that purpose but it does have a cool video surveillance feature which makes it practical for adults too.

The main feature of Erector Spykee Wifi Spy Robot is that it can easily be hooked up to your Skype account so you can monitor your home from abroad.

Perfect for audio-visual surveillance, Spykee has the ability to move, watch, speak, and hear. With a built-in video camera and microphone, the robot takes real-time pictures with video and with sound effects. When motion is detected, Spykee activates an alarm or sends a picture by email. Compatible with Skype 3.0 (PC) technology, Spykee can also be used as a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone and web camera. Best of all, this motorized robot is equipped with a WiFi card, which means kids can access and control Spykee via the Internet from anywhere in the world.

Price: $158.73 on Amazon – right now special discount, $299 at Hammacher

The second spy robot featured is the Robotic Sentry from Hammacher and Schlemmer. This one is “built” for securing your home/office perimeters with ability to “roam” around via an internet connection, hence its name “Robotic Sentry”.

Sorta similar to iRobot automated vacuum machines, this Robotic Sentry can also re-charge itself by finding its re-charge base, definitely a feature you need if you are going away to another country for months.

Audio and high-resolution (640 x 480) video are streamed in MPEG4 format, and it can take still pictures and e-mail them to you; it has a two-way microphone and speaker that enable real-time interaction with subjects. Three wheels support its chassis, providing 360° of nimble movement as its camera boom extends to provide a wide field of view while surveying its surroundings. You can set the sentry with up to 10 paths for a customized patrol; it will move along a path, detecting and avoiding obstacles with its infrared sensor, and repeat the sequence until issued new orders. It operates for two hours from its rechargeable battery which draws power from the included recharging base (the sentry can locate its base using its built-in infrared sensor when you command it to re-charge remotely);

Price: $299.95 at Hammacher

Either way, both of these RC Wifi Spy Robots feature the best of today’s technology to offer you best remote, robotic monitoring for your home/office. Surely, these robotic spy robots beat static wifi cameras and DVRs which can’t move around.

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RC WiFi Spy Robots!

The new blood bank system

David Allen — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:00:18 +0000

Could this be the future of the blood donation? You how it goes, you go down to the blood every three months or so and donate your drop of blood, have chat, drink and biscuit. Then you are on your way it is simple but can cost a lot of money to run, so what is the answer?

This is the Bloodbot and you can just imagine the scenario. There will be one of these things on every street corner and passers by stick their arms in and the robot does the rest is that cool or just frightening? Of course, it may not work completely like this but robots taking blood, that is going to have to take a bit of getting used to isn’t it.

Source [Gear Fuse]

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The new blood bank system

The tabletop Honda ASIMO

David Allen — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:00:06 +0000

Anyone who has seen the fantastic Honda ASIMO in action must have wondered how long it would be before these guys were in our homes. Well the answer is now, because there is a 1/8 scale Honda ASIMO figure that may not have the same features as the full size one, but it could be step forward. It does not say what is can do, but making the coffee and tidying up would be a good start!

Honda Asimo figure Features:

1/8th Scale (162.5mm / 6.4″ tall)

Over 15 points of articulation

Materials: ABS, ATBC-PVC

Weight: 84g.

Two sets of hands included: closed and open

Manual (Japanese)

NOTICE: Because this is a special order item, shipping may take an addition 6-10 days

Priced at $42

Source [Japan Trend Shop]

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The tabletop Honda ASIMO

Twitter Hack – DIY Home Automation with Twitter!

max — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:36:15 +0000

Here’s a great example of someone who used Twitter to control his home appliances. Of course, this is completely do-able with some meticulous planning. I do see more and more automation DIYs using Twitter as communication platform for their projects, very useful indeed for our cluttered world. You will have to add some security measures to protect against hackers though.

The one thing lacking in most of these devices was 2-way communication between Twitter and the device. In all of the examples I could find the device is sending an update to Twitter but is never performing an action based on a Twitter message.

With http://twitter.com/MattsOffice you can send a command by placing a keyword in a @reply message. Valid keywords are “light”, “bright”, “dark”, “temp”, “hot”, “cold”, “lcd”, and “view”. For example, to retrieve the temperature of my office I just need to update my Twitter status with a simple question like “@MattsOffice What is the temperature?”.

via hackaday

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Twitter Hack – DIY Home Automation with Twitter!

Brain Controlled Robot From Japan!

max — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:45:31 +0000

We’ve had many previous blog posts on brain-controlled robots. Well, here’s another one to keep your mind interested!

Japan scientists at the Honda Research Institute have unveiled the world’s first brain to machine interface. Dubbed BMI short for Brain Machine Interface this new technology system will enable people to control robots using their mind.

Brain Controlled Robot From Japan!

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Wii Hack – DIY Wiimote Controls 15-Ton Robot Arms!

max — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:01:44 +0000

Here’s a really cool video of DIY Wiimote that can control 15-ton robot arm, incredible! - via hackedgadgets

Wii Hack – DIY Wiimote Controls 15-Ton Robot Arms!

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DIY Chalkbot Draws a Nike Swoosh!

max — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:21:34 +0000

Remember I did a DIY on a Nike swoosh using LEDs and a golf club? Well, here’s another innovative chalkbot that draws a Nike swoosh on the ground, cool! – via hackaday

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DIY Chalkbot Draws a Nike Swoosh!

DIY Robot Ramen Replaces Chef in Japan!

max — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:59:12 +0000

Here’s an interesting story of a ramen-making DIY robot that can make up to 40 million different flavors of ramen. As an avid eater of Korean and Japanese ramen, this is the most perfect idea for making ramen as robots can do them flawlessly, there’s no reason why anyone ever needs chefs for ramen anymore.

The ramen-making robot was built by 60-year-old shop owner Yoshihira Uchida, who spent about 20 million yen on its construction. Customers can place their orders on a computer in the shop, customizing various aspects such as the levels of soy sauce, salt, and richness of the soup. Uchida says there are 40 million different flavor permutations.

The noodles themselves are cooked by a human, with the robot creating a perfectly blended soup which is then delivered to the human chef via a conveyor belt, who adds the noodles and toppings. The whole process takes only about two minutes, a minute shorter than instant cup noodles. Prices of ramen per bowl are 500 yen for regular size and 300 yen for small size.

via gizmodo

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DIY Robot Ramen Replaces Chef in Japan!

DIY Japanese Coffee Making Robot!

max — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:12:39 +0000

Here’s a rather interesting DIY Japanese Coffee Making Robot, very cute, almost like a comic strip.

DIY Japanese Coffee Making Robot!

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Facebook Robot!

max — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:31:42 +0000

Bored, lonely? Get the Facebook Robot and stay happier as the Facebook Robot has 5 different moods and will connect to your Facebook profile to entertain you with various different behaviors. – link

Aside from the Facebook integration, it’s similar to the Nabaztag in that it can also read out information from RSS feeds, e-mail, stock quotes, weather forecast, Twitter posts, instant messages, calendar appointment alerts, and more.

The MyDeskFriend can actually move around as well. It has infrared sensors that keep it from falling off a desk, and it reacts to physical stimuli like petting and shaking (which will also affect its mood)–take a look at the video below to see how that works.

via cnet

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Facebook Robot!

DIY Netbook Robot Kit!

max — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:08:50 +0000

Here’s a really cool DIY Netbook robot kit that let’s you start off without re-inventing the wheel. Whether you have an Eee PC or Dell Mini, this netbook robot kit will work perfectly for getting you a head start on netbook robotics.

Three has a need for speed. We’ve outfitted this robot with our fastest ever motors, yet retained the same quick development and learning, easy expansion and powerful computing of our larger machines – with excellent results!

Three is our greenest robot! The simplified design reduces materials. This means less aluminum, fewer electronics and rechargeable batteries. And as always, we’ve used no toxic plastic molding processes.

via engadget

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DIY Netbook Robot Kit!

Breakdancing Robot!

max — Sat, 23 May 2009 20:34:35 +0000

Tight, a breakdancing robot! It can be had for $1500, sounds like dream come true for parties.

This Manoi humanoid robot is somehow able to go from a headspin pretty much directly into the splits. Is that even physically possible? Probably not, and that’s why robots are better than humans.

via techeblog

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Breakdancing Robot!

Battle tank from Titan

David Allen — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:00:38 +0000

The cool battle tank offers the opportunity to build and drive your own six wheeled tank, but when there are two of these, they battle it out using the tanks infra red cannon to put the other tank out of commission, its cool and fun.

Specs:

Battle Titan DIY Tank features:

One tank DIY kit included. Choose two tanks for battle mode

Infrared gun

Tank Size: 125 x 45 x 90mm (5 x 1.7 x 3.5”)

Weight: 260g. (tank), 100g. (controller)

Power: AAA x 4 (tank), AA x 4 (controller)

Battery life: 1 hour continuous (tank), 100 hours (controller)

Controller range: 2 meters (6.5”)

Manual: Japanese

Priced at $76

Source [Japan Trend Shop]

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Battle tank from Titan

DIY iPhone Controlled R2D2!

max — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:28:33 +0000

Here’s the cool R2D2 robot of the day, one that can be controlled via an iPhone! I have to say this is becoming more realistic than all that other junk they sell online, awesome!

I found a way to remote control my R2D2 with an iPhone. I’ve got minimal control working now. Once I perfect it, I will share more details, but for now this will wet your appetite. In the videos I demonstrate controlling a servo and the dome motor using an iPhone using the accelerometer (tilting the iPhone controls it) and using a slider control on the touch screen. Other touch screen controls are possible too such as rotary controls, buttons, XY controls, and multitouch as well as gestures. I should be able to interface with my J.E.D.I display as well and type in text messages in the iPhone that will scroll across the front or rear logic displays.

DIY iPhone Controlled R2D2!

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DIY Tin Can Robot Science Kit!

max — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:14:34 +0000

Very similar to the soda can DIY robot kit, this DIY tin can robot science kit will turn your regular soda can into a cute, walking tin-can robot. Even if you are not a kid, this kid could possibly let you finally kill some time on your relaxing weekends. “Just a CAN-do attitude…”

Recycle a soda can by turning it into a silly robot that can move. Kit includes parts and detailed instructions; just add a “can” do attitude! Ages 5 and up.

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DIY Tin Can Robot Science Kit!

DIY Automatic Drumming Robot!

max — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:33:31 +0000

Check out these awesome automatic drums, they can play better than I can.

I would like to see this developed into a FULL drumming machine with FULL drum sets.

Troy Rogers, Steven Kemper and Scott Barton compose for their mechanized instruments with the goal of exploring new “temporal, timbral, dynamic and harmonic possibilities.” The result sounds like no humans we’ve ever heard. These Ph.D. students built the instruments on their own dime, constructing Madi for a mere $200 in materials. We are a group of composers seeking new modes of acoustic sound generation. Our goal is to develop and compose for instruments that maximize temporal, timbral, dynamic, and harmonic possibilities. This quest has led us to create robotic musical instruments.

DIY Automatic Drumming Robot!

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Autonomous Robotic Fish On Its Way to Fish Out Pollution!

max — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:31:22 +0000

Autonomous Robotic Fish On Its Way to Fish Out Pollution!

An autonomous Robotic fish is on its way to fish out pollution. With the increasing number of toxic waste in our waters, it seems that a robotic solution is necessary and the researchers from University of Essex are working around the clock to develop this cool fish that can use its sensors to determine any pollutants that are present.

These robot fish will relay the location of contaminants via Wi-Fi underwater and they can assimilate with other fish. Using GPS, they can also navigate themselves anywhere, of course, batteries need to be recharged as needed.

I think this is a particularly great technology that has been lagging behind but it’s good to see the researchers at Essex University are on it!

The university of Essex have come up with robotic fish, they swim up and down the rivers while their sensors will check for pollutants, relay the results by using an on board Wi-Fi system and they navigate the rivers using GPS. At the end of the day, the fish will return to base to deliver results and a recharge of its batteries.

via eco blog

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MIT DIY Robot Gardners!

max — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:31:02 +0000

Here’s some interesting news from researchers at MIT developing robot “Garden” automation. I have to speculate on how “effective” this would be but I imagine it will be highly effective than not.

From the looks, it seems they’ve put a webcam, servo motor, and other goodies for plants in the project. This might be a sign that robot farming may not be too far from reality.

Heck, I’d like to purchase one of these robotic garden kits at Wal-Mart and grow my own “automated” farm with ability to expand to as many acres as you want.

Then all you’d have to do is buy some land and these extensible robotic garden kits.

Okay, enough of me rambling for the day, read on.

The machines are networked and communicate in real time. The project was put together by Nikolaus Correll, a postdoctoral assistant working in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, with the aim of getting a similar system to someday work on a large, economically viable scale.

via cnet

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MIT DIY Robot Gardners!

Robot Hack – How to Make a Camera Robot!

max — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:48:08 +0000

Here’s a fun hack that shows you how to make a camera-robot that can autonomously take pics and videos, all while you control where it goes, plus the angles too. I think this might be a great project for those of you who take trips to the Amazon jungle to get footage of creatures and critters.

I’ve hacked a cheap camera and mounted on a pan / tilt neck assembly. Pictomatix MkII only has 64Mb of non upgradeable camera memory so unfortunately he can only take 25 hi-res pictures. I’ve now made him fully autonomous.

Robot Hack – How to Make a Camera Robot!

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DIY Stair Climbing Robot!

max — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:11:15 +0000

Check out this really cool DIY that features a stair-climbing robot, awesome!

I am sure this will be great for those of you trying to making something similar. It’d work really good in the arena of emergency such as the Fire department when the elevators are down, they could simply send one of these bots with remote camera hooked up to it.

iLean is the inexpensive little sister of iHop. iLean can’t jump like iHop, but she can still negotiate obstacles almost her own height (like stairs) by climbing up her pole (while balancing on her toe), and then leaning over the top of them!

DIY Stair Climbing Robot!

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Pole Dancing Robots!

max — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:23:34 +0000

Hehe, this is funny as hell.

via coolest-gadgets

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Pole Dancing Robots!

Robot DIY – How to Make a R2-D2 Robot Bar!

max — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:19:54 +0000

Robot DIY – How to Make a R2-D2 Robot Bar!

Here’s a cool DIY that shows you how to make a R2-D2 Robot bar for your next party pleasures. Just awesome!

The concept for BaR2D2 was born when a friend showed up to an event with a radio-controlled cooler. We joked about taking the idea to the next level and in the Spring of 2008, construction began.

If you enjoy BaR2D2 as much as we have, be sure to rate this Instructable a 5 and vote for it in The Craftsman Workshop of the Future Contest!

Just a quick note about me – I am a regular DIY’r and don’t have any formal robotics, electronics, or mechanical training. I have picked up most of my skills from various hobbies and projects, as well as my father who is a skilled woodworker. If you have a basic knowledge of woodworking and working with low voltage power, then you can build a mobile bar! Enjoy!

via techeblog

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Robot DIY – How to Build a Drum Robot for $50!

max — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:54:18 +0000

Check out this nifty little drum robot you can make under $50. Wait a minute, is that a car oil filter being used as drums???

“The”body for this bot is from an old toy motor housing. The perfect size for covering all the wires, speaker, and other robot guts. (Since I have small children, this is a necessity for the bot to have any kind of shelf-life). Plus it just looks cool.”

Robot DIY – How to Build a Drum Robot for $50!

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RobotFoot – DIY Soccer/Football/Foosball Robot!

max — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:37:25 +0000

People call soccer Football of Foosball in other countries other than the U.S. (which is totally wrong in my opinion, call me a biased Asian American).

Regardless of how people in this world like to call soccer, here’s a really cool soccer robot that’s going to make you jump out of your socks.

Robofoot ÉPM is a student initiative whose vocation is to develop multi-robot systems which can play soccer. The project’s main objective is to win the RoboCup in the Middle-Size League. Robofoot will be the first Canadian team in this league!

RobotFoot – DIY Soccer/Football/Foosball Robot!

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Robot Hack – How to Build a CNC Robot Router!

max — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:35:17 +0000

Robot Hack – How to Build a CNC Robot Router!

Here’s a really cool “robot” that is also a CNC machine to make different shape and sizes of “stuff” for you.

You can read details on how to build this CNC robot router here.

On another note, HackNMod, one of our favorites sites, was featured in a UK Newspaper. (Great job Joe!)

Using B.F.Hexapod with an additional floating pen attachment, and a utility I wrote to convert DXF files into translation commands for my p.Brain controller, I have got the start of a walking CNC router! Why… I don’t know.. it just seemed like a good idea at the time!

via hacknmod

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DIY Sun Seeking Plant Robot!

max — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 02:45:11 +0000

Here’s a really cool DIY sun-seeking plant robot that will follow the sun so your tropical plant will always get the full sunlight even if you are working at the office.

via neatorama, DIY Page

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DIY Sun Seeking Plant Robot!

DIY Robot Sculpture Made from Old Typewriters!

max — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:57:59 +0000

Check out these cool DIY robot sculptures made from old typewriters by Jeremy Mayer. It looks like he’s been doing this for years while artists and designers have really started this re-make movement not too long ago.

I started working with typewriters in 1994 while living in a small town in Iowa. They’ve always been intensely interesting to me (when I was about ten years old I wanted to take apart my mother’s 1920’s Underwood), so it was natural that, having a typewriter and some free time, I would want to dissect one. I think of the typewriter as a product of nature- it was designed by minds immersed in nature around them, and mimicked the curves, geometry, and physical processes abounding in nature. Though it is cold metal created by human hands, the typewriter is just as much a natural material as stone or wood. I concentrate on bringing this fascination with the raw material and interest in science and science fiction together in the subtleties of the human form.

via io9, Design Page

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DIY Robot Sculpture Made from Old Typewriters!

Robocut – Lawnmower Robot with Basic Stamp!

max — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:23:09 +0000

Check out the Robocut, a lawnmower robot with Basic Stamp as controller. You can even buy the kit so you can build one yourself.

Now, if you can get one of these DIY kits and make it solar, that’d be something to watch.

“RoboCut, is a BASIC Stamp powered robot. Two 12Volt motors with gearbox gives the two large drivewheels good traction and the robot can manouver in very small areas. Powersource is a NiMh accu-pack at 12V, 4.1 Ah. One motor gives the cutterdisk a rpm at approx. 3500 rpm. A Basic STAMP 2 is the brain in the PCB mounted in the front of the Robocut. This PCB has the following features. -Two-chanel (right/left) Buried Wire Fence (BWF) detectors. -Two-chanel (right/left) active IR obstacle detection -Two chanel (right/left) drive motor control on/off, Forward/Rewerse -One chanel cutter-motor control on/off, MOS-FET 20 Amp -Charging/accuvoltage measuring with high resolution -Charger detection On/off -Optional temperature sensor to check accupack temp during charging. -prototype area -prepared for optional “self-charging” and navigating to the chargingstation via an IR_beacon.”

via hackedgadgets, DIY Kit Page

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Robocut – Lawnmower Robot with Basic Stamp!

DIY Arduino CMUCam Robot!

max — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:54:54 +0000

DIY Arduino CMUCam Robot!

Here’s a great one for you Arduino-geeks, a robot with Arduino controls and CMUCam for sight.

This is my first CMUcam + Arduino version, the code for which will be uploaded soon. As you can see below, it is a bit of a rush-job, caused by the blowing-up of my proper h-bridge, and its replacement with a single power-transistor (click for big version).

via make, DIY Page

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ScanRobot is a Book Scanning Robot!

max — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:30:56 +0000

ScanRobot is a Book Scanning Robot!

ScanRobot is a Book Scanning Robot!

Here’s a cool ScanRobot, a robot that can scan books and turn libraries into terabytes of harddrives.

Future of digital libraries, here we come!

The book scanner ScanRobot® has been developed for the digitisation of huge book inventories. The book scanner has the ability to turn the pages automatically and to to scan a whole book at once.

The new and patented scanning technology of the ScanRobot® allows absolutely distortion free images and the gentle and cost effective digitisation of books and other bound documents.

The modular design of the book scanner allows easy adaptation to specific customer requirements. Due to the unique and simple concept this book scanner is specially suited for libraries and archives as well as for large digitisation projects.

via hackedgadgets, Product Page

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Giant Mechanical Spider driven by 14 People on-board!

max — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:30:54 +0000

Giant Mechanical Spider driven by 14 People on-board!

Here’s the video of Giant Mechanical Spider that was featured on our Weird Blog.

A 20-tonne spider that swung from a city centre tower block over commuters is to make its way across the city as part of a show.

Francois Delarozière created the mechanical artwork for La Machine show, which ends on Sunday. The Northwest Regional Development Agency and the Liverpool Culture Company have commissioned the work and show for £250,000.

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Robot Underwear for Your Lover!

max — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:58:55 +0000

Robot Underwear for Your Lover!

Now is your chance to geekify your lover with these Robot underwear. Of course, don’t get too corny otherwise you might not get some. Robots thong would look kinda cool… (imagine a hot woman wearing it)

Allover screen printed robots, hearts, and lightening bolts. Linked strings at waist. Cotton liner. 95% cotton/5% spandex. Machine wash. Imported.

via geeksugar, Product Page

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Robot Underwear for Your Lover!

Ganzbot is a Twitter Reading Robot!

max — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:39:54 +0000

Ganzbot is a Twitter Reading Robot!

Check out this cool Ganzbot that can talk. The Ganzbot can also read Twitter posts and show emotion.

This funny little robot has eyes, eyebrows and a mouth and will verbally read your latest Twitter status to you. It uses an Arduino Decima to control the head actions and receives the latest Twitter status information over USB from a host computer.

For those who don’t know, Twitter is a micro blogging tool where users announce what they’re doing with 140 characters or less. You can also send the robot something to say directly from the command line with a few Ganzbot moods to choose from.

via make, mozmonkey

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Robot with Rat Brain!

max — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:33:27 +0000

I have once played golf with one of the executives at AMD and he was telling me that future of computer chips are in organic chips sorta similar to human brain.

Well, here’s one of the first signs of that, a robot controlled by rat brain!

The robot’s biological brain is made up of cultured neurons which are placed onto a multi electrode array (MEA). The MEA is a dish with approximately 60 electrodes which pick up the electrical signals generated by the cells. This is then used to drive the movement of the robot. Every time the robot nears an object, signals are directed to stimulate the brain by means of the electrodes. In response, the brain’s output is used to drive the wheels of the robot, left and right, so that it moves around in an attempt to avoid hitting objects. The robot has no additional control from a human or a computer, its sole means of control is from its own brain.

via ohgizmo

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Robot with Rat Brain!

DIY Robotic StoneHedge Clock!

max — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:33:38 +0000

Check out this cool Stonehedge robotic clock. It’s really something when you use the latest technology to re-make something old as the stonehedge. – Link to Norris Labs the creator

Stonehenge uses a CrustCrawler Smart Arm and a Parallax Propeller chip to display the current time. All the digits needed to display the time are located on cards positioned in a semi-circle around the left and right sides of the arm. The time itself is displayed in front of the arm. This gives the clock a “Stonehenge” like appearance. There are a total of 14 cards. Each card has two digits with one on each side. The software planner determines which card and which side is needed to display the time and then sends the necessary movement commands to the arm.

DIY Robotic StoneHedge Clock!

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How to Teach your Female Humanoid Robot Femisapien!

max — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:14:28 +0000

How to Teach your Female Humanoid Robot Femisapien!

Remember the female humanoid robot, the Femisapien? Well the guys at Robots Rule have made couple videos on how to teach the Femisapien how to dance and do lots of other stuff.

via gizmodo

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Android Robot in Japanese Commercial

max — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:57:55 +0000

Android Robot in Japanese Commercial

Ah gawd, it’s an android robot. I do give thumbs up for making one but this android robot looks like Anime character.

via techfresh

- newlaunches

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Sea Bream Fish Robot!

max — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:13:18 +0000

Check out this giant Sea Bream fish robot. It’s almost real you want to chop it up for some nice stew or sushi.

The fish weighs a whopping 15.4 pounds, but it has a unique propulsion system that lets it move its tail and silently scoot through the water like a real fish. The body is made of silicone and the scales were hand-painted on for realism. And damn did they do a good job.

via techeblog – dvice

Other cool robot fish:

Robot Fish from University of Washington

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Sea Bream Fish Robot!

Border Patrol Bots!

max — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:35:00 +0000

Well, it wasn’t too long ago that BAE systems were rumored to work on insect-like robots for the military. Now, BAE systems have developed Border Patrol Bots that can go under trucks, equipped with sensors, and practically allow travelers to move along faster while increasing security.

I think it’s a good idea I guess, just don’t tell me any of my tax money is going into it. THEN, I’d have to ask the government to stop doing it as I don’t want to spend money on border patrollization.

With so many people I know are illegal immigrants, well, every person in the U.S. did in fact enter through as an immigrant at some point or another.

Damn, now I have to worry about paying taxes to support the illegal immigrants.

Either way, I don’y have control here.

The robot can … be fitted with heartbeat detectors as well as sensors to identify chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear materials being smuggled into Britain. News of the device comes only days after a group of stowaways was found after entering the country hidden on Army vehicles.

via wired

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Border Patrol Bots!

Hopping Robot!

max — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:40:36 +0000

Here’s a robot that hops like a grasshopper!

Jumping can be a very efficient mode of locomotion for small robots to overcome large obstacles and travel in natural, rough terrain. We present the development and characterization of a novel 5cm, 7g jumping robot. It can jump obstacles as high as more than 27 times its own size and outperforms existing jumping robots with respect to jump height per weight and jump height per size. It employs elastic elements in a four bar linkage leg system to allow for very powerful jumps and adjustment of jumping force, take off angle and force profile during the acceleration phase.

[via make - solarbotics] – epfl

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Hopping Robot!

Giant Robot Wall Decal Graphics for your Home!

max — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:55:51 +0000

Here’s some cool giant robot wall decals you can paste all over your geeky room.

This pack gives you 5 different graphics along with some missile decals, too. The decals are each about 8.5 inches tall.

via kleargear

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Giant Robot Wall Decal Graphics for your Home!

Robotic Dog Fetches the Ball!

max — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:03:02 +0000

Remember the Automatic Ball Throwing Machine for your dog? Well, get one of these Robotic Dogs and you will have a complete dog throwing/fetching automation. Why not?

This robot uses an Acroname CMUcam2+ for its eye and an Acroname BrainStem GP 2.0 microcontroller for its brain. It chases down a bright pink ball (which I made with a styrofoam ball and neon pink acrylic paint), grabs it with its dual-servo pincher, and brinks it back to its home base by homing in on another bright pink target (conveniently mounted over the iSight camera on my Mac).

Robotic Dog Fetches the Ball!

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Crawling, Begging Japanese Robot!

max — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:54:05 +0000

Crawling, Begging Japanese Robot!

This actually reminds me of Korea, where sometimes there are “fake” beggars on the street who have no legs but in reality they can jump up and run after people who steal those fake beggars’ money.

via declubz

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Digg Robot Diggs Stories?

max — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:59:43 +0000

Digg Robot Diggs Stories?

Here’s a really lame robot that someone used a cheap hobby robot arm to digg stories.

It could, however, be used for some really useful stuff I think…

via make – pinktentacle

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DIY Robot with Polymorph Plastic!

max — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:41:42 +0000

In case you didn’t know, Polymorph plastic is probably the best molding material for DIYers who need to customized plastic parts.

You can get polymorph plastic here.