Will somebody think of the robots?
As part of their campaign to raise money for a new facility, the hackerspace i3 Detroit produced this cute video imploring you to please think of the robots and help their cause.
robots
MeBot telepresence system from MIT
Travis Deyle, of the awesome robot site Hizook, sent us a link to his page rounding up developments on this MIT telepresence system, called the MeBot. [Thanks, Travis!] MeBot: An Affective Teleconferencing Robot from MIT Being Presented at HRI 2010
Hands-on with FEZ Mini, a .NET-powered microcontroller (+ robot kit)
Two reflective sensors are included in the kit (useful for line following and edge detection projects), and you can order additional components both from TinyCLR.com and other robotics sites. Many construction parts are included in the kit so it is very easy to attach additional sensors or other parts. As you can see on the picture above, I already added a Sharp IR distance sensor in front (so I can teach the robot to not bump on walls). I also added an Xbee expansion board on the back so one day I can control the robot remotely (and my Holy Grail is to connect the robot to Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio).
Android controlled LEGO Mindstorms robots
I’ve come across numerous Android controlled vehicles in the past, but never a LEGO Mindstorms robot, let alone two. The folks at ENEA in Linköping, Sweden, built a pair as a trade show demo. One of the main challenges was getting Bluetooth support to work. They ended up using an Ubuntu laptop to tunnel between devices. I’ve come across numerous Android controlled vehicles in the past, but never a LEGO Mindstorms robot, let alone two. The folks at ENEA in Linköping, Sweden, built a pair as a trade show demo. One of the main challenges was getting Bluetooth support to work. They ended up using an Ubuntu laptop to tunnel between devices.
Android controlled PLEN robot
Time again for another Android controlled robot demo. This time it’s the venerable PLEN. Watch as the the diminutive 9-inch bot is put through it’s paces as the demonstrator deftly navigates the touchscreen controls.
Vicacopter open source autonomous VTOL UAV
The mysterious Jack Crossfire’s open source autonomous VTOL UAVs are amazing to watch. For around a hundred dollars you, too, can build your own.
Lifelike robots teach students about marine life
This playful killer whale (orca) is actually a robot. One of a series of over 100 different creatures, it was built by Masamichi Hayashi to teach children about marine biology.
