Kinect Hackers Are Changing the Future of Robotics
For 25 years, the field of robotics has been bedeviled by a fundamental problem: If a robot is to move through the world, it needs to be able to create a map of its environment and understand its place within it. Roboticists have developed tools to accomplish this task, known as simultaneous localization and mapping, or SLAM. But the sensors required to build that map have traditionally been either expensive and bulky or cheap and inaccurate. On November 4, a solution was discovered-in a videogame. Thats the day Microsoft released the Kinect for Xbox 360, a $150 add-on that allows players to direct the action in a game simply by moving their bodies. Most of the world focused on the controller-free interface, but roboticists saw something else entirely: an affordable, lightweight camera that could capture 3-D images in real time. Within weeks of the devices release, YouTube was filled with videos of Kinect-enabled robots. A group from UC Berkeley strapped a Kinect to a quadrotor-a small helicopter with four propellers-enabling it to fly autonomously around a room. A couple of students at the University of Bundeswehr Munich attached a Kinect to a robotic car and sent it through an obstacle course.
Kiva Systems Launches Robot Rental Program for Fulfillment Center Automation
Rental Option Offers Unparalleled Seasonal Flexibility to eCommerce Operations
KUKA Robotics Showcases Innovative Robotic Solutions for the Packaging Industry at PACKEX 2011
KUKA Robotics Canadato demonstrate an innovative unified controlled palletizing solution, in addition to the LWR lightweight robotic technology, at PACKEX Toronto, Canada's most comprehensive resource for Packaging and Processing in booth #1113.
Economic Conditions and Opportunities Bode Well for Robotics Market
A glance at the big picture for robotics reveals the world market has returned to growth after steep declines in 2009.
Japan's Decline as a Robotics Superpower: Lessons From Fukushima
Robots were a major force in the automation drive that made Japan the most competitive nation in manufacturing in the 1980s. That glory seems to have faded in recent decades, and Japanese robotics are no exception.
RoboBusiness Leadership Summit Registration Open
Executive-level conference to focus on cutting-edge technologies and commercialization strategies
Kiva Systems Launches Robot Rental Program for Fulfillment Center Automation
Rental option offers unparalleled seasonal flexibility to eCommerce operations
RoboBusiness Leadership Summit Registration Open
Executive-level conference to focus on cutting-edge technologies and commercialization strategies
ABB wins $25 million solar order in Italy
Rapid delivery of a proven high efficiency power and automation solution
American Robot James and German Robot Rosie Hook Up, Make Bavarian Sausage Breakfast Together
Once upon a time, a charming American robot called James met a striking German bot by the name of Rosie. They liked each other, so they moved in together. Now they spend their days taking long walks in the lab and doing other things that robots do. James is a PR2 robot, built by U.S. robotics firm Willow Garage, and it traveled to Germany as part of the PR2 Beta Program, an effort to popularize personal robots. At the Technical University Munich (TUM), James was introduced to Rosie, a dual-arm robot with a curvy figure and four eyes. Their courtship was at first a bit mechanical, but they soon found many things in common: Both run ROS ( Robot Operating System), use Hokuyo laser scanners and Kinect 3D sensors , and have omnidirectional mobile bases . On a recent spring morning, James and Rosie were seen together cooking the traditional Weisswurst Frühstück , a Bavarian sausage breakfast.
Some Robotic Highlights from the Maker Faire
Maker Faire is the premier event for grassroots American innovation. As the World's Largest DIY Festival, this two-day family friendly Faire has something for everyone - a showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness and a celebration of the Maker mindset.
Open Source Robotics for the Home
Presentation by Tully Foote of Willow Garage - "Open Source Robotics for the Home" which covers ROS, TurtleBot, and more.
ROS is an open source Robot Operating System that is catching on and promises to allow faster development of robotic systems.
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Intel Invests into Development of Humanoid Robots.
Intel Capital, an investment organization that belongs to Intel Corp. has made its first robotics industry investment, leading a $13 million investment in Aldebaran Robotics. The funding from Intel Capital will play a key role in allowing Aldebaran to develop its product offering into additional vertical sectors such as health and social care. “Robotics is an area that Intel Capital has been interested in for some time. Aldebaran’s work in areas such as voice interaction and video analytics really highlights the advances made in perceptual computing and has the potential to offer innovative products and solutions across a range of sectors," said Marcos Battisti, managing director of Intel Capital in Western Europe and Israel. The company currently manufactures and sells advanced, programmable humanoid robots focused on the education, personal services and research markets. Its products combine a range of facial and voice recognition technologies with location awareness capabilities, providing a flexible platform for application development. The investment from Intel Capiral and other partners will also help Aldebaran streamline its production operations and increase its research and development capabilities.
Hyundai Heavy Aims for Global Top3 Industrial Robot Manufacturer by 2014
With the completion of the state-of-the-art robot plant, the Company more than doubles its annual production of automobile assembling robots and LCD handling robots.
Robotic Surgery Adoption Is Prompting More Men To Choose Prostatectomy
Study Presented at Annual American Urological Association Meeting Coincides With Decrease Prostate Cancer Incidence In United States
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Industrial Robotics - Featured Product
Bota Systems - The SensONE 6-axis force torque sensor for robots
Our Bota Systems force torque sensors, like the SensONE, are designed for collaborative and industrial robots. It enables human machine interaction, provides force, vision and inertia data and offers "plug and work" foll all platforms. The compact design is dustproof and water-resistant. The ISO 9409-1-50-4-M6 mounting flange makes integrating the SensONE sensor with robots extremely easy.
No adapter is needed, only fasteners! The SensONE sensor is a one of its kind product and the best solution for force feedback applications and collaborative robots at its price. The SensONE is available in two communication options and includes software integration with TwinCAT, ROS, LabVIEW and MATLAB®.
