Volvo uses robots for towing tests…
Volvo has robots that reproduce the same steering/driving movements to better test the towing performance and stability of their cars – robot truck drivers aren’t to far away it seems! [via] Link.
Robotics
Making a robot can be an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s the perfect combination of creativity, engineering and problem solving. However, if you’re just getting started in robotics, it can also be overwhelming. To make things easier for those who are just starting out, we’ve put together some tips and tricks to help makers bring robots to life! From the basics of assembling your robot to software implementation, these pointers will give you everything you need to get started on your robotic adventure!
$80 Tank / robotics platform – from Walmart
Geminicricket sent us in this $80 RF tank found at Walmart that seems like it would make an excellent supply of parts to procure from – “I was in Walmart today and saw a great deal that’ll be loads of fun and might be exceptionally useful to someone with more skill in electronics than I. […]
Telepresence book signing robot?
Sci-Fi author Margaret Atwood won’t need to travel for book signings any longer it seems, she’ll have a video screen and a robot arm that translate he movements to sign books for her. I suppose the proper term will be “tele-signing”? [via] Link. Until we get a chance to see this in person, here’s how […]
iPAQ Pocket PC drives roomba
Michael writes in about his Rooma projects – “I hacked my own firmware into the thing [Roomba] the very Saturday morning the announcement about the SCI came out on Slashdot, but, well, you know, them’s the breaks. I’ve since written a player driver for the thing I’m about to release, and I’ve got some nifty […]
Combat Robots – summer 2006
Robot Magazine has some details about a pretty cool sounding combat robot event – “Battle Beach, LLC, in partnership with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, is pleased to announce that their next robot combat event, Battle Beach 4, will be held in Summer 2006. This is the Robot Fighting League’s (RFL) Southeast Championships and an RFL […]
HOW TO – Make an Optical Encoder
Here’s a how to on making an optical encoder that can be used for an autonomous robot – Piotr writes – “An optical encoder measures how far something has moved, optically. It does this by looking at a pattern of alternating black-and-white, and counting number of transitions…” Link.
Robot offers psychoanalysis over the Internet
I spent 10 minutes talking to the bot, I feel a lot better now – “Do computers worry you? How about a robot psychoanalyst trying to work you through your fear of technology. It’s called Eliza Redux, a robosapien on Manhattan’s Lower East Side configured to move and answer questions for anyone in the world […]
