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New updates to Honda's robot Asimo allow it to now move without the assistance of a human operator, travel over uneven surfaces, and better recognize voices and faces. Now Asimo not only can find us no matter where we hide and hunt us down over even the roughest of terrain, but it also can't be turned off. Thanks Honda! More »
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Pentagon scientists working with MIT and Harvard researchers have developed a paper-thin shape-shifting structure capable of transforming into a toy boat or a paper plane by itself. This development is of course the first step towards real-life Transformers. More »
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This is "Scooby Doo," a 60 lb. robot built by the same people that sell you the Roomba vacuum cleaner. It defused 19 explosive devices in Iraq before being "killed" in action. Last week, I learned how to drive it. More »
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Stanford University's Computer Science Department's autonomous VW Passat Wagon has learned a fun new trick: using vehicle and real-world models to accurately J-turn its way into a parallel parking space. At least our future masters have skills. More »
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Computer-controlled, multi-axis assembly robots are the Carpocalypse's forgotten unemployed. Once, they built our cars; now, they sit dormant. What else are they good for? Here are ten jobs that might be a good fit. More »
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Boston Dynamics, the guys making the rise of Skynet inevitable, are showing off their ominously-named PETMAN prototype, a shoe-wearing, two-legged version of their now-legendary BigDog. It looks like the harbinger of mechanized death. Oh, they've also put horns on BigDog. More »
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This is one case where we can't improve on the caption: "Ketch and Hiro-pon, members of the Japanese pantomime group Gamarjobat, take part in a promotional ninth birthday party for Japanese auto giant Honda Motor's humanoid robot Asimo." More »
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Do we need any further proof other than this video of Toyota's "partner robot" running at 7 km/h that the super-number-one-best-automaker-from-the-land-of-the-rising-sun has anything but world domination in mind? Excuse us while we page John Connor. More »
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The lack of Volkswagen robot action in Transformers 2 didn't stop a Beijing mall from trying to latch on to the Transformer fever sweeping China, building a home-made VW Passat-a-bot to publicize their recently-opened movie theater. Gallery below. More »
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Lance Armstrong and Nike's Livestrong partnered with DeepLocal and StandardRobot to develop this Chalkbot, designed to spray 100,000 messages of courage, hope and action along the 2009 Tour de France for people that've been affected by cancer. More »
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The tech-loving guys at Wired have a whole slew of spoiler-filled images from the new Terminator 4 movie, Terminator: Salvation. Most interesting to us was the first up-close look at the "Terminator motorcycle" below. More »
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Another day of filming Transformers 2 has unveiled some key insights. The first is that Transformers 2 will feature robots; in this particular case, a sort of smaller, dragon-like Transformer who feeds on whomever is inside that vehicle. Given that most of the scenes filmed at Princeton University have featured the Saturn Astra, one could make an assumption that the vehicle pictured is the same Astra, especially noting the windshield slope and sunroof placement. Click through to see the next insight. Yes, it's about Megan Fox. More »
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We keep telling you the robot wars are going to happen any day now, and you just don't listen. While this is more like some version of a robot dog nipping at your heels, we still don't know what the mechanical marvel is going to do with that ball when he catches his prey. Okay, we kid, we're pretty sure this is another one of those TARDEC toys (where do they get those marvelous gadgets?) paid for with your tax dollars, but it looks like it could throw down if properly equipped for robot war. More »
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When you're cleaning up poorly stored nuclear waste you've got a few obstacles to clear. There's the highly toxic materials that would kill a person in a short period of time. Everything is stored in areas that are hard to access and dark. Then there's the fact that after a while nuclear waste separates into salts and liquids, making it hard to pump the material out. Finally, everything becomes explosive. The solution? A robot that runs completely on hydraulic power armed with a water cannon that could slice through concrete. Your tax dollars at work, America. [Lakeshore] More »
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Well folks, that's it, we had a good run but we're certainly doomed now. Dutch inventors have developed a robotic system for fueling up your car. By mounting a clever end effector to a multi-axis robot, and coupling it to a vehicle recognition system, they've removed the need for any human interaction. The system recognizes the car as it pulls up then instructs the robot as to where the fuel door is and what fuel type is needed. The robot kicks into motion, opens the door, removes the cap, picks up the fuel nozzle just like people used to and fills the car. This of course is a short distance from opening up the car door and tenderizing the meat bag in the drivers seat. [via Reuters] More »
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Toyota unveiled today two new robots, a "Mobility Robot" and a "Violin-playing Robot" — the newest additions to its team of Toyota "Partner Robots" being developed to support people's everyday life. The mobility robot, designed around the i-Real concept shown in Tokyo earlier this year (see the Toyota folks giving us a demo of the i-Real chair-concept-thing in Tokyo here) is a robot for the "aged." The 'bot's supposedly capable of autonomous movement over uneven ground and around obstacles and has a traveling range of 12 miles per charge and a top speed of 3.7 mph. We'll have more pictures up shortly, but for the moment, here's a bit of sexy violins by way of the 17 joints in the robots hands and arms — because pics are all you're getting as the super number one best automaker from the land of the rising sun's not expected to have these bad boys any time before 2010. Full press release after the jump. UPDATE: Pictures added below!
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While looking for a parking space in order that we could make a stop at Rockaway Beach our favorite store full of robots and the like, we spied this well yet exquisitely worn Alfa Romeo Berlina. Melee and other badges indicate road rally action. The miles look as if they have been, and will continue to be a heap of fun. Bonus points for the blue tape racing stripe. – Mike Bumbeck More »
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I swear to god, with my robot obsession, you'd swear I was Japanese. They're the only culture crazed over bots enough to hold me, much less contain me. I'd fit right in — if I weren't 6'3" and teeming with 'merican nationalist spirit. But still, the Japanese deserve the credit for merging automotive culture with the ultra-futuristic robotic stuff. And no company seems to be doing more of that right now than Nissan (or it's hetero life-mate Renault). Enter the Qashqai for the JDM. They're calling it the Dualis and they're marketing it as a "powered suit." Thus, the big honkin' robot that'll be on display at the Nissan Gallery from May 23 to June 13 in Tokyo. After that it'll be at the Sony Building from June 25 to July 1st. So if you live in Tokyo or plan on visiting, feel free to snap some pics so we aren't just stuck with the viral vid we've got below the jump. – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=263498&view=rss&microfeed=true Being politically correct is really hard. I mean, look at the General. The world's biggest automaker's decided to stop the senselessness of a fictional robot capable of dreaming from killing itself in a dream. Did everyone follow that? No? Ok, let's break that down again — General Motors is cutting a scene from their robot Super Bowl commercial (found above in case you didn't realize it) that features the robot throwing itself off of a bridge. Apparently the suicide group has a serious issue with separating not only fiction from reality, but science fiction from reality. I'm torn between believing GM didn't have much of a choice and a call to arms for GM to get some balls. I mean, if the General bows to this type of P-Crap, what's next? Are the Depression Sufferers Of America going to go after the character of Marvin in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy? – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=235464&view=rss&microfeed=true This teaser for GM seriously almost made folks here in the Gawker office cry. Despite the fact that the little guy's nothing more than a soulless and heartless robot, it's still heart-wrenching to see the little dude seek to end his life in such a way. Shame on the General for making it come to this for the little dude. What a douche-bag auto company. But we also heard the robot was sleeping around at the Pontiac factory so maybe it was just best for everyone. Oh, did we mention we'll have a poll up in a little bit for y'all to weigh in on what you think the best leaked Super Bowl auto ad teaser's been? While you're waiting, check out the other ads we've spotlighted so far — from FoMoCo and from the General's consumer-focused Chevrolet brand. – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=233617&view=rss&microfeed=true Can I just say that this walking robot from the dynamos at Boston Dynamics really gives me goose-bumps — especially when it gets kicked and retains balance. I mean, i don't even think I could do that if I were carrying 120 lbs while walking backwards. In addition to the load-bearing capabilities, this robot quadroped named BigDog can trot at 3.3 mph and climb a 35 degree slope — all things my sorry blogger ass can't seem to do these days. Meh, whatever — because I know when BigDog 2.0 comes out, and it can carry over 200 lbs, it'll be hauling my semi-portly ass wherever I want it to. – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=222553&view=rss&microfeed=true So does this mean there's no humans who help make the Hyundai Santa Fe? Does this confirm our worst fears — Hyundai's really an auto company created by evil robots determined to colonize the earth by using their SUV's to transform us all into gas-sucking vampires? Or, rather is it just a kind of cute commerical from the folks at the Richards Group, Hyundai's ad agency? You decide. More »
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We bet DARPA's mom is super upset with them, cause yesterday they decided the next Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Car Challenge is gettin' a taste of city life. After four vehicles finished the 142-mil3 desert course without human intervention last year, the third Grand Challenge will take place in a mock urban area. Thank G-D it's mock, and so therefore no need to worry about crazed robo-cars running down moms pushing strollers in the middle of downtown — DARPA's leaving that job to the taxi drivers. More »
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