Archive for the 'Rise of the Machines' Category
DARPA: Robotic Hand Strong Enough to Hold 50lb Weight, Dexterous Enough to Use Tweezers
May 22nd, 2013Via: DARPA: The ARM-H track of DARPA’s Autonomous Robotic Manipulation (ARM) program focuses on development of robust, low-cost and dexterous robotic hand hardware. DARPA funded performers to design and build hand mechanisms that could replace the claw-like hands currently used on robots with hands incorporating 3-4 fingers and useable palms. The teams successfully produced hands […]
Eldercare Robots?
May 20th, 2013Via: New York Times: Just like Frank, as the baby boomer generation grows old and if the number of elderly care workers fails to grow with it, many people might end up being cared for by robots. According to the Health and Human Services Department, there will be 72.1 million Americans over the age of […]
TrackingPoint Weapon System
May 16th, 2013Make sure the firewall on your rifle is up to date. Via: Guns: TrackingPoint, operating out of Austin, Tex., developed the truly unique shooting system that fundamentally changes how a person operates a rifle. By using a smart scope and an electronic trigger system TrackingPoint’s “Precision Guided Rifles” can guarantee hits even with the most […]
Navy Launches X-47B from Carrier
May 14th, 2013Via: ABC: The Navy for the first time Tuesday launched an unmanned aircraft the size of a fighter jet from a warship in the Atlantic Ocean, as it wades deeper into America’s drone program amid growing concerns over the legality of its escalating surveillance and lethal strikes. Called the X-47B, the drone is considered particularly […]
RoboBee
May 3rd, 2013It requires a tether for power and control, but who knows how long that constraint will last… Via: Christian Science Monitor: The successful controlled flight of the tiny RoboBee – designed by a team at Harvard – represents a key step in the development of insect-size drones with a range of potential uses. A robotic […]
Printable ‘Bionic’ Ear Melds Electronics and Biology
May 3rd, 2013Creepy pic at link. Via: Physorg: Scientists at Princeton University used off-the-shelf printing tools to create a functional ear that can “hear” radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability. The researchers’ primary purpose was to explore an efficient and versatile means to merge electronics with tissue. The scientists used 3D printing of […]
IBM Robotic Coworker Will Help Engineers Fix Broken Systems
April 25th, 2013Via: Network World: When it comes to fixing broken systems, especially in remote locations, engineers could soon turn to a new mobile robotic system IBM is developing that could help them more easily find the broken equipment, offer up information about the system and provide real-time visual support from supervising experts. The mobile maintenance, repair […]
‘After Boston, Lawmakers See Case for Use of Drones to Kill Americans’
April 24th, 2013Via: U.S. News and World Report: In the aftermath of the Boston bombing standoff that ended last Friday, lawmakers have changed their tune on whether a drone should ever be used to target an American citizen on U.S. soil. The use of drones to kill American citizens is not “inherently illegal,” as long as that […]
After U.S. Troops Leave, Armed Drones Will Patrol Afghanistan’s Opium Poppy Farms Skies
April 23rd, 2013
Via: Wired: One of the major elements of Afghanistan’s air war will remain after most U.S. troops have headed home, the U.S. military command confirmed today. Armed drones, operated by the U.S., will remain over Afghanistan after 2014. “I come back to the remotely piloted aircraft,” Air Force Maj. Gen. H.D. Polumbo, the commander of […]
DARPA’s ‘Physical Intelligence’ Brain
April 12th, 2013Via: National Defense Magazine: The next frontier for the robotics industry is to build machines that think like humans. Scientists have pursued that elusive goal for decades, and they believe they are now just inches away from the finish line. A Pentagon-funded team of researchers has constructed a tiny machine that would allow robots to […]
