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Robotic Bear Paws You When You Snore [VIDEO]

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:15:30 +0000

This bear may be soft and pillow-shaped, but you might want to think twice before curling up for a nap on Jukusui-kun. If you snore, it will stroke your face with its furry paw. It’s not hitting on you. Rather, it is helping your partner or roommate sleep by urging you to move on to your side, a position in which you are less likely to snore . Japan Trends discovered the robot, created by Wasaeda Univeristy , at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo last week. Jukusui-kun, which does not yet appear to be on the market, monitors snoring through a microphone and a matching fuzzy bear oxygen meter that the sleeper attaches to his or her hand. To avoid using cords that could interfere with sleep, Japan Trends says the creators developed a mat of sensors to be placed under the sheets instead of using cords. When oxygen and decibel levels signal loud snoring, the pillow takes action. It’s an interesting set up, but will getting pawed by a bear actually inspire snorers to shift to a quieter sleeping position? Or will Jukusui-kun be little more than an annoying stuffed animal that swats at their ears? Let us know in the comments if this would help the snorer in your life. More About: Jukusui-kun , robots , trending

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Robotic Bear Paws You When You Snore [VIDEO]

Robots to help out in farms, too

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:51:37 +0000

I guess it was not too far from the truth with moisture farmers Owen Lars owning some droids to help him out, as that science fiction scene has been translated somewhat to the real world with Massachusetts startup Harvest Automation working on a tiny mobile robot which is meant to protect nurseries in order to address a volatile labor market problem. Currently under beta testing, this tiny robot might soon replace humans when it comes to ensuring each plant in your nursery is well watered and free from infections and pests. (more…) Robots to help out in farms, too , By Ubergizmo . Top Stories : Epic 4G Touch Review ,

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Robots to help out in farms, too

Ball Tossing iFling Robot is the Future of Grenade Warfare [Video]

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Finding yet another more useful application for the Segway’s balancing technology, the iFling robot is able to pick up ping pong balls and fling them at targets, all while effortlessly balancing on two wheels. More »

SmartPal robot to assist humans in the future

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:24:19 +0000

Robots are meant to be our servants, we should always be mindful of that lest that bunch of digital lifeforms actually gain a certain level of sentience and make an attempt to take over the world. Well, one of the latest robots to roll out is the SmartPal, where it is paraded at IREX 2011. This is not the first version of the SmartPal to be shown, but numerous improvements have been introduced with the fifth iteration – hence calling it the SmartPal VII. One of the changes would be a head that will offer it some personality at the very least, where it will hold a new pan/tilt sensor inside alongside an infrared sensor to help it sniff humans out. I’m using the word “sniff” here figuratively, not literally, just in case you were wondering. Not only that, the inventor has also thrown in a stereo camera to help it “see” better. SmartPal robot to assist humans in the future , By Ubergizmo . Top Stories : Epic 4G Touch Review , Droid Bionic Review ,

HRP-4C robot gets a human-like gait

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:45:03 +0000

As robots move closer and closer towards uncanny valley status, it makes perfect sense that other segments of a robot will need to be perfected – case in point, AIST’s (Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) HRP-4C robot that has been improved to have it walk in a manner that is not too far off that of a human being. You can always check out the video after the jump, where I feel that you can still tell it apart from your regular flesh-and-bone setup, and one thing that gives it away would be the amount of noise this thing makes. It must be said that the HRP-4C should walk like a human since it was built to target the entertainment industry in the first place. At the moment, her toes support the legs longer during each stride, so that the legs can straighten out more for a more natural gait. I guess it will take some time before humanoid robots become impossible to tell apart from how we regular humans stride around. HRP-4C robot gets a human-like gait , By Ubergizmo . Top Stories : iPhone 4S Review , Droid Bionic Review ,

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HRP-4C robot gets a human-like gait

Rex bionic legs go for sale in the UK

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:34:29 +0000

For the majority of us, getting up and about might seem to be a chore even though we have a pair of perfectly good legs, but for those who want to be up and about but cannot due to injury, disease, or even being born without the ability to use their legs, will definitely hope that they too, can figuratively be in your shoes. I guess wheelchair-bound folks can identify with the feeling that Jake Sully in the movie ‘Avatar’ experienced when he first explored the outside world via his avatar. Well, technology has advanced to such a stage where bionic legs can be used to aid one in the walking process, and such a pair has just received the approval to go on sale in the UK. Rex bionic legs go for sale in the UK , By Ubergizmo . Top Stories : iPhone 4S Review , Epic 4G Touch Review ,

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Rex bionic legs go for sale in the UK

Robot guide dog for the blind

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:36:33 +0000

Didn’t I mention that Japan does give off the impression that it is a nation that has robots crawling just about anywhere and everywhere, helping folks living there in many different ways? Well, here is yet another avenue for a digital lifeform to help us out – NSK of Japan has announced that they are hard at work on a quadrupedal robot which could very well function as a guide dog for the blind. The first prototype known as the NR001 was already completed six years ago thanks to a team of engineers, and this very same team is now working to further improve the current prototype. Already in the third prototype phase, this particular robot relies on a Microsoft Kinect sensor that will enable it to detect stairs as well as other obstacles in its path. Not only that, the legs themselves have also been redesigned in a way to make it move nimbly up and down flights of stairs at the same speed of the average human. To make it all the more canine-like, voice recognition has also been thrown into the mix, letting you command it with basic obedience cues such as start (heel), stop (halt), and move up and down the stairs – without the need to use treats during the process. Robot guide dog for the blind , By Ubergizmo . Top Stories : Epic 4G Touch Review , Droid Bionic Review ,

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Robot guide dog for the blind

Telesar V telexistence robot avatar

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:04:27 +0000

There is this particular perception that Japan is a land where plenty of robots run around – after all, this is the country that introduced the Transformers to the world, not to mention a whole bunch of other manga characters of the digital kind. Hence, it is only poetic justice that Professor Tachi who hails from Japan’s Keio University, has managed to successfully work on the Telesar V, a telexistence robot avatar that he is extremely proud of. What is the Telesar V capable of? For starters, it is said that this particular robot is able to transmit sight, hearing and heck – even touch, so that it can “ free people from time and space constraints”. Telesar V telexistence robot avatar , By Ubergizmo . Top Stories : Epic 4G Touch Review , Galaxy S2 Review ,

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Telesar V telexistence robot avatar

Slow Moving Robot Guide Dog is No Threat To Canines Yet [Video]

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

It won’t get tired or distracted by squirrels, but the advantages of NSK’s robotic seeing eye dog don’t quite outweigh the fact that in its present form, it’s very slow at tackling obstacles like stairs. So it will take a few years more development before this mechanical alternative has companion dogs looking for new work. More »

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Slow Moving Robot Guide Dog is No Threat To Canines Yet [Video]

Robot rides on a bicycle

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:25:37 +0000

Getting a robot to walk on two legs is one thing, to have it run is another, and to make sure it can walk briskly without falling down despite being shoved is on a totally different plane altogether. How about another precarious (for a robot, at least) balancing act that will involve more of the number two? I’m talking about this bipedal robot by Dr. Guero (a researcher who has worked at AIST, Boston Dynamics, and Osaka University), where it was built to ride a custom-made bicycle that has been built to scale. Robot rides on a bicycle , By Ubergizmo . Top Stories : Galaxy S2 Review , Droid Bionic Review ,

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Robot rides on a bicycle