by Scott Judson
Owner of Judson Steel, an iOS development studio based in Auckland
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
As kids, we grew up watching Star Wars, Transformers, and Wall-E. We loved robots and wanted them in our lives. Unfortunately, robots today suck. They are either million dollar tech showpieces or cheap toys. That’s why we built romo. He’s a robot that uses your smartphone for his brain. Because Romo leverages the power of a smartphones processor, he’s cheap and a super fast learner. Order a robot and get to know romo today! (via Romotive)
The human hand is an amazing machine that can pick up, move and place objects easily, but for a robot, this “gripping” mechanism is a vexing challenge. Opting for simple elegance, researchers from Cornell, the University of Chicago and iRobot Corp. have created a versatile gripper using everyday ground coffee and a latex party balloon, bypassing traditional designs based on the human hand and fingers.
They call it a universal gripper, as it conforms to the object it’s grabbing, rather than being designed for particular objects, said Hod Lipson, Cornell associate professor of mechanical engineering and computer science.
The ground coffee grains are like lots of small gears,” Lipson said. “When they are not pressed together they can roll over each other and flow. When they are pressed together just a little bit, the teeth interlock, and they become solid.” (via Cornell Chronicle: Universal robotic gripper)
Pingo is an interactive companion who keeps you entertained. Even when you’re not at your computer, Pingo connects you to your favorite websites in a wildly fun and engaging way.
- Announces emails and messages from friends
- Reads aloud up-to-the minute news, weather and markets via RSS
- Responds to your voice commands
- Zooms, roams, rolls around your desk
- Interacts with other Pingo owners through our Facebook app
- Connects you to your favorite websites even when the browser is off
(via bashford)
Just when you thought you could walk away from your computer when u need a break. The creepy penguin will keep you coming back for more.
