Meet the BRIDGE Bot (Bridge Risk Investigation Diagnostic Grouped Exploratory): another versatile robot with active plane transition that can do its job on horizontal and vertical surfaces. It can also handle angled surfaces, making it idea for inspection of real bridges.
Here is a versatile vehicle that can roll on the ground and fly when needed. A Small Hybrid Ground-Air Vehicle Concept by Scott Morton and Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos from the University of Minnesota is a robot that can move on the ground and through the air. It changes mode fairly quickly to continue its mission.
Robots can be wonderful tools to have around in case of a natural or manmade disaster. The Honda E2-DR Disaster Response Robot is a legged robot that can perform inspections in plants. It can climb a ladder, go through narrow spaces, and negotiate uneven terrain.
Meet the Brainpower Foldaway Rocket BP118: a fun drone with obstacle avoidance and gimbal camera that flies forward, backward, and sideways up to 120m to get out of the way. It has WiFi control, FPV functionality, and headless mode. The battery lasts up to 10 minutes.
Plenty of companies are working on robots for children, adults, and seniors. Panasonic is expected to be very involved in this field. Its Cocotto robot is a social robot for young children that encourages them to move, talk, and connect.
So you would like to engage in air battles against friends? The Rockee DIY Battle Drone is a kit that comes with everything you need to get started. The drone features a 720p HD camera, WiFi, and 3 speed modes (10, 20, and 30 km/s). Rockee also features infrared shooting.
The Interbotix Turtlebot 2i is a popular research robot with a mobile base, modular design, and ROS support. It can be used to explore various applications, including obstacle avoidance, navigation, and sorting items. The Turtlebot 2i Telepresence kit lets you do more with it. You will be able to control the robot from anywhere and stay in touch with colleagues or loved ones.
There are plenty of sophisticated robot teleoperation systems available these days. With virtual reality, operators may be able to complete challenging tasks easier. Jeffrey I Lipton, Aidan J Fay, and Daniela Rus have presented a paper in which they discuss how VR can be integrated to existing robotics control software to reduce cost of telerobotic systems. As they explain:
This system can be deployed on multiple network architectures from a wired local network to a wireless network connection over the Internet. The system is based on the homunculus model of mind wherein we embed the user in a virtual reality control room. The control room allows for multiple sensor display, dynamic mapping between the user and robot, does not require the production of duals for the robot, or its environment. The control room is mapped to a space inside the robot to provide a sense of co-location within the robot.
An Oculus Rift was used to control the robot. More information is available here.
Meet the Clicksmart Vacuum Foam Gripper: a kit designed for applications where different sized items need to be picked or when dealing with uneven surfaces. The foam gripper measures 80mm in diameter. The kit comes with an analog vacuum sensor too.
Getting robots to perform vision-based tasks flawlessly is easier said than done. Markus Grotz, Timothée Habra, and their team of researchers have presented an active vision system with autonomous view selection and gaze stabilization for humanoid robots. It allows robots to perform complex vision-based tasks.
