Here is a reconfigurable soft robot from EPFL researchers that can achieve multiple modes of locomotion. The robot can climb vertically, move with wave gait, and roll on surfaces. These robots move by having air sucked out of them. Modules can be added or removed to take on various tasks.
Meet the Mabot: an educational robot developed to teach your kids programming. It is LEGO compatible and has a visual programming interface. You get sensor, control, drive, connection, and battery balls to get started. The companion app comes with instructions to show your kids how to build 12 different robots.
Meet the Moment drone: a foldable flying machine with a 4K camera that lets you capture all the action from the air. It features enclosed propellers, smartphone control, up to 15-min fly time, and auto-tracking functionality. The Moment drone comes with electronic image stabilization. It can be flown indoors and outside.
In the past few years, we have covered plenty of awesome bio-inspired robots here. Researchers have developed a new robot inspired by the remora (suckerfish) for underwater action. It was built using 3D printing technology.
Developing robots with human-like movement is easier said than done. Researchers are making progress towards that with more advanced artificial muscles. Researchers at Columbia Engineering have come up with a 3D printable synthetic soft muscle with expansion without an external compressor.
Meet the NXT Robotics Scorpion 2: a smart autonomous rugged outdoor security robot that can patrol data centers, airports, military facilities, and other comparable buildings. It has cameras with night vision, a 4-wheel drive system with 17″ ground clearance, on-board DVR, and gas/open flame/acoustic sensors.
Meet Knightscope’s K7: an autonomous 4-wheel machine that can traverse difficult terrain and large environments. It can navigate grass, gravel, sand, and other surfaces. Its speed is about 3mph but apparently, it can go much faster.
Meet the Matternet Station: a fully-automated delivery drone system with an autonomous M2 Drone and cloud platform to make it easy to send and receive packages. It has a footprint of 2 square meters and can be installed on the ground or rooftop locations. After landing, the drone is locked, its battery is swapped, and the payload is replaced.
Users will be able to send packages to another location by scanning them into the Matternet Station. As the company explains:
The first Matternet Stations will service healthcare systems in Switzerland to automate on-demand transportation of blood and pathology samples between hospital facilities.
Meet the Cue Robot for Wonder Workshop: a cute robot with Emotive AI that provides your kids with an interactive learning and playing experience. It can be programmed using blocks and JavaScript. The robot has 3 processors, proximity sensors, and 4 motors. It is compatible with iOS and Android devices.
Robots are going to take many jobs from us in the future. That applies to flipping burgers and food preparation at restaurants. Plenty of companies are already experimenting with these ideas. Flippy happens to be a smart robot with AI that can flip burgers like a pro.
