Meet the GummiArm: a 3D printed robotic arm capable of opening drawers, catching objects, and interacting with its environment. It uses AX-18A Dynamixel Actuators to turn spools with elastic bands. The below video gives you a quick look at what this robot is capable of delivering:
Meet the RoBoHoN: a cute robot that serves as your smartphone. When you have a new call or message, the robot moves and talks to you. It dances, talks, and moves to entertain you and keep you connected. RoBoHoN has WiFi, 3G, and LTE compatibility and a 1.2 GHz processor.
Walking robots are getting smarter all the time. Navigating unknown terrain still remains a challenge for them. As the below video shows, it is possible to use a flying drone to map unknown areas and transmit the relevant data to the walking robot to help it get to its destination while avoiding obstacles.
Remember Harvard’s RoboBee? It is a tiny robot capable of tethered flight. According to Harvard researchers, the newest version can swim as well. These robots are tiny enough to sit on your finger. The below video shows how these robots accomplish flying in the air and moving in water:
Playing chess on a computer is fun, but many of us prefer dealing with 3D pieces instead of a 2D board. This Robotic Chess Player can help. It moves pieces around using a claw and CoreXY systme. You will be able to play against UCI engines, such as Stockfish and Komodo. ChessM8 detects the presence of the pieces with a sensor matrix below the board:
Winter is not everyone’s favorite season. Shoveling snow is certainly not fun. Thanks to this robot snow blower, you can take care of the snow without having to put any pressure on your back. It lets you clear your driveway and sidewalk while you stay inside. The snow blower features an Ariens AX 208 cc snow engine, a remote stop/start, a tail hitch for a pull behind lawnmower, and an aluminum chassis.
Helicopters will be able to land or take off almost anywhere thanks to a robotic landing gear developed by DARPA. This adaptive system has four articulated, jointed legs that can adapt to angled, irregular, and moving surfaces. They have sensors to determine the appropriate angle to assume to keep the helicopter level. These legs fold up next to the helicopter’s fuselage while in the air.
So you are in love with Uber? In the future, you are going to be able to summon robots, from your smartphone or other smart gadgets, and have them drive you to your destination. We are talking about autonomous cars that don’t require any human to drive them. The robot taxi uses a camera to recognize and open the door to the passengers.
Meet Tickle: a drag & drop programming interface for drones, robots, and toys. It is compatible with Parrot Drones, BB-8 Droid, Sphero, Ollie, Rolling Spider, and other robot toys. It simply lets you interactively and wirelessly program Arduino. It can also teach you a thing or two about coding concepts.
Robogamis are coming. Researchers at EPFL have managed to build a folding, re-configurable robot that weighs about 4 grams and is capable of crawling and jumping. Tribot, a recent robogami, is modeled after inchworms. It switches between jumping and crawling. It can jump over obstacles and resume moving forward.
