A tear-jerking introduction of the technology

A cerebrally controlled robotic system is being developed by a team of researchers from Brown University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and a host of others could give paralyzed people the ability to use robotic limbs to manipulate objects for themselves. Called ‘BrainGate’, the brain-controlled system allows the user to control a robotic limb through thought. To do this, the team implants a wireless microelectrode array (Neural Interface System) at 4 X 4mm directly on the motor cortex portion of the brain that controls motor function. The series of electrodes (100 in all) on the chip pick up the brain's activity associated with arm movement and sends the signals to a series of computers that use software (unknown at this time) to decode the brains activity. The computers then translate those signals into a series of instructions that tell a robotic arm to move and grasp an object based on the user’s desired intentions. The researchers are presently using two types of robotic arms, which are being continuously developed by DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics and DEKA Research and Development Corporation.

DLR robotic hand/arm concept

The bigger of the two robotic arms being used by the researchers is DLR’s Hand Arm System, which is an external robotic arm made for more robust applications where impacts with heavy objects are nonconsequential (factory and warehouse work?).  The arm consists of a series of mechatronic compliance actuators with 52 drives and over 100 position sensors. The units hand alone features 38 individual tendons with each connected to an individual motor to provide tension and stiffness. The fingers use a similar configuration that uses two separate motors for individual grasping and tension based on the object being manipulated. The arm is so robust that you can actually beat it with a baseball bat without damaging any of the electronics.

Deka arm system

The second arm that the team is working with is DEKA Research and Development’s ‘Luke’ Arm (named after Luke Skywalker's mechanical hand). The arm is actually a robotic prosthesis that was designed for amputee patients and was developed as a DARPA tetraplegia project. The titanium Arm was designed to be roughly the same size as a typical human appendage and houses all of its electronics, motors and actuators inside (exactly how and what technology was used is currently unknown). The prosthesis features 18 degrees of movement which was accomplished by using rigid-to-flex circuit boards that were folded into ‘origami’ shapes placed inside the titanium housing. A vibrational motor at the top of the arm lets the user know how much pressure is needed to grasp an object through varying degrees vibration depending if the wearer is holding an egg or a brick.

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(All images and video courtesy of Crown Institute for Brain Science)

Sometimes companies need to let their employees have a little bit of fun. That is exactly what the infamous vacuum cleaner company Dyson tried, holding a contest for employees to build their own race cars from spare vacuum parts and compete in a race. Anywhere else, finding parts from a vacuum to build a race car may be a little difficult. However, Dyson is the one of the leading manufacturer of vacuums and uses a unique cyclone technology to pick up dirt and debris more efficiently than competitors. At their headquarters, spare parts are in abundance.

The racing event took place in Wiltshire, U.K. at the Dyson company headquarters and the engineers competing were challenged to design their models within two weeks. In order to win the competitors needed to create a car with lots of speed and lots of creativity. Many created cars that resembled small dragster models while others had some that looked like small box cars and hand dryers racing down the track. One engineer even managed to build a small race car that he was able to sit in and drive. Overall, James Dyson managed to create a fun event that will make his engineers happy and more likely to say that they love their job.

Sir James Dyson is a man who believed he could design products better than the ones already on the market. Unlike many people whom say they could design a better product but never do, James Dyson followed through with his beliefs. Dyson created over 5,000 prototypes of his first vacuum cleaner in a workshop at his house. He finally managed to come across one he thought was perfect, it used cyclone technology to separate dirt and dust particles from an air stream. A powerful centrifugal force pushes particles against a chamber wall and from there fall into a bin. Additionally, the Dyson vacuum cleaner was one of the first vacuums to be constructed without a bag.

Along with the revolutionary vacuum cleaner, Dyson companies also designs and creates fans, heaters, and hand dryers. They sell their products in over 50 countries throughout the world, and continue to develop new technologies to top competitors products. James Dyson is a man who showed the world that anything is possible once you set your mind towards it.

See how James Dyson helped foster a way to extract water from a desert.

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It was inevitable that robots would soon make take over our world, right? They show up in factories to take over people's roles on the assembly line, and now the first robot guard has been patrolling a prison in South Korea. It is a new system created to maintain prison safety and to decrease workloads on people working at the prison. First reported back in Nov 2011, this new video shows firsthand look at the control system and interface.

The robot has been named Robo-guard and stands about 5 feet high. It has been built for the purpose of surveillance and will not interact directly with any prisoners. It uses sensors and software to autonomously navigate through the prison. Its looks are on the friendly side, aimed at making prisoners as comfortable as possible with its presence.

Robo-guard comes equipped with 3D cameras that monitor and observe prisoners and their behavior. It will collect data from their postures and gestures and will analyze them using special algorithms to detect dangerous and threatening situations. If various actions are detected, it will alert guards working back at the control center who can then come and work out the situation if need be. On the other hand, guards are able to observe the situation in real time from video feedback and have the option to communicate with prisoners through a two way wireless system on the robot. Additionally,  it can be manually controlled through an iPad if a specific area needs to be watched or checked out.

Having an extra set of eyes to watch prison cells is probably a better thing. It is safe, efficient, and pretty cool. It also may be able to detect suspicious behavior more accurately. In the future, South Korea stated it may want to design a robot to help with pat downs and full body searches. I don't think anyone should be worried yet until the robots come yielding guns.

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Get in a fight with your girlfriend? Smooth it over with a custom 3D chocolate from the 'Choc Edge' printer. Chic Edge, custom 3D chocolate machine was created by Dr Liang Hao and Dr Choon Yen Kong; who are lead scientists at the University of Exeter.

The system has been in development since 2007. The main company, Choc Edge was founded in December 2011 after a very positive responses from the media in July of 2011. How this sweet machine works is by filling a syringe with melted chocolate, getting creative with the design you want, and letting the computer controlled machine build a delicious structure almost exactly like a 3D plastic printing machine. Whether this system can make complicated 3D candies has yet to be seen.

They are only selling this "Willy Wonka Want-to-be" chocolate machine on eBay. They are always taking pre-orders for £2,488, or just under $4,000. The pre-orders are only lasing till April 20th.

Guys in the dog house, is it worth it?

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Playing with RC cars can be a lot of fun for kids, and as anyone who plays the Call of Duty games know, the army thinks they are fun as well. Now, a company called Boston Dynamics has revealed their latest take on the RC car. Unfortunately you will not find it at any Toy’s R Us. Boston Dynamics and the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force are behind this project because creating military bots is now more profitable than selling RC cars to kids.

Their creation is called the Sand Flea. It is a heavy duty all terrain RC car with a trick up its sleeve to overcome obstacles. Weighing only 11 pounds, the Sand Flea has an on board camera and CO2 piston-like launching mechanism all in a small package. The CO2 launch system propels it up to 30 feet in the air for gaining access to rooftops and clearing walls or obstacles. The Sand Flea jumps very accurately from a stationary position, so it can even get into open windows. The CO2 tank allows for 25 jumps before reloading. To assure a smooth landing and steady camera footage, the Sand Flea is also equipped with a stabilization system that levels it when it is in flight.

See more of Boston Dynamics work:

Advanced humanoid robot designed to test clothes

AlphaDog robot impresses and intimidates

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See more robots is the element14 Robotics group

Humanoid Robot developed for DARPA by SRI International (Via SRI International)

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has had a host of ‘Grand Challenges’ since their inception in 1958. Notable contests include a driverless car project and the UAV Challenge which resulted in the Predator drone design. DARPA’s next Grand Challenge will focus on humanoid robots that are able to navigate rough or adverse terrain as well as function in areas such as disaster zones. The Challenge will be addressed by six hardware and twelve software (redundancy?) teams that will have to incorporate a certain set of requirements into their designs. These requirements include being able to drive an open-framed utility vehicle, able to unlock closed doors, navigate rubble laden hallways and climb stairs. Finally, the ‘bot’ has to identify and be able to fix broken equipment such as damaged pipes and pumps that, for the simulated run, are primary targets that need to be achieved.

As rumor has it, the Agency wants the challenge to be comprised of bi-pedal robots only. The outcome for this Challenge is to have robots that can enter toxic disaster areas (nuclear, chemical or biological accidents) and be able to navigate through difficult terrain as well as use a variety of tools that were designed for human use to fix certain problems. That’s a pretty tall order in itself, but the Challenge gets worse as the robot will also have to work semi-autonomously with little help from a tele-operator. The actual in-depth details of this Grand Challenge will be provided by DARPA’s up-coming BAA (Broad Agency Announcement) release in the next couple of weeks.

Eavesdropper

Car technology has advanced so much within the last decade most people probably do not recognize automobiles are edging close to autonomous. Cars have subtly took over more driving tasks starting with simple cruise control to automatic parallel parking and braking systems that can detect objects that the driver may not see. It is only a matter of time before cars that are fully capable of driving themselves are commonplace.

A perfect example of these new cars is Google's self-driving fleet. The cars use an array of sensors and complex algorithms to navigate the road safely. The heart of the system is Velodyne's HDL-64 LiDAR sensor. The sensor currently sits on top of the hood and spins at 10 revolutions per second constantly collecting data from the environment. It generates 1.3 million data points (750 Mbytes per second through an ethernet interface) that allows software to analyze and map obstacles and potential hazards. The laser sensors can create a 3D view of the environment up to 40 meters, and it collects centimeter resolution data from 80 to 100 meters away.

The biggest obstacle facing the robot-car is liability. There can be major discrepancies over who is at fault when an accident occurs, or if a user is to be ticketed for some reason. However, the cars promise improved safety and fuel-efficiency and many politicians are working to help legalize the cars. For example, Nevada allows driverless cars. However, the owners must pay a $1-$3 million insurance bond per vehicle. If you are ever out in the desert state, look for cars with a red license plate... those are autonomous.

Currently, many states and other countries are working on systems that will allow these cars to freely roam the roads. Many people may fear leaving total control of their cars up to computers; what if the computer makes a mistake? Google's autonomous fleet had one accident in 160,000 miles driven. For the record, it was when a human took the wheel. (Most people have had more accidents in less miles, also for the record.)

Steve Mahan is legally blind (95%), but thanks to Google's autonomous cars he was able to take a trip to a local fast food restaurant. Mahan explained, "There are some places you cannot go, some things that you really cannot do... Where this would change my life, is to give me the independence and the flexibility to go to the places I both want to go and need to go when I need to do those things." Google has labeled Mahan the first user of the technology; "Self-Driving Car User #0000000001."

Although there is more testing a work to be done on the autonomous car before wide-spread adoption, they are on the road now. Who doesn't want smooth moving computer-controlled traffic?

Eavesdropper

Wheelchairs have had some up-grades over the years. Various forms have come and gone, but they are typically limited to moving forward and backward. Those days are over as Masaharu Komori (from Kyoto University in Japan) has designed a new wheelchair that can not only travel forwards and backwards but also sideways. Called ‘Permoveh’ (Personal Mobile Vehicle) the wheelchair features a set of rollers housed inside the chairs wheels that lets the user travel in all directions, including diagonally as well as sideways. The rollers use a separate drive-train from the main wheels which gives the Permoveh its unique ability. This enables the disabled to move in tight or crowded areas with an impressive amount of maneuverability. The wheel innovation can also be adapted for other uses such as an upgrade for forklifts used in warehouses or adapted to robots that work in small places like my apartment. The downside to the Permoveh is that there are no plans to commercialize the chair as of yet but conceivably it could be on the market in the next few years.

Prototype chair and wheel concept (via Kyoto University)

The idea is nothing new, robotics competitions have had this exact tech for years. Whoever markets the wheels first will be treated as the inventor, so hop to it Masaharu Komori.

Eavesdropper