Futurist Thomas Frey: In September 1989, GE Chairman Jack Welch flew to Bangalore, India for a breakfast meeting with an Indian delegation that included Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. The purpose of his trip was to sell airplane engines and medical equipment to India, but the meeting took an interesting twist along the way.
Continue reading… “Hi, I’m a robot, and I’m here to take your job”
Researchers are building systems to enable humans to collaborate with robots and vehicles.
In the morning, you wake up and your robot starts the coffee maker and then sends the daily calendar to the car. The car then works on a plan that makes sure you keep to that schedule. This is the vision of MIT researchers who are developing systems to help people collaborate with robots and vehicles.
Continue reading… “MIT researchers envision a future of talking cars that can plan driver’s day”
The unmanned aircraft are the next big transformation in the aviation industry.
The phrase “this is your captain speaking” may soon become a thing of the past, thanks to a new generation of robotic, passenger aircraft that will take to the skies by themselves.
Continue reading… “Pilotless passenger planes ready for takeoff”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9FDkJZCMuE[/youtube]
A robot the size of a fly that is able to perform the agile maneuvers of the ubiquitous insects has been created bu scientists in the United States. This “robo-fly”, built from carbon fiber, weighs a fraction of a gram and has super-fast electronic “muscles” to power its wings.
Continue reading… “World’s smallest flying robot takes off”
COMAN
Mimicking the many distinct balancing adjustments standing humans make when unexpectedly shoved, or while encountering shifting terrain (such as on a boat or moving train) is a skill that most robots haven’t mastered. Nevertheless, one lab in Italy has created a humanoid robot that comes very close to matching our skill at avoiding taking a spill. (Video)
Continue reading… “COMAN – a robot that can’t be knocked over no matter how hard you shove it”
BionicOpter
The BionicOpter was created by German automation company Festo. It was designed to mimic the look and flying dynamics of a dragonfly. The 1.5-foot-long ultra-light flying robot operates via remote control from a smartphone and can maneuver and hover in place just like a real dragonfly. Each of the robot’s four wings operate independently using servo motors, allowing each wing to be twisted by up to 90 degrees. (Video)
Continue reading… “BionicOpter – a hyper-realistic dragonfly drone”
Google is the leader in the arena of autonomous vehicles(AVs).
Driverless cars are coming much sooner than you think. Cars that drive themselves are set to transform the way society gets from point A to point B.
Continue reading… “Top 5 reasons driverless cars are inevitable”
Redzone’s first sewer robot, Responder
RedZone Robotics just launched a new autonomous roving robot to inspect mid-sized sewage pipes for corrosion, deformation, and debris in order to prevent leaks that could pose health hazards. (Video)
Continue reading… “RedZone’s robots roam the sewer networks”
Lego Mindstorms EV3
Lego Mindstorms EV3 is Lego’s first major update of the Mindstorms line since 2006. Mindstorms are Lego’s programmable robotic parts–a brain, motors, and sensors–that interface with their Technic line. And since social networks, smartphones and apps all rule today it’s only natural that each of these ideas worked themselves into the Lego Mindstorm EV3.
Continue reading… “Lego’s Mindstorms EV3 – a robot kit that is iPhone-controlled”
Nexi the Robot
“In spite of the hardness and ruthlessness I thought I saw in his face, I got the impression that here was a man who could be relied upon when he had given his word, ” Neville Chamberlain. His first impression of Adolf Hitler can be described as an error in judgment.
Continue reading… “Researchers use a robot to uncover hidden signals of trust”
The Legged Squad Support System, or AlphaDog.
The robotic “pack mule” from DARPA and Boston Dynamics, the AlphaDog, has markedly improved capabilities since the prototype was introduced in October 2011. Then, the machine—intended to carry up to 400 pounds over rough terrain, while also serving as a power source for troops—was stuck on an inside track, connected to heavy cables. In this latest video from DARPA, filmed recently in central Virginia, it marches through the forest, responds to about 10 verbal commands, and follows its leader closely. Rough terrain like ditches isn’t a problem for the hearty man-made beast, and when it rolls down a hill, it recovers smoothly. On flat land, its trot is impressive, too. (video)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYs215TgI7c&hd=1[/youtube]
Academic and industry researchers have been working for decades on control algorithms for autonomous helicopters — robotic helicopters that pilot themselves, rather than requiring remote human guidance. Dozens of research teams have competed in a series of autonomous-helicopter challenges posed by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI); progress has been so rapid that the last two challenges have involved indoor navigation without the use of GPS.
Continue reading… “MIT’s autonomous robotic plane’s indoor flight: Video”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
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