Science-Videos

Kinetic sculptor and artist Theo Jansen builds 'strandbeests' from yellow plastic tubing (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vt1xp)

This talk describes the current research path towards intelligent, semi-autonomous systems, where both humans and automation tightly interact, and together, accomplish tasks such as searching for survivors of a hurricane using a team of UAVs with sensors with highly efficient interaction. This talk is describes the current state of the art in 1) intelligent robotic (only) systems, 2) modeling human decisions and 3) semi-autonomous systems, with a focus on information exchange, and command and control.

 

Mark Campbell is the S.C. Thomas Sze Director of the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University.

Via Szabolcs Kósa, olsen jay nelson

Having previously developed several baby robots, the researchers at Osaka University’s Asada Lab are using that know-how to build the most realistic infant robot ever made. It has been about a year and a half since we saw Affetto, which was just a head capable of making a few expressions. Now the researchers have published a video showing the robot’s new upper-body, which contains 20 pneumatic actuators to move its arms, neck, and spine. This is in addition to the 12 degrees of freedom in its head. Although pneumatic actuators are more difficult to control compared to electric motors, they are flexible, allowing for direct physical interaction (a big plus if you want to be able to cuddle it).