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robotics

PR2 Robot Helps Mute Quadriplegic Scratch an Itch

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Robots for Humanity
Robots for Humanity

Robots have been the subject of many a science fiction novel or movie. The idea of having robots help humans enjoy more convenient lives is nothing new. For many of us, though, the dream of having robot house help is far from being a reality.

For Henry Evans, a mute quadriplegic, science fiction is becoming reality. He got hold of a PR2, a two-armed wheel robot developed by Willow Garage, a robotics research lab and technology incubator. Together with robotics development platforms, this company also works on robot operating systems.

For the past 10 years, Evans has been unable to do many things that you and I take for granted. Thanks to the collaboration of Willow Garage and Georgia Tech’s Healthcare Robotics Lab, the PR2 is helping Evans live a more independent life in spite of his physical condition.

Men – you probably dislike the chore of having to shave every so often. For people like Evans, being able to shave one’s self is a dream. And imagine this – prior to having the PR2, Evans was not even able to scratch when he felt an itch! I don’t know about you, but that would be pure torture! Thanks to PR2, for the first time in 10 years, Evans was able to scratch an itch himself.

Here is an inspiring video about PR2 and what it can do.

This development is made possible by a project called Robots for Humanity. ((Willow Garage Blog)) The collaborators are mainly using PR2 and researching ways by which this particular robot can help disabled people live more independently. The ultimate goal of the project is to be able to make robots accessible to people who need them most. As they say, Evans is only the beginning.

I applaud Willow Garage and Georgia Tech’s Healthcare Robotics Lab for their efforts and for focusing on a group which really has the need for robotic assistance in the home. While it is cool for those who have no handicap to have a robot assistant (I wouldn’t mind having one!), the idea of helping those in need first is admirable.

It’s one of those moments when you really really wish that a concept were fully part of reality and not a thing of science fiction.

FIRST Robotics Competition: This Is the Real Thing

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Recently, the FIRST Robotics Competition was held at the Boston University. FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” and was conceptualized by no less than Dean Kamen. If the name is unfamiliar, think of the Segway Human Transporter. Does that ring a bell?

This competition covers four annual contests open to all grade levels in the United States: Junior LEGO League (ages 6 to 9), LEGO League (ages 9 to 12), and Tech Challenge (high school students). The main thing going for FIRST, though, is the Robotics Competition, which has gathered 12,000 students who are probably real geeks. Not the hipsters who seem to take pride in labeling themselves as geeks.

In the recently concluded FIRST Robotics Competition, teenagers are tasked with creating robots that are supposed to perform specific tasks. At the same time, the robots need to be able to defend against other robots so that the assigned tasks can be completed.

While the whole idea seems fun – and indeed, the contestants find it fun – there is a lot of hard work involved. The contestants actually get a kit at the start of the school year so that they have several months to work on their project. The ultimate test comes when they all get together to pit their robots against one another.

Here’s a sampling of what went on at the competition.

12,000 kids screaming and not for Justin Bieber. Any parent can be proud to have his/her kid in that crowd. I know I would.

Via PopSci

Robotics Merit Badge for the Boy Scouts of America

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Boy Scouts Robotics Badge

Let it not be said that the Boy Scouts of America do not keep up with the times. Countless boys belonging to various generations have long been working hard to earn merit badges. These badges are testaments to the skills and talents that Boy Scouts have acquired over the years. Traditionally, the merit badges were all about sports and wilderness survival, among many others.

This week, however, the Texas-based organization is upping the level by adding a new merit badge: the Robotics Merit Badge. One goal in creating this merit badge is to promote science and technology and engineering and maths (STEM). In doing so, the BSA is adjusting to the new developments in technology and is making itself more relevant to the youngsters of today.

How do the Boy Scouts of today earn this new merit badge? Just think about creating your own electronics kits and joining competitions. These kits can range from the simplest of devices to some of the more complicated robots. Here are more examples of how one can earn the merit badge. ((Source: PR for Robotics Merit Badge))

  • Explain and discuss hazards and safety prevention
  • Explain how robots are used today
  • Discuss three of the five major fields of robotics (human-robot interface, mobility, manipulation, programming, sensors)
  • Design, build, program, and test their robot
  • Demonstrate the robot, and share the engineering notebook for that robot
  • Attend a robotics competition or do research on robotics competitions

If the mere mention of the Boy Scouts make you think of only camping, making fires without matches, and tying knots, think again. This organization is rather important in molding young boys and it is great that technology is not being ignored!

The Birth of Real-Life Decepticons?

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I know that we’d all like to think that there are Decepticons in real life, but in rare moments of connecting with reality, even the most avid believers in the Masters of Deceptions just might acknowledged that they are not, well, real.  Then again, I just might be wrong in saying that.

A group of researchers from Georgia University have developed real-life robots that might eventually turn out to be masters of deceptions!  What they’ve done is to come up with an algorithm that allows the machines to make decisions as to whether or not deceive other robots.  If you think that’s pretty cool, you’ll think this awesome: the algorithm also equips the robots with the capability to deceive humans!

How were they able to determine if the algorithm actually works?

They engaged the robots in several games of hide-and-seek!  Simplicity is beauty, so they say, and it seems to be the case here.  David Teeghman describes this interesting version of the childhood game that we all loved to play:

During the games, colored markers were lined up along three potential pathways to locations where the robot could hide. The hider selected a location from the three location choices, and moved toward that point, knocking down markers along the way. Once it reached a point past the markers, the robot changed course and hid in one of the other two locations, making sure not to hit any markers by its actual hiding spot.

Developing this algorithm required interdependence theory and game theory that tested the value of deception in a specific situation. The game satisfied two key conditions that the robots needed to warrant deception: There must be conflict between the deceiving robot and the seeker, and the deceiver must benefit from the deception.

I have to say that while the concept – and the fact that it actually worked – is nothing short of amazing, but I can’t help but think of the Cyclons and all other movies/shows that relate how man created robots and how the creations turned on their masters eventually.  At present, the researchers say that the main purpose for these robots is simply for the battlefield – to save lives and all that.  Still, who is to say that real life events will not somehow get turned into a science fiction plot? Or is this just paranoia?

Top Developments In Health And Wellness For 2015

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It’s always a good choice to keep yourself up to date on the newest and most efficient health and wellness developments every year. Keeping yourself in the know could someday prove to be quite useful. Besides the fact that this knowledge could be useful, it’s super interesting. Doctors have become scientists and vice versa. When that amount of intelligence comes together, you can be sure to see some great things emerge. Here is a quick summary of some of the top developments in health and wellness for the year.

New quick and painless blood testing

blood-test [Read more…] about Top Developments In Health And Wellness For 2015

Charting the Rise of the Robots

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For a long time, robots were the preserve of science fiction. We’ve always been fascinated by the idea of intelligent machines, whether it was the development of Asimov’s three laws of robotics, the bickering Star Wars droids, or Douglas Adam’s manically depressed Marvin. Yet, the impact of robots on day-to-day life has been slow to emerge. Few of us have the android domestic staff that was the stuff of 1950’s visions of the future, for example, but, in fact, robots are in more areas of our existence than you might think.

robots

 

Industrial Robots

The first robotic patents for machines to be used in industry were granted in 1961, so they have a longer history than you might think. These were mainly for simple transfer systems that moved components from one place to another to aid assembly processes.

Because they were able to repeat tasks over and over again to the same level of accuracy, robots quickly found their place on the production line. This was something that came to public consciousness with the Fiat car adverts of the late 1970s. By this time, robots were undertaking other repetitive tasks such as welding and paint spraying. [Read more…] about Charting the Rise of the Robots