NAO Next Gen Robot

This family-friendly humanoid robot designed by Aldebaran Robotics is also a multi-functional robot with features including microphones, HD cameras, Wi-Fi connectivity, Hi-Fi speakers, pressure sensors, a voice synthesizer and much more. It has made appearances at events including the Shanghai Expo in China with a synchronized dance routine, at Robocup participating with its own football team, in the UK teaching autistic children, and even demonstrating a stand-up comedy routine in December 2011. Read more at http://realitypod.com/2014/10/the-top-five-mind-blowing-robots-of-2014/#TajsM2ZH5iDAbyEE.99

Paul the Drawing Robot

This robot created by artist and researcher, Patrick Tresset, is a sketcher shaped like an arm that is able to draw portraits of people. It was primarily designed for Tresset’s “New Work” gallery installation which occurred in London in 2011. Read more at http://realitypod.com/2014/10/the-top-five-mind-blowing-robots-of-2014/#TajsM2ZH5iDAbyEE.99.

Pepper, the emotional robot

Another robot by Aldebaran Robotics, this emotional humanoid bot is designed to be able to assess moods, and interact with humans. It is able to shake hands, dance and display messages on the display screen on it’s chest. Read more at http://realitypod.com/2014/10/the-top-five-mind-blowing-robots-of-2014/#HQIHMayVl2ASCduX.99.

The Hybrid Exploration Robot for Air and Land Deployment.

is composed of two snake-like machines that attach via magnets to a UAV. After being carried to the site by the quadcopter, snake bots can detach themselves, slip through the holes and cracks of a collapsed building, for instance, and slither to their destinations.

The US military is considering the use of exoskeletons like this Sarcos for its soldiers

It was inevitable that funding for these projects by the US Military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) would lead to spin-offs finding their way into private startups. There are now at least another three companies developing exoskeletons for commercial use and the focus is on creating them to help people with spinal injuries. A Swedish company, Ekso Bionics, makes a 20kg titanium and aluminium suit that costs $100,000 a pop, which has helped several crippled individuals walk again for the first time.

Tuesday 30 June 2015

A variational approach to simultaneous multi-object tracking and classification

Object tracking and classification serve as basic components for the different perception tasks of autonomous robots. They provide the robot with the capability of class-aware tracking and richer features for decision-making processes. The joint estimation of class assignments, dynamic states and data associations results in a computationally intractable problem. Therefore, the vast majority of the literature tackles tracking and classification independently. The work presented here proposes a probabilistic model and an inference procedure that render the problem tractable through a structured variational approximation. The framework presented is very generic, and can be used for various tracking applications. It can handle objects with different dynamics, such as cars and pedestrians and it can seamlessly integrate multi-modal features, for example object dynamics and appearance. The method is evaluated and compared with state-of-the-art techniques using the publicly available KITTI dataset.



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Over the Top: A Brief History of 21st Century BattleMechs

Photo by Zollner Elektronik AGWhen historians of the future look back on the history of giant mechanized robot warriors, they'll say it all started with BattleBots.

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The post Over the Top: A Brief History of 21st Century BattleMechs appeared first on Make: DIY Projects, How-Tos, Electronics, Crafts and Ideas for Makers.



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New 'Scorpion' Robot Will Inspect Fukushima Reactor This Summer

When the 2011 earthquake in Japan damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant, teams scrambled to find a robot that could go where humans couldn’t. In many ways those robots failed, and ever since, there has been a focus on creating robots that can get the job done. Enter Toshiba’s “Scorpion” robot, which will make its way inside the power plant this August.

Read more...



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Would You Try 3D-Printed Meat?

Free-range? Grass-fed? How about 3D-printed next to the Nespresso on your kitchen island? That could be the beef of the future, friends. And two German design students have ginned up the latest plans for a slick-looking machine that could make it.

Sarah Mautsch and Aaron Abentheuer, students at Germany's University of Applied Sciences Schwäbisch Gmünd, came up with the concept, which joins other makers of fake animals, like Beyond Meat andModern Meadow. It's called the Cultivator, and it's a bioprinter. Scientists are already toying with bioprinting to create human organs-but the designers envision the Cultivator being open source, running on solar power, and having a user interface as friendly as an iPad. The idea is to imagine a device that makes churning out chicken cutlets on your countertop seem slightly less strange.

For more information click here



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The Alan Parsons Project - I Robot (1977/2012) [DSD64 + FLAC HD]


The Alan Parsons Project - I Robot (1977/2012)
DSD64 (.dsf) 1 bit/2,8 MHz | Time - 41:13 minutes | 1,13 GB
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/88,2 kHz | Time - 41:13 minutes | 787 MB
Studio Master, Official Digital Download | Artwork: Front cover

I Robot was produced and engineered by Alan Parsons at Abbey Road Studios and is an audiophile's dream recording. Transferred on an all-tube cutting system from the original 1/4" analog master tapes at Bernie Grundman Mastering. First time in DSD, still unavailable as SACD!


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New Project: Full-Size BB-8 Robot Using Power Wheels

Kurt Zimmerman's BB-8 BuildLearn how a Maker built his own full-sized Star Wars BB-8 droid using an odd mix of store-bought supplies and recycled technology.

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The post Full-Size BB-8 Robot Using Power Wheels appeared first on Make: DIY Projects, How-Tos, Electronics, Crafts and Ideas for Makers.



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New Project: Full-Size BB-8 Robot Using Power Wheels

Kurt Zimmerman's BB-8 BuildLearn how a Maker built his own full-sized Star Wars BB-8 droid using an odd mix of store-bought supplies and recycled technology.

Read more on MAKE

The post Full-Size BB-8 Robot Using Power Wheels appeared first on Make: DIY Projects, How-Tos, Electronics, Crafts and Ideas for Makers.



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Multi-step prediction of nonlinear Gaussian Process dynamics models with adaptive Gaussian mixtures

This paper presents an adaptive Gaussian Mixture Model (aGMM) formulation for performing multiple-step probabilistic state predictions using a nonparametric Gaussian Process (GP) regression model. The presented prediction algorithm is applicable to any dynamic system that is challenging to model parametrically, but where data is available. Gaussian mixture elements are propagated through the GP by analytically evaluating expectation integrals for the moments of the output distribution. Two metrics are presented and compared for adaptively splitting the initial state distribution into a sum of Gaussians to reduce the effect of nonlinearities on prediction accuracy: (1) an analytical evaluation of the excess kurtosis which measures the non-Gaussianity of the output distribution, and (2) a weighted least-squares regression model which evaluates the local nonlinearity of the GP mapping with respect to the input distribution. In addition, an on-the-fly data selection method is presented to reduce the computational complexity associated with analytically evaluating the higher-order moments of the GP output distribution. The proposed adaptive GP-aGMM formulation is applied to the case of anticipating driver behavior at road intersections using a GP driver behavior model in combination with a parametric vehicle model. Prediction performance for this scenario is evaluated using driving data collected from three human subjects navigating a standard four-way intersection. Results demonstrate that the presented prediction algorithm is capable of accurately capturing multimodal behavior in the GP training data.



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Grasp planning to maximize task coverage

This paper proposes a task-oriented grasp quality metric based on distribution of task disturbance, which could be used to search for a grasp that covers the most significant part of the disturbance distribution. Rather than using a uniformly distributed task wrench space, this paper models a manipulation task with a non-parametric statistical distribution model built from the disturbance data captured during the task demonstrations. The grasp resulting from maximizing the proposed grasp quality criterion is prone to increasing the coverage of most frequent disturbances. To reduce the computational complexity of the search in a high-dimensional robotic hand configuration space, as well as to avoid the correspondence problem, the candidate grasps are computed from a reduced configuration space that is confined by a set of given thumb placements and thumb directions. The proposed approach has been tested both in simulation and on a real robotic system. In simulation, the approach was validated with a Barrett hand and a Shadow hand in several manipulation tasks. Experiments on a physical robotic platform verified the consistency between the proposed grasp metric and the success rate.



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Three-dimensional dynamic surface grasping with dry adhesion

Most robotic grasping research focuses on objects that are either not large in comparison to the gripper or have small graspable features; however, there are important applications that involve large flat or gently curved surfaces. Examples include robots that grasp the solar panels of space craft, handle large panels in manufacturing, or climb or perch on surfaces. We present a solution for grasping such surfaces consisting of groups of tiles coated with a controllable gecko-inspired adhesive. The tiles are loaded with two sets of tendons: one for distributing the forces evenly while grasping and the other for release. The gripper is passive and can attach and detach with little effort so that it does not disturb either the robot or the object to be grasped. The maximum gripping force in the normal direction can be over 1000 times greater than the required detaching force. The gripper is also fast, allowing a flying quadrotor to attach to a surface milliseconds after the tiles make contact. We present a model of the gripping mechanism and use the model to design the layout of the tiles to best support anticipated normal and tangential loads.



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Generalized graph SLAM: Solving local and global ambiguities through multimodal and hyperedge constraints

Research in Graph-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping has experienced a recent trend towards robust methods. These methods take the combinatorial aspect of data association into account by allowing decisions of the graph topology to be made during optimization. The Generalized Graph Simultaneous Localization and Mapping framework presented in this work can represent ambiguous data on both local and global scales, i.e. it can handle multiple mutually exclusive choices in registration results and potentially erroneous loop closures. This is achieved by augmenting previous work on multimodal distributions with an extended graph structure using hyperedges to encode ambiguous loop closures. The novel representation combines both hyperedges and multimodal Mixture of Gaussian constraints to represent all sources of ambiguity in Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. Furthermore, a discrete optimization stage is introduced between the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping frontend and backend to handle these ambiguities in a unified way utilizing the novel representation of Generalized Graph Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, providing a general approach to handle all forms of outliers. The novel Generalized Prefilter method optimizes among all local and global choices and generates a traditional unimodal unambiguous pose graph for subsequent continuous optimization in the backend. Systematic experiments on synthetic datasets show that the novel representation of the Generalized Graph Simultaneous Localization and Mapping framework with the Generalized Prefilter method, is significantly more robust and faster than other robust state-of-the-art methods. In addition, two experiments with real data are presented to corroborate the results observed with synthetic data. Different general strategies to construct problems from real data, utilizing the full representational power of the Generalized Graph Simultaneous Localization and Mapping framework are also illustrated in these experiments.



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Monday 29 June 2015

Movie Under the Stars!

This is a very fun way to watch your movie's at night. It's a movie theatre in your own backyard!Things you will need to make your outdoor theatre: A Staple GunAn White SheetLaptopProjectorAnd for added comfort when watching your movie, pillows, blankets and cushions. Get out your staple gun and s...
By: littleCUPCAKEZ

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Arduino robot in 5 Mins

Easy instructable to build a sweet avoidance robot. Currently mine is in pieces I have decided to make a life sized version. I will post that soon. Gather all the materials Ok you are gonna need-Jumper wires- an arduino- batteries and pack. 4aa 1 9v- ping sensor- servo- l23d motor driver- 2 dc mo...
By: wmada

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Using Raspberry Pi for FPV RC Nerf TerraDrone

My progeny loves operating our Nerf TerraDrone named James. He is able to animate James while trying to stay out of sight so I got the idea of using the Pi Surveillance Project by Michael Castor from the April/May 2015 edition of Make Magazine to make a poor person's FPV. This build will require th...
By: beaneboper

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Calamity Phone

What is the Calamity Phone?My Calamity Phone is an old Samsung Galaxy S4 that I was no longer using.Why a Calamity Phone?I wanted to build a mobile tool that could be used in case of a disaster, catastrophe, calamisty, or apocalypse event occurred.Who are you?I am just a normal human being. The spec...
By: Pheedback

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Sailing Yacht Trophy

Fablab MakingVoor het keuzevak Fablab Making dient een eindproduct gemaakt te worden dat bestaat uit drie verschillende materialen. Om dit product te maken moet er gebruik gemaakt worden van drie verschillende machines die in het Stadslab aanwezig zijn. De aanwezige machines zijn onder andere een 3D...
By: Thijsd

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Illuminated Plexiglass Sign

WARNING: THIS IS A SCHOOL PROJECT. Welcome to my first instructable! I've always wanted to make an illuminated plexiglass sign with my own name on it, so now is the right time to do it!You'll see the finished product above. Making decisions & getting materials and machines Yep, we start with the...
By: DunTee

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An Illustrated Introduction to the Raspberry Pi

The Raspberry Pi was originally designed to be a tool for hands-on learning about how computers work. It is also a tool that can be used to make all sorts of creative programming projects. The point of the Pi is to be accessible, and I have made this short illustrated introduction for people who are...
By: Becca Rose

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ESP8266 Projects

The ESP8266 and all the ones that followed are amazing devices. ESP8266 WiFi Shield for Arduino and other micros Use ESP8266 to Internet enabled AC Appliances DIY Breadboard Adapter for ESP8266 WiFi module An adapter is nice but not a deal breaker because with female/male Dupont wires you...
By: Volthaus Electronics Laboratory

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O-mat en español

¿Alguna vez se te ocurrió construir un trackpad gigante? Con la ayuda de este tutorial, podrás crear un trackpad/force-pad de cualquier tamaño y probarlo con el software demo incluido.Somos ONIRIA, nosotros creamos contenido, diseñamos hardware y desarrollamos software para borrar los límites de la ...
By: OniriaMX

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Polished Mac Mini

Tear Down Pull the base from it and separate the top part with the logo Sanding Start sanding the aluminum case. Start with ~600-750 grit sandpaper and work your way up to 2500 grit sandpaper. After The 2500 Grit When you get done with the sanding you stop here or move to more Advanced po...
By: aclevidence

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cheap and easy Bluetooth ammo can speakers

this is my ammo can speaker. it has Bluetooth and sounds pretty good. very easy to make. backstory this is actually my second ammo can speaker (well, in the same ammo can)above are pictures of the previous amp and speakers I used. the amp came out of an HMDX hangtime Bluetooth speaker and I would...
By: fossilshark

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Creating IoT Devices with the ESP8266 and PubNub

In case you hadn't heard, the internet of things is king of a big deal. Rather than bore you with the predictions of how many billions of devices will be connected in the next few years, I'm going to show you how to easily create an IoT device using the awesome ESP8266 WiFi module and connect that d...
By: Kurt E. Clothier

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Making a lowcost humanoid robot made from PVC water pipe material (upgrade)

this is my first humanoid robot who can talk, see,walk, dance and any else... the fame all of bady is using a pvc thin water pipe material who has flated using warm tempetature. this is how to flatted the water pipe pvc my Humanoid robot name is Lita, using Ez-Board from Ez-robotic you can easly to...
By: eric dirgahayu

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Measuring low resistance / 4-wire on the cheap

When measuring very low resistances the problem quickly arises that every multimeter sucks in measuring very low resistances.Most multimeters 'give up' below 10 ohms, taking very long to get a result and the accuracy is horrible.There are meters that can measure low resistances, which are 4-wire res...
By: SA007

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D.i.y "making a Sculpture face with paper mold"

Been a long time I did not make a tutorial, and this time I finally have the time to make the tutorial, in contrast to earlier where I made a tutorial on robots and water pipe materials PVC, this time I will share how to make the statue's face with cheap. I was in fact making this sculptur...
By: eric dirgahayu

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PCB Assembly Fixture

Do you build a lot of printed circuit boards, and wish you had one of those neat board holder-fixture things, but can’t imagine spending $100 - $400 when they seem so simple? That’s us, exactly. So we invented this nifty thing, a PCB fixture you can make yourself. You will need access to some basic ...
By: Zeppelin Design Labs

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Photographing Natural Views

Photography is often about being in the right place at the right time. Having all the technology in the world, follow these 3 key pointers and you will get some fantastic shots.1) Patience, sometimes you need to just wait in a spot for the animal to come along, the wave to crash or the wind to blow ...
By: rebeccaxrs

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Industrial Lamp/Charger

This project was a gift for my Dad to put in his man cave. The premise is to use EMT conduit and fittings as the building blocks for a lamp. This architecture allows for countless configurations and is very simple to make. I've made a number of these. In addition to the various pieces of conduit, fi...
By: Tinkerator

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DIY Security System

Hello friendsI am from IOS Inventors Of ScienceThis is a complex, simple & yup a mind-blowing idea to turn your own little microcontroller into a thing called room security & automation. Let me remind it’s an idea not a pre-set plate with codes .So let’s first understand what is room security& autom...
By: happy,happy

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