ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Electric Skin that Rivals the Real Thing
September 13, 2010 02:02 AM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
The tactile sensitivity of human skin is hard to re-create, especially over large, flexible surfaces. But two California research groups have made pressure-sensing devices that significantly advance the state of the art.

MEDICAL ROBOTICS
RAPUDA robot arm for wheelchairs
September 12, 2010 12:01 PM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
Japan’s National Institute of Advances Industrial Science and Technology designed the RAPUDA, a wheelchair-arm robot that goes back to the basics of joystick-controlled assistance. Specifically designed for people with upper-limb disabilities, one at least has to be able to move a regular wheelchair joystick to operate the arm.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Colony Scout: Affordable robots for collaborative systems research
September 12, 2010 11:51 AM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
Many robots come with specific functions that generally can not be altered too much, but then that makes their functionality rather limited. These new Colony Scout swarm robots, however, are highly adaptable, as they can be given different jobs and be equipped with different tools.

MILITARY TECH
NASA's robot submarine achieves perpetual motion, of a sort
April 28, 2010 06:57 AM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
NASA, U.S. Navy and university researchers have successfully demonstrated the first robotic underwater vehicle to be powered entirely by natural, renewable, ocean thermal energy.Scalable for use on most robotic oceanographic vehicles, this technology breakthrough could usher in a new generation AUVs.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Perching UAV Sticks To Walls
April 26, 2010 09:15 AM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
The perching UAV foam glider flies quietly into a city, maneuvering among the buildings. Upon identifying landing sites, each flier turns toward a wall, executes an intentional stall and, as it begins to fall, attaches itself using feet equipped with miniature spines that engage small asperities on the surface.

MEDICAL ROBOTICS
Robot Dental Patient Can Take My Place Anytime
April 21, 2010 03:08 AM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
Three Japanese universities (Waseda, Kogakuin and Showa) and robot maker Tmsuk have developed Hanako, a robotic dental patient who can behave like a human patient (to some extent). The robot, who is supposed to be female, can converse with doctors while they operate.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH
CMU Unified Snake Robot
April 21, 2010 03:03 AM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
One of the coolest things about snake inspired robots is how they’re in the process of transcending their biological models, as these videos from CMU’s biorobotics lab shows. The unified snake is the latest from the Carnegie Mellon research team, and demonstrates amazing biomimicry.

ENTERTAINMENT TECH
Aikon 2 Robot Sketches the Human Face
February 15, 2010 11:55 PM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
Featured at London's Kinetica art fair last week, the Aikon 2 project boasts an "inexpensive" robot arm and software that can look at a human face and make a pretty reasonable sketch of it. Video after the jump.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Proto-2 Humanoid Robot
January 30, 2010 10:26 PM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
The researchers from Advanced Robotic Systems Laboratories (or ARSL), who are now showing off their new Proto-2 robot, which boasts 38 degrees of freedom and an expressive face. Using a new dynamic toe-joint, the robot has a natural walking gait.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Omnitread Search & Rescue Snake Bot
January 01, 2010 12:38 AM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
The OmniTread serpentine robot is designed to traverse extremely difficult terrain, such as the rubble of a collapsed building. Designed to drive over sand and rocks, it can pass through small holes and climb over tall obstacles. Video after the jump.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH
DASH: Resilient Hexapedal Robot
December 28, 2009 02:28 PM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
Meet DASH - a cheap, lightweight, six-legged robotic cockroach that can survive a four-story drop, crawl over objects twice its height and run for an hour on special watch-size batteries. Video after the jump

ENTERTAINMENT TECH
Neato Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Challenges the Roomba
December 16, 2009 11:49 AM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
Anyone who's ever used a Roomba robot cleaner before will know that it bumps into furniture regularly, even mounting curtains if your back is turned. This new Neato uses a Room Positioning System with its lasers, mapping the floorspace in 360-degrees so it doesn't get into trouble against your prized chaise lounge.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH
A Tongue-Tracking Artificial Larynx
December 03, 2009 02:50 PM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
Researchers in South Africa are working on a new kind of artificial larynx that won't have the raspy voice of existing devices. The system tracks contact between the tongue and palate to determine which word is being mouthed, and uses a speech synthesizer to generate sounds.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Another fish swims into the robot pool
December 03, 2009 11:40 AM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
Michigan State University researchers are spawning robot fish to monitor the quality of lake water and the effect of harmful algae. An electric charge in the 9-inch MSU prototype causes its polymer fins to bend so the robotic perch can maneuver.

MEDICAL ROBOTICS
Man controls cybernetic hand with thoughts
December 03, 2009 05:35 AM EST - submitted by Daniel Shope
European scientists have successfully built a brain-controlled bionic hand that could be used to kill or maim hundreds of humans in the coming robot versus humans' civil war. Or, far more admirably, allow amputees to feel hand sensations and manipulate their limb--via the brain--as if it were still there. Video after the jump.