Archive for Robots

OmniZero.9 transforms, carries humans away

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on September 28th, 2009

OmniZero.9 transforms, carries humans awayRobots are getting braver and less fearful of humans everyday. Take the OmniZero.9 from Takeshi Maeda. This ninth version of his creation is a humanoid bot with huge wheel shoulders and knees that allow it to move around like a car on the ground.

But that isn’t the only cool feature. The head tilts back creating a seat for any human dumb enough to get on and be whisked away. Never to be heard from again. The robot was showing off at ROBO-ONE Check out the videos below.

Botropolis: This week in robots

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on September 25th, 2009

Botropolis: This week in robotsIt’s that time of the week again, where we document the coming apocalypse by showing you just some of what we covered this week over at Botropolis. This may be the beginning of the weekend for you, but robots, like death, take no holidays.

JingJing And PuiPui: Tai Chi Bots.

The Complete Futurama Collection: In Bender’s Head.

Cylons: The History Of The Cylon Centurion Costume.

Robot Tee: The Robots Come Out At Knight.

Marubot Football League arcade game

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on September 22nd, 2009

Marubot Football League arcade gameThis game looks much more fun than Foosball. In MaruBot Football League four players control small wireless robots with joysticks. Each of the robots has an actual personality, with LED eyes that display whether they are happy or sad.

They are happy when they score a goal and sad if they lose. Why four players? The games makers see MaruBot as being all about “cooperation and partnership, minimizing individualism, isolation, violence of online games.” There’s also a two-player version. It’s a hit in Korea, so maybe one day we will see it here.

R2-D2 Gaming Rig holds 8 game consoles and a projector

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on September 21st, 2009

R2-D2 Gaming Rig holds 8 game consoles and a projectorThis R2-D2 may be the best mod ever. It was created by Popular Science reader Brian De Vitis and holds not one, not two, but eight consoles, a sound system, and a projector. You had me at eight consoles R2. This all started with an R2-D2 shaped cooler that he modified.

Then the consoles were gutted to rearrange the controllers inside so all the ports could face in the proper direction. He still had enough space inside for a projector and a sound system. This man is my new hero.

Samsung Furot II Robo-Vac

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on September 17th, 2009

Samsung Furot II Robo-VacThe Furot II was unveiled last week and it’s no surprise that it will be competing with the Roomba, trying to get it’s share of that robo-vac market. It features a built-in camera to help it avoid obstacles while keeping your floor clean. The camera also allows the Furot to be aware of its location so it never goes to the same area twice unless it is needed.

The battery will give you 90 minutes of cleaning time and if it goes beyond that, the Furot II has a memory, so you can recharge it and the Furot will pick up where it left off.

Mail E: Papercraft Wall-E checks your email

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on September 17th, 2009

Mail E: Papercraft Wall-E checks your emailWe don’t know why this guy needs a papercraft Wall E on his desk to let him know when he gets an email, but we approve wholeheartedly. This papercrafted “Mail E” is actuated by three 9g mini-servos and controlled by a SD21 servo driver and a picaxe 18x.

The head and hand move to alert you and if he can add wireless connectivity, he’ll let it move of the desk and have Wall E make certain gestures to mimic the kind of email that he has received. Pretty cool. Check out a video below.

The most realistic Wall-E case mod

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on September 16th, 2009

The most realistic Wall-E case modWe’ve seen our share of Wall-E case mods, but this one is so detailed that it looks authentic. The attention to detail is the best that we’ve seen. If Wall-E really existed, this is what he would look like, with just the right amount of dirt and wear.

This one comes courtesy of César S..’s photostream on flickr. It looks as real as a computer generated Pixar robot can be. Awesome stuff. Now he just needs to make a few more characters and he can film his own movie.

[Botropolis]

Pet Care Robot

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on September 14th, 2009

Pet Care RobotGoing out of town and leaving Fido behind? Why not leave the Pet Care Robot behind so that your pet can live in terror the entire time? The Pet Care Robot is a concept thank god. It’s a Wi-Fi controlled robot that can let you peek in on your pet and make sure everything is fine, using a web interface.

The interesting part is that this robot allows you to play fetch long distance, using a remote controlled ball that you can steer around the house, even while talking to your pet through a built-in speaker.

Botropolis: This week in robots

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on September 11th, 2009

Botropolis: This week in robotsIf you are reading this then I have to assume that robots have not killed you yet. Let’s all take a moment to thank our maker that we haven’t yet been crushed by a robot arm or shot by one of DARPAs mutant creations. Thank god a garment folding bot didn’t fold your shirt with YOU in it. Yes, we are all very lucky to be alive. Make the most of it meatbags. It can’t last forever. It’s time to take a look at some of the robot news we covered this week over at Botropolis.

DIY Robot Mask: With iPhone Display.

God Hands: This can’t lead to anything good.

Guy builds Master-Slave Suit: Enslave them before they enslave us.

Four-legged spider bot controlled using Wii Nunchucks

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on August 30th, 2009

Four-legged spider bot controlled using Wii NunchucksYou know what we need more of? Spider bots. Even if they are four legs short of a full spider. What you see here is a walking machine using only four legs. And we have to say it’s walking is impressive. Should you flip it over, it’s no problem. The legs simply reverse and it walks upside down.

It’s an entertaining little bot to watch. Just beware, if you want to build one, it’s expensive, costing around $1000. The coolest feature though, is that it’s controlled with two sets of modified Wii Nunchucks.

Botropolis: This week in robots

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on August 28th, 2009

Botropolis: This week in robotsWhile you were busy back-to-school shopping, robots have been busy colonizing our world. As usual. We’re so glad that your kid has some new pencils, a fly laptop, a new haircut and a trapper keeper, but that ain’t gonna save us from our future. You need to be putting little Timmy into a John Conner bootcamp so he can learn the fine art of killing things with no souls. Well, you can lead a human to water, but you can’t make him think. Here’s some of what we covered over at Botropolis this week:

Simon: A deceptively cute harbinger of doom.

MIT’s Robot Fish: The seas shall run red with blood. Yours and mine.

Robots Kissing: The revolution won’t be televised, but robot kissing will.

Phasma Insect Robot: A swarm of robot locusts will soon block out the sun.

Botropolis: This week in robots

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on August 21st, 2009

Botropolis: This week in robotsIt’s that time of the week again, dear human readers, where we take a gander at the monstrosities that man creates. We covered a wide variety of robots this week over at Botropolis. Some toys,some robots in movies, some real life ancestors of the Terminator, even some Michael Jackson robot news. Here’s some of what we covered.

DARPA: World’s First Free-Flying Nano Bot.

Cyborgs: Brain-Machine Interfaces.

Robot Prostitutes: It’s The Future.

Movies: War Of The Worlds: Goliath Trailer.

TB-007 metal detecting robot

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on August 20th, 2009


Here’s a much better way to get rich than the metal detecting sandals and it will take just as long to amass your wealth. Why wear sandals when a robot can do it for you? ThunderBird 007 is the latest version of Let’s Make Robots user Gareth’s metal detector robots.

It’s a great little bot. And when you think about it, robots should search for treasure and earn their own keep and pay for their own parts. The TB-007 features a metal detecting wand, wireless camera and a laser pointer to point out it’s finds. It could get really fun if you run into another guy controlling his own bot and have to have your robots fight for the treasure.

Cute Robot reacts to your friends’ tweets

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on August 13th, 2009

Cute Robot reacts to your friends' tweetsWhat could be better than getting robots to interpret the world of social networking for us? Why should we do all the work? That’s what robots are for. This cute little guy just sits on your desk and while he may not reply to your tweets, he understands the emotions of your friend’s tweets and whether they are happy or sad.

If he finds a “happy” tweet, the Guardian Robot raises its head and arm in triumph. It holds the pose until you give it a “high five”. (By hitting the switch in its hand.) Then the robot passes the high five on to your buddy via a reply Tweet.

Japanese rescue robots save people by swallowing them

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on August 12th, 2009


On one hand, you can be saved from certain death in a disaster situation, on the other, a robot must swallow you in order to get you to safety. So do I lay there bleeding or let a robot eat me? Decisions. I think I’ll lay there for awhile, because I don’t know if it has teeth or not.

If you are going to convince people to be rescued by robots, maybe your video should not be titled “Human body shredding machine in Japan”. You know? Drag me, lift me up and throw me, even grab me by the scruff of the neck and carry me to safety, but I ain’t gettin’ in your belly.