Smooth Analog Mixing Enabled In Latest Robot Software (Video)
Kondo just released the latest version of their robot motion creation software, HeartToHeart 4 (HTH4). While the software was originally designed to support the KHR-1, the world's first humanoid robot kit, its functionality and power has increased tremendously over the years.
Version 4 of the software includes many features that make it easy to take advantage of all the power and flexibility designed into a wide range of robot configurations including all of the Kondo multi-legged robots.
A good example is the CraftHouse demonstration video below featuring the Kondo KMR-M6 hexapod robot showing how HTH4 enables smooth analog mixing driving the robots motions from the remote control joystick.
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Seeing The World As Your Robot Sees It (Video)
While other robot researchers have demonstrated interesting implementations combining the Microsoft Kinect device with robots of various types, Taylor Veltrop has aways had a compelling desire to develop an integrated system that will enable him to experience the world inhabited by his robot.
So far, he's been able to get his NAO humanoid robot to follow his upper torso; then his walking direction and turns; dance; and he's even incorporated a treadmill into the system which allowed him to exceed the normal space limitations imposed by the typical lab environment.
Now, he's taken the overall system design one step further by adding a head mounted display integrated with the NAO robot's cameras and the Kinect system so that it tracks his head movements. This allows him to not only see what his robot sees, but also to 'look around' with considerable freedom of movement.
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Cool New Robot App Infographic (Video)
The Robots App Store put together an interesting and thought provoking infographic covering the potential market for robot applications over the next few years. While the infographic does seem to get a bit over-the-top with some of its claims, like implying that the NAO robot can feed your family pet while you're away, I tend to believe their view that robot apps will be a strong, dynamically growing, and profitable market in the future.
Of course, that will depend totally on designers and manufacturers bringing practical, useful robots to market for all of those apps to run on. In some ways it's been a "chicken or egg" type problem, and I'm glad that Elad Inbar, the founder of the Robots App Store, has taken the initiative to get the robot app ball rolling.
Hear what Inbar has to say about the future of robot apps, and see the full Robot App infographic below.
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DARPA $50,000 Paper Shredder Challenge
DARPA, the same folks that brought us, or at least funded, the development of the Internet and several autonomous robotic vehicles, has a new challenge. If you like puzzles, mental gymnastics, and extremely short deadlines, you're going to love this one.
It turns out that the US military frequently takes over the headquarters of hostile forces, but all too often all the critical paperwork containing precious clues and insights has been shredded before they can get their hands on it. That's where the DARPA challenge comes in. They're putting up a $50,000 prize for the team that can come up with the best solution for putting all the shredded information back together again.
Rather than just present one puzzle, which might be too difficult for any team to solve, DARPA has posted five puzzles with increasing levels of complexity. The puzzles are already up on the challenge website, and can be downloaded by anyone, even if they decide not to enter the competition.
To keep things even more interesting and exciting, they have a Leaderboard on the website that is updated regularly. The winning team will be announced on December 5, 2011.
(Via DARPA Shredder Challenge.)
Lady Ada and Phillip Torrone on Open Source Hardware (Video)
Lady Ada and Phillip Torrone stopped by Tokyo Hackerspace and were kind enough to explain the history, dynamic growth, and drive behind the Open Source Hardware movement. They are also the founders of AdaFruit Industries, a fantastic source for innovative and inspirational electronics and arduino kits that are actually useful.
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Head Mounted Display Set To Roll Out (Video)
I've been anticipating the release of practical head mounted display for years since they have tremendous potential for robot and remote telepresence applications. So far all of the designs have either been obtrusive and block the wearer's vision somehow, or they have had limitations that have precluded commercialization.
Now Brother Industries has announced they will roll out their AiRScouter transparent LCD display this Fall for business/industrial applications and hope to follow up with a commercially available version in the near future.
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