ROBOTS DREAMS - Robot news and robot hacks from a true robot geek

Nakamura Rolls Out New Humanoid Robots

Nakamura, one of the top ROBO-ONE competitors, has a long line of other humanoid robot achievements under his belt.

For example, he's the creator of the transformer robot, WR-07, that totally amazed and delighted both the crowds and the judges during the demonstration phase of the ROBO-ONE competition a few years ago. The robots performance was so cool, and so totally unexpected that a YouTube video of the robot has racked up over 6,000,000 views todate.

At the same time, Nakamura created Kondo's highest performance robot controller for several years, the Motion Processor, and he was the guiding light and mentor for the creation of the popular Gogic Five robot kit. And, in his spare time, he organized the Himeji Robot Challenge competitions to inspire and motivate young (and old) robot fans in his community.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Nakamura is rolling out a new set of humanoid robot kits, Jo-Zero and STD-Zero, that are sure to set a new standard with robot fans and competitors both here and abroad.

Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, we weren't able to be on hand for the official unveiling. However, one of top Japanese reporters we know and respect, Hideo Ishii, was able to make it and filed an extensive report including lots of great close-ups, detailed performance specifications, and video clips.
Ishii's detailed report

Ishii, by the way, isn't just a technology reporter. He is also the author of several leading books on building and modifying humanoid robots and other high tech gear, and is also a key member of the champion robot soccer team, Bamboo Bridge.

[From the Robots Dreams iPhone]

New Improved Forkknife Robot Now With Lasers!

The original Forkknife robot was intended as a demonstration of remotely control using a Google Android based G1 cellphone.

The robot mobility and local computing platform was the SRV-1 developed by our friends at Surveyor Corporation. The SRV-1 is extremely popular with colleges, universities, and research labs doing advanced work in mobile robotics, artificial intelligence, swarms, and remote surveillance.

Now the Forkknife robot developers have taken it to the next level, and have even equipped the robot with lasers!

Forkknife2- with lasers

[Posted from my iPhone]

RoboPhilo Junior - Neat New Remote Control

One of the high points during our review session with the RoboPhilo Junior was it's new PS2 gamepad type wireless controller. After struggling with IR based remotes (Robonova, I-SOBOT, the original RoboPhilo, etc.), the new controller is a breath of fresh air and a pleasure to use.

And, because almost everyone has played video games using this layout style, the button locations and functions are natural, almost intuitive.

The robot designers also realized that some customers may want their own custom layout, so they made it simple to remap the control keys (or combination of keys) so that it triggers any predefined command or motion.

The communication technology operated without a hitch during our testing sessions, though we should point out that we live in a semi-rural area without much radio or other electrical interference.

And, what are the best parts?

First, the new controller comes with the robot kit and is included in the purchase price, unlike other manufacturers that sometimes ask you to part with an additional $100 or more to get the same functionality.

Second, the new controller will be made available for use with the original RoboPhilo- a move that's sure to be applauded by owners everywhere.

Third, since the communication technology has been widely known for a long time and hacks documented on the Internet, it won't be long before users put together direct control apps to operate their robot directly from their PCs or networks.

[Posted from my iPhone]

Humanoid Robot Control Question

Joe wrote in asking about possible robot remote control strategies and wanted to know what most of the builders here use. Unfortunately there doesn’t appear to be any ‘universal’ solution, no “one-size-fits-all”. All of the humanoid robot manufacturers seems to have their own unique controller and communication approach. Some of them, who will remain nameless, use antiquated and expensive RC technology designed for a totally different environment.

That being said, the PS2 game controller (or a clone) appears to be the choice of most builders that aren’t satisfied with the original manufacturer’s optional equipment. For example, the Logitec Wireless PS2 Controller is readily available and costs a fraction of the price.

The challenge is to interface it to your particular robot controller. This is typically done using a small dedicated PIC board. PIC boards are small enough to be mounted on the back of the PS2 controller receiver and add minimal weight to the robot. The board can be programmed handle the communications and perform the protocol/command translation between the codes sent from the PS2 controller and the commands your robot wants to see. There are lots of online resources, like The Curious Inventor PS2 Guide, documenting the PS2 controller protocol and sample code. It isn’t a trivial project, but if you have some PIC experience, and can find out your robots command structure, then it’s well worth the effort.

Speecys To Announce New Human/Robot Communication Project (Video)

Assuming that everything goes according to plan, Speecys Corporation will be unveiling an impressive new human/robot communication project at TieCon2009 in Santa Clara, California later today. We had the opportunity to discuss the project with Tomoaki Kasuga at the Speecys headquarters here last week, and to discuss his exciting vision for the future.

Robo-IRT Makes Controlling the i-SOBOT a Breeze

As much as we’re devoted to the larger humanoid robots, we have to admit that they’re a bit expensive. At the same time, we love the lower cost robots like the TOMY i-SOBOT and the WowWee Robosapien types. But their remote controls are frequently complex and difficult to use, and editing a robot program usually turns out to be an exercise in frustration.

The best way to get around the remote control/programability challenge has been the free RoboDance software application. It’s loaded with great functionality and is extremely easy to use, even for a pure novice. It’s only drawback has been that you have to purchase a special IR transmitter to send the software commands to your robot. Thankfully a new, low cost transmitter, appropriately named “Robo-IRT” has hit the market.

Robot Blimp Takes to the Air (Video)

Want to let your dreams, and your robot, soar? Based on popular demand, Howard at Surveyor Robotics has released a YARB RTF (Yet Another Robot Blimp Ready To Fly) version of their robotic blimp. The new RTF version, based on the SRV-1 Blackfin camera, includes everything except the helium, and can be controlled by wide variety of remote consoles including the Android G1 phone (Video below).

The "To Bravely Go Where No Man ..." Robot

While the US excels at robots to explore the outer reaches of space, the Anie development team here has a closer goal in mind - exploring the dark, forbidding spaces under the floor of your house. Anie is designed “to bravely go where no man in his right mind wants to go.”

Kanaoka on Super Robot Design

Katsuya Kanaoka, professor at the Advanced Robotics Research Center of Ritsumeikan University, is publishing a new series of articles exploring the design of super robots (think Gundam). The first article in the series (Japanese, English via Google translation) is fairly high level, and a bit philosophical, since it lays the groundwork for what is to come.

Robot Baby Project Shows Promise (Video)

Designed based on the image of a 3?4 year old, the RobotCub (iCub) humanoid robot baby project is really intriquing. At the same time, it’s open-source approach may trigger concerns about safety and security, not to mention the potential ‘uncanny valley’ aspects of the robot.