What Evolving Robots Can Teach Us About the History of Life and the Future of Technology (Video)
I just added John Long's new book, "Darwin's Devices" to my reading list. Long serves as the director of Vassar College's Interdisciplinary Robotics Research Laboratory and is also a professor at the same institution focusing on cognitive science and biology.
Surfing the web, I ran across some recommendations and reviews of Long's book, and the subtitle, "What Evolving Robots Can Teach Us About the History of Life and the Future of Technology", immediately caught my attention.
Long's unique approach has been described as:
… he creates robots that look and behave like extinct animals, subjects them to evolutionary pressures, lets them compete for mates and resources, and mutates their ‘genes’. In short, he lets robots play the game of life.
Here's the author being interviewed about his new book:
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CNET – MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer (Video)
Rich Brown at CNET provides a good overview, including covering some of the tradeoffs and purchase/implementation considerations, of the MakerBot Replicator 3D printer.
Brown's overview doesn't contain anything surprising or new for people already involved in the 3D printing movement, it will be quite useful for those looking to purchase or build their first printer.
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“Hooked on Robotics” Music Video (Video)
Johnny 5 and RoboSapien learn the First Law of Robotics - "Get Down!" in their latest music video from IceBlockFilms. Any resemblance to The Beastie Boys is purely intentional.
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Intel and Aldebaran Robotics’ Nao Robot Demo (Video)
Shelly Palmer is introduced to the Aldebaran NAO humanoid robot by Intel, and gets some insight into how it is expected to improve and enhance human quality of life.
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Aldebaran NAO Robot Challenges RoboGames Kung-Fu (Video)
I mentioned in a post a few days ago that Jay Jay Napalan, a member of the Aldebaran NAO Robot Developers Program had the chance (and the guts) to compete at RoboGames 2012 in several different categories.
Some of the categories he picked were natural choices for the NAO humanoid robot, especially those that required autonomous or AI capabilities. But one of the categories really surprised me.
Napalan entered J2 in the middle-weight humanoid kung fu category where it would potentially go head to head with bruisers like King Kizer, Wimbleton, and KiaNaut. NAO has a well deserved reputation for being more of a 'lover' than a 'fighter', and it would be a shame to see the robots ascetically beautiful white plastic body and face scratched and bruised by the punishment that a middle-weight champion can dish out.
I've been waiting for someone to post a video of J2's RoboGames 2012 matches since somehow I missed the opportunity to record it. But, since a match video hasn't appeared yet, the best I can offer is the J2 practice session video below.
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Affordable 3d Printers Hit The Market…? (Video)
Last week I visited the iheartengineering headquarters in Brooklyn and was surprised to find that they have managed to build a rapidly expanding business around the print-on-demand model and unique product designs. Besides their abundant creativity, the heart of their business is a first generation MakerBot 3D printer that manufactures parts as orders come in the door (or over the internet).
It's not unusual for them to keep the printer running for hours, and sometimes days, at a time when orders peak. They've developed some special techniques for producing large parts with some unique fill patterns that I will post more about later.
Most important, the work, and the business model, that iheartengineering is pioneering convinced me that all the buzz about 3D printing generating a rebirth of manufacturing and creativity in the U.S. is much more than just hype. It is a practical and achievable goal, one that may soon be a reality for a growing number of start-ups.
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