[lotuseclat79]

Terminator 0.0.1 (alpha).



-- Tom

[lotuseclat79]

The Death of HAL –the Evolving Digital Ecosystem.

A scenario where Cylons take over the world is very unlikely, according to one Artificial Intelligence expert. A "collective" consciousness that helps humans is far more likely.


And so, the Borg begins...

-- Tom

[valis]

you guys seen the video yet for Beck's Hell Yes?

If not, I highly recommend hitting youtube for it. It's worth the watch; the robots are very real; it took the programmers a few months to program them for their dance moves, and the holographic display of Beck above them is also very real.

It was staged for the execs and designers of the robots. Quite the show. I'd post a link, but I can't get to youtube from work.

[ekim68]

Thanks Tim. Very cool...

[valis]

thanks, backwards mike.

it's a pretty cool clip. I would absolutely love to get my hands on one of those for an afternoon and just mystify my son and terrorize the dog.

[ekim68]

Emotional Robots: Software Empowers Robots To Learn When A Person Is Sad, Happy Or Angry

ScienceDaily (July 28, 2008) — A robot with empathy sounds like the stuff of sci-fi movies, but with the aid of neural networks European researchers are developing robots in tune with our emotions. Feelix Growing is developing software empowering robots that can learn when a person is sad, happy or angry.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0717225057.htm

[ekim68]

US airforce to launch robotic Space Shuttle 2.0 this yea

NASA may have given up on spaceplanes for now, with the Shuttle soon to be replaced by old-school rocket stacks and capsules. But the US Air Force, it seems, still sees a need for spacecraft which can re-enter atmosphere and make a runway landing. Reports indicate that the X-37B unmanned spaceplane demonstrator will make its first orbital launch in November under USAF auspices.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07...emo_to_launch/

[ekim68]

The Rise Of The Droids

August 11, 2008: The U.S. Air Force is, for the first time, converting a fighter wing from manned (F-16) combat aircraft, to unmanned ones (the MQ-9 Reaper.) The conversion, for the 174th Fighter Wing, has been in the works for three years, and the last combat sorties in manned aircraft were flown last week, by members of the 174th serving in Iraq.
The air force has already converted several combat wings to fly Predators which, while armed (with two 107 pound Hellfire missiles), are considered reconnaissance aircraft. The Reaper is considered a combat aircraft, optimized for seeking out and destroying ground targets. Jet powered combat UAVs are in development. It's only a matter of time before UAVs take over air superiority, strategic bombing and suppression of enemy air defenses duties as well.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/hta.../20080811.aspx

[ekim68]

A robot with a biological brain

University of Reading scientists have developed a robot controlled by a biological brain formed from cultured neurons. And this is a world’s premiere. Other research teams have tried to control robots with ‘brains,’ but there was always a computer in the loop. This new project is the first one to examine ‘how memories manifest themselves in the brain, and how a brain stores specific pieces of data.’ As life expectancy is increasing in most countries, this new research could provide insights into how the brain works and help aging people. In fact, the main goal of this project is to understand better the development of diseases and disorders which affect the brain such as Alzheimer or Parkinson diseases. It’s interesting to note that this project is being led by Professor Kevin Warwick, who became famous in 1998 when a silicon chip was implanted in his arm to allow a computer to monitor him in order to assess the latest technology for use with the disabled.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/emergingtech/?p=1009&tag=nl.e550

[ekim68]

Thirsty? Robot bartender pulls a fast pint

TOKYO, Aug 18 (Reuters Life!) - He can pull a pint faster than you can shout for one, and there's no chance he's going to be distracted by the cute girl behind you in the queue: meet Mr. Asahi, the robot bartender.

Japan's top beer maker Asahi Breweries, known for its "Super Dry", is deploying the life-size Mr. Asahi to bars and clubs to pull pints, open beer bottles and pour them to customers -- quickly.

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifes...20322520080818

[lotuseclat79]

Robot tells human off for doing it wrong. (video)

The video below shows a scenario that is likely to become real as industrial robots improve: a human and a robot work together to assemble an object from its parts. But in the clip from the University of Minho, Portugal, not everything is going to plan. The human gets a stern warning from the robot that they are doing it wrong.

Just what humans need - an annoying robot!

-- Tom

[ekim68]

Stanford's "autonomous" helicopters teach themselves to fly

Stanford computer scientists have developed an artificial intelligence system that enables robotic helicopters to teach themselves to fly difficult stunts by watching other helicopters perform the same maneuvers.

The result is an autonomous helicopter than can perform a complete airshow of complex tricks on its own.

http://news-service.stanford.edu/new...er-091008.html

[ekim68]

How Do You Make A Robot Fish? Copy Bluefin Tuna

Move over, Michael Phelps, there's a new swimming king on the starting blocks.

It's a robotic fish that borrows design from the bluefin tuna, which can reach speeds up to 50 mph. Dubbed "RoboTuna," the robot is being developed by researchers in suburban Boston at the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering and the Boston Engineering Corp.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/...leID=210201309

[ekim68]

Can robots become our ‘phriends’?

A friendly collaboration between humans and robots is not always easy. Either robots work efficiently and far from humans in controlled environments, or they’re equipped with lots of sensors to work along humans and not harm them. Now, a EU-funded project, Phriends — short for ‘Physical Human-Robot Interaction: DepENDability and Safety’ — has started to force robots to respect Asimov’s laws. In a nutshell, these laws say that robots cannot cause harm to humans and that they have to obey us. This 3-year project will end next year and has received € 2.16 million from the EU. The technology developed for the Phriends project will be used in industrial robots, but also in sports training and physical rehabilitation.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/emergingtech/?p=1032&tag=nl.e539

[lotuseclat79]

Thought you guys would like this article:
The Future: Open-Source Humanoid Robots.

The Willow Project is a seriously cool effort to bring robotics to the masses: think of it as Lego Mindstorms all grown up...

-- Tom