Of course, I was completely mesmerized when I saw this particular item of interest: a robot that obeys your thoughts.

Stop right there. Is this serious? Apparently so. Inventor Taku Ichikawa of the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo is creating this robot for the Robo-One contest in Toyama, Japan.

The Robo-One is sort of a battlebots style competition, and I suppose that thoughts really are the best interface for that. Unfortunately, this is about all the information my sources have about this.

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Have a penchant for kicking up a brand new bunch of codes that is capable of causing a mini revolution? Well, if you’re pretty handy at coding and love the world of robotics, the Programmable Gaming Robot ought to be your cup of tea. After all, this Programmable Gaming Robot is able to go up against the clock or against other robots in a variety of games where you will be the one behind its movements.

The six included games are interactive environments composed of pieces that include a base station, energy port, special effects hub, and three universal gaming pads; each accessory may be individually programmed using a simple, drag-and-drop interface with the included software (requires a PC running Windows XP or Vista). Depending upon the game you select (or modify using the software) each accessory serves a unique purpose: the base station can act as a depot, timer, or target; the energy port ejects a ball (which is corralled by the robot’s built-in scoop) and recharges the robot; and the special effects hub provides robots with advanced maneuvers and abilities. The robot has infrared sensors and radio frequency identification chips that allow the robot to react to the game’s accessories and other competing robots, helping it to avoid obstacles, navigate autonomously, and participate in any of the six included games. You can also participate in interactive online gaming using any of the robot’s programmed routines–you can identify other robots online as “friend” or “foe” and the robot will interact with them accordingly. The games involve the robot picking up different colors by driving over encoded pads and delivering them to the hub before time expires, collecting a ball while avoiding “bullets”, dropping electronic “land mines” to obstruct competing robots, and more. The robot’s dual monowheel design provides nimble 360º movement as it moves between accessories–you can control it from up to 30′ away.

We would strongly recommend you get a healthy dose of AA batteries, as the entire set will take up to a dozen of those puppies before it is able to get up and running. The Programmable Gaming Robot will retail for $299.95.

There are a lot of people who faint at the sight of a needle, as well as those that swoon at the sight of blood.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was some machine like this Bloodbot that could draw your blood, without a human ever being present?

Some of you might faint at the very idea of that, but haven’t you ever had a doctor who had a hard time finding the vein while you were donating blood? Apparently, this bloodbot has an accuracy rate of seventy-eight percent. Normally, I would say that is good, but I would like to see the average accuracy rate for a doctor.

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With the advancements made in robotics and technology these days, we wouldn’t be too surprised to see that robots might end up as our caregivers one of these days, and the RIBA robot nurse is definitely a step in the right direction. Patients who wake up from a nasty accident to see RIBA tending to them might get a shock, thinking that they are in another parallel universe at first – after all, ugly nurses are one thing, but a robotic bear nurse? That’s totally whacked out! RIBA stands for “Robot for Interactive Body Assistance” and was developed by researchers at Japan’s Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) and Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd. (TRI). It’s main purpose would be to assist nurses by lifting patients in and out of their beds and wheelchairs, alongside providing assistance on and off the toilet. The 180 kg robot bear can handle weight of up to 61 kgs, and was designed after a bear to put patients at ease instead of a more human-looking model.

Source: Pink Tentacle

Robonica is a start-up that is looking into new ways of robotic entertainment and aims to redefine the entertainment robotics market later this fall by rolling out a whole new range of products that come with the tagline, “The Rise of Robotic Gaming.” This new range will merge elements of robotics, R/C vehicles and electronic gaming, making them stand out from the current crop of entertainment robots that is able to offer meaningful and structured gameplay regardless of whether one is alone, with friends or through online interaction.

A smart, fully programmable and highly agile two-wheeled robot, Roboni-i is the first entertainment robot to offer unlimited play patterns. The state-of-the-art robot features 16 sensors and four processors, RF remote control and Zigbee peer-to-peer RF protocol allowing for competitive gameplay with real-world robots. It also comes packaged with game accessories and six action games enabling players to form a playing field and use the gaming controller to select a game as they enter a new dimension of interactive, real-world robotic gameplay. Whether alone or with friends, they will need to beat the odds, race against time, manage resources, neutralize threats, execute special effects and collect bonus points to improve score. The Roboni-i’s online gameplay is out of this world. By plugging Roboni-i into the PC, players enter a virtual world where they can create profiles, participate in virtual missions, play online games and interact with friends who are online at the same time. Its Advanced PC-based Command Center Software allows users to program every facet of the robot’s behavior, edit games and upload performance data.

The following online sources – ToysRUs.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and more will be the first to get hold of Robonica’s offering, followed by retailers Hammacher Schlemmer, Edmund Scientific and other specialty shops.

Press Release

Maybe I have seen too many Terminator and Matrix movies, but this shot of the human going inside of a robot just gives me the creeps.

The fact that the attached YouTube video that you can watch after the jump is called “Human Body Shredding Machine” doesn’t help. Clearly, I need to get over my robot issues and see that this robot rescuer, or Robocue, could truly save a life.

The basic concept behind this is that the Robocue can get to places that would be too dangerous for a human to get to. It is equipped with many sensors and cameras for remote operation up to 100 meters away, and the conveyor belt feature is equipped to put the injured human in a safe place for transport.

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I’ve never run across someone that didn’t adore the movie WALL-E.  So it’s no surprise that there would be small random WALL-E inspired items.  Here’s a tiny whimsical flash drive that has a keychain attached to it.  Which means you get to store files on it and show it off on your keys when it’s not plugged into the computer.  Not only is it WALL-E, but it’s WALL-E clinging tightly to a fire extinguisher.

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As city streets grow more and more crowded, it is more difficult for delivery trucks to get through them. The solution is to deliver the packages through the sewers.

Yes, that network of tunnels designed to move human waste from our homes could be used to bring packages to our homes. All of this is possible with the proper application of robots.

Some researchers are working on inventing the Urban Mole. Instead of digging through the dirt, the Urban Mole is designed to carry packages such as signed documents, groceries, and Amazon.com orders. Of course, there are limits, and my source has said it can probably deliver nothing bigger than a shoebox.

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