Robots Blog

Eddy Sykes’ Yakuza Lou is a site-specific installation that uses the relationship between the natural and mechanical notions of landscape, to create a unique garden with pushing and folding topographic surfaces and a robot cloud that floats overhead creating a volume in constant pseudo-natural flux.

This fusion of natural and man-made elements into a carefully thought-out practical application allows viewers to re-evaluate advanced systems of design.

This multi-system consists of a self-articulating, undulating landscape that utilizes hydrodynamics, motors, and growth patterns to constantly redefine a system of octagonal vegetative mats. Aided by a hinge-mounted motor, each octagonal palette expands and contracts much like an origami, fortune-telling toy. The opened shape promises to be a beautiful three-dimensional grass floret. The landscape coexists with an artificial Cumulonimbus cloud, which hovers overhead and transforms over time.

Located at Materials and Applications in Silverlake, CA.

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Amazing Spatial Objects…awesome

Many robot researchers spend a ton of time and money trying to faithfully recreate human facial expressions and emotions using servos and rubber or latex simulated skin. No matter how hard they try, then still run headlong into the 'Uncanny Valley' problem. But, why bother when your own face comes equipped with all the necessary nerves, muscles, and real live skin to do the trick? Check out the video below...

It's really sad news for geeks, robot fans, and of course for employees, but yesterday Tsukumo declared bankruptcy. Within Japan the firm is well known as a leader in sales of consumer electronics, especially personal computers and peripherals, in addition to having established the Tsukumo Robot Kingdom shops long before any other retailer jumped on the band wagon. Official reports indicate that the company has total liabilities of roughly 11...

giant halloween robot Originally uploaded by denman526.Imagine running out of Halloween candy then having this awesome robot ring your doorbell expecting his favorite treats.

1950's Halloween Robots Originally uploaded by Neato Coolville.Think that people's fascination with all things robotic is a recent phenomena? Think again. The great Halloween robot photo above was actually taken in the 1950's.

Researchers are getting closer and closer to creating robots that are good enough to fool observers into thinking they are real. The "uncanny valley" feeling of revulsion is still a major issue, but we can foresee a day in the not too distant future when that will be overcome. A good example is the work being done with 'Jules' (video below), an animatronic robot head developed by a team at...

Royce Pipkins, an avid robot fanatic and repeated RoboGames metal winner, reports that he has a rare Elmo Live in captivity and is trying desparately to resist the temptation to hack it before Christmas. Help Royce yield to temptation by posting encouragement on Royce's Twitter page.

If any one still doubts the potential for humanoid robots to take on, and perhaps out-do, human players on the soccer field, they should take a close look at some of the really cool moves being executed on robot soccer fields. The video clip below, captured at the 12th KondoCup Robot Soccer competition, is just a tiny sample. Keep in mind that these robots are designed, built, and piloted by...

Mike Overstreet, a strong humanoid builder/competitor and winner at RoboGames with his robot 'Gort', attended the iHobby 2008 show earlier this month, and was kind enough to share his event report with us (see below). I think that the robot turn-out was very good. Eight humanoids and the other competitions had good turn outs too. I-Hobby also set records for attendance both for Saturday and Sunday. We had a lot...