Miscellaneous

The day of living like the Jetsons, mechanized maid and all, gets closer all the time. Here are 10 great robots, some of which are even available to the public.

The day of living like the Jetsons, mechanized maid and all, gets closer all the time. Here are 10 great robots, some of which are even available to the public.

Number 10. Honda's Asimo. The humanoid robot stands a bit over 4-feet and weighs in at 119 pounds, but its developers have packed a whole lot of functionality into its modest frame. Asimo can do sign language, play soccer, and even serve drinks.

Number 9. Kuratas. If you've ever dreamed of being the pilot of a great big robot, this is your chance. Located within its 13-foot tall frame is enough room for an onboard commander. Oh by the way, it can be controlled with an iPhone.

Number 8. Atlas. Commissioned by the Pentagon, and engineered by Boston Dynamics, this disaster rescue dynamo is built to perform the heroic task of saving lives without risking its own.

Number 7. Termite Robots. These little guys are designed to do tough, tedious building work and their way of working was inspired by termites. The bots assess their environment, take cues from one another, and get to work even though they haven't a clue of the bigger plan.

Number 6. Cheetah Cub. Wanting to know how to make robots take control of tough terrain with the grace of a feline, scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology made a robotic cat. Using it, they can assess joint force and agility without having to harm an actual animal.

Number 5. WildCat. Not to be confused with the aforementioned Cheetah Cub, the WildCat is the newest generation of Boston Dynamics Cheetah robot line. These machines are made for speed, traveling up to 29 miles per hour. While previous versions were indoor sorts, this one is suited to run free.

Number 4. VGo Virtual Student. Stuck at home with a severe immune disorder, a student in Texas is now able to attend classes thanks to a robot. She can power the virtual version of herself via internet and participate in what's going on thanks to a webcam.
"Miranda suffers from a weak immune system that doesn't allow her to attend class in person but thanks to this robot pilot program she's back in the classroom."

Number 3. Robo-Fly. It's tiny and fast, weighing only 80 milligrams and flapping it's wings up to 120 times per second. Once technology advances and can make it a battery small enough, the robotic insect is predicted to be a helpful tool in search and rescue missions.

Number 2. The Mab. It flies around your house, senses where it's dirty, and then deploys a bunch of tiny little cleaning bots to make the area sparkle. It's just a concept, but was enough of one to win the Electrolux Design Lab competition.

Number 1. Curiosity. NASA's Mars rover has accomplished far more than any other robot can imagine so to speak. It's only been on the Red Planet for about a year and a half, but has already determined that there could have once been life there.

If you could design a robot, what would you make it do?

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Here are the 10 greatest micro-robots.

Engineers and programmers are constantly at work dreaming up and creating tiny robots. Some emerge as incredibly useful tools, while others exist only as grand ideas.

Either way, here are 10 of the greatest micro-robots.

Number 10. Kilobot. Hundreds, even thousands, of machines working together as one is a great idea, especially when they’re able to organize and arrange themselves. Swarm technology has proven difficult to perfect due to cost, so this group of minis was created on the cheap for testing purposes.

Number 9. Magnetically actuated mini-robots. They’re made to built stuff, including other robots. Even more impressive is that they could perform that task in space, as their movements aren’t dependent upon gravity. The little bots are guided by magnets, which gives them greater dexterity and flexibility.

Number 8. Micro-scallops. These itsy-bitsy swimmers are designed to navigate the body’s various liquids like blood and eyeball gunk. Aquatic skills aren’t typically high the list of robot skills, but thanks to the unique nature of bodily fluids, these little guys may someday be able to deliver medications to exactly where they’re needed.

Number 7. Micro-bees. With populations of honeybees plummeting, scientists are looking for alternative means of pollinating crops. Conservation efforts for the real ones are underway, but in the event the problem is unfixable, researchers expect to be able to get the robotic version up and flying in about 10 years.

Number 6. Flapping robot. Many insects are great flyers, but their complex movements are hard to replicate. Jellyfish, on the other hand, are simple creatures. By mimicking their movements, researchers were able to make a stable machine that can take to the air unburdened by tricky mechanics.

Number 5. Bridge inspectors. Humans do what they can, but in a lot of cases they’re just too big to really get a good look in nooks, crannies, and crevasses. Enter the quarter-sized machine that can access tight spots and easily travel over bolts and rivets, even when it’s raining.

Number 4. The Mab. The Jetson’s had their faithful robot Rosie, but people of the future may be turning to the cleaning skills of Mab instead. The design competition winner deploys an army of scrubbers and dusters to make a home sparkly and fresh.

Number 3. miBots. Microscopes are wonderful for inspecting things invisible to the naked eye, but they’re useless when it comes to moving the matter around. That’s where this little device comes in handy. Between its joystick control and small probe, it gets the tiny but tough job done.

Number 2. Mini-printer. Printers take up a lot of valuable desktop real estate, but there is a smaller solution. About the size of a coffee cup, this inkjet produces words and images by travelling back and forth across a piece of paper.

Number 1. DNA nanobots. If genetic material is sequenced just right, it can create a microscopic structure capable of following a prescribed path and delivering a destination-specific payload. Hopes for the development are high, as someday they could be useful in seeking and destroying cancer cells without damaging healthy ones nearby.

Which micro-robot do you think is the most amazing?

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The field of robotics has improved at an incredible rate recently. The future is already here...

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Presenting some decidedly unusual androids.

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From bionic men made of synthetic parts to a metal band entirely composed of robots, we count 15 quirky, complex robots from all over the world.

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People don't kill people, robots kill people!

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Whether they're out to save the world or take it over, these hunks of metal keep us entertained.

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Just because they’re not human doesn’t mean you won’t cry.

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Here are the 10 coolest robot concepts of 2015. Robots have come a long way over the past years, and those both imagined and developed in 2015 are no exception. Here are 10 of the year’s coolest offerings.

Number 10. Laundroid. Not only can this Panasonic creation wash and dry, it can identify items and fold them accordingly.

Number 9. NASA’s alien ocean explorer. Many celestial bodies have seas needing to be examined, and this iunderwater rover is currently being trained and tweaked to do the job.

Number 8. Spot. The canine-inspired quadruped was developed by Boston Dynamics to assist Marine troops by scouting sites and carrying heavy loads.

Number 7. Hedgehog. Space rovers are presented with all sorts of environmental and gravitational challenges, and the goal for this one is to hop, roll, and bounce along with them.

Number 6. Starfish killer. The Great Barrier Reef is sustaining damage due to large populations of the multi-legged creatures, and developers hope their aquatic terminator will help contain the problem.

Number 5. Pepper. Designed to sense what a person’s feeling and do away one’s tears if necessary, the emotional support robot sold out almost immediately upon its release.

Number 4. Gecko-Inspired MiniBot. Despite tipping the scales at only 0.3-ounces, the little wonder can lift a couple of pounds and pull up to 2,000 times its weight. Number 3. Swarmbots. Once launched out of a cannon of sorts, the airborne robots synchronize with one another to perform a variety of complex maneuvers.

Number 2. eMotionButterflies. Also designed to operate together as one, these roughly 1-ounce beauties were created to demonstrate how light and tiny drones can be.

Number 1. Pleurobot. In addition to looking and moving like a salamander, the robot is capable of maneuvering both on land and in water, just like the real thing.

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The most advanced robots in the world might not be exactly what you’re expecting. But they’re shaping humanity’s future.

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Nuts and bolts haven't allowed these ladies to lose their feminine charm.

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A collection of creepy, crawling and downright frightening robots will make you think twice about welcoming our future overlords

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These machines have made hilarity their primary function!

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