iRobot cuts ribbon at new headquarters

Steve Goryl sent a link to this nice promotional video about the new headquarters for iRobot, whose Create robot we are currently using to explore machine vision. Careful with those scissors, Eugene!

eXtreme Programming Goes to Mars

According to this article, the techniques of eXtreme Programming are being used to create mission-critical, on-demand code for the Phoenix Spacecraft and its robotic arm. (Let's hope they've finally switched to the metric system, too!) I'm not sure what they're expecting to find, but if they can produce more images like this one, let's hope their funding gets a big boost!

Biomemetics at Tufts

At the lab of Barry Trimmer at Tufts University, researchers are building robots inspired by caterpillars and other invertebrates. This article, with cool photos and video, explains the idea. Trimmer's previous work includes a groundbreaking study of the role of mitochondria in producing the firefly's glow -- co-authored with Washington & Lee's own June Aprille.

Featured Videos

I mentioned in class the other day YouTube had featured a few robotics videos. Here are the links:

This first one is called "Robots inspired by Animals"

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Tq8Yw19bn7Q

I tend to think that this is a very intelligent approach to experimenting with artificial intelligence. As we don't fully understand the human mind, it is better to start by emulating something simpler - like a fish, a bug, or an animal. I think we can learn a lot by starting simple like this, and then moving onto more ambitious projects in the future. Not to mention the fact that the robots look really cool.


This next one features a robot designed by Toyota that they programmed to play the violin, and a few other designs.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qyPAIpXm-nU&feature=related

At first glance, I thought it was a bit lame - considering it could only do one thing (play the violin) - making it essentially a one-trick pony. But, when I watched it again, I was actually incredibly fascinated. The mobility of the robot is quite impressive. It seems like the hardware is progressing along quite well - now all they need is better, more versatile software technology. I'm still waiting for the first all robot orchestra.


And speaking of orchestras, they have this video of a robot conduction the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Pretty Hilarious, actually.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cf5szwz6Qzc

Cyborg Monkeys

Link to monkey eating via robot arm. Third robotic limbs? Sign me up!

NXT not doing it for you?

How about Roomba? Still no? Well this site looks pretty neat. I've only poked around a bit on it, but I think I know where my summer's going to go: Building robots.

The perfect woman

Lonely? Single? Robots?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2wYWAlg8Do&feature=user

Follow up to Prof. Gregory's Talk

Thanks again to Prof. Paul Gregory for his great talk today! I wanted to post a few of links related to things that Prof. Gregory mentioned. First, recall the functionalist idea that you can build a mind out of any sort of material that "gets the job done". A classic-proof-of-concept for functionalism is the tic-tac-toe player that Danny Hillis built from Tinkertoys. (The idea that functionalism may get you no farther than tic-tac-toe is one of the themes of our course.) Second, the Story of Mel is a delightful example of how the best programmers exploit what has come to be called the leaky levels concept. Finally, Wikipedia has a pretty good entry on the Frame Problem that Prof. Gregory and I discussed.

Faster Bluetooth access with NXT_Python

Here is a modified version of the mary.py example we've been using to test our Bluetooth setup in NXT_Python. The modification is to construct a Bluetooth socket directly on the MAC address of a known host brick, without searching for available devices.

Lawnbots...

Check this out from Slate.com

Slimebots!

Today's discussion of the remarkable slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum reminded me of the strange and wonderful work of Andy Adamatzky (dig the wig). Andy uses a different slime mold, Physarum polycephalum, to model, let us say, "non-traditional" computation.

This video is pretty much straight out of the Clark text. Cockroach robots...

Robobug Goes to War

Just in time for our Tuesday (11AM, May 7, Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons) lecture by Ron Arkin, this article describes the coming deployment of tiny, insect-like robots for reconnaissance on the battlefield.

Modular robot reassembles when kicked apart

A CSCI 250 alum sent this link, about a modular robot that reassembles itself after it's kicked. It reminds me of the work of Cornell scientist Hod Lipson (who spoke here last year). "Kickable" robots have become something of a cottage industry!

Below are two robot-based articles; the second one is in many ways more profound and relevant to the course, but the first is interesting in that it's one man's application of robotics for an every-day problem (though perhaps the morality is debatable).


bumbot


lying robots