Robotics Update From The Playing Field


For those competitive folks out there – which is probably everyone – here is an update on the eSilicon-sponsored robot I spoke of last month. I’m happy to report that our team finished fourth in a field of 24. As of now, they have a good chance of making it to the state-level competition. On top of an already outstanding weekend, our team won the Industrial Safety Award last weekend as we... » read more

Robotics: Let The Games Begin


Right before the year-end holidays I posted a blog about a robot competition under Science Fair – Redefined. I am happy to report that the team we’re sponsoring – The Chargers – are putting the finishing touches on their robot entry to the competition. The games will begin soon. I continue to be amazed at the sophistication and complexity of this process, as I only have my high school s... » read more

Science Fair — Redefined


Being a geek at heart from an early age, I recall entering many science fair competitions while growing up in New York. Once, I made it to the citywide finals with a model of how chain reactions happen using ball bearings. My illustrious invention career also included a seismograph, an electric arc light and a working DC motor. None of those made the cut, but they were fun to build. I’m sure ... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Nov. 25


Insect robots on the water Taking inspiration from water beetles and other swimming insects, academics at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory have developed the "Row-bot," a robot that thrives in dirty water. The Row-bot mimics the way that one aquatic insect, the water boatman, moves and the way that it feeds on rich organic matter in the dirty water it swims in. The Row-bot project aims to ... » read more

New Robots For The IoT


Until recently, remote telepresence has largely been a fixed screen with a video link between participants, and mostly in business setting. But all of that is about to change once the [getkc id="76" comment="Internet of Things"]/Internet of Everything begins to take root. There is a plethora of development going on in mobile robotic telepresence (MRT). Companies such as iRobot, Cisco, Suitab... » read more

A Robot In Every Home


Bill Gates, in a 2006 Scientific American article, described his vision of the future as, "A robot in every home." It's difficult to project that far ahead with technology, though. Since then, wireless has come a long way. So have microelectronics—nearly 24 orders of magnitude if you use Moore's Law. So the robot conceived in 2006 is now more like a gaggle of Internet dust particles that r... » read more

Blog Review: April 23


Mentor’s John Day looks backward through a smart rearview mirror from Nissan. No glare, even at night or at sunset, and a wider field of vision. You have to wonder why this technology took so long. Synopsys’ Karen Bartleson wonders when the IoT will actually arrive, given the delay in durable goods, a concern over security and the effects of government regulation. Answer: When we stop ta... » read more

System Bits: March 25


A robot that is a toy at heart Two University of Cambridge alumnus have developed a small robot to help children learn programming and robotics while they play.   [caption id="attachment_11073" align="alignnone" width="300"] (Source: Robotiky.com)[/caption] Under the guise of Robotiky, and within two months of their initial idea, they secured seed funding for a prototype robot, w... » read more

What You Can Learn From Robots


My sons are in the robotics club at their high school. They program a small robot to perform simple tasks to score points in a competition. It’s a great way for them to learn about embedded systems and stimulate their interest in technology. While looking for ways to help them improve their understanding of embedded systems we started going through some of the online material, one of the c... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Nov. 12


Knife-Wielding Robot Cornell University has taught a knife-wielding robot to work in a mock-supermarket checkout line. In doing so, researchers have modified a Baxter robot from Rethink Robotics. In the experiment, the robot coactively learns and makes adjustments while an action is in progress. But when performing tasks at a checkout line, the robot’s problem is to identify the appropria... » read more

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