Aibo to protect Smithsonian – Tech News – CNET.com

By Richard Shim

Special to CNET News.com

July 18, 2001, 1:20 p.m. PT

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Amanda Pehlke of Seattle donated her Aibo, named Toshi, to the Smithsonian because its represents the first robot that found its way into American homes. Toshi will be placed in the robotic collection of the Smithsonian and will join Sony’s other Smithsonian resident in the museum, a Walkman.

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The Times :: Cheeky role for 7in robot

BY LAURA PEEK

THE world’s first interactive wireless robot was unveiled yesterday and at £49.99 looks likely to become a popular gift at Christmas.

Ir-V, also known as Internet Robot Project V, is the first toy that can be controlled at the click of a mouse without wires attaching it to a computer. It is 7in high, uses Wireless Interaction Technology to download instructions from its website, dances, avoids obstacles and speaks foreign languages.

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TNR Online | TRB From Washington: Only Human by Andrew Sullivan

Post date 07.19.01 | Issue date 07.30.01



In one of the creepiest scenarios in Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick’s new movie A.I., there is something called a Flesh Fair. In this sci-fi fantasy, human beings have developed technology so refined that they can create mechanical humans that appear almost as real as organic ones. These “mechas” are essentially a slave class: They perform chores, replace lost children, even have their body parts distributed for various uses. At Flesh Fairs, mechas are displayed and killed for amusement, their body parts sometimes traded and reused.

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Spy-Cye Technology

Spy-Cie maps indoor area where you want to be but can’t, and takes you there to hear and see

Spy-Cye is a PC controlled personal robot. It’s ten pounds heavy, sixteen inches wide and will run around your area as you drag it on screen with your mouse. It communicates to your PC through two radio links. One link transfers robot data and the other carries live video and sound to your PC. Through this link you can see and hear what the robot sees and hears. Spy-Cye can seek out your web connection and connect through it at your command. You supply a user name and password, then from any browser anywhere, you can go to www.web-bots.com and log into your robot, send it to any destination on your map and see and hear through it.

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Tiger Toys Data Center

i-Cybie

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He uses 16 separate motors to control hundreds of actions with moveable head, tail, legs and mouth.

Intelligent sensors allow i-Cybie to avoid obstacles and prevent walking off the edge of a surface.

Advanced Voice Recognition Technology allows i-Cybie to respond and react like a real dog.

Senses night and day, sound, touch and motion.

Remote control included.

Interacts with all Robo-Chi™ pets and i-Cybie dogs.

Ages 14 and up.

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Is there a market for luxury robotic pets?

Reuters

July 13, 2001 5:21 AM PT



NEW YORK–Caring for a real dog can be expensive, but the latest generation of robo-pups will set you back $200 or $1,500–somewhere between some folks’ weekly food bill and monthly rent or mortgage payment.

Despite a U.S. unemployment rate of 4.5 percent, the makers of i-Cybie and AIBO believe there’s a definite market for their luxury robotic pets. Ditto for the top executives of some upscale retailers who are betting on these high-tech pups to help make Christmas 2001 a merry one.

i-Cybie, the $200 robotic dog from Tiger Electronics, a division of Hasbro Inc., should be in stock in August at FAO Schwarz, said David Niggli, chief operating officer of the luxury toy retailer.

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Biped Robot Database

Biped Robot Research in the World



Here is the list of research sites which have intensive biped research project.

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Humanoid Robot H6

Perception-Action Integrated Humanoid Robot : H6

Human-shaped robots are well-suited for operating within environments designed for real humans. In order to provide an experimental research platform for full-body integrated sensing and control, the prototype Humanoid Robot “H6” is currently being developed at the JSK Laboratory at the University of Tokyo.

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Specifications : Construction of the first prototype was completed in June 2000 by Aircraft and Mechanical Systems Division of Kawada Industries, Inc. The height of the robot is 1370mm, the width is 590mm, and the mass is 55kg including 4kg of batteries. The robot has a total of 35 degrees of freedom (DOF): 6 for each leg, 1 for each foot (toe joint), 7 for each arm, 1 for each gripper, 2 for the neck, and 3 for the eyes. All major joints are driven by DC motors and Harmonic drive gears. An onboard PC equipped with dual PentiumIII-750MHz processors running RT-Linux is used for real-time servo and balance compensation, as well as coordinating high-level 3D vision and motion planning component software modules. The system is connected to the network via wireless ethernet. Thus, the robot is fully self-contained (it can be operated without any external cables).

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ASIMO 2

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Honda P3 One of the great challenges of the future is the development of concepts for mobility beyond the street, in the immediate, natural environment of human beings.

Not until a robot is able to move in this environment will it one day be a true aid to human beings and earn the attribute of “humanoid robot”.

To come closer to this goal, Honda developed P3, which will now be described to you in more detail.

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