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Report Indicates that Robots Will Be Able to Perform Menial Jobs by 2025

Nerd Grind — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:22:12 +0000

According to a new report from the National Intelligence Council, robots will be able to replace people in a series of menial jobs by the year 2025. The report dictates that an influx of robo-workers will "disrupt unskilled labor markets," with robots taking jobs currently performed by migrant workers, high school students and the like.

Additionally, the report states that emerging technologies could be used to assist humans to perform tasks such as caring for the elderly. The report offers no word as to when robots will be able to run for congress or write blog posts about tech news items.

Gaze-controlled Robot Gets a Video Demo

Nerd Grind — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:56:58 +0000

The future is upon us. Researchers from the Technical University of Denmark and the IT University of Copenhagen have created a sight-controlled robot. The bot is based around a LEGO NXT-G kit. It gets paired with a webcam and a laptop that’s connected to the robot via bluetooth. Then the magic happens.

The robot uses an eye-tracking system that allows users to control the robot simply by looking in certain directions. As you can see from the video below, it works surprisingly well. The researchers hope to eventually use the technology to help wheelchair-bound patients.

MechRC Dancing Robot Released in America

Nerd Grind — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:01:17 +0000

Enter the MechRC: A 17-servo kit newly available in America that can learn a vast array of dance moves. The little guy may look menacing (What’s with that?), but he has a heart of funky, funky gold.

The robot comes with easy to use software so would-be robo-choreographers can get going on impressing their friends and family. MechRC is PC only at the moment. The kit is $599 however, so only true robotic dance aficionados need apply.

For the rest of us, there’s always this video to keep us sated until the price goes down:

Toshiba Releases Prototype of Decade-old Automated Volleyball Bot

Nerd Grind — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:13:25 +0000

Toshiba has issued a press release and a demo video of the prototype of their automated volleyball bot. This bot has been making the robotics rounds for over a decade now and it’s good to finally see some new information.

The bot can recognize spoken commands, react to incoming spheres, identify the actions of nearby people and even spike a volleyball at will. The company has released no word on whether or not this bot would be receiving a commercial push nor have they indicated any other potential uses for the technology.

Click here for the press release and here for a video of the bot in action.

NASA Begins Work on a Robotic Therapist for Astronauts

Nerd Grind — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:22:17 +0000

NASA has begun work on a four-year, $1.74 million project designed to help counsel depressed astronauts in space. The project, dubbed the Virtual Space Station, is being readied in Boston. The VSS is supposed to independently create a program that will offer astronauts advice based on their typed insecurities. AP writer Jay Lindsay says it is nothing at all like HAL 9000.

How it works: Astronauts type in their various psychological problems into a console, which leads a pre-recorded video therapist to offer up a variety of solutions. The robot therapist "helps astronauts identify reasons for their depression. Then the program helps them make a plan to fight the depression."

The Virtual Space Station is being tested on civilians and it’s designers hope that it will one day cross party lines and be used by astronauts and non-astronauts alike. Researchers involved with the project offer no word on how normalized conventions of doctor/patient privacy will be affected by the project.

Robot surgeon will work on heart as it still beats

Nerd Grind — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:19:04 +0000

Heart surgeons, as we all know, stop that dastardly heart in order to work on it. Static tissue is easy to perform operations on, even though the process of stopping the heart can lead to brain damage and a bunch of other nonsense. This may be a thing of the past, however!

Some smart Harvard lads and lasses have come up with a robotic system that can compensate for te movements of the heart in real time. Which means, they can fix me ticker without stopping it. Be still my..uh nevermind.

The system uses 3D ultrasound to gather data on the heart’s shape and movements. Custom software, not Vista thank God, then predicts the position of the heart 70 to 100 milliseconds ahead of time. A robotic surgical tool then slides back and forth to compensate, allowing surgery to be conducted as the heart still beats.

The tool is still in development, but it’s shown some promise in animal trials. If you aren’t squeamish, click here for a video of the tool in action.

No word on if the same procedure can work to help me get over my ex-girlfriend.

Prepare for the Battle Between Man Vs Robot

Nerd Grind — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:01:44 +0000

A company in the UK has set up an online shop to deliver us from a war with robots. The company is called the WAR Defence Company ("Weapons Against Robots") and their initiative is "protecting us from the threats of a Robotic future."

Ben Way, the company’s founder, is a real-life version of Terminator’s John Conner, only he’s trying to cash in on the deal. WAR Defence claims to be developing not just weapons against robots but also detection and monitoring of robotic entities and ’robo-viruses’. Can we say hoax alert?

Spider-Bot Nurtures Your Plant

Nerd Grind — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:42:29 +0000

Concept device is a caretaker for your pet plant. I’ve heard of baby-sitters and pet-sitters, but who would’ve thought that we need a plant-sitter.

This creepy device is a mechanical spider bot that moves around your living room looking for light for your plant. As the day goes on and the light shifts, the bot will stay in sunlight nurturing your neglected plant.

I can’t wait to put my Chia pet on one of these.

Meet Millenia

Nerd Grind — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:38:45 +0000

The Millennia robot can really converse with you. According to its maker, International Robotics, Inc., this adult-sized creation "is able to communicate with any age, social, ethnic or cultural group in any type of environment"

â€œMost interactive robots have the ability to convey commercial messages, but IRIâ€™s robots have the ability to command the attention and respect of todayâ€™s more complex â€“ and often more jaded â€“ audiences by openly communicating, as a human would, with any member of society regardless of age, social, ethnic or cultural background,â€ said Robert Doornick of IRI.

Perhaps we should send on of these guys to Pres Bush?

Too Lazy to Flush a Toilet

Nerd Grind — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 16:34:51 +0000

If you had too much time on your hands, you might have come up with this useless robotic device – one which will flush your toilet.

RoboFlush is a simple Lego NXT Mindstorms Robot designed to flush a toilet automatically. It also comes with a manual flush option! Check out these instructions to build your own.

NerdGrind - How-to Computer Help - Tutorials - Tech and Gadget News » Robotics

Report Indicates that Robots Will Be Able to Perform Menial Jobs by 2025

Related posts:

Gaze-controlled Robot Gets a Video Demo

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MechRC Dancing Robot Released in America

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Toshiba Releases Prototype of Decade-old Automated Volleyball Bot

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NASA Begins Work on a Robotic Therapist for Astronauts

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Robot surgeon will work on heart as it still beats

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Prepare for the Battle Between Man Vs Robot

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Spider-Bot Nurtures Your Plant

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Meet Millenia

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Too Lazy to Flush a Toilet

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