Servo - January 2012

Robytes

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by Jeff and Jenn Eckert

Teotronica's jazz robot performs at the piano.

Meanwhile, Across the Pond

Before you imagine that a performing robot skeleton is a totally unique concept, consider the Teotronica Jazz Robot produced by the Italian electronic design and repair company Teotronica ( www.teotronica.it). He doesn't appear to be available in the US yet, but this guy "has no difficulty in running even the most demanding music and any kind of music (blues, jazz, rock, classical, etc.)." The entertainment bots are available for pretty much any kind of public or private event, and interested parties are directed to request a free estimate for rent or sale at info@teotronica.it.

The Scoop on Geoff

If you have a tendency toward insomnia and can filter through a thick Scottish accent, you may be familiar with Geoff Peterson, the robotic skeleton sidekick on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ( www.cbs.com/shows/late_late_show). What you may not know is that Geoff is the plastic and aluminum creation of Grant Imahara, a University of Southern California engineering grad, former employee of visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic, and MythBusters guru. The bot started as a joke on Twitter, where Ferguson referred to his followers as a "robot skeleton army." Imahara sent him a tweet offering to build a robot sidekick if the host could help boost Imahara's number of followers past 100,000. Twenty four hours later, it happened. So, Imahara got to work, and the bot debuted on April 5, 2010. Originally, Geoff's voice consisted of only a few prerecorded phrases, but he has been upgraded both mechanically (he can now keep his mouth open, turn his head, and move his right hand) and vocally, with comedian/impressionist Josh Robert Thompson providing live conversation. Thompson has described the character as "one part Snagglepuss, one part Vincent Price, and two parts George Takei." If you're a present or prospective fan, note that you can follow him on Twitter. Just search for Geoff TheRobot and hit the follow button. Soon you'll be receiving tweets like, "I'm a heterojunction bipolar transistor, baby! Translation: I go both ways."

Geoff Peterson — TV's strangest sidekick.

UAV Tops for Cops

It's not uncommon to see the cops closing in on a fugitive from aloft, often in something like a Robinson R44 police helicopter. That provides a lot of dramatic shots for television, but it's pretty dangerous for the pilot if the perp decides to shoot at him. Plus, it's not exactly a cheap law enforcement tool. The R44 starts at almost $700,000 (which doesn't even include the $2,600 siren), and you'll be running up $193/hr in operating costs. The price has not been released yet, but the new Qube Small Unmanned Aircraft System from AeroVironment ( www.avinc.com) will accomplish pretty much the same thing "at a fraction of the cost." Specifically tailored to law enforcement, first response, and other public safety missions, it's based on the company's extensive experience with battlefield UAVs. Small enough to fit in the trunk of a black-and-white, it can be unpacked, assembled, and launched in less than five minutes. The company also isn't providing much in the way of performance specs, but it was revealed that the little chopper is equipped with both color and thermal video cameras that can transmit live video to the operator, and it can hover for up to 40 minutes — said to be double the endurance of similar UAVs. In coming months, Qubes will be made available to "select public safety agencies" for testing and evaluation.