SUPPORT YOU
LOCAL HUMAN
With virtually zero warning, Toyota has
introduced their Human Support Robot, or
HSR. Designed to assist disabled people, the
HSR looks like it might be good for all kinds
of household tasks whether you're disabled
or not.
There wasn't a lot of information
beyond what Toyota provided in a recent
release at press time, but what we know is
the HSR has a tablet for a head that can be
used for telepresence or as a graphical
interface (as with Ava). The base is mobile,
The arm — which appears to have six or seven degrees of freedom plus
the gripper — can lift small objects that weigh 1.2 kilos or less. It's designed
to move slowly enough to be inherently safe, but it’s not clear yet what sort
of precision or intelligence is built into it.
No info on price yet either.
LETTUCE HELP YOU
Blue River Technology continues to work on a weeding bot. Instead of using
pesticides, Lettuce Bot uses cameras, computer vision, and algorithms to discern
vegetables from weeds, and the company claim is that they have 98-99% accuracy.
It then spreads fertilizer down to kill the unwanted plants.
The company has made two prototypes, and the ultimate goal is to make an
organic weeder which will undoubtedly happen in the near future, since they have
funding from the National Science Foundation.
Weed elimination — a necessity for agriculture — currently uses chemical
herbicides resulting in health and environmental problems. So, we want to replace hazardous chemicals with robotic
technology. Over $25 billion is spent per year in herbicides. It’s a good thing to replace hazardous chemicals with robotic
technology.
Blue River is working with leading experts in this area including professors from UC Davis and Stanford, as well as
leading crop producers.
26 SERVO 11.2012
THE O WNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION STATEMENT OF SERVO MAGAZINE, Publication Number: 1546-0592 is published monthly. Subscription price is $24.95. 7. The complete mailing
address of known office of Publication is T&L Publications, Inc., 430 Princeland Ct., Corona, Riverside County, CA 92879-1300. Contact Person: Larry Lemieux. Telephone: (951) 371-8497. 8. Complete
Mailing address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher is T&L Publications, Inc., 430 Princeland Ct, Corona, CA 92879. 9. The names and addresses of the Publisher, and Associate
Publisher are: Publisher, Larry Lemieux, 430 Princeland Ct., Corona, CA. 92879; Associate Publisher, Robin Lemieux, 430 Princeland Ct., Corona, CA 92879. 10. The names and addresses of stockholders
holding one percent or more of the total amount of stock are: John Lemieux, 430 Princeland Ct., Corona, CA 92879; Lawrence Lemieux, 430 Princeland Ct., Corona, CA 92879; Audrey Lemieux, 430
Princeland Ct., Corona, CA 92879. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and other security holders: None. 12. Tax Status: Has not changed during preceding 12 months. 13. Publication Title: Nuts and
Volts 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data: October 2011-September 2012. 15. The average number of copies of each issue during the proceeding twelve months is: A) Total number of copies printed (net
press run); 10,248 B) Paid/Requested Circulation (1) Mailed Outside County subscriptions: 4,281 ( 2) Mailed In-County subscriptions: 0 ( 3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mail including Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendor, and counter sales and other paid distribution outside USPS: 2,048 ( 4) Paid Distribution by other classes of mail through the USPS: 0; C) Total Paid Distribution: 6,330; D)
Free or Nominal Rate Distribution by mail and outside the mail (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies: 0 ( 2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies: 0 ( 3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed
at other classes through the USPS: 0 ( 4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the mail: 808; E) Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 808; F) Total Distribution: 7,138; G) Copies not distributed:
3,110; H) Total: 10,248; Percent paid circulation: 88.68%. Actual number of copies of the single issue published nearest the filing date is September 2011; A) Total number of copies printed (net press
run) 9,449; B) Paid/Requested Circulation (1) Mailed Outside County subscriptions: 4,126 ( 2) Mailed In-County subscriptions: 0 ( 3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mail including Sales through dealers and
carriers, street vendor, and counter sales and other paid distribution outside USPS: 2,051 ( 4) Paid Distribution by other classes of mail through the USPS: 0; C) Total Paid Distribution: 6,117; D) Free or
Nominal Rate Distribution by mail and outside the mail (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies: 0 ( 2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies: 0 ( 3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at other
classes through the USPS: 0 ( 4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the mail: 300; E) Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 300; F) Total Distribution: 6,477; G) Copies not distributed: 2,972; H)
Total: 9,449; Percent paid circulation: 95.37%. I certify that these statements are correct and complete. Lawrence Lemieux, Publisher - 10/04/2012.
