bots IN BRIEF
MEX-AMORPHOSIS
Mex-One — Mexico’s first humanoid robot — is entering the
final phase of its metamorphosis. It is a humanoid that not only can
walk and memorize information, it is considered a social robot and
can learn by experience. Team leader Eduardo Bayro-Corrochano
claims that they will have "sub-products with practical ends in such
fields as medicine and culture." This means that it has open
architecture for developing new algorithms, ideas, and applications
such as intelligent limbs for the disabled. The total cost is about
$100,000, but now Professor Bayro-Corrochano says one could be
made for $50,000. Mex-One stands 105 cm tall and weighs 15 kg.
KIBOT FOR KIDS
Korea's latest playmate for kids is a multi-tasking monkey aimed at
three to seven year olds. The 8" tall wheeled Kibot can be controlled via
a cellphone by parents so that kids can video chat with others. Made by
KT, Kibot comes in gray or pink, responds to gestures by talking, teaches
language with its 3. 5" display, and avoids obstacles when necessary. The
bilingual bot is available for 485,000 won (~$447) with wireless packages
available. Songs, stories, and animation can be downloaded after
purchase.
GET SCREENED
Joey Daoud, director of the film Bots High, has announced that there
will be a free screening day on October 6th, so mark your calendar now
to attend. If you didn’t know already, Bots High follows three teams of
students who are heading to a national robotics competition. There are
22 screenings planned so far, and you can suggest a location or hold
your own by gathering a group of 25 and then contacting Daoud at
www.botshigh.com.
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
A student project at Stanford University has resulted in the
creation of JediBot — a robot arm that will actually try to “kill”
you with a foam sword, especially since the robot applies quite a
bit of “force.”
This project was part of Stanford's three and a half week long
“Experimental Robotics” course which — from the sound of things —
is basically just an excuse for students to mess around with robots to
get them to do cool stuff. Also developed as part of the course were a
robot that plays golf, several robots that draw, and a robot that can
make hamburgers and then drown them in ketchup for you.
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