bots
IN BRIEF
22 SERVO 03.2014
COOKING WITH OLIVER
Meet OliveR — the programmable cooking robot from
Oak Robotics.
OliveR was built to help with the less fun parts of cooking:
the monotony of stirring, staining your clothes, and the smell of
food in your hair.
Using OliveR is simple: Drop in your ingredients and set
the temperature, mixing profile, and a timer. OliveR works for
simple stuff like sauces or sauteing vegetables, as well as
complex one-pot meals like jambalaya.
OliveR saves times and brings consistency to your cooking.
Check it out at http://oakrobotics.com.
DRONING ON WHILE PERCHED
There's a reason that birds perch: Flying is a lot of
work. So, until we teach our drones a way to survive, we're
always going to have to deal with severe restrictions on
flight time — especially when hovering. Researchers of
drones have been working on perching for years as a
method to extend the usefulness for stationary surveillance.
This modified AR drone takes inspiration from falcons with
some custom legs, claws, and feet.
New Scientist,Vishwa Robotics, in Brighton, MA,
designed these perching legs with actuated feet equipped
with sharp little claws. The drone approaches a landing point,
performs a controlled stall, and actuators cause the feet to
grip as the drone shuts its motors down. Once the perch is complete, the drone can
sit there without expending any energy at all.
THE $20.6 MILLION MAN
Rehabilitative robotics company Ekso
Bionics has completed a public offering
which will provide $20.6 million in a
‘reverse merger.’ Funds raised will go
primarily to expanding sales, while paying
off $2.5 million in venture debt and
continuing research and development.
The announcement came only weeks
after Ekso Bionics debuted a new
generation of robotic exoskeletons. The Ekso GT is an exoskeleton which enables individuals with lower
extremity paralysis or weakness to stand and walk. The GT also improves the clinician’s experience, making
it easier to provide a range of rehabilitative services.
