The Harvest Automation robots are knee-high, wheeled machines. Each robot has a gripper for grasping pots, a deck for carrying pots, and an array of sensors to keep track of where it is and what’s around it. Teams of robots zip around nursery fields, single-mindedly spacing and grouping plants. Think Wall-E without the doe eyes and cuddly personality, or the little forest-tending ‘bots in the 1972 sci-fi classic Silent Running.
I came across Zenta’s Robotic Creations blog while looking up information on my own biped, and my jealousy meter is off the charts.
Just watch this video – Words, I have none.
Working with similar robots, I can only hope that one day I can make them move that smooth and agile.
Zenta’s latest project is a morphing robot. That’s right, a MORPHING ROBOT.
I tossed this brilliant Norwegian a few questions, and he was nice enough to get back to me!
What’s your background and how did you get into robotics?
My background is engineering. I’ve always been fascinated by all kind of robots since I was about 6 or 7 years. (I’m now 38 year) .I began building robots very early, using mostly meccano. At some point I found meccano a bit limiting and started making custom parts. But I didn’t get more serious into hobby robots before 2006 when I started on my rather famous Phoenix hexapod.
You mention in your blog that Archer is your first biped, why did you decide to construct a biped rather than continue your work with hexapod (and similar) projects? What are the different problems you run into when designing a biped versus designing a robot with more than two legs?
The main reason for why I wanted to construct a biped is that I had some ideas of how to control it using Inverse Kinematics (IK) based on the current code used for controlling hexapods. The main difference is balancing/stability. Also gear-slope/backlash in the gear of the servos is a challenge on bipeds. Keeping the weight as low as possible is also more important on bipeds. When it comes to stability I tried solving that on Archer by simply moving electronics and battery from side to side.
Your new hexapod, MorpHex, looks absolutely amazing. How did you come up with its unique design, and what difficulties you encountered and how they were overcome?
Thanks, glad you liked it! I got the idea for building MorpHex for over a year ago. Mainy I got the idea watching my two eldest kids playing with Bakugan and I thought it would be cool to make a hexapod that could transform into a sphere and back to a hex again. I’m still working on MorpHex, you can see what I’ve accomplished so far on my blog. The main challenge with MorpHex was to make the variable sized body, the body needed to expand for making more space between the leg sections. There has been several difficulties during the making of MorpHex. At some point I considered to end the project, so I had to do some changes to the leg design for making the robot less heavy and also for removing some conflict between the sphere sections.
A lot of your robots seem incredibly lifelike and fluid in their movement, how did you manage to accomplish this?
The smooth movement are simply accomplished by accurate control, correct math and correct timing. Jeroen Janssen’s work on the Phoenix hexapod Basic Atom Pro code make this rather easy to accomplish. Instead of using a PS2 controller, I’m using a custom made remote controller. The remote controller play a big role for accurate control.
Of all your previous projects, which one did you enjoy working on the most?
Oh, thats very hard to say. I enjoyed them all. I think I’ve to say Phoenix was the project I enjoyed most.
What future projects are you looking forward to working on?
A full humanoid biped, a new hexapod and or a new quad…
Lastly, if someone is interested in robotics, but has relatively little hands-on experience, where would you recommend they start?
Lego mindstorm or VEX Robotic System is a very good plattfom. I’ve to say I’ve not worked with either of them. But I plan to introduce Lego Mindstorm for my kids one day. Also, a hex or biped Brat kit from Lynxmotion is a good start.
HOLY MOLY(bdenum), Robo Bat Friends! Let me tell you about this new iPhone iPad iPod app for $2.99 that-
And I quote:
“Description
No 1 Staff Favorite in Japan!
LOVEBOTS by KIT ROBOT has arrived! The NEW Digital Robot Assembly Kit and Robot Avatar Creator, SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES.
Placing creative power in your hands! Join the loveBot
Presented by Award Winning WhiteWall Studios.
Forget the Golden Plastic Age of model kits, limiting the range of parts to one model and WELCOME to the Golden Digital Age.
Now Introducing LOVEBOTS, where you can create over 1.3 MILLION combinations of Robots out of the box!”
Check out the gallery of ideas on boingboing as there are lots of delicious and eye popping pictures to ponder while you get your iTunes on speed dial.
I leave you now with one final quote:
“We are asking LoveBot fans to send us their creations, as we plan to release The Art of LoveBots app book. “
I don’t know about you, but I have been yearning for a more coherent way to shop online. It looks like the Estonian startup Fits.me is onto something L here. Or S or XXL or OMG.
I’m very excited about this, even though, at present, the Robot Mannequin only shows sizing for men. They recently closed a second round of funding, though, so it looks very promising for women, children, robots, animals, mutants, cartoons, RPG’rs, toys, furniture, fonts, ok ok. The mind reels.
Special thanks to new robot pal, JarGon, that lovable villain, from getsatisfaction.com for the tip!
Cris Rose has so many talent chops, that I’m thinking about writing this post in a spreadsheet.
Artist, Designer, Fabricator, Collaborator, Customizer, Collector Whew! He’s busier than a one legged man in an ass-kicking contest who designs, builds and sends original robot toys all over the world to collectors and galleries. Though the figures have no traditional “working parts”, they do have incredibly believable details and lovely backstories. Cris is particularly interested in the relationship between robots and nature, and each character shows its wear and tear with pride. I hope to catch up with Cris soon and find out more about his robots, their histories and the art of decay.
This week, we bring you the lovely Nick Donaldson, of GotRobots.com. Nick is often referred to as “That one guy. From RoboGames. With that monkey. The one that sits on his shoulder and high-fives people.” In any case, Nick is a brilliant inventor and robot builder and we were thrilled to have a chance to talk to him!
If ever there was a ComBot that made you say “OH $#!%- RUUUUNNNN!!!!” it was most likely built by Ray Billings, of HardCore Robotics. Ray is an ex-prison guard, and became interested in combat robotics after the fact, when he was working at an adult college, and a colleague introduced him to the sport. He was hooked, and so this week, our BotLight is on Ray Billings. Interview below!
If you’ve ever been to a ComBots event, odds are that you’ve run into Wendy and Matt Maxham. Together they form Team PlumbCrazy — the plumbiest, craziest, yellow shirtediest couple of robot fanatics at the competition (They’re the nicest, too. Believe it- they let me use their drill once!). A big thank you to Wendy, who donated her time to appease this starving intern (did I mention I’m a starving intern?), by giving her thoughts and revelations on robotic combat, and what it takes to make a winner.
Greetings, humanoids, robots, and humanoid robots. My name is G[REDACTED]io… I… I mean Intern. They call me Intern. At least I think they do. They starve me. The hunger does silly things to your memory. Anywho, I’m here to provide you with awesome interviews and coverage for RoboGames 2010 and beyond, starting with a BotLight On Marco Antonio Meggiolaro of RioBotz.
<– AKA that guy.
Marco has well over a decade of hands-on robotics experience, and has been involved in ComBots since 2003. He graciously offered his time and insight on ComBots, teamwork, and how to avoid pummeling random passersby with 120lb steel cylinders from 100 yards away! See our exclusive interview with the founder of the RioBotz robotics team below! (more…)
Raise a glass and wipe a tear from your eye. Alvin, that intrepid Navy explorer famed for exploring the Titanic with Dr. Robert Ballard’s team at Woods Hole, is heading for the great metal front porch. He will be replaced by leaner, meaner, raw cast titanium whipper snapper that is costing some 50 million dollars.
The new vehicle is to replace Alvin, which was the first submersible to illuminate the rusting hulk of the Titanic and the first to carry scientists down to discover the bizarre ecosystems of tube worms and other strange creatures that thrive in icy darkness.
The United States used to have several submersibles — tiny submarines that dive extraordinarily deep. Alvin is the only one left, and after more than four decades of probing the sea’s depths it is to be retired. Its replacement, costing some $50 million, is to go deeper, move faster, stay down longer, cut the dark better, carry more scientific gear and maybe — just maybe — open a new era of exploration.
I personally will definitely be pouring one out for my junked homie; discovering the Titanic and all the attendant wonder of deep sea exploration made realize how bitchin’ science actually is. Alvin is where the scientists who deployed Argo the ROV and Jason the autonomous submersible were stationed.
Badass leader of robots, we salute you.
ALVIN,
in return for intrepid exploration of the far reaches of one of earth’s last true frontiers,
and for allowing our thoughts to run somewhere other than that stupid chipmunk whenever your name is mentioned,
Suicidebots declares you unequivocally and with all rights and privileges rising therefrom,
COOL ROBOT OF THE WEEK
Never mind that you are not technically a robot, but as as far as we are concerned you are close enough to it.
So if wiggling ICE-powered donkey’s weren’t bad enough, Boston Dymanics now gives us robotic spidermen. Well, spiderbugs… (is that redundant?)
RiSE is a small six-legged robot that climbs vertical terrain such as walls, trees and fences. RiSE’s feet have claws, micro-claws or sticky material, depending on the climbing surface. RiSE changes posture to conform to the curvature of the climbing surface and a fixed tail helps RiSE balance on steep ascents. RiSE is about 0.25 m long, weighs 2 kg, and travels 0.3 m/s.
Each of RiSE’s six legs is powered by two electric motors. An onboard computer controls leg motion, manages communications, and services a variety of sensors. The sensors include an inertial measurement unit, joint position sensors for each leg, leg strain sensors and foot contact sensors.
Future versions of RiSE will use dry adhesion to climb sheer vertical surfaces such as glass and metal. Boston Dynamics is developing RiSE in conjunction with researchers at University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon, Berkeley, Stanford, and Lewis and Clark University. RiSE is funded by the DARPA Defense Sciences Office.
The robot’s biological brain is made up of cultured neurons which are placed onto a multi electrode array (MEA). The MEA is a dish with approximately 60 electrodes which pick up the electrical signals generated by the cells. This is then used to drive the movement of the robot. Every time the robot nears an object, signals are directed to stimulate the brain by means of the electrodes. In response, the brain’s output is used to drive the wheels of the robot, left and right, so that it moves around in an attempt to avoid hitting objects. The robot has no additional control from a human or a computer, its sole means of control is from its own brain.
The researchers are now working towards getting the robot to learn by applying different signals as it moves into predefined positions. It is hoped that as the learning progresses, it will be possible to witness how memories manifest themselves in the brain when the robot revisits familiar territory.
…
This is no ordinary robot control system – a plain old microchip connected to a circuit board. Instead, the controller nestles inside a small pot containing a pink broth of nutrients and antibiotics. Inside that pot, some 300,000 rat neurons have made – and continue to make – connections with each other.
As they do so, the disembodied neurons are communicating, sending electrical signals to one another just as they do in a living creature. We know this because the network of neurons is connected at the base of the pot to 80 electrodes, and the voltages sparked by the neurons are displayed on a computer screen.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Warwick, one of the leaders in the experiment, at TechFest in Bombay 2 years ago. I’ve read his books, and at first glance, he seems like a nut. But then, so did Einstein. He’s one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met, and I am certain that he’ll both cure Parkinson’s (some would say he already has done so, it’s just that the friggin’ Fed’s will take forever to approve it) and be a Nobel laureate for doing so.
Finally, here is a little snippet of video of Chassis being put through his beer-serving paces. Notice the Head Rotor operating in the background, and Al Honig adjusting my grip on the robot’s. . . um. . .appendage.
Congrats to Al and The Rotor, Chassis is a heck of a guy. And shiny!
In the “See “More” but after the video ends, there is lots and lots of coverage of RoboGames 2007! Lots of which was uploaded by Lem Fugitt! Thanks Robots Dreams!
In yet another episode of living the life you wish you had, last Friday I extracted myself from the RoBunker and went to witness The Head Rotor and Al Honig, world famous artists, show off Chassis the beer pouring robot.
This clip starts out GREAT, but then the geek starts talking and kind of spoils it. Note to NASA: more dancing robots! Whatta we payin’ taxes for anyway!?!?
