I promise you this is not another mere-smear BS YouTube embed just to say we’ve posted when we actually are only posting a BS Youtube embed.

Okay so maybe it could kind of lok that way but it’s cool because tis is abkut US! As in, it’s about RoboGames, the li’l shindig we throw in June or thereabouts in San Francisco.

Bill Sherman, robot builder extraordinaire, always sets up a nifty time lapse camera at RoboGames to capture the arena build and all sorts of other silliness. He has included footage he took of some of the art bot mezzanine as well. Tel him how neat he is and thank him for putting this up.

[BTW, hello to all those coming from Neatorama through the Rotor's last post, we weren't expecting guests to please forgive us if we're scrambling around to tidy things up.]

The results are in at RoboExotica, the votes have been tallied, and the lovely cocktail making robots in Vienna have garnished their accolades. Eddie Codel has a good write-up of the event at LaughingSquid.

“To Serve Man” indeed…

Category – SERVING
winners: Sloth (kal spelletich)

And
fairy juicer (mitch heinrich, david fine)

Category – MIXING (more…)

As a follow up to the Hexapod-Meisterschaft post (sent to us courtesy Laughing Squid) we bring you little bit of explanation, and a little bit of Massïve Hëxäpöd Meistermäschinen!

These six-legged carryings-on are the result of the Fachhochschuler Oberösterreich, which as near as I can figure out is a network of technical high schools in Austria (any Austrians reading this please to shed light on this?). They have a lovely hexapod competition, and from the funk these machines bring, they do teach them a thing or two at FH Oberösterreich.

You can get your own hexapod kit to play around with at the wonderous Trossen Robotics, which I personally think is really great idea because baby robots need new pairs of shoes over here, if you get my meaning (yes, we are proud participants in the Trossen affiliate program).

Speaking of Austria, we are shipping the Rotor off to Vienna this Saturday for RoboExotica; his crate is almost done and we promised to put enough water and padding in there this time, so expect to hear from him and what those crazy Austrian cocktail roboticists are up to.

So one of those popular mechanical magazines has a feature on DIY bots. Except for the robotic stool (which we already scooped them on, natch), the rest, are, well — how do we put this delicately? — BO-RING. I mean come on! Where are the useful BEER FETCHING ROBOTS? Where are the FLAMETHROWERS? And please to show me the KILLER DEATH ROBOTS?

So loyal readers, the conclusion is obvious: for hot bot-on-bot action, steer clear of the MSM and stay raht cheer with SB!

And in case you are wondering, you can catch the KILLER DEATH ROBOTS very soon at the Austin Maker Faire

A nice thing about having an arm camera is that you can point it at yourself:

Robots. On Mars. And it twitters, too.

. . . that reveal the robots underneath. I know this has been seen elsewhere, but here it is with a whole lot of other things, not the just Barney toy. . .

Thanks to Matt Kirkland for putting these up and conducting the experiments that went with them. Also props to his poetic post title, “In Vestimentis Ursum”

We are off tonight to indulge in robot glowiness down south, pictures and commentary on neat things we see to come, assuming we aren’t apprehended and manhandled off the premises by our gracious hosts. . .

I love the onion. Rarely topical to robots, but they hit now and again…

For those who were interested in the lyrics to the previous German song “Kaputt”. Full lyrics after the jump
(more…)

Ah, the joy that robots bring into your life.

Four years ago today (August 1st), I married the best girl in the world. She’s the best present that I have ever got, but the best present that we got that day, was our ring-bearer – Mechadon, courtesy of Mark Setrakian and Peter Abrahamson.

To keep this topical:


(When I grow up, I wanna be Mark Setrakian and make robots like he does – ones that you’d think would be CGI but are real… Mind you, that would mean that someone would have to cure my ADHD first… )

Anyway, apparently, our happy day was a news-worthy event. Although there are lots of pix from that great day…

Simone is still a stinky girl, but she’s OK for someone with cooties.

Hold on while I go punch her in the arm and run away.

Now, let’s say you want to sell a robotic pipetter. What do you do?

Well, you hire a boy band, and shoot a video in San Francisco, of course:

“Pipetting all those well-plates, baby, sends your thumbs into overdrive
And spending long nights in the lab makes it hard for your love to thrive

DNA
RNA
Proteins
Cell Cultures
Less reagents
Faster workflow
Saves you money
Well, well, well”

I could not make this stuff up.

(Missy SB promises to learn the words to this and sing it at ROFL con.)

Of course, RoboGames is ahead of the power-curve. There was a modified epMotion at RG-2007, serving shots:

via [le boing]

It’s always hard to have one of your own down. The accident happens, the drama occurs, the people flurry to help, it’s what everyone’s talking about, and we all revel in the joy of community and grow closer in tragedy.

It’s one of the only good things that comes out of something like this, and it’s an important facet of living, but what we forget is that time keeps going, and that help and virtuousness of feeling and closeness dissipates into what-project-are-you-working-on, oh-man-my-car-broke-down, what-are we-doing-this-weekend, etc etc.

Sometimes people forget that even though the high drama has passed, the wounds are still there, insurance still needs to be supplemented, rehab is still going on, and Our Man still has a long way to go.

It’s singular to note, then, that even though it’s no longer the event of the moment, even though the casual observer has drifted off into the next huge thing, that there is a core of dedicated, loving people who make sure to remember their friend, and bloody well make sure that everyone else remembers him too. It’s the kind of community (jeez I hate that word) that anyone would be proud to be a part of.

Todd Blair was injured in an accident at RoboDock almost one year ago. He’s fighting the good fight for long, long time, and will still be fighting well into next year.

Behind the scenes, people like Nina Alter, Mark Pauline, Amy Critchett, and dozens upon dozens of others have made a huge effort to set up a brand spanking new Todd Website, and to orchestrate a completely awesome fundraiser at Rhythmix Cultural Works.

So join us for the unveiling of 1 Wall/25 Gears , the latest benefit for Todd Blair and his partner Alex Ismerio:

July 20th 2008, come celebrate!
The Wall of gears built by all our hard-working gear-makers will come to life at Rhythmix Cultural Works in Alameda.
3pm – 8pm
2513 Blanding Ave, Alameda CA 94501

$5 to $500 donation at the door
All donations are tax deductible
All Ages Welcome

1 Wall / 25 Gears is a 7′ x 8′ kinetic monument of aluminum gears being sponsored and built by 25 artists and artist organizations, in honor of and to financially support Todd Blair. This event is to celebrate Todd, the gear-maker’s efforts… and of course, to have plenty of fun doing all of the above and then some!

+ Witness The Wall built throughout the day
+ Food, Drinks, Raffle, DIY Shirts, Performance
+ DJs Matt Heckert, Kal Spellitch, Mori Pauline

· DIY Shirts with Amy Jenkins
· Laloos Goat Milk Icecream
· Flaming Lotus Girls Feathers
· Bissap Baobob Senegalese food
· Maze Diako drummers
· Dogs Steamed by Shannon O’Hares Steam car
· Kyrsten & her Amazing Bellydancers
· Joan Ryan reading
· Raffle of amazingness
+ MORE!

Even if you can’t make it, do try to send Alex and Todd a little bit of cash, they are struggling and even with all the lovin’, it ain’t easy. As my Uncle Christine says, “Chip in, hippie. Remember – next time it might be you.”

If nothing else, it’s going to be a screaming fun time, so if you are anywhere near the Bay Are on the 20th, do pop in.

Sweet 3D renderings of very whimsical robots. Want one.

Andre Kutscherauer [via Bot Junkie]

The New Space Station Robot Asks to be Called “Dextre the Magnificent”

“In a surprising and potentially troubling request, the new space station robot known as Dextre demanded that astronauts refer to it in the future at “Dextre the Magnificent.” Brandishing power tools that would make any handyperson blush, the mobile servicing system thanked humans for creating it and promised a glorious future where humans would retain an important role in the new robot order. Dextre was deployed last month to help build and service the International Space Station. As seen in the above picture, Dextre is truly a technological marvel, wielding long arms capable of handling both small tools and large modules with precision dexterity. ”

NASA [via Bot Junkie]

I luv luv luv СЛАВА РОБОТАМ (loosely translated – “word of the robots” (although with Russian grammar, it could also work as “Word Up to the Robots” (q.v., “Slava Bogu”))

Shane Willis

Casey Weldon

I miss St. Petersburg somedays. Then I recall my friends being killed by the Mafia….