Tech & Gadget Stream

To make it easier for its employees to retrieve Coke and chips from the break rooms, Google is fusing the eyes and arms of actual robots with the knowledge and conversational abilities of virtual chatbots. The mechanical waiters, which were demonstrated to reporters last week, represent a breakthrough in artificial intelligence that paves the way for multifunctional robots that are just as simple to operate as ones that carry out specialized chores like vacuuming or being on watch. The business's robots aren't yet ready for purchase. They only carry out a small number of straightforward tasks, and the corporation hasn't yet given them the "OK, Google" summoning capability that users are accustomed to. Although Google claims to be pursuing development responsibly, fears about robots turning into surveillance tools or having chat technology that can respond in an inappropriate manner, as Meta and others have recently encountered, could ultimately cause adoption to s...

Have you ever wished you could enjoy all the advantages of visiting to a bar without having to interact with the bartender personally? You're in luck, as Italian researchers at the Federico II University of Naples have created a device that can do just that. BRILLO (Bartending Robot for Interactive Long-Lasting Operations) uses machine learning algorithms to perform all the tasks a skilled, combat-tested bartender would perform. He can recall your preferred beverages, engage in light conversation, and even crack jokes if the atmosphere at the bar calls for it. According to CNBC Make It, Totaro Automazioni, an Italian producer of food assembly line machines, and university researchers at PRISCA Labs collaborated to develop BRILLO in 2020. Lead researcher at PRISCA Professor Silvia Rossi stated to CNBC Mix It that the team aimed to "duplicate the crucial social parts of a bartender's profession" rather than merely create a machine that can make cocktails. The BRILLO AI ...

It's alive! Not really, but this Android robot looks like the adorably cute mascot for Google's mobile operating system, and as fate would have it, the robot can be remotely controlled by an Android device. The franken-Google-bot is created by Japanese companies RT Corporation and Brilliant Service with a mouth that opens, moving arms and walking legs. Check out videos of the robot in action below!

If the army can have its own exoskeleton units, then why not kids? That's the idea that Japanese company Sakakibara Kikai is going after with its $21,000 Kid Walker, which is an exoskeleton that will move your kids around and is designed for kids. Your child can sit up in a chair on this 5 1/4-feet tall, 400-pound machine and it will "walk"--well, it actually has wheels that will roll your kids around as the robotic legs don't move for safety.

Are you a lonely bachelor who for the life of you, can't fold your clothes properly? The Foldy robot ought to help you out though, as it will work out commands entered into a computer program while relying on a properly positioned ceiling-mounted camera that helps it locate and fold your laundry the right way each time. Once several folding instructions have been entered, you're free to do other stuff while Foldy gets the job done in a satisfactory manner. Kudos to Professor Masahiko Inami and his team at Keio University for dreaming up of Foldy.

Takram Design Engineering built the six-legged Phasma remote-controlled robot that is able to scurry about rapidly and dynamically just like an insect. This engineering marvel aims to mimic a living organism in terms of movement instead of shape, where it will reproduce some physics involved whenever an insect runs. Components used in its make up include sliding cables, stainless steel springs and rubber joints, allowing the designers to replicate the smooth and efficient locomotion seen in insects. It would be interesting to see what kind of practical, real world applications such a robot can offer, although chances are the military will find a destructive means to utilize it in the first place.

The RAPHaEL (Robotic Air Powered Hand with Elastic Ligaments) robotic hand was conjured by the brilliant minds of Virginia Tech, and it uses air to drive the hand's movement without the use of expensive or bulky motors/actuators. The entire system can operate on a mere 60 psi, where it is then guided by microcontroller commands so that it can open and close precisely, even down to the individual finger. One of the main issues with robotic hands to date is their inability to use the right pressure when handling certain objects, but RAPHaEL seems to be doing pretty well here, holding a light bulb without breaking it.

The Surveyor SRV-1 Mobile Robot is so small it can fit onto a rather large palm, where it is connected through Wi-Fi to a computer, beaming back whatever it is looking at from its 1.3-megapixel camera. A couple of built-in laser pointers help it navigate around obstacles, while the 7.4V rechargeable battery works for up to 4 horus thereabouts before requiring a recharge. You can control the SRV-1 over the Internet via a simple Web interface, and the open-source software ought to make it a snap to integrate the SRV-1 into your own project if you're so inclined. It is powered by a 500MHz Blackfin BF537 processor with 32MB RAM and 4MB flash memory, which is more than enough space for you to throw in your own hacks and modifications. ThinkGeek is carrying the Surveyor SRV-1 robot for $479.99 .

You can run, but you definitely can't hide - not when you have the Recon Scout robot hot on your trail. This might look like a technologically advanced dumbbell at first glance, but it actually does something totally different from building up your biceps. The Recon Scout robot moves around on electric motors that are quieter than a human whisper, and can be controlled by a handheld controller as long as it remains within a 100 foot radius. The remote control comes with an integrated display so that the human controller will know where to position the Recon Scout robot as it searches for someone hiding in a prison or correctional facility. It is durable enough not to be turned off by a hard impact, so anyone throwing the Recon Scout against the floor or wall will be in for a big surprise, as it was specially built to survive a 30 foot drop onto concrete.

The Minoru webcam wants to introduce a paradigm shift where Internet surfing is concerned, relying on both lenses to form a single 3D image, although the viewer will need to wear a pair of 3D glasses in order to see the intended effect. It is compatible with instant messaging services such as Skype, AIM and Windows Live Messenger. According to the manufacturers, the Minoru webcam can also capture 3D photos as well as output 3D video that can be uploaded to video sharing sites such as YouTube. You can pick up the Minoru webcam for $100 when it arrives this December. Do you think this will catch on, or is it just a fad?

iRobot introduces its ConnectR robot, a "virtual communication and interaction" device designed for use for the whole family. ConnectR has a zooming and tilting video camera, a microphone, speaker and headlight. The robot uses your home WiFi connection to allow you to place video VoIP calls to other members of your family. iRobot is launching a limited pilot program which will make the device available for $199 before its initial release. At the time of consumer release, the price is expected to be somewhere under $500.

A German University (Technische Universität Darmstadt) is working on an Aibo-like robot that will come with an open-source software development kit (SDK). It is currently aimed at researchers and enthusiasts, but it is possible that someone will turn it into a product down the line. It is powered by two AMD Geode 500Mhz processors and is called “New4LR” (they don’t say, but Old4LR seem to refer to the Aibo). Specs: * 40x30x25cm, 2.8kg * 15 programmable joints * 640x480 pixel head camera * Infra-red sensors in the head and chest * Speaker and microphone (optional) * WiFi and Ethernet * Compact Flash (CF) reader * 2 USB, 1 VGA connector * 30mn of battery life (yikes!)

Robotics fans who are also entomologists should get a kick out of the latest high-tech machine from Japan – a shiny multi-legged robot that can walk like an insect. Although the Halluc II from the Future Robotics Technology Center ( Furo ) at Chiba Institute of Technology and Leading Edge Design in Tokyo has eight limbs, one of its three modes of locomotion is based on the way some insects walk. The other two see it move on wheels like a car and in a way similar to a quadrupedal mammal, albeit with twice the complement of limbs. The point of developing a robot that can get around in such differing ways is to create machines that can traverse any kind of surface. Halluc II can’t handle stairs when trundling around on its wheels, but break out the crawling insect legs or stepping mammalian feet and it can scurry or stomp with the best of them. If all that sounds a little esoteric, we advise you to check out the excellent videos over at Japanese site Robot Watch , particularly the insect...

Robot dogs these days seem to be experiencing a resurgence, and the BJ dog robot is yet another addition to a growing list of electronic pups. For those who want to take care of an electronic pooch without the hassle of sending it to the vet for jabs, bathing it, and even cleaning up after its poo, the price of such convenience would be $4,900. Then again, it won't do much good when there's a thief trying to break into your home. In the robotic era, everything needs to go robotic, even your lovely puppy. Keeping a robotic dog, such as the BJ would be very much easier to handle than a real dog. As you don’t have to be tied down with the hassle of having to clean its waste and mess. For a robotic dog such as BJ, maybe you’d be worried that it’d go malfunctioning one day due to the infection of virus or failure of its operating system. But, no worry, BJ should be quite safe from virus attack or any common OS failures, as it runs on Linux instead of Microsoft Windows.