Weekly Robotics Video: Talks, Salamander Robot, Flying Machines, Bricklaying Robot, Robotic Three-Armed Drummers

Feb 27, 2016 @ 18:53 |

A robot that runs and swims like a salamander | Auke Ijspeert | TED Talks

Roboticist Auke Ijspeert designs biorobots, machines modeled after real animals that are capable of handling complex terrain and would appear at home in the pages of a sci-fi novel. The process of creating these robots leads to better automata that can be used for fieldwork, service, and search and rescue. But these robots don’t just mimic the natural world — they help us understand our own biology better, unlocking previously unknown secrets of the spinal cord.

Meet the dazzling flying machines of the future | TED Talks

When you hear the word “drone,” you probably think of something either very useful or very scary. But could they have aesthetic value? Autonomous systems expert Raffaello D’Andrea develops flying machines, and his latest projects are pushing the boundaries of autonomous flight — from a flying wing that can hover and recover from disturbance to an eight-propeller craft that’s ambivalent to orientation … to a swarm of tiny coordinated micro-quadcopters. Prepare to be dazzled by a dreamy, swirling array of flying machines as they dance like fireflies above the TED stage.

RI Seminar: Adam Bry : Algorithms and challenges in scaling up autonomous flight | CMU Robotics

RI Seminar: Thomas Howard : Learning Models for Robot Decision Making | CMU Robotics

Meet SAM, the bricklaying robot | National Science Foundation

SAM, short for Semi-Automated Mason, was developed by Construction Robotics, a small business funded by the National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research program.

SAM works alongside masons to install bricks, making the humans’ jobs less backbreaking. It is designed to increase productivity and reduce heavy-lifting burdens on construction crews. Masons set SAM up and work alongside it, continuing to use their knowledge and skills while letting the robot handle the repetition and physical labor.

Business co-founder Scott Peters hopes this new technology will attract new talent to the industry and ultimately boost the U.S. economy by adding jobs.

ABB Robotics – Field Service Delivery

Customers expect us to deliver the same support services with the same procedures around the globe. To facilitate this, we have developed processes, practices and service engineer certifications that ensure your robot and controller are maintained, based on ABB’s product manuals and extensive experience. ABB Robotics’ global service support and preventive maintenance secure the productivity and maintain asset value in customer premises.

Robot allows musicians to become three-armed drummers | Georgia tech

Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have built a wearable robotic limb that allows drummers to play with three arms. The two-foot long “smart arm” can be attached to a musician’s shoulder. It responds to human gestures and the music it hears. When the drummer moves to play the high hat cymbal, for example, the robotic arm maneuvers to play the ride cymbal. When the drummer switches to the snare, the mechanical arm shifts to the tom.