Weekly Robot Roundup - Robot Carnage
Friday, June 8th, 2007 Our top story this week begins in Denmark. Police had trouble contacting a man holding out in a cottage, so they sent in their robot Rullemarie. The man did not like this and shot the poor robot and then proceeded to bludgeon it with an axe. I’m wondering if police will soon start deputizing robots in order to have more serious charges put against the criminals. Link via (Engadget) |
 Sounds like Rullemarie could have used a MASH unit to fix it up. The US army has been operating Camp Victory’s Joint Robotics Repair Facility in Baghdad for 3 years. One such robot used by the US Army is the Talon III B pictured to the right. This robot provides visuals and can detonate explosives, making it a great target for snipers and insurgents. Most robots are repaired at the facility within four hours and it is rare that one comes in completely demolished.
Link via (US Army) |
 On a lighter note, scientists in New Zealand are studying a creature called a tuatara. This reptile is part lizard and part snake. In order to study it better, the scientists have created a robo reptile named Robo-Ollie. Weta Workshop, the company that worked on Lord of the Rings, was enlisted to help create the robot. The robot will be used to study mating habits, so that the tuatara can be bred more easily in captivity. Link via (Weta Workshop) |
