Robot Living

According to Xconomy, as of October 22, Helen Greiner has stepped down as chairman of iRobot.

iRobot is a Massachusetts based company that makes the Roomba household vacuum robot as well as several robots for the armed forces like the Packbot.

Helen was instrumental in founding the company in 1990 along with Rodney Brooks and Colin Angle. Rodney Brooks stepped down last month as well, leaving Colin Angle as the only original founder.

You may read the press release here.

Link via (Wired)

Have a problem with your cat? The Litter Robot is here to help.

After you cat does his or her business and leaves, the Litter Robot counts to seven and then rotates.  This rotating action sifts the clumps out and dumps them in the drawer below for easy removal.

Check out the Flash demo here.

I wish they made one to follow my dog and pick up after it too.  Who knew cats would one day rule over robots?

Link via (AllPetFurniture)

Tags: Animals

Now, we know this isn’t exactly a model definition of a robot, but we liked it so much we decided to include it anyway.

Perfect for the wandering minstrel or Deadhead in your life, is the Walking House.

Using solar panels, micro windmills and a wood stove, the house is pretty self sufficient.  The house also crawls along at 60 meters an hour.  The designers envision creating an entire walking village, much like nomads, gypsies or Deadheads.

Created by Danish designers N55, the house can be yours for a mere $51,000.  I guess only Deadheads with trust funds can actually afford one.

Link via (Gizmodo)

More photos and a video after the break.

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Another robot inspired by nature.  This time Dario Floreano and Mirko Kovac of the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems were inspired by a grasshopper.

These amazing robots can jump up to eight feet in the air and are powered by the same motor that makes a cell phone vibrate.

The robot is great at jumping, but has trouble landing.  The dynamic duo hope to marry this robot with a pair of glider wings they have previously developed to give it smoother landings.

They had hoped to use these robots for search and rescue.

Link via (Pop Sci)

More photos and video after the break.

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In 2002 Westside High School in Los Angeles paid $13,000 for a sushi robot.  Who knew robots could make sushi?  Anyone for a Terminator roll?

The school faculty had hoped to give the students healthier lunches.  Instead, the sushi robot went completely unused. The sushi robot was recently discovered hiding in a storeroom.

No wonder the economy is a mess, with schools wasting our taxpayer’s money.

Hopefully the school will now use it as part of their culinary arts program.

This begs the question, who makes better sushi, humans or robots?

Link via (AZ Central)

Tags: food