Robot Living

110 FirstLook - photo from iRobot

iRobot unveiled their newest military robot this week. It is also their first throwable robot.

The robot called FirstLook is a tread based robot with flippers to help it up stairs or over obstacles. FirstLook can also right itself if it lands upside down after being thrown. It can be dropped onto concrete from up to 15 feet without any damage and can also take being submerged in water.

The robot weighs less than five pounds and is 10 inches long by 9 inches wide.
It can run for 6 hours while moving or up to 10 hours if stationary. The robot is also capable of creating a mesh network and each robot can be used as a network extender to relay
messages.
FirstLook also comes with a large screen an control panel that can be strapped to your wrist.

Update 5/19/11 – Click through for a video.

Link via (IEEE Spectrum)

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Tags: 110 FirsLook, iRobot, pocketbots

Boston Dynamics, the makers of Big Dog, have received more funding from DARPA.  This time they are working on a robot inspired by a cheetah, as shown in the image here.

Marc Railbert, the president of Boston Dynamics, had this to say about the Cheetah robot:

There’s no fundamental reason why it can’t go as fast as the animals (60 to 70 mph), but it will take a while to get there.

Right now, the goal is to produce a Cheetah like robot in 20 months that can go at 20 – 30 mph.  The robot will also be able to make tight corners and stop abruptly.  As of yet, there is no specific use for the Cheetah robot. DARPA just wants the technology developed and then will find a use for it.  I wonder who would win in a race, the Terminator or the Cheetah?  I think that all depends on if Boston Dynamics ever gets the robot to run 70 mph, then it would be time to be afraid, very afraid,  of the robots.

Link via (Boston Herald)

Tags: boston dynamics, cheetah, DARPA

AeroVironment, makers of many vehicles such as Helios and Global Observer, has now created the world’s first robotic hummingbird for DARPA. AeroEnvironment called the robot a Nano Air Vehicle during development and is now calling it a Nano Hummingbird. The robot has the following specs:

The hand-made prototype aircraft has a wingspan of 16 centimeters (6.5 inches) tip-to-tip and has a total flying weight of 19 grams (2/3 ounce), which is less than the weight of a common AA battery. This includes all the systems required for flight; batteries, motors, communications systems and video camera. The aircraft can be fitted with a removable body fairing, which is shaped to have the appearance of a real hummingbird. The aircraft is larger and heavier than an average hummingbird, but is smaller and lighter than the largest hummingbird currently found in nature.

Check out the full AeroVironment press release.

Photo courtesy of AeroEnvironment.
Also, see our post from about a year and a half ago, when they were not quite done building Nano Hummingbird.

Click through for all the action in a video.

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Tags: DARPA, hummingbird, NAV, UAV

Cougar10-l photo from TiaLinx

While the new robot Cougar10-L looks nothing like a cougar, this cool robot can see inside buildings.

This treaded robot has an RF scanner that uses wideband signals, allowing it to penetrate reinforced concrete and monitor activity.

Chief Executive Officer Fred Mohamdi states:

TiaLinx’s Cougar10-L solution addresses two distinct functions: scanning and imaging concealed objects behind a barrier vertically as well as horizontally.

The robot comes with a retractable arm and can be remotely operated with a computer.

Multiple integrated cameras provide night and day surveillance behind walls.  Seems like a great robot for monitoring people hidden in a concrete bunker.

Part of the imaging development was sponsored bu the Army.  The press release states:

TiaLinx’s UWB RF Imaging development was sponsored by a SBIR Phase II from the Army’s PEO AMMO, PM-CCS.

Link via (UPI)

Tags: Cougar10-L, TiaLinx

New Zealand company The Martin Aircraft Company is now making a robotic jetpack.

The jetpack, called the Martin Skyhook UAV, can reach up to 10,000 feet and carry a payload of up to 220 pounds. The Skyhook also uses a 200 horsepower engine to create  a range of 31 miles and speeds as fast as 63 miles per hour.

The Martin Aircraft Company envisions military applications for the Skyhook, such as resupplying troops, or dropping bombs.

No, you can’t have one and jetpacks that us humans fly are hard enough to use.  Check out Rocketman to see a human fly a jetpack.

Click through for a video of the jetpack in action.

Link via (Fox News)
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Tags: jetpack, New Zealand, UAV