Robotics Archive

  • Pictures and video: Robotic exoskeleton HAL-5 up and close

    Pictures and video: Robotic exoskeleton HAL-5 up and close

    Posted on May 20, 2010 | No Comments
    I had the chance to attend a TED event last weekend, namely the TedxTokyo conference, which took place for the second time in Japan. And as CrunchGear's Japan correspondent, I was naturally most interested in the geekiest presentation delivered: that of Professor Sankai from Tsukuba University (near Tokyo). (The video was of the presentation was uploaded just a few hours ago, which is why I waited till today.) Sankai talked about and showed the latest version of his brainchild, the super-cool robotic exoskeleton HAL-5. Made by his spin-off company Cyberdyne (yes, HAL-5 and Cyberdyne), the robo suit helps paralyzed persons walk and lift heavy objects through transforming brain signals sensed through the skin into motion.

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  • Videos: Toyota’s amazing violin-playing robot

    Videos: Toyota’s amazing violin-playing robot

    Posted on May 14, 2010 | No Comments
    Toyota has never been known as an auto maker that's really active in the robotics area (as opposed to Honda, for example), at least when it comes to producing robots with high show value. There are two exceptions though: one is Winglet, the Segway-like robotic vehicle Toyota showed in 2008, and the other is a violin-playing humanoid that made its debut back in 2007.

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  • DIY: Control your Hexapod robot with your iPhone

    DIY: Control your Hexapod robot with your iPhone

    Posted on March 8, 2010 | No Comments
    Check out this custom made iPhone app that robotics student Robert Stephenson created. Robert wrote this app to control his Hexapod robot using the the user inputs on the iPhone. Roberst control method includes the touchscreen and accelerometers to manipulate the forward and reverse controls. Robert has done several videos about his project, it’s definitely [...]

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  • Honda’s take on the future of personal mobility: The U3-X (yes, the u stands for unicycle)

    Honda’s take on the future of personal mobility: The U3-X (yes, the u stands for unicycle)

    Posted on September 24, 2009 | No Comments
    This, according to Honda, is the future of personal mobility. (In the future, walking will be seen as passe and uncool.) It's called the U3-X, and it just debuted in Tokyo. It's sorta like a Segway, but a little less cumbersome (but just as unusual looking to the layman).

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