Is Asimo the cleverest robot yet?

 See the video...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15637262

The future of technology is constantly evolving and unpredictable.  Check this out!  Honda, the Japanese car manufacturer, revealed a new version of its robot, Asimo.  The human-shaped robot can now run faster by itself than other robots, open a bottle, pour a drink and even hop on one foot…not certain why the hopping but it’s a feat for the creators.  Is Asimo really the smartest robot so far?  Maybe! 

 

These robots and similar projects are not only about emerging technology but they play a role in helping to develop artificial intelligence (AI).  We move our body parts effortlessly and autonomously and now a team of scientists, engineers and programmers can develop a robot that has perceptions of a world that’s continuously changing.  These robotic movements will hopefully mimic the natural flow of human movements.  Could you imagine robots having the ability to sense things and use sonar to measure distance and depth? 

These mechanisms are innovative and awe-inspiring but as technology emerges, these are even bigger steps towards AI and we can use these cutting edge novelties where humans dare not go…  For instance, “Some of the robot's technology was used to develop a robotic arm with the intention of helping with the nuclear crisis in northeastern Japan.” 

Is this our future? Will we have domestic robots/friends in our homes with some level of common sense? What’s your take... 

Robot army helps run warehouses…

Emerging technology…immerging jobs!  Or is it displacement of jobs?  The future of warehouses may include fewer human employees and have faster shipments if robots like the Kiva Systems continue to invade the workspace.  As innovations evolve and new technologies emerge, warehouse systems done by Kiva will become more efficient:  processes will be expedited faster and customer service will be enhanced.  It is amazing how Kiva Systems mobile robotic drive units run a warehouse store with such precision, augment the employees yet do not crash into each other.  The robots’ consistency and predictable outputs keep the few employees working steadily and on track.  These robots not only store data and transfer racks of products all over the warehouse but they use the results from data mining and transform the information into business intelligence.  One example of this business intelligence occurs when the robots store the high-sale items closer to the front of the warehouse for easier access.

The wave of the future…Kiva Systems seems unreal but it is happening!  Kiva Systems are being used by Gap, Toys “R” Us, Zappos and others…see video link below.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2011/11/08/kiva-warehouse-robots.cnn

Versatile touch sensor...new use for an old technology

Imagine, if you will, a world where everything from the clothes on your back to the glass in your hand was a touch-enabled device.  We're not quite there yet…but thanks to researchers at the University of Munich and the Hasso Plattner Institute, we're getting closer to a touchy-feely world as we do with smart phones and computers.

What if you walked into a Starbucks or Second Cup café, sat in one of the soft seats and ordered what you want by merely pressing the tablecloth!  Or even if the café is crowded and the staff is automatically alerted when a customer takes a seat or when a seat goes vacant.  I believe that would be neat especially when there’s no visible buttons or wires. 

 Researchers have new uses for an old technology!  They have developed a new type of touch technology that could lead to touch sensors in clothes, coffee tables or everyday items such as headphone wires or pieces of paper.  This versatile and innovative technology can be used in a myriad of ways from alerts to alarms. 

 The new touch technology relies on time domain reflectometry or TDR, which has been used for decades to find damaged communication cables on land or underwater. TDR is rather simple in theory.  Based on the known speed of a pulse from a TDR device and the time it takes to come back, software can determine the position and type of the problem. Essentially, a notification is triggered with any change in electrical conductance.  To make a surface touch-sensitive requires only two wires (or metal traces of conductive ink), which can be configured in various patterns to get the necessary coverage.   

With this new development, fabrics and stretchable materials can be made sensitive to the touch.  By the simple touch of a finger, a surface is activated, a circuit is closed…an alert is sent out, someone is helped or served, someone has removed something they shouldn’t have or someone is caught!

 http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/39036/?mod=chfeatured