Robot develops self awareness, lapses into deep sulk.

Developments in the field of robotics have produced the world's first emo robot, able to cry and express a range of human emotions in order to better assimilate into our illogical world of quivering flesh. With a face resembling Imelda Marcos after a big night out, KOBIAN adopts a slew of kabuki-esque poses, such as slouching dejectedly towards the floor with a hand clamped theatrically to her forehead, in order to adequately express the shock, horror and ennui the comes from being designed to look like a fridge in drag.



Via the awesome Pink Tentacle blog.

Uncanny advances in clone technology

The Willow Garage Robot can plug itself into wall socket with the same level of accuracy I attain before noon whilst hungover. If they built it to swear in frustration too I'd buy one to replace myself at work.

Snakes on a disputed territory...

If you are scared of the future, and terrified by snakes, I have very, very bad news for you. Especially if you are borderline incontinent.

Bring on the robotic camera snake. Let's make it even scarier by revealing that it shall be manned by enraged soldiers with access to explosives and dodgy Israeli pop music.

Be very, very afraid.




[ Via engadget ]

The changing face (and nose and ears and eyes) of robotics...

Squishbot stands for Soft QUIet Shape-shifting robot (try that on for an acronym)... and the name's on the box. These little critters developed by the Robotic Mobility Group at Massachusetts Institute of Technology & Boston Dynamics have 'viscoelastic skeletons' that can literally change from squishy to hard at the mercy of programming. Modelled seemingly on weirdarse deep-sea citizens, they can morph shape and rigidity, giving them extreme creep power and ultimate nightmare appeal.


Via Gizmodo and Shannon

CareBot: Outsourcing your responsibility

It's seems only fitting right now, while you're sandwiched between towers of tinned Aldi peaches waiting for the Swine Flu pandemic to subside, to introduce GeckoSystems' hilarious new addition to the robot family, CareBot.

CareBot is an automated nursemaid designed to follow you incredibly slowly around the house and provide the kind of medical advice you would ordinarily get from your mum. CareBot will nag you to feed kitty, tell you what's on tellie, and deliver surly passive aggressive retorts if you tell him to bugger off. Presumably further generations of CareBot with get judgy on who you bring home and wander off to sulk if you don't buy them flowers on Mothers' Day.






Via gearlog

Automate your emotions

PaCo is the kind of robot you want to take out on your first date to impress that guapa chica you've been keeping your ojos on. Feed him some spare change, and he'll generate a poem for you, recite it, then spit it out in print. PaCo is a native Spanish speaker, so he's sure to impress, but don't let him boot into Antonio Banderas mode or he'll cut a "Z" into your chest faster than you can say "Mis Cojones!"

Via BotJunkie

Also, if you're bummed that robots have a handle on your emo, why not enlist one to beg for you too?

Stick it to me

I had no idea what made geckos stick to the roof, and now the magic of the internet reveals that they are harnessing the power of van der Waals forces. Lizards are pretty smart, right? Well, humans are catching up.

Metin Sitti and Ozgur Unver has created a sticky, wall-climbing bot destined for such ignominious household uses as removing cobwebs and/or "surveillance". Seriously, is there a nerd alive who has not at some stage dreamed of inventing a better machine for spying on hot chicks taking showers?

(PS: There is a much more highbrow and sciency article on the sticky-bots at New Scientist...)