HomeRobotics

A Layperson's View of Future Technology and Society

Future Technology

Future of

The Future of Robotics

 Life Like Robots

Robotic engineers are designing the next generation of robots to look, feel and act more human, to make it  easier for us to warm up to a cold machine.

Realistic looking hair and skin with embedded sensors will allow robots to react naturally in their environment. For example, a robot that senses your touch on the shoulder and turns to greet you.

Subtle actions by robots that typically go unnoticed between people, help bring them to life and can also relay  non verbal communication.

Artificial eyes that move and blink. Slight chest movements that simulate breathing. Man made muscles to change facial expressions. These are all must have attributes for the socially acceptable robots of the future.

The brain behind the beauty will be the key to turning a realistic looking machine into a life like robot. AI plays a pivotal role in successful human/robot interaction.

Links

Life-like walking female robot (video)

Ultra-Lifelike Robot Debuts in Japan

Kokoro Actroid DER2

Geminoid

Intelligent Robotics Laboratory

Joey Chaos video

Jules

Eva the female robot

Girl robot sings

Project Aiko

Robotic Pets

 

 

Pets of the future might be robots with artificial intelligence.

Robotic Pets

Rescue Robots

Imagine yourself lost deep in the forest on a cold autumn night and nightfall is rapidly approaching. Too windy for search aircraft and too dark for ground teams, this could be a life threatening situation. Fortunately for you, it is ten years into the future and hundreds of tiny intelligent robots will be combing the woods for you throughout the night.

All terrain robots (ATRs), will truly function as a team by sharing their locations, discoveries, search patterns and more. Large ATRs could carry many smaller robots and provide them with localized control and power.

These smaller more specialized robots will have cameras, sonar, heat sensors, motion detectors and can be sent out by the large ATRs as needed. Smaller robots might work together to perform tasks such as moving a large obstacle.

Related Articles

Rescue Robot Exercise

Snakebot could revolutionize search and rescue

Help from Roboclimber

Mechanical mole could seek out disaster survivors

Researchers investigate evolving 'swarm' robots

Robot Dials 9-1-1

Robot-Assisted Rescuers

Robots go where scientists fear to tread

i-Swarm

 Robotic Competitions

The ultimate goal of the RoboCup project is to develop a team of fully autonomous humanoid robots that can win against the human world champion team in soccer by the year 2050.

The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges teams of young people and their mentors to solve a common problem in a six-week timeframe using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules. Teams build robots from the parts and enter them in competitions.

RoboCup web site

FIRST Robotics Competition

Robotic Insects

Insects have come up with many interesting solutions for the problems that future robots will have to deal with like cooperation,  specialized movement and adapting to changing environments. Robotic engineers are incorporating examples found in nature into their designs.

Robot Insects

Exoskeletons

Wearable bionic suits are being developed primarily for the military to allow soldiers to carry heavier loads and to conserve energy. Other uses for exoskeletons are assisting rescue workers move heavy objects and bionics for motor-impaired patients.

SpringWalker

Bionic Breakthroughs

Biomechatronics at MIT

Medical Exoskeleton

Wearable Robotics - Exoskeletons

Bionic power suit for nurses

Robot Suit HAL

Exoskeletons Around the World - Pictorial

Rehabilitation Bionics

Building the Real Iron Man

The Exoskeleton: Advanced Robotics

Japan researchers unveil robot suit for farmers

Robot Caretakers

Mobile robot assistants designed to people in daily life activities.

Care-O-bot®

Home Robots Have Gentle Touch

Rescue robots compete to save dolls in distress


Email Your Comments, Links or Pictures

or use this contact form


Visitor Comments

06/10/10

Impressive video of Boston Dynamics' Little Dog learning to overcome obstacles.

Anonymous

 

 

Robot Articles, Blogs and Web Sites

All Links open in a new window. Bold = Recommended. Links do not imply endorsement.

Robotics Articles
Title Source Date
MIT researchers unveil autonomous oil-absorbing robot MIT News 08/10
Shape-shifting robots MIT News 08/10
Telenoid R1: Hiroshi Ishiguro's Newest and Strangest Android Automation 07/10
Robots get an artificial skin PhysOrg 07/10
HIRO III lets you feel what you see on screen (w/Video) PhysOrg 07/10
Japan's baby robot 'Noby' to shed light on human development Canada.com 06/10
Sand-swimming sandfish lizard Georgia Tech 06/10
Advances made in walking, running robots PhysOrg 05/10
Lobsters teach robots magnetic mapping trick New Scientist 09/09
Robots to get their own operating system New Scientist 07/09
Robot uses human mind tricks to navigate New Scientist 02/09

 

Robot Web Sites and Blogs
Title Description
Amlux Flickr image
Amphibious snake robot Tokyo Institute of Technology
ASIMO Honda humanoid robot
Auto show robot Image from 2005
Bionic Learning Network Festo
Boston Dynamics BigDog//Rhex/Petman/RiSe/Squishbot
Case Biorobotics Lab Case Western Reserve University
Child-robot with Biomimetic Body Japan Science and Technology Agency
Christian the walking bug robot Flickr image
Claytronics Project Modular robots
COGNIRON The Cognitive Robot Companion Project funded by the European Commission
DOMO Force sensing MIT robot
HIRO Human Interactive Robot
Hubo Lab Humanoid Robot Research Center
Humanoid Robotics Institute Waseda University, Japan
i-foot Flickr image
IfBot Communication robot
I-Sobot Tomy
JPL Robotics JPL
Jumping robot New Scientist video
Kondo Kondo Kagaku
Laboratory of Intelligent Systems EPFL
Microdynamic Systems Laboratory MSL Robotics
Microsoft Robotics Robotic operating system
Mr Woo Robots Robotic arm
NAO Humanoid robot
Nexi MIT Media Lab
Nuvo Humanoid robot for home use
Owen Holland Anthropomimetic robots
PETMAN - BigDog gets a Big Brother Boston Dynamics
Quadrocopter Flying robot
Readybot Challenge Kitchen robot
RoboCommunity Robot Blog
Robo-Erectus Advanced Robotics & Intelligent Control Centre
Robo Garage Tomotaka Takahashi
RoboSingularity Robot Blog
Robot Flickr image
Robotics Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Robotics Alliance Project NASA Robotics
Robotics Blog Robot blog
Robotics research Directory of robotic research in Japan
Robotorama Robot Blog
Robots Podcast
Robots.net All the news that's fit to assimilate
Robots Dreams Robot news blog
Robot Magazine Robot Emagazine
ROCR Wall climbing robot
Rovio Remote surveillance robot
SENSOPAC Project SENSOrimotor structuring of Perception and Action for emergent Cognition
Shalab Shuji Hashimoto Laboratory
Sony Robot History Sony robot web site
Superbot Modular robot
Talking robot Takanishi Lab
Telepresence Robot Kit Carnegie Mellon University Robotics
Toyota Robots Toyota partner robot web site
Dr. ir. Bram Vanderborght Vrije Universiteit Brussel
WAM Arm Robotic arm
Willow Garage Open source software for personal robotics applications
WowWee robots from CES 2008 Flickr images
Zeno YouTube video

 

References
Article Sources
Life like robots Article by ffa
Image 1 credit: Gnsin
Image 2 credit: angela n.
Robot Pets Image courtesy of mikewade
Rescue Robots Article by ffa
Robocup Image Courtesy of hello_naomi (Flickr) and the Newcastle Robotics Laboratory

Warning:

Many of the articles found on this web site are from a blogger that couldn't tell you the difference between hydrochloric and high colonic. We try our very best to provide you with useful, accurate information, but we don't always get it right. Please read our full disclaimer before quoting us at work, school or world conferences.