Cutting Edge Robotics: The Top 10 Advancements In The Field Of Robotic Technology

For decades, scientists, authors and numerous intellectuals have envisioned an era of humanity, where the human efforts to improve its existence and the society itself is aided by none other than, machines themselves. To be more precise, there has always been dreams of the creation of a Utopian Society, where in the humans work along with the help of robots to make the world an even better place to live for our future generations. Though, such living conditions have always been the work of fiction, yet some parts of it, such as the mechanical robots doing our daily chores and actively participating in our day to day life could very well be turned into a reality in the near future.

As the threshold of technological advancements continue to be redefined, along with cutting edge breakthroughs in the field of robotics, these machines, which at times, can even be self aware have already begun to contribute in various fields, where they play a significant role in achieving complex and precise tasks, that many a times could prove to be dangerous or even fatal for the homo sapiens. For some time now, law enforcement agencies along with military of numerous nations have been using robots for detection of explosives, surveillance and intelligence gathering. In a similar life saving fashion, robots have made their mark especially in the field of medicine and healthcare, where these machines have prove invaluable. Due to the precise and virtually zero error nature of these robots, doctors and medical professionals are now able to perform extremely critical surgeries and procedures, thereby saving thousands of lives. Realizing the importance of robotics in our lives and their continuing evolution, we have now compiled a list of Top Ten events and developments in the field of robotics.

• eBay Now Selling ‘Omni Hand’ Robotic Arm Prototype From NASA: One of the biggest and foremost space agencies in the world, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been known to have made numerous breakthroughs in the field of space research and even robotics. One such innovation, a robotic arm called, Omni Hand, has now made its way to eBay, with a price tag of an astounding $25,000. The incredible was developed by Mark Rosheim in the 1990s, with funding provided by NASA and so far only two of these robotic arms have been made, where in the first as a prototype and the second was a completely fabricated working model. The entire package, that is available on sale at eBay includes Omni-Hand with base and space glove, power box, motion controller, extra power box, motion controller, hand control software for PC and an original copy of the Robot Evolution.

• Life Saving Robotic Heart Saves 15 year Old Boy’s Life: A 15 year old boy in Italy, suffering from terminal cardiac condition has now been given a hope of a new life, as heart surgeons at the Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital in Rome, implanted an artificial robotic heart into the boy’s chest, replacing the defective organ. The boy was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and due the condition, it was nearly impossible to wait for an actual heart transplant. The entire breakthrough surgery took about ten hours and the doctors are currently monitoring the patient closely for any infections or other complications. The artificial heart weighs about 400 grams, is 1.6 inches wide and the medical team has stated that, it has taken all precautions to avoid the risk of infections.

• Japanese Researchers Experiment With Car Driven By A Rat’s Brain: One of the countries, who can actually be termed as the ‘pioneer’ of robotics, Japan, has now taken the entire concept to new levels as researchers from University of Tokyo are currently experimenting on an all new robot called, RatCar. Believe it or not, the experiment entails the working of the robot car through the brain patterns of a living mouse. Under the leadership of Osamu Fukayama, the team has been looking to the feasibility of functioning a small vehicle with power of the brain, in this case, the brain being that of a rat. For the experiment, the rat is first implanted with neural electrodes and then is suspended from a small lightweight neuro-robotic platform. The idea behind this extremely bizarre experiment is to find ways that could help patients with locked-in syndrome or other conditions to control a vehicle through their brains and hence enhancing their means of mobility.

• Panasonic Introduces The All New Electric Care Assistance Bed with Integrated Wheelchair and Hair-Washing Robot: One of the largest manufacturers of consumer electronic products, Panasonic, has come up with an interesting product called, Electric Care Assistance Bed with Integrated Wheelchair and Hair-Washing Robot, that has been designed and developed to create a more comfortable living conditions for the elderly and the disabled. This all new robot comes with 16 fingers and is based on Panasonic’s robot hand technology, that enables this techno wiz to wash hairs and rinse the bubbles, just like a human hand would do. The robot is able to scan and measure the head in front of it in 3D and this incredible machine can also remember the head shape, thereby, making it easier for the occupants to get their hair wash and massages done without having to adjust the robot every time. The all new Electric Care Assistance Bed with Integrated Wheelchair and Hair-Washing Robot will be showcased at the 37th International Home Care & Rehabilitation Exhibition (H.C.R.) 2010.

• Sakakibara-Kikai Come Up With The All New Mechanized Kid’s Walker: One of the biggest and foremost machinery and robotics manufacturers, Sakakibara-Kikai, has now come with an all new product called, Kid’s Walker, that essentially puts your child into a exo-frame, such that from the Matrix Revolutions and the child can pilot the frame himself. The Kid’s Walker is a scaled down version of the company’s previously launched ‘Land Walker’, which was designed for adults. This all new toy for kids doesn’t actually walk, but moves on a pair of wheel-supported feet and is powered by a gasoline engine. The Kid’s Walker is stated to be absolutely safe for the children and the company plans to introduce the product starting with Japan, carrying a price tag of $21,000.

• Presenting The All New Windoro, The Windows Washing Robot: At the Pohang Institute of Intelligent Robotics (PIRO) in South Korea, researchers have come up with an incredible new robotic machine, that has been designed to accomplish one of the most common tasks, window washing. The all new Windoro, is composed of neodymium magnets, that will stick to the opposite sides of a window and let the machine do its work. Furthermore, Windoro also comes with an assortment of features such as distance sensors, attitude adjustment, and obstacle detection and the robot can work on any window that has a maximum thickness of 25mm. This astounding robot is all set for commercial production in the year 2011 and will be launched with a price tag of a whopping $260,000.

• Introducing An All New Household Female Humanoid, AILA: The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence after conducting vast amounts of research has now come up with an all new household robot, or more precisely, a humanoid called, AILA. This robot is said to be extremely flexible, enabling her to carry out lifting/carrying movements and move more freely than other robots, due to the six independently driven swiveling wheels. AILA has been embedded with Radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensors, that help her in identifying the objects within reach of her sensors, which she then maps against a library of objects in her database, making her a valuable addition to various locations such as workplace, restaurants, bars etc.

• Kikuchi Unveils An All New Life Saving Robot: Some of the most threatening scenarios for rescue workers include sites of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear disasters and that is where an immense danger to life is presented, both to the victim as well as to the rescuer. However, a Japanese firm called, Kikuchi, has now unveiled an all new life saving robot, that has been designed and developed to ensure that, the life of the victim is saved, without having to endanger any human rescue worker. This incredible new machine can reach hazardous disaster areas, thanks to the highly durable and sturdy treads and can rescue a victim, by scooping him onto a conveyor belt. After the victim is in the safe custody of the robot, the rescuers can then remotely move the machine to a safer location to administer medical care. The robot can rotate 360 degrees within a 1.5m radius and it can even ascend slopes with up to 30 degrees of elevation. Kikuchi has now made the rescue robot available for sale, with a price tag of $110,000 and the buyers can even opt for additions features such as night vision cameras etc.

• Toshiba Introduces ‘Wheelie’. An Automated Butler Robot: One of the biggest manufacturers of electronic products, Toshiba, has now come out with a really interesting creation, in the form of a butler robot called, Wheelie. This robot was showcased at the Toshiba Science Museum earlier this year. Wheelie is a fully automated robot and has been designed specifically to cater to the household tasks. Toshiba has given Wheelie two wheels and the robot itself maintains its balance by applying the inverse pendulum method, while the company has also provided it with two retractable wheels, just to be on the safer side. Wheelie comes equipped with stereo vision and to help avoid obstacles, the robot has also been given a laser range finder in its chest.

• Manga-bot Can Make Coffee For You Giving You A Good Start For The Day: A most tedious task to accomplish for most of us is to get up from a nice slumber and then go to the kitchen to make coffee. However, Clockwork has now put an end to this dilemma with the introduction of an all new Manga-bot, that can make the coffee for you and that too, all on its own. There has been now update as to when this really cool robot could be up for sale, but if it does, then it would definitely be a nice addition to have in your kitchen.

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