Future of Engineering

The Terminator: Why do you cry?
John Connor: You mean people?
The Terminator: Yes.
John Connor: I dont' know. We just cry. You know, when it hurts.
The Terminator: Pain causes it?
John Connor: No, it's when there's nothing wrong with you, but you cry anyway. You get it?
The Terminator: No.

A robot can think, analyse, calculate, perform actions, crawl, walk, dance and even play football. So what differentiates a robot from a human being?

Well it isn't programmed to have a cute little red heart, the symbol of love that's supposed to be the epicenter of feelings & emotions. That's why the Terminator couldn't understand the depth of a tear-drop.

Feelix Growing tries to bridge the gap between robot and humankind. It is developing software empowering robots that can learn when a person is sad, happy or angry.

Using cameras and sensors, the very simple robots being built by the researchers – using mostly off-the-shelf parts – can detect different parameters, such as a person's facial expressions, voice, and proximity to determine emotional state.

The main idea is, by being more in tune with human emotions, giving the impression of empathy, the robots should be more readily accepted by the people they may one day serve.

The Terminator: I know now why you cry,
[terminator wipes johns tear]
Guess what? It is something I can do too!

Source - ICT Results

Labels: Robotics

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University have developed an electronic-eye camera.

There are lot of developments happening in the world of digital camera. So, what's so unique about this electric-eye camera?

The answer lies in its curved nature. Currently when photos are taken, the picture is clear in the middle but at the edges it is blurred. The curved technology ensures that the entire picture is clean and clear.

"This is the first time we've demonstrated a camera on a curved surface to really make it look like a human eye," said Yonggang Huang of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

Wow! So why didn't they think about this earlier?

They did. And also tried to implement it. But to their dismay when microelectronic components were transferred onto a curved surface it broke under pressure.

Transferring microelectronic components onto a curved surface without breaking them was the task before Huang and Rogers. Guess what? They've found a simple solution to prevent breakage.

"Huang and Rogers developed a mesh-like material made up of tiny squares that hold the photodetectors and electronic components. The squares are connected by tiny wires that give each component the ability to mold to a curved surface."

This fantastic development goes beyond vacation photos.The device could be used to make better imaging equipment, such as curved sensors to monitor brain activity that follow the contours of the brain. It could even be used in the development of an artificial retina or a bionic eye.

Source - PC Pro
Image source - Newscom.com

Labels: Design-Engineering, Robotics

Military Developing Brainwave Binoculars

Military binoculars may soon get information directly from the brains of the soldiers using them.

The brain is constantly processing images but most get filtered out. All the things identified by the brain doesn't make it to the conscious level.

The Pentagon wants to use the full potential of the brain, so it has awarded contracts to two defense firms to develop brainwave-aided binoculars. It hopes that soldiers can detect threats from miles farther away with the intelligent binoculors.

"Electrodes on the scalp inside a helmet will record the user's brain activity as it processes information about high-resolution images produced by wide-angle military binoculars. Those responses will train the binoculars over time to recognize threats."

Sensics, Inc., a Baltimore-based maker of panoramic head-mounted displays won $6.7 million and HRL Laboratories received $4.3 million for their research.

Source - Lasvegassun

Labels: Instrumentation-Engineering, Robotics

A computer science Ph.D. student Jacob Whitehill can turn his face into a remote control that speeds and slows video playback.

The inception of online teaching has drastically changed the education field. Face-to-face interaction is minimised in this approach. Robotic technology hopes to take it one step further by introducing robotic teachers.

The only drawback is that a robot cannot understand the expressions of a confused student.It would go on teaching even if the student looks puzzled with the lesson. In order to tackle this Whitehall's pilot study explores the utility of facial expression as a feedback signal from student to teacher.

To achieve this he has studied the facial expressions of people who participate in a lecture. Using video conferencing software he collects the facial expressions of the students.

From here, Whitehill would then train a user specific model that predicts when a lecture should be sped up or slowed down based on the spontaneous facial expressions a person makes.

Their results have shown that automatic facial expression recognition is already a useful feedback signal for intelligent tutoring systems for two concrete tasks:perceived difficulty estimation, and preferred speed prediction. As expression recognition technology improves, its usefulness in ITS will continue to grow.

The work is being presented in June 2008 at the Intelligent Tutoring Systems conference and at the IEEE International Workshop on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition for Human Communicative Behavior Analysis.

Read the Abstract of the project here.
Image Credit: UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering

Labels: Automation, Robotics

Explores Places Where GPS Doesn't Work

Knock! Knock! The wolf rapped on the door.
"Who's there?" cried Grandma from her bed.
"It's me, Little Red Riding Hood..."

In the 21st century there's going to be a twist in the tale. Grandma opens the door to let in Tartalo, an autonomous robot designed by Basilio Sierra's team in the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). This 1.5-metre tall robot can find its way around a new building, identify doors and ask permission to enter.(Very polite robot isn't it?)

"The biomimetic algorithms mean Tartalo gains information on a new building by exploring and taking in points of reference. As this would normally require huge amounts of data, this has been simplified by programming Tartalo to recognise common structures: room, corridor, front hall and junction. After learning the position of all of these, the machine creates a topological map that the operator can then give specific labels to."

Infrared lasers helps the robot in avoiding obstacles in its path. It gauges the size of the corridor or doorway with the help of a single-eye camera. This enables it to negotiate its way through narrow spaces. But it cannot open doors. That's why it stops by to knock with its feet.

Currently the Autonomous Robotics and Systems research team is keen on increasing the prowess of Tartalo. They want it to follow the instructions carefully and also learn to recognize faces, voices and objects. This robot would be extremely useful in places where GPS doesn't work.

Wonder if parents of the future would use Tartalo's story to teach good manners to their kids.

Source - The Engineer Online

Interesting Robotics
Wearable Biomechatronic Exoskeletons: the Future is Already Here
Future of Robotics - Robots Uses, Trends, Applications

Labels: Robotics

Every move you make
Every step you take
I'll be 'following' you
(If the Shadow caddy had a voice it might be singing this.)

Golfers love to play golf i.e. concentrate, aim and shoot the ball into the hole. Carrying the clubs for a long distance, hunting for the lost balls are some of the distractions that toughens their game.



To make things easier for the golfer,the robotic shadow caddy has been designed. Mary had a little lamb that followed her wherever she went. The shadow caddy acts on the same principle. You can enjoy your game while it takes care of the luggage.

Shadow caddy is operated by a simple transmitter, which the golfer clips to their belt and the robot will automatically follow a few feet behind them. An intelligent infra-red collision system enables it to navigate the turf easily. It automatically dodges bunkers, trees, water features, golfers and other caddies.

Without a heavy baggage on your shoulder you can enjoy a brisk walk. Employing a professional caddy is another option. But it comes with a high price tag.

The robot runs on long-life batteries which let it complete two 18-hole rounds between charges. The 19kg robot is also fitted with wide turf tyres to prevent it damaging greens and fairways.

Golf clubs can equip themselves with this robot caddies that cost £3,000 each and rent it out to players to lessen their burden.

The Shadow caddy is on its way to become a golfer's best friend.

Source - Dailymail

Interesting Robotics
Future of Robotics - Robots Uses, Trends, Applications
Jumping Micro-robot Inspired By Grasshoppers

Labels: Logistics-Transportation-Engineering, Robotics

Pills work in different ways due to the presence of enzymes in our body.The rate of passage through the body can vary, and some individuals have higher levels of digestive enzymes than others. This variation lowers the effectiveness of the drug.

When capsules were invented in the mid-19th century, they provided a significant improvement in the palatability of medications.Since their discovery the consumer has come to perceive this as the most efficient method of taking medication. The consumer is in for a huge surprise.

Philips seeks to scale new heights with its latest patent - the remote-controlled pill. The electronic drug delivery capsule has RFID technology for authentication and identification purposes.

The remote-controlled pill has a cavity for carrying a drug which can be opened by a remote signal.The passage of the pill can be followed by MRI or ultrasound and the drug dispensed with an electronic trigger at the appropriate location.

The drug can also be released according to other external factors. For example, if atmospheric pollen reaches a certain level or the patient's blood pressure hits a predetermined number.

It is not meant to be recycled, therefore Philips is trying to keep the cost factor down. Hope we can look forward to a cheap, disposable, geeky pill in the near future.

Related links:
Philips
Newscientist

Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering, Robotics

A fascinating development in the world of neuro science has been reported by the journal Nature.

Tiny sensors were placed in two monkeys' brain to monitor the thought and action relationship. With their thoughts they controlled a mechanical arm and were able to reach for and grab food.



Dr. John P. Donoghue, director of the Institute of Brain Science at Brown University, said the new report was “important because it’s the most comprehensive study showing how an animal interacts with complex objects, using only brain activity.”

A computer or a robot is programmed to perform a task. But it cannot anticipate unnatural happenings. In this case the monkeys were able to manipulate the prosthetic arm to hold the marshmallow in place. It was also able to lick at the food particles that were sticking on to the arm. This shows that it is possible to control a device with intimate,subtle suggestions or thoughts.

Implantable electrode grids do not generally last more than a period of months, for reasons that remain unclear. Like this there are a few hurdles to be overcome before this technology becomes practically viable.

Yet, the findings suggest that brain-controlled prosthetics, while not practical, are at least technically within reach.

Source - NyTimes

Labels: Robotics

Researchers from the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at EPFL are unveiling a novel, grasshopper-inspired jumping robot at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation May 21 in Pasadena, California.

Science looks to nature for inspiration. Nature remains our greatest muse. The latest robot's creation has been inspired by the grasshopper. The robot weighs a miniscule 7 grams, and can jump 1.4 meters, or more than 27 times its body size -- ten times farther for its size and weight than any existing jumping robot.



Credit: Alain Herzog, EPFL

It is easy to manipulate robots inside the lab which has a smooth terrain. But navigation through rough terrain has been quite tough for walking and wheeled robots that were designed for search and rescue operations. These micro-robots that imitate the jumping technique of fleas, locusts and grasshoppers would solve the problem.

"These tiny jumping robots could be fitted with solar cells to recharge between jumps and deployed in swarms for extended exploration of remote areas on Earth or on other planets." says EPFL Professor Dario Floreano.

Source - Eurekalert

Labels: Robotics