4 posts tagged “robotics”

The multi-talented Motoman SDA10, a dexterous dual-arm industrial robot manufactured by Yaskawa Electric, is demonstrating its ability to cook okonomiyaki at the International Next-Generation Robot Fair now underway in Osaka.

Designed to operate independently alongside humans in the workplace, the 135-centimeter (4.5 ft) tall, 220-kilogram (480 lb) industrial robot has 15 joints — 7 in each arm and one in the torso — allowing a wide range of motion for the job, whether it be on the factory floor or behind the kitchen counter.

For a peek at Motoman’s dexterity, check out this video (from Fuji TV’s “The Best House 1-2-3″) of the robot delicately assembling a disposable camera from two dozen parts. The robot completes the complicated series of tasks in two minutes.

This high degree of manual precision comes in handy when grilling up okonomiyaki.

Motoman_2

As a chef, the Motoman relies on speech recognition technology to take verbal orders from customers. Using standard kitchen utensils, the robot mixes the okonomiyaki batter, pours it onto the iron grill, forms it into a round pancake-like disk, flips it, puts it on a plate when done, and applies condiments.

No word yet on the taste. 

[Photos: AFP]

Reblog via Pink Tentacle

Tatsuya Matsui is exhibiting robots with the ability to evoke human emotions, which is an absolute necessity if we are to get them in every home and be treated like a family member. A robot can’t live side by side with emotional humans, if it can’t share and respond in the emotional experience of humans. The exhibition is entitled “Flower Robotics”. Matsui believes that robots are like flowers. That they can be delicate and beautiful at the same time. He also believes they are endearing and need nurturing.

Take Posy for instance, a wedding maiden designed to express a 3-year-old girl’s pure view of the world. She can’t do much but proffer flowers, but never fails to evoke empathy in the viewer. This emotional response somehow manages to overcome the creep factor of the blank face and dead eyes of the robot.

Metri is a large and grub-like robot with soft skin that gropes about in a creepy fashion. Matsui is interested in our reactions to inanimate objects that seem to be alive. His machines somehow manage to sooth rather then frighten.

Palette, the mannequin robot is a white humanoid on a spotlighted black dais. Palette actually has a practical use though. By gracefully swinging its arms it can enhance the appeal of any blouse it wears. It’s resume already includes modeling for Louis Vuitton and Hane Mori designs. Plus, a vision sensor allows Palette to react to any viewers’ presence.

Tatsuya Matsui somehow succeeds in bridging the emotional gulf between humans and robots, where many others have failed.

Honda Asimo

The clips in the above vid are from a demonstration at Honda’s headquarters in Tokyo of the latest incarnation of their famous Asimo robots.

[Japan Times]

via Bot Junkie