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The first video is the basic muRata Boy and muRata Girl demonstration that was being done on the hour during the Consumer Electronics Show 2011. This is actually the first CES that muRata has attended, they would have been there every year if you looked inside the electronics that were brought there by other companies though since muRata manufactures components that are very common and can be found in most consumer electronics. To demonstrate some of the capabilities of their components muRata has developed two cool robotic platforms. muRara boy has been featured here before but muRata girl is a new one to the pages of Hacked Gadgets. muRata girl uses similar technologies as the boy except she is on a unicycle instead of a bicycle. The demonstration went off without a hitch, when there is something this complex being demoed I have often wondered how many takes it took to get it right. The team at muRata were kind enough to give us a private technical demonstration after the main show. In the second video you will learn a bit more of the technical details behind the robots and see the computer that is interfacing to the robots. On the computer you can see the live video output from the head mounted camera in muRata Boy’s head. Have a close look and you will see me taking a picture of muRata Boy taking a picture of me, there must be some law of physics that was violated there.
CES 2011 muRata Boy and muRata Girl Demonstration
muRata Boy Technical Overview
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iRobot was at the Consumer Electronics Show 2011 showing off their latest creation, it is their iRobot AVA Mobile Robotics Platform. It is a demonstration platform which demonstrates what iRobot is capable of doing. This robot is packed with technology such as 3D imaging, sonar and laser range finding. You can just imagine the possible capabilities for this platform. I could see it recording and delivering video messages within a factory where the workers do not have email.
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The Vstone/Kumotek booth at CES 2011 was lots of fun with their dancing robots entertaining the crowd. The dancing robots are being controlled using a video game like remote control. All of the actions are being manipulated using servo motors. They had a bunch of other cool things on display like the line following cars.
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We have seen the AR Drone here before. This is the quadcopter that can be flown around using the WiFi from your iPhone, iPad or an iPod Touch. The accelerometers in the Apple product are used to fly the device around, you simply tip it in the direction you would like the AR Drone to fly. The quadcopter has a sophisticated onboard processor which allows the AR Drone to maintain predictable flight. There is an ultrasonic sensor on the bottom to allow the height of the quadcopter to be easily maintained. Movement of the AR Drone is watched by a bottom facing camera, by analyzing each passing frame it can be determined how far it has flown. This is a similar technology to what is done in an optical mouse to detect in what direction and how far the mouse has been moved. The front facing camera allows the AR Drone to be flown out of visual range, you simply watch the action on the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Some of the AR Drones you see have some colored bands, these are used to allow for some fun augmented reality games where you can follow another drone and even make it look different. Watch the video for some technical details of what is inside the AR Drone and continue watching the second half of the video for some flight action. The people flying the quadcopters are out of the crowd so it shows how easy it is to just pick up and play. I can see all sorts of extended applications beyond the fun flying aspects, just imagine the security guards that need to make long far patrols, instead of walking a mile he could just make a quick flight around to make sure nothing is wrong. Thanks to the Parrot team for taking the time to tell us all about the AR Drone at CES 2011 in Las Vegas.
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InnoVision Labs had their HoloAd unit on display at CES 2011. The 3D effect is very good and of course there are no funky glasses to wear to get the effect. The technology uses three video images projected from above. There appears to be three angled pieces of glass on the inside of the cube which is what the image gets reflected onto.
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I have seen lots of great Halloween Prop builds but this Halloween Electric Chair that Robo and his son made for a school haunted house takes the cake. I love the mix of pneumatics and electrical. The sensor is IR which I obviously love since that is exactly how my Stair Lighting System is activated except by a leg not an electrocuted head! The sander under the seat is sure to give the unexpected guest the shock of their life, and if that isn’t enough the burst of air from above will seal the deal. The lighting from above and below the chair is a great effect and dimming of the room lights really enhances the look of the chair in action. Hopefully Robo uploads some build pictures, schematics and code for this cool project so that others can enjoy the idea. Via: HG Forum |
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I wonder when the sky will be as accessible as the roads. I would love to think that within my lifetime this would become reality but that might be a lofty thought. If anyone could build a SkyFly Vertical Takeoff Aircraft on a shoestring budget it would be Mark Rumsey who has worked on the International Space Station program and the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Even for him I think that his 3 to 4 month build time might be a bit rushed but I hope he gets funded so we can follow the progress! “SkyFly consists of four engines driving two counter-rotating coaxial propellers. You stand on a platform above the propellers and control the aircraft with a throttle and a control lever to turn left or right. To fly in a certain direction, you simply lean in that direction. It’s like a Segway in the sky! 1. Four Engines: $9,500 |
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I had a great time with the muRata team and can’t wait to see what they are showing off next year!
