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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: robotics

robotics stories: 15 news summaries

 Rich May 
 Evolve Into 
 Own Species 

Wealthy winning huge edge with longer life, access to biotechnology

Oct 26, 09 4:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - The super wealthy will have such access to high levels of health care, biotechnology and robotics that they could develop into their own species of being, argues a Silicon Valley  futurist. The rich will be able to grow their own organs and manipulate genetics for superior abilities and freedom from... More »

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health care • biotechnology • organs • species • robotics • rich • wealthy • Paul Scoffo

Robot-Assisted Prostate Surgery Linked to Problems

Study finds potential issue with non-invasive surgery option

Oct 14, 09 6:28 AM CDT
(Newser) - Men who undergo minimally invasive, robot-assisted prostate surgery were more than twice as likely to suffer from impotence and incontinence a year and a half later, compared to those receiving conventional surgery, a new Harvard study has found. Some 4.7% of those treated with laparoscopic surgery, using remote-controlled techniques,... More »

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prostate cancer • surgery • robots • robotics • laparoscopy

(Newser) - Cybraphon mimics a neurotic indie band by obsessing over its online presence and knocking out tunes to express its fluctuating moods, Wired reports. Designed by three UK artists, Cybraphon is a musical robot stuffed with an organ, cymbals, a Macbook Pro—and a highly volatile emotion meter. "The Cybraphon... More »

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robot • robotics • indie pop • bands

 Robot Learns to Smile 


Jul 10, 09 8:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - It's a milestone for robots: One has learned to smile and make realistic facial expressions on its own for the first time, Wired reports. University of California researchers put their Einstein robot in front of a video camera attached to facial recognition software, which gave it feedback as it randomly... More »

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artificial intelligence • robot • robotics • smiley face • facial expressions

Robotic Suit Helps Paralyzed Take Big Steps

Motorized exoskeleton enables walking, bending, climbing

Jan 12, 09 8:14 PM CST
(Newser) - People paralyzed from the waist down may soon be parking their wheelchairs in favor of a robotic walking suit, CNN reports. Designed by Dr. Amit Goffer, a disabled engineer in Israel, the lightweight exoskeleton of motorized leg supports and motion sensors enables users to walk around. "I don't have... More »

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Israel • inventions • robotics • paralyze • paralysis • walking • advanced technology

 High-Tech Suit Gives
 Hope to Paralyzed

Israel's ReWalk exoskeleton lets patients paralyzed from the waist down stand upright

Aug 27, 08 2:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - A mechanical exoskeleton developed by an Israeli firm allows paraplegics to stand upright and walk, the BBC reports. The ReWalk device consists of a backpack, leg braces and a wrist controller. Once a mode is selected, such as climbing stairs, leaning forward activates motors in the braces. “It lets... More »

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Israel • medical devices • robotics • paralysis • robot device • walking • exoskeleton • ReWalk

 Dogs Think Robo-Vacs Suck 

Pet owners try to keep the peace between high technology and 'bio-pets'

Jun 11, 08 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Dogs are getting more suspicious as robots get more sophisticated, the Wall Street Journal reports. Dog owners find that jealous, territorial, or terrified pooches bark at the robots—and sometimes rip them apart. Some post videos of the battles on YouTube, while others are trying to find ways for canine... More »

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pets • robot • iRobot • robotics • Roomba • dog

Monkeys Move Robotic Arm With Brains

Research could give paralyzed people
more mobility

May 28, 08 6:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - Monkeys were able to control a prosthetic arm with their brains, a development that could someday give paralyzed people and amputees more mobility, the New York Times reports. Researchers put sensors in the monkeys' brains, then trained them to manipulate the robotic arm through their thoughts. It's the most promising... More »

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monkey • amputees • robotics • prosthetics

Robot Dogs Cheer Up Elderly

Study says robo-mutt relieved loneliness as effectively as a real dog

Mar 1, 08 8:02 AM CST
(Newser) - Robot dogs are almost as effective as the real thing in cheering up elderly nursing home residents, a new study at St. Louis University has found. Once the patients had some time to get used to him, researchers say robot mutt AIBO lowered loneliness levels about as well as a... More »

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elderly • nursing homes • robot • robotics • loneliness • dog

Robots Battle for Championship

Tokyo's 12th Robo-One Grand Championship match

Dec 3, 07 4:05 PM CST
(Newser) - Robots battled for the title of world champion Saturday at Tokyo's 12th Robo-One Grand Championship match, where amateur-built bipeds competed to stay on their feet. With companies giving up on consumer robotics projects due to high costs, "the future of robotics depends on amateurs," the chairman of the... More »

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electronics • robots • robotics • research and development • Robo One Grand Championship

In Japan, Robots Tackle the Dirty Work

As workforce shrinks, machines gain favor over immigrants

Nov 30, 07 12:13 PM CST
(Newser) - With the birthrate sinking and the government showing no inclination to loosen immigration restrictions, Japanese businesses are turning to science for help with the impending worker shortage. The London Times visits a Tokyo exhibition that showcases the possible answer: robots. "Robots do the D-work"--dirty, dangerous, and difficult--"that... More »

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immigration • Japan • birth rate • robot • robotics • shrinking workforce

Roaches Fooled by Robots, Follow Their Lead

Cockroaches follow 'pied piper' impostors

Nov 17, 07 6:57 AM CST
(Newser) - Scientists have created robot cockroaches that genuine roaches accept into their communities—and even follow. The robots were covered in roach scent and programmed to like the same things roaches do—darkness and the company of other cockroaches. A Belgian theoretical biologist Jose Halloy and his colleagues found that the... More »

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insects • robotics • scientific discoveries • cockroaches

Carnegie Mellon Wins $2M in Robot Car Race

Only three of 11 cars finished the 60 miles in 6 hours allotted

Nov 4, 07 11:02 PM CST
(Newser) - A robot car built by Carnegie Mellon University and General Motors beat out ten others to win a race for self-driving vehicles, race officials announced today. The cars had 6 hours to complete a 60-mile course—including missions like parking and merging into traffic—in pursuit of a $2 million... More »

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California • Virginia Tech • General Motors • Stanford University • car race • driving • robotics • Carnegie Mellon University • DARPA • Urban Challenge

Get Ready for Robot Love

Relations with the shinier-sex 'inevitable' according to study

Oct 13, 07 12:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - It’s a small step from Roomba to betrothed, says researcher David Levy, whose Ph.D. thesis predicts humans will have sex with and marry robots within half a century. Robots have moved from factories to homes—witness the popularity of Roomba vacuum cleaners—and are becoming more human in... More »

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artificial intelligence • marriage • robots • robotics • robot marriage

Out-of-Body Experience Induced in Lab

Study unlocks clues
to near-death phenomenon

Aug 24, 07 4:13 AM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists researching out-of-body experiences have discovered ways to trigger the phenomenon in volunteers, the BBC reports. Researchers using virtual reality goggles and  body images were able to trick participants into thinking they had moved several feet away from their bodies. The results, published in the journal Science, offer intriguing neurological... More »

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science • virtual reality • out of body • robotics • illusion

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