I, Robot

Thinking 'Bots May Probe Planets for Us

Space.com  |  Jul 6, 08 6:10 PM CDT

(Newser) - WALL-E they aren't, but future space robots may decide how and where we explore other planets, Space.com reports. Using what expert Wolfgang Fink calls “tier-scalable reconnaissance,” orbiting spacecrafts could choose where to deploy airships that drop rovers on planet surfaces. NASA and Europe may test the software on a planned 2017 mission to Titan and Europa. More »

I, (Gay) Robot? Radar Rates the Androids

Radar  |  Jun 29, 08 2:44 PM CDT

(Newser) - Gay marriage in California and Brokeback Mountain's emergence on the opera scene all point to an America that’s "getting its gay on," writes Evan Mulvihill in Radar —including its androids. Using a 'Homometer' (0: asexual; 1: beer and steak; 5: bisexual; 10: flaming), he takes a look at cinema’s most fabulous robots. R2-D2, C-3P0, Star Wars : 9 Hal, 2001: A Space Odyssey : 7   More »

'You Might Be Able to Grow Asparagus' on Mars

Reuters  |  Jun 26, 08 4:47 PM CDT

(Newser) - Samples of Martian soil analyzed by instruments onboard the Phoenix lander have earth-bound scientists “flabbergasted.” Why? Readings indicate that the extraterrestrial loam could, perhaps has, and possibly will, support life, Reuters reports. Along with ice the lander discovered earlier, “We basically have found what appears to be the requirements, the nutrients, to support life,” a scientist said. More »

Home Is Where the Robot Is

Economist  |  Jun 21, 08 5:01 AM CDT

(Newser) - A kinder, gentler, smarter Frankenstein may soon be mowing your lawn and folding your unmentionables. Manufacturers are developing a new generation of metallic humanoid that will not only carry heavy objects, but pull their weight around the house and at work, the Economist reports . These new-age robots can touch, see, and may even respond to commands. More »

Japan Unveils Robot Girlfriend

Reuters  |  Jun 20, 08 1:53 PM CDT

(Newser) - If you’re looking for love and the electronic variety is good enough, a Japanese company may have just the thing for you. Sega unveiled “EMA” today (that’s Eternal Maiden Actualization), a 15-inch robotic girlfriend that can find and kiss human faces on command, Reuters reports. The company hopes to sell 10,000—mainly to lonely adult men—in the first year; the retail price is $175. More »

Computer Woes Slow Mars Craft

Associated Press  |  Jun 19, 08 3:16 PM CDT

(Newser) - The Phoenix Mars Lander stopped digging yesterday to give its memory a rest after a computer glitch caused the loss of photographs and scientific data, the AP reports. Scientists were alerted to the problem after the lander transmitted a single piece of information 45,000 times. "It's unfortunate to lose any bit of science," one scientist said. "But it's not really critical stuff that you kick yourself over." More »

Dogs Think Robo-Vacs Suck

Wall Street Journal  |  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 and robot to live together peacefully. More »

Astronaut Waves Robot Arm

Reuters  |  Jun 9, 08 3:25 PM CDT

(Newser) - A Japanese astronaut on board the International Space Station successfully unfolded a massive robotic arm from the newly installed Kibo laboratory today, Reuters reports. The arm moved slightly on Saturday, but today’s extension of the 33-foot device was the first full test, Space.com reports. The Japanese-built robot had nothing to grab; the equipment the arm will tend to arrives next year. More »

Robot Offers Hope to Would-Be Spidermen

MIT Technology Review  |  May 29, 08 3:30 PM CDT

(Newser) - Researchers have created a wall-climbing robot that uses electrically activated adhesion to get up any surface—dusty, wet, glass or concrete. Other Spiderman-imitating machines use a different kind of gecko-inspired technology and generate stronger sticking power than the new ‘bot, but the simplicity of the approach means it could work for human wall-climbing, MIT Technology Review reports. More »

NASA Deploys Mars Probe's Robotic Arm

Associated Press  |  May 29, 08 1:00 PM CDT

(Newser) - NASA’s Phoenix Mars lander extended its robotic arm for the first time late last night, the AP reports, a day late because of a temporary radio blackout. The arm, which will unfurl over a 2-day period, will eventually be used to take samples of ice below the surface in Mars’ arctic regions to search for evidence of life. More »

Robo-Maestro Takes Baton

Guardian (UK)  |  May 14, 08 3:27 PM CDT

(Newser) - It was classical music, but when the Detroit Symphony Orchestra hit its final note last night, it sounded an awful lot like the future. Honda’s Asimo robot led a real, live, human orchestra, and though the android was only repeating the recorded movements of a human, the performance went beautifully, impressing the musicians and delighting the crowd, the Guardian reports. More »

Gates to USAF: Straighten Up and Fly Right

Washington Post  |  Apr 21, 08 4:46 PM CDT

(Newser) - Robert Gates chided the Air Force today for being slow to change and for not providing enough help in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Addressing American and international student officers in Alabama, the defense secretary said getting the USAF to adapt, particularly in the use of drone aircraft, has been "like pulling teeth," the Washington Post reports. More »

Tech Toy Splurges for That Tax Return

ComputerWorld  |  Mar 30, 08 8:33 PM CDT

(Newser) - This year, the government’s economic stimulus package will add $600 to the average $2,300 refund each taxpayer receives. That’s a sizable chunk of change, perfect for a little tech-toy indulgence, reports ComputerWorld. Casio Exilim Pro Ex-FI high-speed digital camera: Snag 60 frames in a single second, to score a shot in which everyone’s eyes are open. More »

Miami Hopes to Patrol Streets With Flying Spy Drones

Reuters  |  Mar 26, 08 11:44 AM CDT

(Newser) - A flying spy drone may soon join the ranks of Miami's finest, pending FAA approval of the 14-pound bot. "Our intentions are to use it only in tactical situations as an extra set of eyes," says a department spokesman. The US military has been using spy drones for years, reports Reuters, and police departments around the country are interested in pressing them into service. More »

Dextre Moves Into Place, Awaits First Call

Houston Chronicle  |  Mar 19, 08 5:10 AM CDT

(Newser) - The giant space robot Dextre moved into his new digs last night, and now resides outside the International Space Station's Destiny lab awaiting his first marching orders. Back at Mission Control the mood is buoyant, reports the Houston Chronicle. "That really was the kind of spacewalk that when it's done, you just want to throw your hands up in the air and howl at the moon," said the project's director after the robot was in place. More »

Dextre Tooled Up, Good to Go

Space.com  |  Mar 18, 08 8:33 AM CDT

(Newser) - Dextre, the colossal space robot, is ready to go and awaiting instructions after astronauts successfully fitted the 12-foot helper with a tool kit and cameras for "eyes" last night, Space.com reports. Dextre is set to take up residence outside the International Space Station's Destiny lab later today and will undergo tests before it is asked to perform major tasks. More »

Dextre Lives! Space Robot Gets Power

Associated Press  |  Mar 15, 08 1:46 PM CDT

(Newser) - Dextre's finally getting some juice. Astronauts aboard the international space station solved a glitch last night and got power flowing to their partially built robot, the AP reports. Now they can go ahead with a spacewalk tonight to finish assembling it. “There was obviously some real concern over the last day or two for getting that powered up,” said one official. More »

Robot Dogs Cheer Up Elderly

Associated Press  |  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 lovable therapy dog named Sparky did in a control group, the AP reports. More »

Terrifying Robot Is Ready to Massage