uncanny valleys

R2

2010-08-04T00:55:00.000-07:00

"In the current iteration of Robonaut, Robonaut 2 or R2, NASA and General Motors are working together to accelerate development of the next generation of robots and related technologies for use in the automotive and aerospace industries. Robonaut 2 (R2) is a state of the art highly dexterous anthropomorphic robot. Like its predecessor Robonaut 1 (R1), R2 is capable of handling a wide range of EVA tools and interfaces, but R2 is a significant advancement over its predecessor. R2 is capable of speeds more than four times faster than R1, is more compact, is more dexterous, and includes a deeper and wider range of sensing. Advanced technology spans the entire R2 system and includes: optimized overlapping dual arm dexterous workspace, series elastic joint technology, extended finger and thumb travel, miniaturized 6-axis load cells, redundant force sensing, ultra-high speed joint controllers, extreme neck travel, and high resolution camera and IR systems. The dexterity of R2 allows it to use the same tools that astronauts currently use and removes the need for specialized tools just for robots."

talking robots

2010-08-04T00:47:00.000-07:00

Talking robots: a podcast of EPFL

"Talking Robots is a podcast featuring interviews with high-profile professionals in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for an inside view on the science, technology, and business of intelligent robotics."

KASPAR

2010-08-04T00:43:00.001-07:00

KASPAR

"KASPAR is a child-sized humanoid robot developed by the Adaptive Systems Research Group at theUniversity of Hertfordshire.

KASPAR is being used to study human-robot interaction as part of the European RobotCub Project, which aims to build an open-source robot platform for cognitive development research. The Adaptive Systems Research Group is investigating the use of gestures, expressions, synchronisation and imitation. In addition the robot may be used for developmental studies and interaction games."

developmental robotics

2010-08-04T00:40:00.000-07:00

Sony Computer Science Laboratory Paris

"Generating plausible models for the processes underlying children’s development in the first years of their life is a challenging scientific issue at the crossroads of neuroscience, learning theories and developmental psychology. Children seem to acquire new know-how in a continuous and open-ended manner. A large amount of work describes how new skills seem to build one upon another, suggesting a continuum between sensory-motor development and higher cognitive functions. But very few plausible low-level mechanisms exist to explain how such skills emerge or self-organize."