Some researchers from Duke and Georgia Tech now have a swarm setup that isn’t yet able to power robots beyond the Q L-C resonator-equipped table, but give them time. Looks like it works great in the proof-of-concept, where five bots are each equipped with a non-resonant pickup coil that follows a path around the table, or sits still to recharge their batteries. It all resembles a slow slot car race with robots. They even powered an LED light with the system. One day soon they eventually hope to expand the system into something that will power larger swarms of robots and get rid of the batteries. Video below.
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IMPASS, the Intelligent Mobility Platform with Actuated Spoke System is under development at Virginia Tech’s Robotics & Mechanisms Lab and has been for some time. The bot has spokes instead of wheels, enabling it to adjust the length of each spoke to overcome obstacles or cross divots. You can’t do that in your car. It features two motors for movement and three more inside the wheels move treads that shift the spokes in and out, depending on what the laser and IR range finders are seeing, so it’s height is always precisely calculated. The bot basically does what wheels can’t, therefore it can go where wheels won’t take you. Video below
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Surveyor introduced a new open source 3D stereo vision system for robotics and remote monitoring known as Surveyor SVS. It features dual processors, dual cameras, wifi, and sells for $550. The SVS is aimed at researchers, educators and developers interested in enabling depth perception in their applications without the need for an array of active sensors.

[Surveyor]

Getting robots to throw balls is much easier then getting them to catch stuff. For throwing all you need is a fancy catapult really. Catching requires very complex math and it’s all about perspective from the catcher and the thing being caught.

Researchers have developed Catchbot and he fields roughly 75% of the balls, though I imagine he’ll improve. Click through to find out just how they manage this.
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An experiment, conducted by neuroscientists at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, involving a pair of macaque monkeys with electrodes implanted in their brains, have the monkeys operating a robot arm like it was their own. They are even able to feed themselves much of the time, which is pretty impressive.

Research has been going on since 2000 and a similar break through occurred in 2003, but now they were able to make a monkey walk on a treadmill at Duke University and control the motions of another robot in Japan. This could lead to a breakthrough in prosthetics, where the user might train himself to close a prosthetic hand by shrugging his shoulder, and the brain will adapt, with the shrug motion eventually becoming second nature.

Or monkeys and robots might team up and give us a Terminator/Planet Of The Apes future.

Great for prosthetics, but it could also apply to normal people controlling machines with their minds in the future, whether your car or computer.

[Popular Mechanics]

Ever wanted to be sitting in your home and be able to put on a helmet and be in Jamaica? Researchers are working on just that thing. Telexistence is being in two places at one time (Kinda like God) and at the same time having real-time sensations and being able to interact with your surroundings. Telesar is a prototype robot that brings it closer to reality. Telesar could get groceries for you, and go into the office to get the brief case you left there. You basically just sit back and drive it and it’s like you are there.
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