Important Innovations

Sony's Very High Tech AIBO - Robot Pet Source:  Sony's AIBO Sony says AIBO 2 is its most advanced and realistic robot pet.  They've designed it with new hardware, artificial intelligence, cameras, sophisticated sensors and a lot more.  It's amazing robotic technology with great personality.  For a news blog on this go to journalist Ed Kane's report Important Innovations Collection: AIBO New & Improved : New AIBO Pet Robot Source:  Sony's  AIBO Sony's High Tech Pet Sony has just launched a significantly upgraded version of the...

Lovot - Fun Robotic Innovation with a Trust Building Mission Source:  Groove X's Lovot Adorable Competitor for Sony's Aibo Japanese robotic inventors are calling it an affectionate companion robot.  It's named Lovot, an amalgam for love and robot.  It just was launched today in Tokyo.  Japanese startup Groove X created the little robot.  Founder and CEO Kaname Hayashi is a former roboticist with Softbank Robotics of Japan.  The little robot is as cute and AI-smart as it gets. It also has a big purpose:  to build trust between humans and machines. Incredible Robotic Tech Lovot has a thermographic camera on its head to track motion around it.  It pays close attention to detailed facial expressions, hand gestures and posture.  It contains a high powered computer system. And besides it role as a pet/companion, it can also serve as a surveillance camera or baby monitor.  A pair of 2 are priced at 598,000 yen or $5212 with delivery in fall or winter of 2019. New Pet

Boston Dynamics' Atlas - Your Tough Companion at the Gym Humanoid Extraordinaire Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot Atlas is a multi-talented, multi-tasker.  His latest feat is to bound up multi layers of platform, shifting his weight from right foot to left and back to the right foot as it runs upstairs.  In other words, it can do parkour training, using exercise movements developed from military course training. Backflips Too Atlas can backflip, run through the snow without falling, bound up stairs.  It's athletic prowess is being constantly upgraded to manage its way in the world and assist humans as a humanoid robot walking, running and jumping among us. Exciting Future of Robotics Robotic technology is advancing leaps and bounds.  Robots are clearly a growing part of our future, whether on 2 legs like Atlas, 4 legs like Boston Dynamics' Spot Mini or flying through the air like DARPA's flying robotic insects.

Robots Navigating Like Humans Photo:  Courtesy of  MIT Going from A to B with a Motion Plan MIT researchers have developed a way to enable robots to navigate environments in the same way that humans do.  In simulations the robot moves through a crowded room by exploring the environment, observing what others are doing and exploring what it's learned from other situations. Robot with Hybrid Brain They've done this by combining a  planning algorithm with a neural network that learns to identify paths to best outcomes and uses the knowledge to guide the robots actions.   It's a novel motion planning model.  Until now, robots have struggled with navigational concepts. CSAIL & McGovern Brain Institute Research The MIT researchers are from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and the McGovern Institute for brain, mind and machine research.  They just presented their discoveries to the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Syst

Erica Makes Robotic News Erica - The Robot TV News Anchor First Robot TV News Anchor The world has its first robot news anchor.  Nippon Television, the Japanese TV network, has hired Erica to deliver the nightly news.  Erica is a highly advanced robot.  It was developed by the Director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University, Hiroshi Ishiguro.  He says Erica has one of the most advanced artificial speech systems in the world. Likes to Chat The news robot is loaded with the latest tech.  It's capable of holding conversations with humans thanks to speech generation algorithms, facial recognition technology and infrared sensors that track faces across a room. Even Tells Jokes - Robot News Network This robot is no joke.  Erica actually likes to tell jokes.  For now, she'll serve as a news reader. No on-the-road reporting assignments yet but that can't be too far behind on a potential channel called Robot News Network (RNN).

Beachbot Cleans Thailand's Beaches Courtesy PTTEP:  Thailand's Beachbot Beach Cleaning Robot Beach Cleaning Robot Thailand, with its beautiful beaches, is one of the world's top tourist destinations.  But as the crowds grow so does the debris left behind on the beach.  Thailand has dispatched a new cleanup crew -  the beach cleaning robot. Bot Partnership Thai oil and gas exploration company PTTEP and Prince of Songkla University have partnered to create the beach cleaning robot.  They're calling it the PTTEP Love Sea Love Beach project and it's proving effective. WiFi Controlled Beachbot can be controlled remotely by WiFi.  It travels along the beach using a vibrating sleeve to separate the trash from the sand.  It works on dry and wet sand and has a rechargeable battery that lasts for 2 hours. More Beach Patrols The team behind Beachbot are expanding its capabilities and plan to deploy more on Thai beaches.  It's robotic innovation maki

Robo Pup Aibo Coming to the US Aibo  Sony just announced its robot dog Aibo, that's loaded with AI, is coming to the US in time for Christmas.  This is a 6-generation mechanical pup with quite a tech pedigree. Tech Pedigree It combines robotics with AI, image sensors and internet connectivity.  It can recognize faces and learn behavior.  In fact, its unique personality is developed based on its interactions with its owners.  It also carries quite a high tech price-tag - $2899.. Just Like Fido According to Sony, the bot is just like a pet dog.  It can learn tricks, reacts to words and being petted and plays with toys. But unlike your dog, it has an app that owners can use to adjust system settings and build in new tricks. It also doesn't dig holes in your backyard, bark incessantly or chew the furniture. You can also connect Aibo to the internet cloud to store its memories.  6G Aibo has been available to consumers in Japan since January.  Sony says the bot puppy is