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R. Brooks's robots are called upon to inspect pipes at nuclear power plants
The growing interest in nuclear power is good news for Brooks, a maker of remotely operated robotic inspection devices for pipes, especially in nuclear power plants; all power plants have intricate systems of pipes and systems whose internal condition is impossible to inspect by human eyes
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Robotic platform helps soldiers carry heavy gear
Israel Aerospace Industries unveils robotic platform designed for ground forces; the platform, carrying up to 200kg of gear, follows the lead soldier from a distance; the soldiers control the platform by using simple commands, including “stop,” “fetch,” and “heel”
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Humanoid robots to help people in hazardous environments
Current calculations required for robots’ handling objects and avoiding collisions are based on movements in the XYZ coordinates, and are sensitive to any minor deformations in the environment, such as a flexible object that would cause the calculations to be invalid; researchers offer a new way to govern robots’ movement
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Mitchell Zakin revived the chemistry discipline at DARPA
Mitch Zakin —who says, “I joined DARPA because it is unfettered by conventional wisdom” — will leave the agency in 2010; he has been working on developing “the infochemistry project,” which combines the powers of chemistry and information technology
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Home robots may be hackers' next target
Home surveillance robots could be turned against their users, researchers say; few people have home robots now, but reliance on them grows for stay-at-home elderly and the sick
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TALON robots for Australian forces
Qinetiq awarded AUS$23 million to supply 2,800 TALON robots and replacement parts to support Australian defense forces deployed on operations
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Four-legged robot to help soldiers carry equipment
MIT researchers develop a four-legged robot that stand, squat, crawl, trot, run (its current top speed is 7 mph), and even bound; it can carry a 154 kg load
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Unmanned ground vehicles patrol city streets
Designing air or sea unmanned vehicles is relatively straightforward because at sea, and in the air, there are hardly any obstacles; designing an unmanned ground vehicle, however, is much tougher; the U.S. Army, after decades of trying, has succeeded in building one
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UCSD agile robots catch the eye at national robotics conference
UCSD researchers demonstrate Switchblade, a hopping robot with a sense of balance; the robot can detect when it is about to fall over, and figure out how to shift its weight appropriately so it does not
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Competition for U.S. Marines' supply robocopter down to two
The U.S. Marines are looking for unmanned supply helicopters that can deliver ten tons of supplies across distances of 150 miles in 24 hours; they also have to be able to hover at high altitudes (say, up in the Hindu Kush mountains)
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Powered robot suits demonstrated in Tokyo
Japanese company develops a powered exoskeletal suit intended for heavy labor, rescue support at disaster sites, and use by the disabled or elderly
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Robots perform fire-fighting duties in London
The robots, built by defense contractor QinetiQ, have been in use for a year; London’s fire brigade has been impressed by the robots’ performance
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Robo-wheels to help search-and-rescue teams
There is new help coming to search-and-rescue teams, especially those specializing in rescuing victims of avalanches: robots with wheels — each wheel with six vanes on its side that are linked to both the wheel and a central hub; the design allows the best possible traction in tough conditions and prevents the wheel from sinking or slipping
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Rat-like rescue robot uses whiskers to feel its way through rubble
Researchers developed rat-like robot which can crawl through — and under — rubble in search for victims trapped under collapsed buildings; robot uses long plastic whiskers at the side of its head to detect objects and radio back to a control center
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DARPA looking for Genesis-style AI lifeforms
DARPA has issued a solicitation for ideas about self-organizing Tetris AIs and smart-vat superlife on cards; the research organization appears to be seeking nothing less than the creation of artificial intelligent lifeforms
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The long view
AI-Controlled Fighter Jets May Be Closer Than We Think — and Would Change the Face of Warfare
Could we be on the verge of an era where fighter jets take flight without pilots – and are controlled by artificial intelligence (AI)? US R Adm Michael Donnelly recently said that an upcoming combat jet could be the navy’s last one with a pilot in the cockpit.