Azimuth Mr.Roboto Watch

If you're looking to drop a few Gs on a watch, may we recommend an alternative to Rolex or Tag Heuer? How about the Mr. Roboto Watch by Azimuth? While not plated in gold, it does capture the gloriously retro style of 1950s tin robot toys. Constructed from steel (otherwise known as "fuck you, gold"), the timepiece features automatic winding and up to 50M of waterproof fun. For a shot of its inspiration robot, hit the jump.


Source: http://gizmodo.com/373953/azimuth-mrroboto-watch

Future of robotics: The road ahead

In this article, we would be indulging in ascertaining some valuable information about robots, their functionality, past, present and future. There are many things in our minds as to what robots are . In this article we aim at providing a complete, clear and precise answer to that curiosity.

Let us start with robots and then move to robotics. Robots have always created a sense of curiosity and mystery in the minds of humans and this is the primary reason why they have managed to evoke a huge interest even after such a long time and is expected to sustain it in the near future.

The name given to the study of robots is robotics. Robotics is a complete and comprehensive study about the science and technology involved with robots. It involves designing and manufacturing process of robots and applications to come up with the predefined results. Anyone interested in robotics is required to possess an expert insight into mechanics, software and electronics. Now that we have studied something about robots and robotics, let us now move to the capabilities of a modern day robot.

A modern day robot is capable of being an active participant at military landmine detectors, lawn mowing exercises and home cleaning apart from imparting valuable medical and scientific services. All the functions are controlled by a series of complex operations and these robots are able to deliver high-end performance on a consistent basis without any fail.

Now that we have a base understanding of robots and the type of services offered by them, let us have a look at the past and present followed by their expected role in the near future.

Robots in Past

In the past, Robots were considered to be a costly affair but with continuing advancements in the field of science and technology, the costs involved is minimizing.

Robots in daily life

Robots are everywhere, from medical institutions to surgeries and from packaging of cookies to manufacturing of cars. They are also used in manufacture of mobile phones and pagers as well as in space explorations. Nowadays, all the critical and complex work is done with the help of robots, whether partly or in whole.

Future of robotics

As per the Robotic Industries Association, a whopping 90 percent of organisations with robotic manufacturing applications are yet to come out with the first robot installation. It is believed that material handling, space exploration, medical sector and assembly sector are the likely beneficiaries of robotics in the coming future which sure is quite bright.

Robotics can help to guide the blind people, facilitate easy driving, assist the elderly people. They can be used in cloning and in many other useful tasks which can benefit the mankind. They can perhaps be used to travel in the human body to detect and find solutions to the deadly diseases. They can also help in the creation of "intelligent" vehicles and can also be used to reveal truths of the solar system.

With both the government and non-government organizations showing an avid interest in the development of robotics, the future of robotics is bright and one fine day, all the questions behind robots and robotics will get an answer.

Army orders 24 new sentry-bots, Judgment Day moved up two months

Sure, you laughed yesterday when you heard professor Noel Sharkey warn against the impending, apocalyptic man vs. machine battle that was to come, but this news may have you singing a different tune. A pilot program in Nevada which employed robotic sentries to patrol Hawthorne Army Depot is getting an upgrade: 24 brand new drones called MDARS, or "Mobile Detection and Assessment and Response System." The $40 million purchase will nab the Army diesel-powered robots which operate at speeds up to 20 MPH, use RFID tags to keep track of locks and barriers, and can run for 16 hours without refueling. Though the bots have been tested with automatic weapons, these new versions will be equipped with non-lethal armaments, thus making them considerably less deadly when Skynet goes online.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/army-orders-24-new-sentry-bots-judgment-day-moved-up-two-months/

Professor decries robotic killing machines, clearly prefers to do killing himself

So the military is continuing down the totally inevitable path of computer-controlled autonomous robo-warriors capable of fighting deadly human battles on our behalf -- and out come the naysayers like U of Sheffield prof Noel Sharkey, who, at The Ethics of Autonomous Military Systems conference in London, decried the bots' self-determined killing abilities as "a threat to humanity" -- especially if they're captured and re-purposed by terrorists to do their evil bidding. Sharkey exclaimed that he's "worked in artificial intelligence for decades, and the idea of a robot making decisions about human termination terrifies [him]," but -- and we're just gonna throw this out there -- what if being oppressed by a race of automatons run amok were actually an improvement over our corrupt governments of men? Isn't that a possibility, too? We're certainly going to keep telling ourselves it is, thankful we've somehow managed to not be overthrown by our own creations. Thus far.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/28/professor-decries-robotic-killing-machines-clearly-prefers-to-d/

Toshiba's 815T PB on Softbank threatens humanity

We kind of wish this was fake -- and we're tentatively overjoyed that it's not -- but we can't help but feeling a little freaked at the Toshiba 815T PB on Softbank, developed to coincide with a new show featuring (you guessed it) robo-phones called Ketai Sousakan 7. Yeah yeah, QVGA, 3G, 3.2 megapixel camera, that's all well and good, but our latent fear of cellphone brain cancer kind of just went out the window.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/toshibas-815t-pb-on-softbank-threatens-humanity/

Sleep Walking Robot

This sleep walking robot is one smart piece of tech - it actually deciphers recorded brainwaves and re-enacts your movements inside of your dreams. Hopefully it isn't too strong as there are some folks who tend to kick and muscle their way on a bed while engaged in a blissful rest. Insomniacs won't find too much use for this though.


Source: http://www.gearfuse.com/robot-acts-out-your-dreams/