Robotic Nation Evidence

New 'Mental typewriter' controlled by thought alone: "A computer controlled by the power of thought alone has been demonstrated at a major trade fair in Germany. The device could provide a way for paralysed patients to operate computers, or for amputees to operate electronically controlled artificial limbs. But it also has non-medical applications, such as in the computer games and entertainment industries."

Soldiers Use Game Skills to Master Remote Guns

The article talks about remotely operated guns, like the one mounted atop the Striker vehicle. The obvious extension is to place the guns in permanent turrets and let people operate them from miles away.

All of the technology exists to do this. Between remotely operated guns, remotely piloted aircraft and autonomous vehicles, it is easy to imagine a robotic force in less than 10 years. It is inevitable and unstoppable.

So here is a question to think about. What if, in Iraq today, there were no human soldiers dying? And what if it cost a lot less to deploy the force because there were no human soldiers on the ground in Iraq? Would there be any pressure to end the war? What would inhibit us from starting other wars in nations that do not have the resources to resist our robotic forces? I know a number of people who think that lack of inhibition will be a very good thing. I know a number of others who think it will not.

Laser chips could power petaflop computers

This sentence says a lot: "Laser communications chips capable of pumping data through the veins of gargantuan "petaflop" supercomputers have been demonstrated by NEC in Japan."

The advatages of flash drives are becoming more and more tangible:

Samsung launches 32 GB Flash disk for mobile computers

Much less power consumption, smaller, lighter and no moving parts. It will be interesting to see how fast the prices drop.

Pentagon plans cyber-insect army

From the article: "The Pentagon's defence scientists want to create an army of cyber-insects that can be remotely controlled to check out explosives and send transmissions.

The idea is to insert micro-systems at the pupa stage, when the insects can integrate them into their body, so they can be remotely controlled later."

So now, when you see a butterfly or moth, you have to wonder if it is recording your conversation or not.

Nice video of the swimming snake robot:

Snake Video

Scientists make 'bionic' muscles: "Scientists have developed artificial, super-strength muscles which are powered by alcohol and hydrogen... Writing in Science, they say these artificial muscles are 100 times more powerful than the body's own. They said they could even be used in 'exoskeletons' to give superhuman strength to certain professions such as firefighters, soldiers and astronauts."

Obviously they could also be used in robots, although the article never mentions that.

This article has a nice video on these muscles.

Aging Japan builds robot to look after elderly

From the article:

A Japanese-led research team said it had made a seeing, hearing and smelling robot that can carry human beings and is aimed at helping care for the country's growing number of elderly.

Government-backed research institute Riken said the 158-centimeter (five-foot) RI-MAN humanoid can already carry a doll weighing 12 kilograms (26 pounds) and could be capable of bearing 70 kilograms within five years.

Here's a good way to understand why kiosks will start appearing in more and more places:

Nextran ATMs

It talks about traditional ATMs, and also specialized ATM kiosks. For example, go to the hotel section and you can find this, "Even as we speak, we are developing the first ATMs for Hotel lobbies, allowing customers to check into their rooms from our ATM machines, giving them the ability to turn their credit cards into room keys..."

See Robotic Nation for details.

AI-based Accoona search engine aims at Google:

"Accoona, founded in December 2004, has been refining its search engine technology for over a year, which is based on the extensive use of artificial intelligence techniques. The artificial intelligence algorithms enable retrieval of more results for stories associated with the search term and not just containing the term, according to John Fernandez, director of marketing for Accoona, in an interview with EE Times prior to the briefing."

Senators Eye 'Virtual,' Not Real Border Wall

From the article:

"Senators writing an immigration reform bill are debating whether an actual or 'virtual' fence should be built along parts of the U.S.-Mexico border. Republicans are split on a proposal for a 'virtual' fence, using cameras and other technology to monitor illegal traffic."

This is a robotic fence -- much less expensive than a real fence. If the technology were better developed right now, it would be a huge help in places like Iraq where there is a big need to protect linear structures like pipelines, etc.

The problem with robotic fences is that they can be used to create cages and bubbles anywhere and anytime.

Moore's law continues...

Intel Math: 2+2=Quad-Core Processor: "Intel will likely be first to market with a quad-core x86-based processor early next year... Using a similar strategy that it used when it introduced its first dual-core offerings, Intel plans to offer a multi-chip package that combines two of the upcoming dual-core Woodcrest Xeon processors to create its first quad-core processor for servers. Similarly, Intel plans to use two of its soon-to-be-released dual-core Conroe processors to create its Kentsfield quad-core processor for desktop PCs. "

Very cool video showing it climbing trees, brick walls, glass, etc.:

RiSE: The Amazing Climbing Robot - ROBORAMA.info: "RiSE is a small six-legged robot that climbs vertical terrain such as walls, trees and fences. RiSE's feet have claws, micro-claws or sticky material, depending on the climbing surface. RiSE changes posture to conform to the curvature of the climbing surface and a fixed tail helps RiSE balance on steep ascents. RiSE is about 0.25 m long, weighs 2 kg, and travels 0.3 m/s."

Can You Clone a Movie Star? - A report from Hollywood's digital frontier: "The ultimate step to eliminate what remains of the distinction between cartoons and movies is the creation of computer-generated actors. Video games have already moved in this direction. Electronic Arts released a game of From Russia With Love last year that employed a digital clone of Sean Connery as he appeared in the 1963 movie. Can Hollywood be far behind? "

It is interesting to me that there is no way to clone the voice yet.

This robot is called BigDog, but it looks more like a small horse when you see it. And it's agility is amazing. Watch this video to see for yourself:

Video of BigDog

Photos are also available here:

The world's most advanced quadruped robot: "Boston Dynamics has released images and details of BigDog, which it is billing as the most advanced quadruped robot on earth. "