China too is making strides, and tracks, in robot engineering with a
prototype that can work in difficult
environments; not to mention an impressive toy humanoid robot likely to be in US stores
by Christmas for under US$100.

Another Japanese humanoid, Nuvo, is about to go where none has gone
before — into the home, for US$4,600, in
time for Christmas. This is not a toy, but a serious service robot. Also serious
is Toyota’s prototype humanoid, intended eventually for nursing care and factory
work. But even serious robots are allowed time out for a bit of fun: the Toyota
robot played the trumpet at a Tokyo
hotel recently, and Sony’s Qrio conducted the Tokyo
Philharmonic.

South Korea is getting in on the robotics act with a wheeled security robot for the home priced,
at US$850, extremely competitively against its US$10,000+ Japanese rivals, which
nevertheless are finding buyers. A US company plans to introduce a carebot
costing US$8,000, and a US “nursebot” has been tested in a
retirement home with “great success,” but it may be a while before it reaches
the market. Meanwhile, other US institutions focus on developing home
communication hubs and smart
houses for in-home care, but most federal robotics research dollars in the
US appear to be going to support the
US military.

A Japanese robot maker has produced a giant version of the “strap-on” robot
depicted in the movie Alien, for disaster rescue work. Also working at
giant scale, a US engineer has developed a robotic plotter that can print an entire house using concrete
ink.

It’s not exactly a robot, but a handheld device that functions as a Japanese-English interpreter
for visitors to Japan is sort of.

Artificial muscle is finding its
way into robot cockroaches, laptops, car seats, submarines, and drug
capsules.

Japan is making technological, social, and probably economic strides through
its long-range visioning and planning related to robotics and the country’s
rapidly approaching elder boom. Already on, or soon to be on, the market
are:

• What James Brooke of the New York Times calls “a human washing
  machine” for nursing homes. The US$50,000 clamshell-shaped assisted-care bath
  from Sanyo is installed in 100 “pioneer” nursing homes. The bath gives the
  elderly a degree of independence and privacy, while easing the burden on staff.
  The bather “sits in a chair that is rolled backward into place. The sides of the
  machine then close like a clamshell, forming an instant tub with the person’s
  head sticking out the top. Shampooing and drying is done by hand.” The water
  temperature is of course just right, and jets inside the bath do the washing and
  provide a massage at the same time.
• A “robot suit” — a motorized, battery-operated pair of pants designed to
  help the aged and infirm move around on their own — similar in function to the
  BLEEX exoskeleton reported in the Devicessection of this issue.
• For the less mobile, there is Wakamaru, “a mobile, three-foot-high
  speaking robot equipped with two camera eyes . . . used largely by working
  people to keep an eye on their elderly parents at home.”

Reference: Brooke, James (2004). “Japan
Seeks Robotic Help in Caring for the Aged.” New York Times, March 5.

Sony To Set Up Intelligent Robotics Lab

According to a report in the Asahi Shimbun, Sony plans to establish an
intelligent robots laboratory and staff it with “10 to 20” leading robotics and
brain science researchers. Its goal: “To bring into existence in five years’
time a robot which can communicate so naturally that it is indistinguishable
from man,” the daily quoted Sony’s CEO as saying. It hopes to create a robot
which can make voluntary and intelligent movements by learning things by itself
or reacting to changes in its surroundings, the report said.

Reference: Unknown (2004). “Sony to set up robot
lab.” AFP via NineMSN, March 14.

Robot Cooperation

Sony, Fujitsu, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have unveiled a common
networking protocol enabling their disparate robots to be controlled
simultaneously using one remote. In a demonstration, Sony’s Aibo
robopuppy and Qrio humanoid, Fujitsu’s Maron-1 (an R2D2-type
robot), and Mitsubishi Heavy’s wheeled Wakamaru appeared on stage,
greeted the audience in unison and then took coordinated turns introducing
themselves individually.

The goal of the common robotic networking protocol is to spur the
commercialization of service robots for medical treatment and nursing care in
the home.

Reference: Unknown (2004). “Robots
move in sync as Japan firms look to cash in.” Reuters, via Forbes, March 24.

China’s Prowess

The Shenyang Institute of Automation has developed a robot able to maneuver
through a multitude of environments by using a combination of wheels, legs, and
tracks. It can move five meters per minute on its tracks and ten meters per
minute on its wheels. It decides by itself which locomotion is best for the
terrain. It can avoid obstacles, locate objects, and handle stairs. It was
designed with space and sea exploration in mind.

Reference: Unknown (2004). “China
develops new robot capable of adapting to various environments.” Interfax,
March 18.

Wowee Toy Robot

Hong Kong (China)’s Wow Wee Toys introduced its 2-foot tall, plastic,
“muscle-bound” RoboSapiens at the recent International Toy Fair in New
York. The robots have simple analog electromechanical control circuits instead
of complex computer circuits. For example, when RoboSapiens lifts an arm,
its center of balance automatically shifts so it stays upright. When the robot
walks (and it can do so “at a very fast clip”) or does an about turn, its arms
swing out to maintain balance. It can perform up to 67 functions, pre-programmed
via a 40-button remote control. RoboSapiens should be in US stores by
Christmas and is expected to cost less than $100.

Reference: Chase, Karen (2004). “The Next
Step in Toy Robot Evolution.” ABCNEWS Cybershake, March 5.

First Home Humanoid Due This Year

Japanese company ZMP has unveiled a prototype humanoid it intends to sell for
US$4,600 by the end of the year. The company already makes robots for research
and rental. The prototype version of the humanoid currently rents for $3,200 a
day and costs $27,500 to buy outright.

Fifteen-inch-tall Nuvo walks on two legs, picks itself up when it
falls, recognizes voice commands such as “advance” and “stop,” and can be
controlled remotely from a cell phone. It has a digital camera in its head that
relays images of its surroundings via videophone.

Nuvo marks an advance on Sony’s Qrio and Honda’s Asimo
humanoids in that it is for sale, whereas the others are not.

Reference: Associated Press (2004). “Japan Co.
Unveils Walking Robot.” SiliconValley.com, March 2.

Toyota Elder Care (etc.) Humanoid

Toyota’s experimental humanoid demonstrated its dexterous fingers, mechanical
lung, and mechanical lips by playing “When You Wish Upon a Star” on the trumpet
at a recent event in a Tokyo hotel. The four-foot-tall prototype is an early
result of Toyota’s program to develop industrial robots at its auto factories to
churn out care robots for the elderly and assembly-line androids for the
factory, with an eye to Japan’s looming elder surplus and worker shortage.

The company plans to demonstrate an entire band of robot musicians next
year.

Reference: Associated Press (2004). “Walking
robot toots horn for Japanese automaker Toyota.” SiliconValley.com, March
11.

Robot Orchestra Conductor

Sony’s diminutive Qrio humanoid led the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
in a rendition of the first minute and a half of Beethoven’s Fifth recently.
Qrio cannot read music, his movements were entirely preprogrammed, and he
had no clue what he was doing. It was just a bit of fun to help children
appreciate orchestral classical music.

Reporting the event, the LA Times‘ Colin Joyce wrote: “Most robot fans
seem to view humanoid machines in romantic rather than technical terms. ‘With
all the terrible things happening in the world today, it was nice to see the
robot conducting and to think about what will one day be possible,’ said Kaori
Sion, a flutist who attended the concert with her son. ‘I felt cheerful and
hopeful for the future.'”

Reference: Joyce, Colin (2004). “Robot
Conducts Himself Classically.” Los Angeles Times, March 14.

Domestic Security & Care Robots

South Korea’s leading wireless operator has unveiled a wheeled security robot
for the home. The battery-operated robot recharges itself when its batteries run
low. It can sense fire, gas leaks, and intruders, and call someone via cell
phone, including pictures of the scene. The message recipient can manually
control the robot via cell phone or Internet. Face-recognition functionality
will be added later.

The robot is also being sold as a house sitter for kids, and can even read a
book to them. The expected price is US$850, to make it extremely competitive
with Japan’s $10,000+ Wakamaru and Banryu robots, the company
said.

Thirty Banryus have already been sold through the Internet to a range
of customers, “from businesses looking to beef up office security to couples
concerned about the safety of elderly parents,” says reporter Toshiyuki Otaki in
the Asahi Shimbun. Banryu‘s 600 parts come from small and
medium-sized businesses in cities designated “special robot areas” by the
government.

A US company, GeckoSystems, also hopes to produce a carebot costing about
US$8,000 for seniors. It too will have an intelligent navigation system, and
“can follow grandma around like a dog,” as the company’s CEO put it, call for
help, if needed, and have a camera and monitor so caregivers can see and talk
with the senior.

Robots are “already sneaking into our lives just as computers and cell phones
gradually crept into our daily routine,” writes the Chicago Tribune‘s
Jane Adler, citing the director of the MIT AgeLab, who was referring in
particular to the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner, now “in stores like Bed
Bath & Beyond.” “The real lesson,” he told Adler, “is that these new
technologies come into our lives under the guise of something other than aging.”
The AgeLab is developing a home health station — “a communications hub that
checks blood pressure and glucose levels as well as conducting other medical
tests such as electrocardiograms.” The station would be linked to a doctor’s
office that could provide feedback on daily test results.

University of Florida researchers have built a prototype “smart” house for
seniors, with sensors to detect water leaks, voice activation of lights, doors,
curtains, TVs, and other appliances, and microwave ovens programmed to know the
cooking times of certain foods, sensors that track the resident’s movements
through the house and turn on TVs to offer important reminders, and other
features.

New nursing homes and senior living facilities are being built with
high-speed Internet access and networks to enable in-room video-conferencing
between seniors and staff members and family members, or deliver educational
courses right to the senior’s room.

Reference: Kim, Tae-gyu (2004). “Sophisticated
Robot Keeps Homes Safe.” Korea Times, March 8.

Reference: Otaki, Toshiyuki (2004). “A Scary Sight
to See: Yoichi Takamoto, proud father of the robot guard dragon.” Asahi
Shimbun, March 6.

Reference: Adler, Jane (2004). “A
robot may help improve your senior homelife: Researchers at work on array of new
ideas.” Chicago Tribune, March 7.

Nursebot Pearl

Nursebot Pearl, developed by a team of researchers from the University
of Michigan, University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University, uses
sonar and an internal map to detect and follow her patients, and artificial
intelligence (AI) to make sure they eat breakfast, get to the bathroom, and take
their medicine on time. The wheeled Pearl weighs in at 125lb, speaks with
a computer-generated female voice, and can interact with patients via a
touch-screen. She has been tested in a retirement home with “great success,”
according to a researcher quoted by Ren�e Mickelburgh of the Daily
Telegraph.

The prototype cost almost US$100,000 to develop and it will be “some time”
and some additional development before Pearl goes on sale. For one thing,
her battery has to be recharged every couple of hours, and she does not do
stairs. The team wants to add monitoring capabilities for vital signs such as
heart rate, ankle diameter, and blood pressure.

One elderly man said of robotic assistance: “If your partner goes before you
and you’re alone, it would be some kind of company when you no longer have the
strength to walk a dog.” But the president of the (UK) National Pensioners
Convention insisted that the elderly want “the feel and the smell and the touch
of a human being” rather than a robot.

Reference: Mickelburgh, Ren�e (2004). “Meet
Pearl – she’s the robo-nurse designed to look after the elderly.” Daily
Telegraph, March 21.

Reference: Unknown (2004). “Robot for the elderly at
Future of Aging Services Conference.” Space Daily, March 16.

US Government Pushing Robotics

US university robotics and mechanical engineering departments report an
influx of cash from the military-industrial complex to build autonomous land
vehicles, boats, and aircraft. External funding to the Robotics Institute at
Carnegie Mellon University has jumped 50 percent in the past three years, much
of it coming from DARPA, the Air Force, Army, Marines, NASA, and the National
Science Foundation, and “corporations with historic ties to the military” such
as Boeing, according to an article by Charles Sheehan of the Associated Press.
Universities without advanced robotics laboratories are missing out on the
post-9/11 congressionally-mandated cash bonanza.

Reference: Sheehan, Charles (2004). “Gov’t
Pushing for Research on Robotics.” AP via SiliconValley.com, March 13.

Rescue Robot on Steroids

Banryu‘s maker Tmsuk has also created a gigantic rescue robot called
Enryu (“rescue dragon” or “aid dragon”) for work in earthquake and other
disaster zones. It is 3.5 meters tall, weighs five tons and can lift 500
kilograms with each of its two hydraulic arms. It is expected to be operational
this year. It will forage through massive debris and remove obstacles for rescue
workers.

Its arms extend to 10 meters apart, have the full range of human arm
movement, and have pincer hands to grasp objects. It can be driven from an
onboard pod located in front or controlled remotely using seven cameras on its
head, torso, and arms. It moves at about three kilometers per hour on
caterpillar tracks.

Reference: Unknown (2004). “Giant
Robot to Help During Disasters: Five ton behemoth can lift one-fifth its
weight.” Betterhumans, March 26.

Robot Builders

You’ve probably seen plotters working, their ink-filled cartridge pens
scooting across the surface of the paper laying down lines, drawing circles, and
shading-in areas. Now imagine a giant plotter the size of an overhead gantry
used in container yards, reading directly from an architect’s computerized
blueprints, its cartridges filled with quick-drying concrete of a toothpaste
consistency, making successive passes over a plot of ground and laying down
successive beads of concrete, and finishing up with a giant trowel to smooth the
sides. The result: the internal and external walls, door and window openings,
and domed roof of a nearly complete house.

If you are a regular reader, you know what we are going to say next: Imagine
no more. It’s here. This creation of an engineer at the University of Southern
California has attracted the attention and support of the world’s largest
manufacturer and supplier of building materials, which will develop materials
specifically for it. The first house will be built next year.

The “house printer” could not only eliminate some building trades, but also
enable designs unbuildable with conventional methods, for example involving
complex curving walls.

Reference: Glaskin, Max (2004). “Robot builder
could ‘print’ houses.” New Scientist, March 4.

Robot Interpreters At Airports

English-speaking travelers arriving at Tokyo’s Narita Airport will soon be
able to hire a Japanese interpreter in a PDA/cell phone developed by NEC. It is
claimed to be able to interpret colloquialisms, and has a vocabulary of 50,000
Japanese and 25,000 English travel and tourism related words. The user talks
into the device and it talks back “in almost-perfect Japanese in a second,”
according to Jo Twist of the BBC. The devices also contain airport and local
guides and are connected wirelessly to the Internet.

Reference: Twist, Jo (2004). “Robo-talk
helps pocket translator.” BBC News, March 4.

Artificial Muscle

Environmental Robots sells tiny sensors and actuators made of electroactive
polymers (EAPs) — a type of artificial muscle — for pumps and motors, quiet
propulsion devices, and novel drug-delivery systems. An electric current causes
the EAP to change shape very precisely and at much greater magnitudes than
piezoelectric crystals.

Other artificial muscle applications under development, reported by Steve
Nadis in Wired, include:

• EAPs to power the cooling fans in laptops and to replace the electric motors
  in car seats and windows,
• Flex, a self-powered EAP robot intended for military use such as
  detecting landmines, that walks like a cockroach on EAP-muscled legs,
• Stealth submarines that move like fish, using an EAP developed by an MIT
  bioengineer to mimic the complex motions of sunfish fins, and
• Implantable, matchstick-sized capsules with microscopic pores and EAP valves
  to release controlled doses of insulin or other drugs.

Reference: Nadis, Steve (2004). “Plastic on
Steroids: Artificial muscles pump up everything from military gear to drug
delivery.” Wired, Issue 12.03, March.