Global Robot Expo Shows Robots for Students

Excellent article on varieties of robots for students and varieties of learning opportunities they represent...  

Educational Robots At Global Robot Expo

This article presents all novelties at the Global Robot Expo related to educational robots, from emotional robots to early child programming, going through robot building and robot remote-controlling from a tablet or mobile app.

Global Robot Expo: Educational Robots, From Emotional Robots To Early Child Programming

Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Ambassador of Japan, surprised us with a perfect Castilian language. Then he left us perplexed: He began to speak about Juanelo Turriano, the watchmaker of the Court of Charles I, and his "Stick Man". Besides watchmaker, Juanelo was a mathematician, astronomer, engineer, architect... His real name was Gianello Torriani (he was born near Milan in 1501). The Milanese where he lived became part of the empire of Carlos I and V of Germany, and Gianello was called to Toledo by the ambassador to become the court watchmaker.

In addition to building a variety of clocks, some of which were complicated astronomy gadgets (it is said that Carlos I understood watches as truly scientific instruments), through his knowledge of mechanics and watchmakers, Juanelo also became builder of automatons, some of which are preserved in Europe. However, the most famous of them, the "Stick Man" has left no trace, to the point of becoming a legend. It is thought that it was installed around the street of "Stick Man" in Toledo (Spain), close to the cathedral. Apparently, it was burned by the Inquisition when it was decreed to be possessed by Evil. It is believed that its intention was to raise money, maybe for Juanelo itself, maybe for a charity hospital that was being built at that time.


It is said that the Stick Man had a slot where people could insert coins, and as a sign of gratitude, it genuflected. Some believe that he was led through the streets of Toledo by rail and others that it was winded and it walked on his own feet. Since there has been no trace of its planes, there is no way to confirm it. Since 1987, there is in Spain the Juanelo Turriano Foundation, responsible for keeping the memory of the Italian wise and his work.


500 years after that event, Kazuhiko Koshikawa recalls it to celebrate the appearance of the first humanoid in Spain, during the opening ceremony of the Global Robot Expo held in Madrid. Koshikawa considers that this first edition of the fair is the beginning of a cooperative relationship to share experiences and scientific knowledge between Japan and Spain in the field of robotics. "Even the longest journey begins with one small step", says Koshikawa, according to an old Japanese proverb.

Global Robot Expo: Kazuhiko Koshikawa and Takanori Shibata presenting PARO, the Educational Robot.
Then the ambassador presented to Professor Takanori Shibata, from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Shibata hold in his hands the seal PARO robot, which might seem a simple stuffed baby seal, but it is actually a complex robot with an initial development cost of 15 million dollars. PARO is generally used for patients with dementia and Alzheimer palliative care, but also in some countries such as Denmark is being used in special education for children with autism.


This robot approved by the US FDA as a medical device, has 32 processors, 3 buses, 20 tactile sensors that cover its skin, sensitive whiskers to touch, and a system of motors that activate its fins and body silently. Responds to touch, to be caught in arms, to be looked at, to temperature and light changes, to sound and the direction it comes from, and it is able to remember names, faces, and actions that generate a positive reaction in humans. It can simulate emotions and moods such as surprise, happiness, and anger, which helps creating the illusion that a relationship with it is taking place. It also emulates the sound of a real baby seal. As with real animals company, it gives positive effects to alleviate depression and anxiety, but it is not necessary to feed it and it never dies (although you cannot machine wash it!).


Read the full article at its source:  http://elearningindustry.com/educational-robots-global-robot-expo

Robot Arm for Drummers - Could this be the start of 3 armed drumming?

Drummers rejoice: There’s now a robot arm for three-handed drumming

 

Neil Peart might soon be out of a job.

Researchers at Georgia Tech’s Center for Music Technology are looking into the potential of robotic arms to augment the abilities of human drummers. Gil Weinberg (unclear whether he’s related to any famous drummers with the same name) has been researching robotic prosthetics for drummers missing arms for the last few years, but IEEE Spectrum reported that he’s now looking into how two-armed drummers can become three-armed cyborg drummers.

he arm, which is strapped onto a drummer’s shoulder, can keep time with what he’s playing and add a beat to the song. So if the drummer is hitting the high-hat cymbal, the arm will know to move to keep time on the ride cymbal, and when the human moves to the snare drum, the arm moves to the tom drum.

“We believe that if you have something that is part of your body, it’s a completely different feeling, because it learns how your body moves and it can augment it,” Weinberg said in a video released by the university. “So if you want to move toward a particular drum, the arm knows that because it recognizes your gestures and you feel that your own body is responding to you in a way.”

The two-foot arm uses onboard accelerometers to measure distance and proximity to the drum kit, and according to a release from the university, was programmed using motion-capture images of a human drumming, helping it to imitate the natural movements of a human arm. The university said in a blog post that the next step is to connect the arm to a human’s brain activity, so instead of inferring what the human is playing, the drummer would actually be able to control it as they would their own arm.

Read the full article at its source: http://qz.com/619823/drummers-rejoice-theres-now-a-robot-arm-for-three-handed-drumming/

Robotic Mouth... CHEW, CHEW, CHEW

Interesting item from MarketPlace.org

What food companies learn from a smart-mouthed robot

via GIPHY


A number of big food companies are trying to change up their product formulations these days to include healthier ingredients. Earlier this month, Mars Inc. joined the ranks of companies cutting artificial coloring from candies like M&Ms and Skittles.


But changing a product can be risky. It might end up tasting less tasty or crispy than the original one.
“Sugar doesn't just make a product sweet and salt doesn't just make it salty,” said Ralph DeLong, a Professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry. “They also have chemical interactions with the other things that affect the texture of the food.”


Some major food companies, which didn’t want to be named, are now finding ways to assess how product reformulations affect things like crispiness, thanks to a robot DeLong helped build.
DeLong said the original robot, invented 30 years ago, was designed for the purpose of testing dental restoration materials. The super-chewer robot could put wear and tear on them a lot faster than humans could and cost a lot less to employ.


“For a material that you want to test for five years, in one week you have the result,” he said.
The latest version of the robot can give feedback on what it's chewing.

Read the full article:  http://www.marketplace.org/2016/02/10/world/what-food-companies-learn-smart-mouthed-robot 

Robot Kills Husband, Leaving Well-Fixed Widow!

From Channelate http://www.channelate.com/2016/02/04/robot-me/ 

Hmmmmm.... Where did this guy go wrong? In the build? In the programming? In allowing his wife access to the programming interface? In not noticing that the provider of the programming software had slipped in some robot self-programming A. I. routines? Or was he some sort of suicidal who's idea of making life easier is to leave the wife behind with a few bucks to spend after he's gone. So many questions! What do you think?

Click on cartoon for larger version

Additional prompts for reflection:

Who (or what) is actually responsible for this crime?  

What was the motive?

Was another crime contemplated and then never committed?

Imagine the back story or prequel to this  What would that be? What would the sequel be?
Do you think the wife and the robot want to get married? Would that be legal?

If the wife dies before the robot will it inherit the insurance money?

Can you think of any other robot against human murders in other fiction?
Dr, Rose Reissman