The Elenco Escape Robot

The Elenco Escape Robot provides a hands-on experience in building your own A.I. Robot. With the use of 3 IR emitting diodes and 1R receiving module that allows the Escape Robot to send and receive signals to detect obstacles. 

A built-in microprocessor permits the Escape Robot to think on its own by gathering information on its environment. Resulting in an amazing escape from any maze!

For more information: midwesternrobotics.com

Did you know...

In 1495 Leonardo da Vinci designed an armored humanoid machine? 

In 1945, at the court of Milan Leonardo displayed the armored humanoid machine at a celebration. The machine was operated by an intricate design of pulleys and cables. The machine was able to stand, sit and maneuver its arms. 

In 1950 the plans for the machine was rediscovered in a series of sketchbooks. The machine has been renamed as Leonardo’s mechanical knight and has been successfully built. Confirming that the designs create a fully functional machine just as Leonardo had planned. 

Below is a model of Leonardo's mechanical knight, with the inner pulleys and cables, as displayed in Berlin. 

"Meant to Shock the World.”

Today a paraplegic, dressed in a metal vest and a blue cap affixed with electrodes, got out of his wheelchair to take the first kick at the World Cup. A gesture "meant to shock the world,” said by Dr. Nicolelis. A demonstration of this caliber is outside of the standard for robotic demonstration. 

The robotic exoskeleton is the brain child of Dr. Nicolelis, a leading scientist in the file of brain-machine interfaces, and was created with a team of over 150 researchers.

The exoskeleton received direct instructions from the individual who is wearing the suit. Paper-thin electrodes within the blue cap worn but the paraplegic records and transmits neuronal information to and from a small computer on the back of the exoskeleton. From there the information is sent to the legs. 

Visit CNN for more in depth information. 

History in the making!

For the first time a robot housed in space fixed its self without any aid from astronauts. Canadarm2 robotic arm, the two faulty cameras on the Canadian built robot was replaced by a series of mini operations performed by the use of its own mechanical hand called Dextre. 

The Canadarm2 had two problems that needed to be fixed. The first, a camera was removed in 2012 by astronauts. The second, a camera connected at the elbow joint was starting to act up. Being that this camera is crucial in the work done by Canadarm2 and the first camera has been out of commission since 2012, the Canadian Space Agency team decided upon using the robotic arm to fix both problems. 

The procedure began with detaching the camera acting up at the elbow joint and reattaching it where the camera was removed in 2012. Then Dextre took a new camera from the Kibo airlock and connected it to its own elbow in place of the old one that was acting up. The cumbersome cameras, around 47 pounds, are about the size of an outdated CRT-style monitor. 

The complicated process includes defined dexterity from Dextre in order to unscrew bolts and bring them back to the Kibo airlock without dropping any. A job of this magnitude was difficult since Dextre had not been set up to repeat tasks. 

Dextre might be the first to repair itself but surely it is not the last. 

For more information visit http://2045.com/news/32894.html

Just Add Water

Owi Salt Water Fuel Cell Monster Truck Kit is a fun educational kit that encourages children to learn about alternative forms of clean energy at the same time building and powering their own monster truck. The Salt Water Fuel Cell Monster Truck Kit is armed with a four-wheel drive mechanical construction that allows each individual wheel to change its angle. This in combination with the trucks ability to its height and shape the Salt Water Fuel Cell Monster Truck Kit can handle a variety of terrain. The transparent body permits children to see the placement and pattern of the piston in either vertical or horizontal position. Just add water and see your monster come to life!

For more information visit http://www.midwesternrobotics.com/robots/

Elektro; the first humanoid robot

Did you know that Elektro was the world’s first humanoid robot? Built by Westinghouse and debuted in1939. Elektro was a seven-foot-tall walking machine that “spoke” more than 700 words and was stored on 78-rpm records to simulateconversation.

Learn more about Robot History at http://www.midwesternrobotics.com/robots/history.asp

Aging, the ever pressing future of the human race. In times past children would care for their elders but with growing technology a new kind of caretaker is born; GIRAFF+. A telepresence robot in constant communication with a network of sensors that will help our elders live safer, more independent and enhance social living in their home. GIRAFF+ is a mobile assistant that not only senses activities such as cooking or sleeping but also medical information to medical professionals. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140505104221.htm