News and Analysis Results
Send in the clowns robots
Our trip last week to the Robo Business conference in Pittsburgh confirmed one thing - the vast majority of robotics companies are in search of federal pork. About 80 per cent of the systems on display were small, autonomous vehicles capable of scouting missions, disarming bombs or carrying material. In this photo retrospective …
Vacuum king calls for end to robotics hype
Colin Angle this week demonstrated the authority that comes with being a robotic vacuum magnate. He told the crowd here at the Robo Business conference that they'd let consumers and businesses down with sub par products. They had supplied more hype than innovation and could use something akin to steroids for their imaginations …
The call for robotics standards is on
The robotics industry's penchant for bespoke gadgets has so far led to a slow moving field where every company and hobbyist has to spend huge amounts of time and money on new designs. A growing number of people have started to point to a lack of hardware and software standards as one of the main reasons robotics has stalled and …
Carnegie Mellon's robotics whiz oddly trapped in the past
For the last twenty years, the same robotics story has been written time and again. It goes something like, "The future is here. Robotics has moved from promise to reality and is set to explode as a major money-making field." Local robotics legend William "Red" Whittaker trotted out that tired line today here at the Robo …
US Army pleads for help making robots safe
The US military plans to have a vast robot army in the near future but has yet to come up with a concrete method for ensuring that mindless devices can operate safely alongside brained troops. So, the military has been forced to beg for help. General Charles Cartwright urged attendees here at the Robo Business conference to …
Microsoft gives monopoly robotic legs
Microsoft has answered the robotics industry's call for a monopoly standard with the release of a new software development package for powering devices of all sizes. The beasty hopes the software will make it easier for students and hobbyists to enter the robotics field and provide a common platform for companies to use. Tandy …
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