robotics on technabob...

Someday, people are going to learn not to mess with the dangerous technology. You’re not supposed to build an AI! Haven’t the movies taught you people anything? Apparently not, since some guy has gone and built himself a transforming robot.

Is it awesome? Of course it is–it’s a damn Transformer. It may not be a fancy little car or anything,…

I apologize to anyone who has seen Revenge of the Fallen and liked it, but personally I think I got ripped off on that one. My sentiments – and then some – have been represented elsewhere, so I’ll just leave it at that. So let’s look at here’s Robonova instead. Robonova is a programmable, fully articulating 12-in robot powered by 16…

The Gundam statue isn’t even formally exhibited yet and we already have news on another 1:1 scale giant robot statue that will be built in Japan! Widely acknowledged as the first giant robot ever to be featured in manga, Tetsujin 28-go (”Iron Man 28″) is finally going to live up to its Westernized name, Gigantor.

A 59-ft (18-m) statue of…

The quest to keep people indoors and separated from each other continues with the mydeskfriend robot toy penguin. The web-connected mydeskfriend will be able to connect to your Facebook account and read your messages and your feeds, in a robotic voice I assume. Your friends will also be able to interact with it via Facebook, thereby avoiding interacting with you.…

Tonight’s nightmare is brought to you by the US Air Force Research Laboratory and their Playstation 1 – era CG presentation of the Micro Air Vehicles project. Narrated by someone who sounds almost exactly the same as Metal Gear Solid’s Col. Roy Campbell, the video outlines the ideal capabilities of MAVs, which are basically robotic bugs and birds.

Similar to…

You may think you love Transformers, but unless you’ve got a lifesized replica holding court in your front yard, this fellow Tom Rhodes has got you beaten all the way. Made from an actual car–the only way to go–the Autobot replica stands a monstrous 18 feet.

Capital fellow that he is, Mr. Rhodes is happy to allow visitors to his…

I think the best advantage in sending robots instead of humans to armed conflicts is simply the fact that robots are not human. Robots don’t have feelings or families, so no one gets hurt if a robot goes down, not even its fellow robots. Robots are not alive, which means they can’t die.
Brainz showcased some of America’s present and…

Is that a lightsaber unit in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me? That’s the question your friends will be asking when you whip out this tiny little motorized R2-D2 and he starts tooling around your desk between your coffee mug and your iPod dock.

The miniature R2-D2 doesn’t just sit there. Nope, it can tool around…

The RX-78 Gundam statue is aliiiiiive!

Okay not really but it’s still awesome. It looks like a chunkier Exia. Of course it does. They’re both Gundams. Giant Robot Statue is making me stupid.

And its head moves too! *sobs*

It doesn’t just do “Look at me I’m awesome” poses too, it can also be dramatic, as shown in this shot:…

DARPA’s Self-Explanation Learning Framework (SELF) program “seeks to construct systems that can participate in their own construction.” Imagine a robot helping build itself. Who or what runs DARPA these days? Are there still humans in there? Things are moving too fast folks. Let’s look at the matchup for a sec: Human fetus – looks cute/scary/funny, probable source of clones and…

Yes, whereas Neil Armstrong had to walk on the moon to get to say his famous quote, this robot only had to open doors and plug power cords and voila – Robot Armstrong. How unfair is that. Seriously though, robotics company Willow Garage are on to something here. No matter how fast they can think or how many things they can…

The RX-78 statue – 8th Wonder of the World, King of all Statues, Future Prime Minister – is finished. It’s done. It’s awesome. It’s bitchin.  Japan the best. Japan is the Michael Jordan of nations. Japan is the knees of the bee’s knees. They make giant robot statues. GIANT! ROBOT! STATUES!

Not even the gloomiest and smoggiest of days can…

iRobot’s new military robot might not have a personality per se, but the moment I saw them they reminded me of the Tachikomas from Ghost in the Shell. The little fella is called Ember, and its being developed as a disposable yet durable networked mobile swarm. The one-pound robot can be equipped with sensors and radios. I don’t know if…

It’s comforting to note that Star Wars favorite R2-D2 is just as cool when he’s stripped of his iconic blue and white. At the recent Maker Faire, a colorless version was on display, and really stands out next to the more accurate replicas.

All of the character but none of the color. The body, too, is naked, hollowed out, as…

Just because you’re a robot in disguise doesn’t mean you have to be huge. These tiny little versions of two popular Transformers autobots prove quite the contrary.

The latest in TakaraTomy’s Robo-Q series, these palm-sized Optimus Prime and Bumblebee robots are just too cute to be capable of any real destruction. Now the picture above doesn’t really give you a…