Artist Dave Styerd (of Geek-Lee-Tist) created this still life using R2-D2′s head as a serving bowl for some delicious grapes, bananas, apples and oranges. The blue Bantha milk is a nice touch too. I have to say it’s kind of cruel that Dave had to decapitate the little droid though. I mean, why not use R5-D4? He already had a bad motivator unit and was headed for the scrap pile. Besides, his flat head would be less likely to tip over and spill fruit onto the table.

Regardless, I’m sure this will inspire some Star Wars geek out there to make an actual R2-D2 fruit bowl using a stainless steel mixing bowl, and e-mail us a picture once they’re done with it. Right?

But I digress. This 16.5″ x 11.7″ Giclee print is the perfect thing for any Star Wars themed kitchen or dining room. Grab one over on Etsy for $15 (USD).

This 6-legged robot is remote controlled and the central area can be fitted with several different projectile-shooting modules. Now do I have your attention? Good. The two shown here can fire discs or ping pong balls at varying angles, achieving great distances. It looks like there is also a dart module that isn’t talked about.

That’s cool all by itself, but he has also designed two types of armor that can be clipped on to the robot. The first is to change the color scheme, the second is for battles with other robots, and when it gets hit, it flies off. This will make for some cool robot battles for sure.

You can give Jamie suggestions for a name on YouTube. You could win a free robot if he picks your name.

[via Geek]

For example, as it is right now, Alpha Dog is really loud. That could give away troops positions to the enemy. This is one area where it could be improved before the live field tests, which are scheduled 18 months from now.

So, from now until then, Boston Dynamics has several goals, like making the robot capable of traveling 20-miles in a 24-hour period without refueling. They will also add voice recognition so that Marines can give audible commands to Alpha Dog. I can’t wait to see what happens when this thing gets even more capable.

[DARPA via IEEE Spectrum via Geek]

The Ecobot-III does just that, plus it can poop itself. So, that’s more poop for the planet. Ecobot-I had an E. Coli engine that ran on refined sugar and Ecobot-II had sludge microbe engine that ate stuff like dead flies and prawn shells. The only problem was that they could not eject waste. They just kept cramming in new batteries until there was no room. You might say they became the world’s first constipated robots.

This third version can collect its own food and water and poop in a litter tray, which should prolong it’s life, but I guess someone has to change that tray now and again like changing a diaper. Ecobot is being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, who, coincidentally have also invested in the creation of some shiny new toilets.

[via Scientific American via Geekosystem]

The Hagent uses its heat sensors to find warmers spots in your pad, like next to a heater or a fireplace. Then, it will soak up all of that heat, storing it as energy. Once the temperature drops, it will move around to where it’s cold and release the stored heat. That’s pretty smart. The storing process isn’t fully described, but it’s nothing too futuristic looking at the prototype robot in the video below:

Assuming they can get this thing down in size and cost, I think they’re onto something here. I wouldn’t mind having one of these, following me around like a puppy. The pets would go nuts though.

[via Gizmodo via DVice]

Gymbot is a concept robot was designed by Massimo Battaglia of givingshape. The robot will basically be on your case 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Think of him as more of a drill Sergeant overseeing your life. This humanoid robot features articulated joints that mimic human movement, speed and precision. It is equipped with a 3D video camera with a scanner and thermal camera and using a microphone, it will measure your heart rate and blood pressure, while it ignores your pleas for a rest.

This personal trainer ‘bot will also calculate your body fat index, which is just what none of us want to hear about. The touchscreen on Gymbot’s chest will show you the exercises to do. It seems like a lot of trouble and a huge expense to get you to exercise, but it will probably make some company rich someday.

[via Tuvie]

This is a stomach crab gnawing away at your cancer. Inside of you. The future is (almost) here people. It will be at least three years until it is commercially in use.

[via medgadget]

The idea is to use her as a next gen mannequin. Geminoid-F is capable of basic emotions and behaviors that it uses to create expressions and actions based on it’s environment. You can expect her to smile, nod and move about a bit in her chair, probably fooling some passers-by into thinking she’s a real woman.

She might even yawn as you pass by. One thing she won’t do (or so I hope) is break the glass with her fist and pick you up by the neck, while signaling other android mannequins that it is time for the invasion. That would be bad.

[via Diginfo]

Each precision flying ‘bot is capable of perfectly balancing itself, but their true power is in their ability to fly in formations, and even adjust to new 3-dimensional patterns on the fly and avoid obstacles autonomously. But enough talk – seeing 20 of these nano-quadrotors in action it is truly a sight to behold:

The way they all buzz around together, they’re reminiscent of an 1980s arcade shooter, aren’t they? I’m totally thinking Galaxian or Galaga. While each one is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, I still wouldn’t want to run into this swarm in a dark alley. There is serious power in numbers. We can only hope they don’t start adding weapons to them any time soon – and they don’t connect to Skynet.

That’s the thinking behind this unusual project from Carnegie Mellon University’s Biorobotics Lab who have teamed up with Ryerson University’s Network-Centric Applied Research Team (NCART) Lab. This tactic has a lot of promise. Plus, the idea of dogs deploying robot snakes is just plain cool.

[via ieee Spectrum]

These watches come from a collaboration between Google and Modify Watches. Aside from these Android versions they also have watches that feature Google’s Chrome logo and the Google logo. So Google fans are well covered.

Modify Watches are built so you can mix-and-match faces and straps to create the watch the way you like it. You can buy one now for now for $59.95(USD) from the Google store. I like the Android mascot myself, but that seems a bit steep for branding my wrist with a no-frills watch. If you beg to differ, head over to the Google store and buy one.

[via Talkandroid]

Robots dancing is always a good way to celebrate anything. Preferably with explosions and flashing lights. What’s truly amazing about this show is the synchronicity that they achieved with these robots all doing crazy moves.

[via Giz-China via Geek]

The toy will retail for appx. $63(USD), and is a 26 inch-tall inflatable R2-D2 on wheels. A foot pump is included so that you don’t need to beat your lungs to death to satisfy your child (or yourself.) The Jumbo R2-D2 model is the first of the new Star Wars Pump and Play series – more will be coming later if the droid unit turns out to be a big hit. Now, this is all wonderful, but I need to ask – has anyone already called dibs on the Princess Leia demonstrating the toy? “I did.” *Sulking*

Pump and Play is a term that reminds me of my old days, when I used to shoot hoops with my boys. We’d pump up the ball, go out to the court, and then I would help them play by giving them water when they felt that they were thirsty. Those were good times – hey, if you think you’re falling in love with the Jumbo RC Inflatable R2-D2, you’re going to want to have a look at the R2-D2 Garbage Can and the R2-D2 Apron.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Contributor Jack Kieffer owns Cool Gizmo Toys, a blog that rants about random geeky products.

There is no info on how this thing works – Tim just says it’s “air-powered.” All I know is that it is creepy as hell when it moves. Call in some F-17s to spray this thing with Raid before it reproduces. You can see more of Tim’s work here.

[via Propnomicon via SuperPunch via Neatorama]

To prepare for parenthood, some parents-to-be get one of those baby dolls and take care of it with their partner as if it were a real baby. Some couples opt to do the egg experiment, where they care for an egg instead of the doll. But how would you like to care for this robotic baby instead?

In all seriousness though, this baby is the work of animatronics expert Chris Clarke. Aside from putting together lifelike robotic babies that mimic the movements of a real baby, he was also the special effects guy behind that puppet horse in Steven Spielberg’s War Horse.

This baby was created for use in filming of a soap opera. It looks creepy in the video, but no doubt it might be dressed up in skin and diapers once filming starts. I’m sure most people would find this skinless robotic tot far from adorable or cuddly.

[Fark via IEEE Spectrum via C|Net]

The mini sorting plant boasts 7 NXT Intelligence Bricks, 28 motors and 22 sensors. It will sort any 2×4 or 1×2 block that it comes into contact with. After it sorts your bricks, a bot comes along to retrieve the full palette and move it, replacing it with an empty palette. It’s hypnotizing to watch this thing in action.

With the real LEGO factory featured on a recent episode of Ultimate Factories, it’s only appropriate that someone would build their own mini LEGO-powered factory.

[via Make: via Geek]

Waiter has movable arms, on-board cameras and a laser range finder to detect and interact with those human beings who are ignorant of 3G. It can also recognize commands like “hello” and “dance”. No word on how effective it was at educating the public on 3G. I’m guessing not very.

And just like the iPhone, there’s no word on when it will actually get around to supporting 4G LTE.

[via ZDNet (Chinese) via Plasticpals]

No info yet on a price or release date, but perhaps before the end of the year you will be dancing together.

[via Chip Chick]

From the looks of this Rock ‘em Robot, he’s already had his block knocked off by another (as yet unseen) robo-ukulele. Probably a blue one if you ask me. I really want to push down on his head to put it back in place, but until they can come up with a retractable fret board, I’ll have to live with it as-is.

This awesome musical instrument is another of creation from Celentano Woodworks, who previously brought us the Autobot and Snailshell ukes. If you want one of these, head on over to Etsy now, where you can special order one for $700 (USD).

This project cost Mike $1.00 in cardboard, $54.60 in servos, and $29.95 in servo controllers. In the video he does a simple motion test and it would appear that it is looking pretty good, judging by how the bot is shaking it’s thang.

He already has his eye on some improvements that he can make now that this one is underway. You can find instructions and materials over at Mike’s website. Who doesn’t want to make a cheap robot?

[via Make:]