http://www.homerobots.com/ en mark@smarty.biz Copyright 2008 2008-03-21T13:20:00+00:00 http://www.homerobots.com/blog/robot-answer-me-now/ http://www.homerobots.com/blog/robot-answer-me-now/#When:13:20:00Z In the near future, we’ll begin issuing commands to our home robots by voice. But this will soon evolve beyond the mere one-way issuance of orders. For robots to be truly useful in our homes. it will be imperative that we be able to carry on actual conversations with them.  But, just as you have no patience for slow response times on your computer now, researchers have found that you likewise will have no patience from a slow-to-respond robot. Even if that means filling awkward moments of silence with small talk, as your robot is thinking, humans need to receive near-immediate input. Toshiyuki Shiwa and colleagues at the ATR laboratories in Kyoto, Japan, set out to find out just how quickly domestic robots should respond to their owners’ requests by asking 38 students to give orders to a robot.  The robot was set to respond in from anywhere from zero to 5 seconds.  The students’ patience began to run out after 2 seconds, with 1 second being the optimal response time.  However, and this is very interesting, the impatient students were okay with a slower response time if the robot filled in the time with “filler” words, such as “well” or “er.” When the this occurred, people did not notice the delay.  In other word’s, make the robots more human-like. Uh, yeah, um, like, I agree. The study was presented at Human-Robot Interaction 2008 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Future, Research 2008-03-21T13:20:00+00:00 http://www.homerobots.com/blog/father-of-robotics-sees-versatile-caregiving-robots/ http://www.homerobots.com/blog/father-of-robotics-sees-versatile-caregiving-robots/#When:18:23:01Z Joseph Engelberger, often called the father of robotics, at 82 is still working to advance robotics. His work has long been in industrial robotics, but he sees robots moving from factories into homes, where they could be caregivers for the elderly and shut-ins. He and his partner Andrew Silverthorne are seeking funding to develop them through PALS Robotics. The acronym PALS stands for Personal Assistance Living System. Silverthorne says, “Nobody wants to be shipped off to nursing homes. The idea is that robots live at home with you for a buck an hour—that’s our pitch. ...They can’t do a lot of things for which you can call a visiting nurse, but they can help around the house a lot. ...They can do a lot of cleaning, they can operate in the kitchen.” He disagrees that robots should be single purpose machines such as robot vacuum cleaners like the Roomba; instead he is developing a versatile two-armed robot that can understand your voice commands and do household chores like unpack groceries, cook, pour drinks, vacuum, etc. Future, Housecleaning 2008-03-18T18:23:01+00:00 http://www.homerobots.com/blog/go-fetch-fido-while-i-have-that-beer/ http://www.homerobots.com/blog/go-fetch-fido-while-i-have-that-beer/#When:14:31:00Z Like to play catch with your dog?  Who doesn’t.  But, do you like to play catch, over and over and over.  The darn doggies never tire of it.  The maker of this video has found a way to let his Dachshund named Jerry play catch, while he goes and watches TV or has a beer.  He’s created a robotic ball throwing machine that never tires.  Watch the funny video. Pet Care 2008-03-18T14:31:00+00:00 http://www.homerobots.com/blog/creepy-cool-headless-4-legged-robot/ http://www.homerobots.com/blog/creepy-cool-headless-4-legged-robot/#When:21:59:00Z I’ve seen all kinds of robot prototypes and experiments that mimic animals of one sort or another.  But “BigDog” from the geniuses at Boston Dynamics takes the cake.  Actually, if BigDog wants my cake, he can have it, while I run for the exits. He’s so cool, he’s kind of creepy.  He trots around like a prancing horse going for the Blue Ribbon, but there’s just something about its leg movement that unsettles me.  But I love it!  He’s kind of like the Energizer Bunny, in that he’s just keeps going and going.  He runs on snow, climbs up rocks and even jumps.  I hope I don’t have nightmares tonight. Animals 2008-03-17T21:59:00+00:00 http://www.homerobots.com/blog/this-robot-is-a-little-swinger/ http://www.homerobots.com/blog/this-robot-is-a-little-swinger/#When:13:48:00Z Are you unsure that robots will someday be able to blend into your home?  Play with your kids? Be your buddy?  Well, watch this little guy on a swing.  Yes, he’s programmed to do this, but notice the smoothness of his movements.  We’re getting closer, small advancement by little advancement. Humanoid 2008-03-17T13:48:00+00:00 http://www.homerobots.com/blog/life-like-robots-coming-sooner-than-you-think/ http://www.homerobots.com/blog/life-like-robots-coming-sooner-than-you-think/#When:21:59:00Z Just how long will it be until you can talk to your home robot just like you would a member of your family and watch it react as if it were human, so much so that you could not even tell if it’s a robot? I don’t mean merely issuing commands to it, but actually “talking” to it. Have a conversation. Ask how “he” or “she” is feeling. And be interested. Not in the lab as a leading edge product, but in your home, and in your neighbor’s home.  So what do you think, maybe 50 years?  That’s a time frame that gets thrown out quite often by many scientists, researchers and futurists who are supposed to know about these things.  How could it be any sooner, after all, after decades of work, we’re just now at the point where robot floor vacs, plastic toy pets and foot tall, metallic humanoids are the state of the art for the consumer.  It’s a huge leap to full size, always on, full-sensory, lifelike, complex-thinking robots that for all intents and purposes are “alive,” with the exception of a soul.  Of course it will be 50 years—at least—right? Wrong. Expect sooner. Artificial Intelligence, Future 2008-03-10T21:59:00+00:00 http://www.homerobots.com/blog/get-your-kids-into-robotics-with-lego-mindstorms-nxt/ http://www.homerobots.com/blog/get-your-kids-into-robotics-with-lego-mindstorms-nxt/#When:14:13:00Z Have you got kids? Kids that you know are bright, yet are bored to death with the math and science being taught in their school?  It’s unfortunate because the number of jobs that require skills in math, science and technology is growing rapidly. Who’s going to fill these sought after, high-paying jobs? Don’t let your kids be passed by, by their more educated and determined counterparts in countries like India and China. It’s a competitive, flat world now, and others are out to eat your kid’s lunch, literally.  But you can get them educated, and more importantly, excited, in science and technology by getting them into the cool hobby of robotics. Careers, Education, Robot Building, Toys 2008-03-10T14:13:00+00:00 http://www.homerobots.com/blog/top-10-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-having-sex-with-a-robot/ http://www.homerobots.com/blog/top-10-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-having-sex-with-a-robot/#When:14:44:00Z With all the discussion of future sex with robots, particularly since the recent publication of David Levy’s book, Love and Sex with Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships, we thought it would be fun on this Friday to show you a video of last month’s David Letterman’s “10 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Having Sex with a Robot.” Sex 2008-03-07T14:44:00+00:00 http://www.homerobots.com/blog/the-solar-hybrid-robot-lawnmower-is-here/ http://www.homerobots.com/blog/the-solar-hybrid-robot-lawnmower-is-here/#When:21:03:00Z Husqvarna held a London roofttop demo of the world’s first solar hybrid robot electric lawnmover!  It’s called the Automower Solar Hybrid, and looks like other robot mowers with one beautiful difference—it has a solar panel on the top. On a sunny day the the panel and the internal battery will keep it running for an hour.  And if this wan’t enough of a green machine, 90% of its parts are made from recycled materials.  Not sure what the US price and availably is yet, but in the UK it will set you back £2,000. Yard Care 2008-03-06T21:03:00+00:00 http://www.homerobots.com/blog/weight-loss-robot-helps-shed-pounds/ http://www.homerobots.com/blog/weight-loss-robot-helps-shed-pounds/#When:14:06:00Z When I go to the gym, I’m always fascinated to watch just how much money people will spend to pay for a personal trainer, who basically just tells them to do their exercises. And I am also fascinated that people also pay companies like Weightwatchers and Jenny Craig just to be told to stop eating so much.  Soon, low-willpower exercisers and dieters will instead be able to spend their money on a weight loss coach named “autom” who will help its owner track diet and exercise. Health 2008-03-06T14:06:00+00:00