The new Roombas add some attractive features such as
dirt detector, charging base, longer battery run time and bigger dust bin. It
competes with the eVac from Sharper Image, however you will find both robotic
vacuums in Sharper Image stores. We did a very in-depth comparison between the
two robotic vacuums and you can read this comparison here: http://www.everydayrobots.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=25
Along
with the successful Roomba product line and developed-for-military PackBot,
iRobot showed an interesting technology that allows programming a team of
10-10,000 autonomous robots working together. iRobot demonstrated this with
their SwarmBots.
Each individual robot is programmed using iRobot's
proprietary Behavior Language software, running on top of iRobot's Swarm
multi-robot operating system. The robots in the Swarm communicate with their
neighbors using Infra-red light, allowing them to determine the relative
bearing, orientation, and range of all its neighboring robots. The list of
potential applications of Swarm research is prodigious, including exploration
and mapping in hazardous ares, land mind countermeasures,
nuclear/biological/chemical threat detection and covert surveillance.
Robots Made Cheap
While many companies focused
on showing their end products at RoboNexus 2004, Wany Robotics demonstrated the
importance of rapid robotics product development at very cheap price to the
consumers. Their focus is to bring robotics to industries like vacuum cleaner
manufacturers or large toy makers and make these product at very affordable
price to the consumer market. Their goal, in working with vacuum manufacturers
for example, it to bring very powerful robotic vacuums price down to $200-$300
range. These toys in the picture below you will likely see this holiday season
in your local toy stores cost only $20-$30 and they have sensors and fully
autonomous.
Waterproof, Hazard-proof and
Whack-proof
Inuktun Services displayed a good number of robots
that are designed to capture pictures in confined spaces, hazardous ares on land
or underwater. In fact, the robot in the picture below helped search for
survivors after Sept. 11 attack in New York City. It can roll down on hard
surfaces without taking any damage and they are small so they can get into small
spaces with bright lights and camera attached to get valuable images that you
can't get otherwise. Everything on these robots are built tough and waterproof.
In fact, the spokesperson whacked the camera module very hard on the table,
startling the neighboring booth and his audience. The camera module didn't take
even slightly damage or dent.
Kit Makers
There are a lot of
robotics kit makers at the RoboNexus, 2004. Some of these kits we have seen,
others were completely new to us. Here is a glance at these
kits.
Parallax robots
Parallax has bee providing kits, stamps, modules and
programming to robotics fans for a couple of decades now. Their products cover
many areas of robotics education and research. Many developers have made their
own robotics applications based on Parallax modules, stamps and programming
packages. About pictures are robots made from their kits.
Even though
Robotics Connections didn't have their own booth at the RoboNexus 2004, we've
seen and reviewed their R1 kit here: http://www.everydayrobots.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=
Charmed Labs robot
Charmed Labs showed
their Xport Robot Controller kit that utilizes your old GameBoy and LEGO pieces
to build various types of robots. Not only these robots have sensors, but also
it has built-in Bluetooth and can be controlled by your computer via Bluetooth
connection.
BalBot
Can robots stand on two wheels? If you are a BalBot, you can. We
will do a more in-depth review of these robot in the near future.
More Robot Pictures
NASA showing the Snake Robot
Robot in Robotics Foundry booth
The name says it all
A small humoid robot made by Jim Sato
Robot made by The Machine Labs
For more info, you can check out the RoboNexus web site at: www.robotnexus.com
To discuss this report, visit our forums at: http://www.everydayrobots.com/forum/
