Universal robotic gripper Robert Barker/University Photography The human hand is an amazing machine that can pick up, move and place objects easily, but for a robot, this "gripping" mechanism is a vexing challenge. Opting for simple elegance, researchers from Cornell, the University of Chicago and iRobot Corp. have created a versatile gripper using everyday ground coffee and a latex party balloon, bypassing traditional designs based on the human hand and fingers. They call it a universal gripper, as it conforms to the object it's grabbing, rather than being designed for particular objects, said Hod Lipson, Cornell associate professor of mechanical engineering and computer science. John Amend The robotic gripper conforms to the shape of the item it is lifting. "This is one of the closest things we've ever done that could be on the market tomorrow," Lipson said. Here's how it works: An everyday party balloon filled with ground coffee -- any variety will do -- is attached to a robotic arm.
Biologically inspired adhesive tape can be reused thousands of times Surrounded by other team members, Achim Oesert from the University of Kiel hangs from the ceiling using bioinspired polymer tape (Image: University of Kiel) alongside an image of a gecko (Image: Wahj via Flickr) As is so often the case these days for those searching for a better way to stick stuff together, researchers from the Zoological Institute at the University of Kiel in Germany have turned to the biology of gravity-defying ceiling walkers, such as geckos and insects. These creatures served as inspiration for a new dry adhesive tape that not only boasts impressive bonding strength, but can also be attached and detached thousands of times without losing its adhesive properties. The secret to the wall climbing ability of many insects and geckos lies in the thousands of tiny hairs called setae that cover their feet and legs. It is this technique that the research group, led by Stanislav Gorb, have mimicked with their silicone tape. About the Author Post a CommentRelated Articles
Les dents de l’aster Les dents de l’aster Des scientifiques ont mis au point des micro robots (ou microbots) baptisés les "asters", capables de nager dans un environnement liquide et d'attraper des "objets" pesant plusieurs fois leur poids, en utlisant leurs machoires ou en les emprisonnant. Ne dépassant pas le millimétre, ces robots sont aussi capables de se reconstituer s'ils perdent des morceaux d'eux-même. Les Asters sont constitués de petites particules qui s'assemblent et se déplacent grâce à l'application de champs magnétiques. Voici 2 vidéos tournées sous un microscope : Ce genre de robots pourront aider en science, en médecine ou pourquoi pas déboucher ces cartouches d'encre bas de gamme que vous utilisez une fois par an et qui vous coûtent presque aussi cher qu'une imprimante neuve. [Source] Vous avez aimé cet article ?
Peter Weyland at TED2023: I will change the world Peter Weyland has been a magnet for controversy since he announced his intent to build the first convincingly humanoid robotic system by the end of the decade. Whether challenging the ethical boundaries of medicine with nanotechnology or going toe to toe with the Vatican itself on the issue of gene-therapy sterilization, Sir Peter prides himself on his motto, “If we can, we must.” After a three year media blackout, Weyland has finally emerged to reveal where he’s heading next. Wherever that may be, we will most certainly want to follow. Conceived and designed by Ridley Scott and Damon Lindelof and directed by Luke Scott. Sir Peter Weyland was born in Mumbai, India at the turn of the Millennium. In less than a decade, Weyland Corporation became a worldwide leader in emerging technologies and launched the first privatized industrial mission to leave the planet Earth.
Un bras bionique connecté au système nerveux Un bras bionique connecté au système nerveux Todd Kuiken est un ingénieur et chirurgien de talent qui a mis au point une prothèse de bras robotisée capable de se connecter avec le système nerveux humain. Cela permet au porteur de la diriger dans des mouvements souples et précis et même de ressentir les choses (au touché). Il est passé chez TED avec sa patiente Amanda Kitts qui est équipée de ce bras bionique et c'est franchement très impressionnant. Merci à Yoann pour le partage. Vous avez aimé cet article ?
x Innovations Each month, we'll be highlighting 5 great innovations and ideas bubbling up from the TEDx community -- both in a newsletter, and here on the TEDx site. If you have an innovation to share, email tedxstories@ted.com. All active TEDx licensees receive the TEDx Monthly Innovations Newsletter. If you would like to receive the monthly TEDx Innovations newsletter, click here to sign up. TEDxYouth@SanDiego mixes it up At TEDxYouth@SanDiego, organizers devised a creative way to make sure youth attendees met one another. TEDxIntuit goes on a picnic During TEDxIntuit's (an internal, corporate event), lunch break, attendees were instructed to grab the next 5 people in the lunch line, and take a picnic basket with them to the grass. Vegetables straight from the farm at TEDxKrakow "About 7 months before the event," says TEDxKrakow organizer Ewa Spohn, "we contacted some local organic farmers who run one of Poland's first farm to home programs and asked them to grow the vegetables for our lunch."
RAY KURZWEIL - That Singularity Guy - Vice Magazine In the year 2050, if Ray Kurzweil is right, nanoscopic robots will be zooming throughout our capillaries, transforming us into nonbiological humans. We will be able to absorb and retain the entirety of the universe’s knowledge, eat as much as we want without gaining weight, shape-shift into just about any physical form imaginable, live free from disease, and die at the time of our choosing. All of this will be thrust on us by something that Kurzweil calls the Singularity, a theorized point in time in the not-so-distant future when machines become vastly superior to humans in every way, aka the emergence of true artificial intelligence. Computers will be able to improve their own source codes and hardware in ways we puny humans could never conceive. This will result in a paradigm shift that sees mankind coalescing with its own creations: man and machine, merging into one. That kind of correspondence will only be possible if we develop advanced artificial intelligence and nanotechnology.
MehdiDib : Lesley Perkes #TED2013...