March 2006 archive

Researchers Restore Sight in Blind Rodents

A team of neuroscientists and bioengineers from MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Center for Biomedical Engineering have been able to partially restore the vision of rodents whose visual neural pathways had been severed by injecting them with a tiny, biodegradable substrate on which brain cells were able to regrow and reconnect. The …

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Ryomei Engineering’s Robot Carp

Robot Koi

Today is shaping up to be aquatic robot day, so it’s fitting that Pink Tentacle brings us an article about a robot built by Ryomei Engineering that is modeled after a koi carp. At 31 inches long and 26 pounds, the robotic koi can swim like the real thing plus do some things its inspiration …

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PaPeRo Makes an Appearance at CeBIT

NEC PaPeRo

CeBIT 2006 is a little more than halfway over, and while there hasn’t been an overabundance of interesting news or products coming out of the Hanover, Germany technology show this year, Engadget.com did get a glimpse of NEC’s Partner-Type Personal Robot, PaPeRo.

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ACM-R5 Robot Snake

ACM-R5 Snake Robot

Robot snakes are nothing new, and although there are quite a few impressive models out there already, Engadget.com reported yesterday on the ACM-R5, an amphibious robosnake that out-snakes the rest of them. At a little over 6 feet long and weighing roughly 18 pounds, the ACM-R5 expertly mimics the movement of its biological counterpart both …

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Fraunhofer’s Brain Computer Interface

Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Architecture and Software Technology working in conjunction with the Department of Neurology at Berlin’s Charite hospital have developed a neural interface capable of intercepting neural impulses in the brain and using them to control a cursor and write sentences on a computer. The system, aptly dubbed the Brain …

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Citizen’s Eco-Be, a Zippo on Wheels

Eco-Be mini-robot

Earlier today in Osaka, Japan, Citizen Watch Co. unveiled a one inch tall robot that bears an uncanny resemblance to a Zippo lighter on wheels. PinkTentacle.com translated a brief article about the Eco-Be from today’s Hokkaido Shimbun Press and are able to provide a few details about the mini-robot. The Eco-Be stands roughly 1 inch …

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The BigDog Robot Pack Mule

Boston Dynamics' BigDog

Defense contractor Boston Dynamics has recently posted video of its BigDog four-legged robot pack mule in action. Funded by DARPA, BigDog is being developed for the US military to carry heavy gear for soldiers across terrain that is not suitable for vehicles. Measuring a little over 3 feet long by 2.5 feet high and weighing …

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