Our friends across the Big Pond at Robosavvy were lucky enough to visit the Korean Robot Festival this year. They took tons of pictures and shot a lot of video showcasing some of the world’s top humanoid competition robots! From slightly modified Robonova and Bioloid bots, to fully custom towering humanoids, all shapes and sizes showed up to compete. Pedro from Robosavvy did an amazing job of documenting his time there in this forum thread, anyone interested in humanoid robots will be delighted to check it out.
The thread linked above has the full details, but this video stood out to me as awesome; it’s a custom built humanoid using AX-12 servos. Check out how quick and agile it is!
You’ve all seen and heard the robotic dancing sensation known as Keepon, and now you can own one!
When Keepon first debuted, bouncing along to Spoon’s “I Turn My Camera On”, the tech community went nuts! The simple, cute external appearance of this robot and it’s natural ability to bop along with music was an instant hit on Youtube. Unfortunately, beneath that elastic yellow skin was well over $20,000 worth of cutting edge robotic technology, putting this awesome robot out of reach of its fans. We saw this as a problem and answered the call to unite Keepon and it’s millions of fans globally!
After many months of painstaking R&D, Trossen Robotics is proud to announce the Low Cost Dancebot! Once only available to universities as a high end social development research robot, we are now offering the affordable yet equally groovy Low Cost Dancebot! This easy to build kit only takes minutes to put together, another minute to put on the Spoon song of your choice, and within seconds your Low Cost Dancebot! will be dancing along to the beat. Be the envy of your coworkers with this ultimate desktop gadget! Show off to your friends, amaze your family, and impress your employer!
We’ve been working feverishly away to add even more robot parts and upgrades for your greater building pleasure. Here are some highlights of the cool new products that have just been added to the Trossen Robotics catalog!
PICBEE- Finally an easy method to use the Maxstream XBEE module coupled with the power of the Microchip PIC 18F series micro-controller. As a stand alone board, it can be a development platform or target device for nearly any application. This is perfect for creating a wireless sensory aquisistion network!
Maxbotix WR-1 – Sonar Low-Voltage Weather-Resistant Ultrasonic Range Finder (IP67 Rated) With 3V – 5.5V power the LV-MaxSonar®-WR1™ provides very short to long-range detection and ranging, in a compact, robust PVC housing, designed to meet IP67 water intrusion, and matches standard electrical ¾” PCV pipe fittings.
The Roboduino is a Freeduino (Arduino software compatible) microcontroller board designed for robotics. All of its connections have neighboring power buses into which servos and sensors can easily be plugged. Additional headers for power and serial communication are also provided. The kits come fully assembled and with a USB cable for programming and debugging.
The IOWizard is used when additional I/O capabilities are required. The IOWizard features an I2C interface that allows users to query 5 analog inputs and 10 digital I/O lines. The default I2C slave address is 100d (0×64h), and it can be changed to a value between 100d and 110d (0×6Eh).
Looking to make your Robobuilder Humanoid more durable? This Metal Bracket Upgrade Kit is the way to go! These high-quality aluminum brackets reinforce the legs and servo joints to fortify your robot to take a beating during competitions or rough play.
The Robobuilder 3-Axis Accelerometer sensor module measures the acceleration in all three axis (X, Y and Z). Read measurements range from -7 to +7. Integral number 1 can be translated into 1/4g (here g stands for gravity acceleration). By analyzing the return value on each axis you can determine the actual position/orientation of the robot at any time.
When we first announced that we had the MechRC Humanoid Robot is in stock and ready to ship, they flew off the shelves almost instantly selling out. We now have limited quantities back in stock and are shipping out immediately, just in time for the Holidays! These won’t last long, so if you’re still looking for a great robotic gift for a loved one or even yourself, pick one up quick!
We’d also like to share this awesomely over-the-top promotional video:
It’s no secret that Parallax makes some awesome robot parts, but recently they’ve stepped up their game with the addition of custom CNC’d components. Specifically, the Motor Mount & Wheel Kit and their Caster Kit which provide the mechanical basics for an excellent robotics platform.
Parallax’s recent newsletter, The Parallaxian, has a cool little project overview showing just how easy it is to create a wheeled robot base using some of their spiffy new components and good old plywood. Used in this project is the Motor Mount & Wheel Kit, the Caster Kit, and a pair of HB-25 Motor Controllers. What we found neat was how simple this robot was to design. Rather than go through the trouble of designing the base in CAD and having it milled, the components were just laid out onto plywood, traced their outline, and holes for mounting them were cut and drilled using a jigsaw and drill. Ingenious! Be sure to check out the Parallaxian Newsletter for details.
You heard it here first folks. I always knew that robots would be involved in the end of the world, but I never suspected one of our own beloved pets would be the masterminds behind it. I have discovered undeniable evidence that our days are numbered.
I present to you the most terrifying video I have ever seen. In it you will see a cat with complete psionic control over a robot, commanding it to do its bidding. Or maybe its the other way around. Either way, what this spells for our future is not good.
Trossen Robotics is proud to be the first in the United States to offer the new MechRC Humanoid Robot! This new ready-to-walk robot is a breakthrough in price to performance at only $599.99 USD.
High torque metal gear servos, LiPo batteries for longer run times, a fluid 3D visual software programming interface for easy custom motions, and a remote control unit are included. Everything needed to have your very own walking robot is included in this ready-to-walk kit! With over a hundred pre-installed motions and sounds you can get this robot throwing some dance floor shapes or some killer fighting moves straight from the box.
Also check out the MechRC’s take on the Evolution of Dance!
We’ve been waiting for this bot to arrive for quite a long time. It is SLICK looking to say the very least. We’re now proud to say that the Rovio Wi-Fi Enabled Telepresense Robot is now available in our store!
Loaded with features such as telepresence over wifi and the internet, self charging capabilities, autonomous navigation, and you can even control it with your smart phone! Its full color camera and microphone allow you to pilot the Rovio around your house and see and hear what it does from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. These stylish telepresence bots are sure to be a hot seller this holiday, pick your very own up today!
You heard it here first! Rodger Cleye from our forums just posted his newest invention, Donna the Dead Bot. He built this using a motorized wheelchair base rigged with an R/C system, and adding some PVC pipe, a strobe light, and a glowing eye skull and some ghost-like apparel. Not only is this an awesome invention for scaring the candy out of kids trick-or-treating, it’s a solid example of ZombieTech™, which is the fusing of zombies and robots… which just so happens to be our only chance of survival if the Skynet and Zombie armageddons happen to occur simultaneously. Scaring kids and saving future lives, go Rodger!
We’re proud to now offer the Scribbler Robot from Parallax, which is a fantastic choice for the beginner enthusiast. This versatile little bot is aimed at ages 8 and up, but is flexible enough for even a more advanced enthusiast to enjoy. This robot offers a variety of demo programs that come preloaded as well as a Visual GUI based programming option and a true text based Basic programming interface. This means that while the robot will work out great of the box, it won’t be something you will quickly outgrow.
