That was cool and all, but after the first few things, I knew what was going to happen, so they could have spared me the 100 examples.
*here is a bottle of Prozac*
*here is a bottle of Preperation H*

Posted at 9:35 am on May 9th, 2009 by colecago

Picking up wallet?!? Picking up credit card?!?! I know an better way how to use it xD

Posted at 9:40 am on May 9th, 2009 by ggmaniack

interesting concept, superfluous examples.

Posted at 9:50 am on May 9th, 2009 by Dan

@colecago: the reason for the numerous videos is to show the vast variety of objects that the end effector is capable of grasping. The number of empirical trials in this publication is significantly greater than is traditionally encountered in academic research.

@dan: the examples chosen are by not means superfluous. These objects were chosen (partially) based on a list developed based on the needs of ALS (or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, the same one that Steven Hawking has). The examples also span very small objects (single pill) to large containers. It contains objects that are difficult for simulation (cloth) and have many potential configurations (keys). A good primer on the subject can be found here:

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2186

Posted at 11:08 am on May 9th, 2009 by Travis

it made me sad when it picked up the teddy bear like that :(

Posted at 11:16 am on May 9th, 2009 by tr0nk

Useful if you are 1 feet tall :D

Posted at 11:45 am on May 9th, 2009 by Zibri

Oh and travis: try to make it pick the credit card from a solid flat floor and not a carpet :)

Posted at 11:46 am on May 9th, 2009 by Zibri

2 feet sorry.. mixed it up from 1 foot and 2 feet :) lol

Posted at 11:47 am on May 9th, 2009 by Zibri

I have to say, although the examples may seem superfluous, these are the kinds of objects which may need to be picked up. Many wheelchair users use sticks with grippers, magnets, hooks, or other end pieces to pick up dropped items, but many individuals would be presented with a major challenge using these devices to pick up the items in the video. Good luck picking up a single pill with a hook, gripper, or magnet, especially if you have limited strength or impaired coordination!

Posted at 10:30 pm on May 9th, 2009 by jzoe

Am I right in thinking that the thin metal plate is actually a gobo from a profile lantern and not a kitchen turner?

Posted at 6:04 am on May 10th, 2009 by mesoiam

Ok nice, now lets see it crush stuff.

Posted at 3:59 pm on May 11th, 2009 by Bob

Exellent proof of concept guys! It would be neat if you could engineer it as a self contained add-on piggy back unit, (very low profile) that would sense small objects, interupt the roomba’s current cleaning routine, deploy, and collect small objects and place them in a collection hopper, and then retact it’s self, and allow the roomba to continue on it’s merry way!

Posted at 8:39 pm on May 19th, 2009 by Ralph