[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92bLgE6DO2g]
Handbot is one piece of a larger project called Swarmanoid. The aim of the swarmanoid is to replicate the functions we usually desire out of a humanoid bot with a whole swarm of specialized bots. That seems like a silly goal to us, considering the only requirement for a humanoid bot is that it be shaped like a human. That aside, we like their stuff. The handbot specifically is designed to retrieve books from bookshelves. It has specialized arms for climbing and grabbing the books with a batman-esque retractable rope launcher mounted on top for added speed and strength. The gait of the handbot really reminds us of how chameleons walk. We’re curious if this is a coincidence or not.
[via BotJunkie]
cool
What’s with the string?
@efh – please, please read the summary at lest before you post
i mean least – serves me right
That was kinda painful to watch.
I could have seen the movie in that time!
What is the point in this. I wouldnt want a bot making holes in my ceiling and taking 30mins to get one book! wtf. waste of time
ITS EFFING BATMAN!
ryan: what is the point of your existence? If I wanted to hear negativity all the time, I’d just pull my polish sausage out of your mother’s mouth.
Well, the robot climbing by grasping and switching arms is a nice idea, but the concept of using it to grab a book isn’t such a nice idea…
As far as I can tell it can’t even bring the book back to the owner. Can it put the book back on the shelf?
Don’t get me wrong, really nice proof of concept of climbing something – the tool just doesn’t fit the job.
Am I the only one thinking that if it can descend via the rope, wouldn’t have been faster to go up using the rope? Grandma could have died in the time it took to fetch her that book!
Relax, it’s just a cute little example set up with very restricted parameters. No one is expecting this robot to ever actually be used to get books for anyone.
The video of it using the grappling canon is much cooler.
Oh, great. Now all the libriarians will be out of work, replaced by a creeping horde of these little robots. This will put thousands of librarians and book store workers on the unemployment line!
this would be an awesome tool for a disabled individual. I can see were this can help someone be more independent.
Wait…uh, what? A grappling hook? I want to see more of that in action.
EPFL has some good projects recently.
“We’re curious if this is a coincidence or not.”
It’s probably pure coincidence. The grappling “tongue” is coincidence, too. Not to mention the big, non-functional googly chameleonesque eyes. Pure ko-inkeedink.
I wonder if the grappler attaches itself? We never saw where that went.
@Motoma
I think he meant this. Kinda cool magnetic grappler.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD_FXgAGkmo&feature=player_embedded
Well, that magnetic shot was pretty sweet.
I wish they’d let it loose on a building and just see if it could climb to the top or how many stories it could go.
Wouldn’t elderly/disabled people find it easier to pick the book off the shelf than off the floor?
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