Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Hexapod Emotional Spider Robot Sees Your Face
The Hexapod robot now has museum credentials to go with its acting chops. The Emotibot exhibit running at the London Science Museum shows robots at their most emotionally expressive.
(Hexapod confronts its designer, Matthew Denton [at left])
Although some people are repulsed by spiders, they are fascinated with spider robots. Hexapod has remarkable software that allows it to interact with human beings in an emotionally expressive way.
Hexapod tracks the faces of visitors, and pays attention to those who walk around it. If Hexapod is aggressively confronted, it backs away. Children love Hexapod!
If a person hold's Hexapod's gaze for a few seconds, their picture is uploaded to its website.
Take a look at the fascinating behaviors of Hexapod in this video.
(Hexapod robot also Harry Potter star video)
Prototypes for the Hexapod robot were used in the making of two Harry Potter films; they co-starred as Hagrid's pets.
"It's a very advanced robot and is really about showing children they can interact with robots," said Mr Denton. "It's amazing to watch their reaction, it's a 'wow' moment when it springs into life and follows them around. I worked hard to make it as natural as possible, so the hexapod sways as it moves, exactly like an animal."
SF readers may be reminded of the spider tripod robots from Arthur C. Clarke's wonderful 1972 novel Rendezvous with Rama.
The creature was not quite as tall as a man, and looked far too fragile to be dangerous, but that did not excuse their carelessness in letting it sneak up on them unawares. It reminded Norton of nothing so much as a three-legged spider, or daddy-long-legs, and he wondered how it had solved the problem - never challenged by any creature on Earth - of tripedal locomotion.
Also, take a look at these pictures of the Minority Report spider robots and the deadly spider robots from Runaway - see any similarities?
Regard these spider robots, if you dare:
- Hexapod Robot CNC Router
A great combination of computer numerical control device and a six-legged robot. Created as a DIY prototype by Matt Denton. - Tachikoma Robot Jumping Spider Tank
Takahashi's carbon-fiber model is only about forty centimeters high, but has nineteen degrees of freedom and runs off lithium polymer batteries. - Autotelematic Spider Bots
Ken Rinaldo's spiderlike robots are demonstrated next to the museum's collection of real spiders. - MAST Spider Robots Like Minority Report
The intent is to create swarm of autonomous robots able to get into small spaces where people cannot go.
Read a bit more about Hexapod in the Daily Mail and in This is London.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 8/5/2008)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 4 )
Related News Stories - (" Robotics ")
Robots Repair And Modify Themselves
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...' Harry Harrison, 1956.
Robot Janitors Get To Work
'A few mechanical cleaning devices crept here and there...'- Philip K. Dick, 1957.
Robots Learn To Install Charged Batteries Into Themselves
This is nothing new for science fiction fans!
Robot Rabbits Entice Pythons
'That little robot rabbit knew what it was talking about...' - JW Groves, 1950.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Quaise Uses Beams Of Energy To Dig Geothermal Wells
'The peculiar quality of this light, which gave it its great preeminence over all other penetrating rays...'
Robots Repair And Modify Themselves
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...'
Waymo And Tesla 'Autonomous Cabs' Are Piloted By Remote Drivers
‘Where to, sport?’ the starter at cab relay asked.
Robot Janitors Get To Work
'A few mechanical cleaning devices crept here and there...'
Robots Learn To Install Charged Batteries Into Themselves
This is nothing new for science fiction fans!
Robot Rabbits Entice Pythons
'That little robot rabbit knew what it was talking about...'
LLM 'Cognitive Core' Now Evolving
'Their only check on the growth and development of Vulcan 3 lay in two clues: the amount of rock thrown up to the surface... and the amount of the raw materials and tools and parts which the computer requested.'
Has Elon Musk Given Up On Mars?
'There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.'
Bacteria Turns Plastic Into Pain Relief? That Gives Me An Idea.
'I guess there's nobody round this table who doesn't have a Crosswell [tapeworm] working for him in the small intestine.'
When Your Child's Best Friend Is An AI
'Figments of his mind in one sense, of course, for he had shaped them...'
China's Drone Mothership Can Carry 100 Drones
'So the parent drone carries a spotter that it launches...'
Drones Recharge In Mid-Air Like Jets Refuel!
'...nurse drones that would cruise around dumping large amounts of power into randomly selected pods.'
Australian Authors Reject AI Training Of Llama
'It's done with a flip of the third joint of the tentacle on the down beat.'
Is China Mining Helium-3 On The Moon's Farside?
'...for months Grantline bores had dug into the cliff.'
Maybe It's Too Soon To Require Autonomous Mode
'I hope all those other cars are on automatic,' he said anxiously.
Is Agentic AI The Wrong Kind Of Smartness?
'It’s smart enough to go wrong in very complicated ways, but not smart enough to help us find out what’s wrong.'
