Andrew Chase is one person who likes to keep ahead of the times. When Hollywood was busy transforming cars into inter-cellestial robotic beings, the designer thought of engulfing the animal world in the mechanical way of life. Well, her (yes, Chase is a women dearies) Timmy underworld project has made her create a whimsial cheetah as well as a giraffe and elephant. And since we got to see the Cheetah in motion, we thought we might just tell you some more about it.

Standing 24 inches high and 50 inches long, the cheetah is a whimsical beauty. This romotic animal is able to replicate the movement of the joints of an actual cheetah.

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The only thing that was missing from our dream future home was a robo. But now it can come true or a cool and irresistible android is up for sale. The name is Mazinger Z. Well, if you are Japanese or have spent considerable time in that country, this name will not be new to you. And for the uninitiated, let us tell you that this was a popular animation tele show created by Go Nagai way back in 1970s.

So, you can safely assume tat this one is the original super robo that later inspired other series and toy lines in the same brand as well as in others. By the way, Mazinger Z is your Tranzor Z in the US. Okay coming back to the ‘for sale’ bit, well, the robo made in titanium and other advanced materials is expected to fetch $20,400.

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Ever heard of your chair knowing your mind, following your brainpower? The researchers at MIT are designing a wheelchair that responds to verbal commands. This user-friendly system can learn all about the locations in a given building, and then take its occupant to a given place in response to a vocal order. Just by saying “take me to the cafeteria” or “go to my room,” the wheelchair user would be able to avoid the need for controlling every twist and turn of the route and could simply sit back and relax as the chair moves from one place to another based on a map stored in its memory.
Unlike other attempts to program wheelchairs or other mobile devices, which rely on an intensive process of manually capturing a detailed map of a building, the MIT system can learn about its environment in much the same way as a person would: By being taken around once on a guided tour, with important places identified along the way. Outdoors in the open, such systems can rely on GPS receivers to figure out where they are, but inside buildings the wheelchair prototype relies on a WiFi system to make its maps and then navigate through them, which requires setting up a network of WiFi nodes around the facility in advance.

The research which has been funded by Nokia and Microsoft will especially be a boom to the patients who have partial or substantial loss of muscle control. As the research progresses, Nicholas Roy, assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics and the one behind the machine, says he’d like to add a collision-avoidance system using detectors to prevent the chair from bumping into other wheelchairs, walls or other obstacles besides including a wide number of other applications, such as automated forklifts that can learn where to take a crate and repeat that process.
So, this one is sure to take you places!!
Via MIT / BoingBoing

The R2 fans with spare cash to burn can find ideal bait here. You may not qualify as a nerd as R2 has revised its functionality to a refrigerator against its earlier appearances facilitating gadget and robot needs. Dubbed as R2 mini fridge, the tall, handsome and ultra lusturous refrigerator was developed in 2002 as a reward for an Attack of the Clones contest scheduled at 7-11 Stores of Japan. Measuring 64cm x 51cm x 35cm, the customized feature of the fridge allows you to set it feature its hot or cold effect thereby servinbg you with cold icecream and hot soup. Beware, if you continue playing with its hot-cold/ cold-hot functionality then chances are you may not be able to preserve drinks.

And yes this belongs to the category of limited edition offerings as counted 1000 refrigerators were produced and this one is available for sale at a demanding price of $1070 on Toy East. If may seem a bit pricey to you and me but ask a Star Wars aficionado and he would say: “Realize the priceless value in owning such beauty and you won’t question its material price tag.” So true!

Via GadgetsBlog / CoolestGadgets / Technabob

And this time the elite/coolest gadget of the week nominated by savvy readers of Coolestgadget is Rovio Wi-Fi Robot featured at Gaj-it.

This resourceful piece of gadgetry rivulets video and audio through an integrated camera, and can be monitored from anywhere. You can easily track the activities happening in your living room by scheming Rovio via the internet. On days, when you are enjoying vacations, the Rovio Wi-Fi Robot comes as a great security measure to make you stay near to your home albeit virtually.

To know more hit here.

Months ago, we witnessed the unveiling of Shadow Caddy, whose presence is enough to invite the entire gold club robotically. And here stands another similar furniture accessory with an appeal similar to that of a lounge chair complimented by an added feature of offering comfort to your tired feet. Called the RoboStool Footstool, the comforting mechanism devised by Steve is accessible via Parallax Propeller chip and cruise mount kit and sports three modes i.e. universal remote, beacon navigation, and thermal sensor that puts it in a “FollowMe” mode.

Those you are skilled enough to practice the DIY know-how for developing their own can visit their site to get an insight about the schematics.

Check out the video

Via GadgetsNGizmos / MakeZine

It seems Philips has realized the fondness its dear customers have developed for robot USB drives. And with a quality to deliver products offering an edge, Philips this time has offered a bliny flavor. Whilst Philips unveiled heart-shaped bejeweled USB drives at CES 2008 and today is ready to offer robot USB drives with a Swarovski tinge. If owning that black version of 2GB Robot Naughty Raymond makes you feel incomplete then go ahead to embrace the shiny edition of USB Happy Laura. Donned in white, the gleaming crystals cover the body and face of USB drive. Hey, did I tell you the cute girly bot even has crimson lips!

Priced at $238, the 2GB capacity Happy Laura is anticipated to hit the European market. Well, the glitzy casing may seem too much if you compare it with standard USB drives but Philips’ Active Crystal collection would turn out to be a blessing for rich robot loving gals.
Via Philips

The Seascout aquatic rescue robot can be witnessed as a weapon for specialized and errant tourists in unbolted waters. If any fine day, you feel the possibility of getting caught in such panicky moment then all you need to do is to activate a GPS tracker and the ‘bot’ would slither out to scrape them into its drudgery bay, transporting them back to shelter. Accessibly physically or preprogrammed, and features a domestic lighting, a sun-shade and a radio system so as to keep you away from that claustrophobic feel.

All it needs is a duo of frickin’ laser beams to scuffle off shark to evolve as a marine hero or rather a successful villain. Designed and developed by Andre Harley, a student at the Designskolen Kolding University in Denmark, the Seascout is truly a revolutionary form of recue.



Via Dvice / Gizmodo/ Corofolt

Selfridges in association with Asahi beer has unveiled the world’s first personalized robotic barman that has a potential to serve you with a drink within two-minutes of taking the order, hence saving your 13- minutes. Called ‘Mr Asahi,’ it is developed using Robotics and Animatronics, and essentially is expert in serving ice-cold beer as half pints within de-cap bottles of beer. Mr Asahi’s simulation technology is accessible upon a condensed air feature that is monitored and synchronized through its numerous valves and electrical switching mechanisms connected to a PC.

They say 200 man hours were invested by a pool of eight-engineer to create such a product with robotic bar keeping skills. Weighing a quarter of a ton, it always offers a smiling face and responds patiently to the customers’ needs.

After making its manifestation in this week, the Mickey Metal functional caricature is reserved to move on for a national sampling tour with a schedule appended here.
· Manchester: 10-14 July
· Nottingham: 18-19 July
· Edinburgh: 24-26 July
· Glasgow: 25 July
· Newcastle: 1-3 August
· Birmingham: 6-7 September
· Leeds: 10-13 September
· Birmingham: 18-20 September
After an exhaustive oration, I suggest you to run through the video and applause his skills.

Via TechRadar/ Gizmodo/ TheInquirer

It was difficult for us to accept that Sega has stopped developing gaming consoles but little were we aware that company has high plans to unveil another exciting offering. With the growing number of robots in Japan we have calculated the possibility of a day when they will govern our life. Vince Veneziani from Gearfuse digged out Sega-Hasbro’s Ampbot, a two feet tall Robo slave that sits on his job until Robot’s rule begins. Ampbot chases you while producing music from 12W speakers and features an integrated iPod cradle on its back. It’s advised to form a robot-themed playlist that will suit well the dancing steps of the Ampbot.

Demanding a sum of $500, it is expected to hit the markets in America and Japan coming November.

Via T3News