There are many roles on stage and screen that are entirely inappropriate for robotic actors, but that doesn’t stop humans from trying. RoboThespian aims to prove that as humans acting like robots is generally bad, robots acting like humans can be good.

Well, not really. He’s more of an interactive exhibit.

But still, he’s pretty talented, right? Here are some details on just how he does what he does:

Unlike most robots of this caliber, RoboThespian is available for purchase. In the box, you’ll get the robot itself, plus a full support unit, touchscreen control panel, and motion creation software. Not bad for about $82,000, especially considering that bad human actors cost way more and can’t necessarily be turned off.

[ RoboThespian ] VIA [ Wired ]

Remember that one bot that we poked fun at for its price tag? Okay, maybe that’s a bit too broad a description. Remember the MobileRobots MT400? Still not ringing a bell? It’s the one that can bring you beer.

Now that we’ve got that settled, it seems CCS Robotics has taken an interest in the MobileRobots MT400, and is collaborating with Swisslog Healthcare to create bots that can roam hospitals and perform such important tasks as carrying medicine from one point to another. Wait a second. Isn’t that the same thing that our beer bot did, except that now the beer is medicine and hospital supplies? Well… yes. As far as we can tell, CCS Robotics has strapped a plastic bin on top of the MT400, and called it an innovation (though by all means, correct us if we’re wrong).

Yes, new research is important. Sure, the spatial mapping robot that MobileRobots also designed has merit. But really guys, really? How can you justify a cost in the tens of thousands of dollars for a kit that has arguably less versatility than a $279 LEGO kit?

[ CCS Robotics ] VIA [ Smart-Machines ]

This nifty DIY treadmill work station from 8th Light lets you work out bugs in your code… while you work out. It may not technically be a robot in itself, but it certainly fits in the category of “things robot geeks would be interested in” — it’s a very cool concept, and who doesn’t like a little multitasking?

Basically, what Doug from 8th Light has done is taken a treadmill, removed the control console, and put a desk in its place. With these modifications, he can work on his computer while he walks on his treadmill.

I [sic] few years ago when we were buying furniture for the first 8th Light office I came across a piece called the WalkStation. It was an adjustable height desk with a treadmill underneath. I had just started to get myself into better physical shape, and thought this would be a unique way to change a sedentary job into an active one. The price tag turned out to be way to high ($4500+).

Fast forward to January 30th, 2010. At ORDCamp, Zach Kaplan, founder of Inventables, gave a presentation about Dr. James Levine and the research he’s done creating active computer workstations. It turns out that Dr. Levine is the guy behind the WalkStation that I had seen earlier. Zach had thrown together a treadmill and a laptop desk to try out the concept and was raving about the benefits. It was the motivation that I needed to finally get to building my own treadmill desk.

Nice work, Doug. Here’s to innovative ideas in robotics, design, and exercise equipment! A nicely written build report can be found at the 8th Light blog, linked below.

[ 8th Light ]

Zibits, the cute new line of robot toys from Senario, promise to “take the world by storm,” presuming that you think of the assemblage of robots as droplets of rain. In any case, these bots certainly have some merit. Senario says they’ll be able to move forward, and rotate 360 degrees (presumably, the bots can’t back up), and are controlled via IR remote.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about these bots is their price tag- they’ll be retailing for $9.99 a pop, which to me is quite impressive. With the advent of infrared control in consumer robots, prices have been slowly, surely going down. Instead of having to use expensive radio receivers and transmitters, companies like Senario are using cheaper IR control systems, which are almost as effective in robots like these… until you take them out into bright sunlight, and the IR receiver gets confused.

Does the lower price justify the quality?

[ Senario ] VIA [ Robot Snob ]