On January 30th, 2019, an impressive concentration of hardware pros could be found at Synapse Product Development’s downtown Seattle office. Usually, HW people are in the minority at tech events, but not this time. What was the buzz about? Dragon Innovation was there to sponsor a HW startup panel which also included representation from Hackster,…

It was only a matter of time before robots got a 21st century upgrade. No longer do they fumble around on quadrupedal legs or struggle with more dexterous tasks. Now, these robots can grab objects, traverse uneven terrain on two legs, and now, even leap up to dangerously tall heights. We all knew this was…

No matter what anyone says, machines will never fully replace humans in the food chain. Having a human supervisor on hand beats out a cold, robotic heart any day. The guys at Sarcos Robotics aren’t trying to make manual labor obsolete. In fact, their newest creation requires a human helping hand. The Guardian GT is…

It’s been years in development, but the chance to see giant robots fight to the metal-crunching finish is now upon us. Back in the summer of 2015, MegaBots, Inc created a 15-foot tall, 12,000lb piloted mech capable of hurling a 3lb hunk of metal at over 130 mph. The only problem: there was nobody to…

As fall beckons the inevitable release of Apple’s ARKit, more developers are releasing demos of what looks to be a big step forward into an invisible world parallel to our own. The latest foray into the ARKit by Japanese VR/AR/MR programmer Daiki Taniguchi shows just how close this augmented world is. Using a series of…

MegaBots wants to have a real-life mech battle. Preferably without dying. So far it’s not looking good. When I first heard about the MegaBots Kickstarter project last year, I definitely giggled like a ten year old. Anybody who wants to build big robots and make them fight is okay by me. We wrote about it…

Someone rightly stated that ‘if we don’t want a generation of robots, someone should fund the arts!’ No matter how good a read the article on Scott Eckert and the Baxter Robot is, the truth of the matter is that mechanical muscle is replace the human element. Companies like Rethink Robotics are changing the way…

Lately we’ve been seeing quite the interest from the general public when it comes to ‘what’s inside’ the many artifacts that make up our day-to-day lives. Perhaps the best examples of this trend are the recent videos of objects being ‘shaved away’ one millimeter at time. While there are a few of them floating around…

We are totally freaked out with the OutRunner – The World’s First RC Running Robot, kinda reminds us of the Roadrunner from the Looney Tunes cartoons! The only thing missing is the “beep-beep”! Anyways, sound effects aside, this Kickstarter project is kicking some ass, thanks to the lovely videos showcasing OutRunners’ running talents. We got…

Can you make a robot do your bidding by the mere movement of your hands? The answer is yes. Can you make a robot use a motion controller to control itself? While your brain capillaries burst considering that, check out the nifty integration between the Leap Motion Controller and LEGO Mindstorm EV3 posted by the…

Locked inside the tumultuous tummy of the stuffed teddy toto, we evaluated the situation. A) we had plenty of grade-a foam B) we had some leftover honey and a half-melted stick of pig fat C) we had with us the explosive power of nine carbonate hamster sacks–in a word, these links. Michael Kus – Superbly…

What does it take to design and build giant robots that fight each other to total destruction in four months? This week we had the chance to sit down and talk with robot designer Mark Setrakian about designing robots for the new SyFy tv show Robot Combat League. We’ll hear about what software he uses,…

Vancouver-based EatART is an art research center that borders heavily on make space. They have a lot of cool projects, including the famous eight-legged, ridable robot, Mondo Spider–had to be inspiration for Artisan’s Asylum Hexapod–but the latest project has been a 50-foot electromechanical snake called Titanoboa that met a Kickstarter funding goal, stopped off at…

Cute Robots. Perhaps two words not heard together often. Cool Robots, yes. Fleash-eating robots, sure. But cute? In this case, yes! The Pingbot is a testament to what Instructable user Tomdf can do with a piezo buzzer, IR control, some electronics skill and a sense of humour. Oh and of course, a 3D printer. Tell me…

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Japanese animation, it’s that elbow pitts can explode and some of us will fight each other, mutant creatures and evil robots in extremely large exoskeletons. This is proof. Skeletonics is a on-going project by an imaginative, and quite clever, group of Japanese students who are using simple kinematics,…

This is how it all ends, my friends. They pull us in with their human-like emotions and then crush our wills to live… and also maybe our faces. The mechanical and overly productive counterparts of society, many are anxious to release upon civilization, has seen some intense development as of late, Recon bots and the…

Bruce Buck was nice enough to send a link about Salem Design and Manufacturing – a company using SolidWorks to create custom machinery that uses automation components from Misumi, the people responsible for the photo above. The image is for their Empowering Young Engineers (EYE) program to support Robot competitions with their automation components. So,…

Once again you’re trapped in a firefight between hundreds of mechanized sentient beings, with no route of escape that wouldn’t leave you riddled with the dawning of human extinction. That is, until you see a little beast of a vehicle creep into view from around a corner. Your first thoughts are DOOM, but you soon…

I’ve been reminded lately of one of the most frightening man-made beasts, glancing over my shoulder and shuddering at the sound of any loud, mechanical whirring. If you thought humanoid bipedal robots were nightmarishly creepy, wait till you see the video below. I remember pictures of the DARPA ‘BigDog’ military troop support robot years ago,…

We’re doomed. The robot armies are massing. As if simple non-humanoid robots were bad enough, now tiny, toddler-like and highly functional robot are coming to the market very, very soon people. Start packing. Aldebaran Robotics is bringing on the dream that many have of a personal robot companion to romp around with and they just…

I’m telling ya people, robots are taking over the world and SolidWorks is doing their part to aid in the onslaught of automated fulfillment like you wouldn’t believe. SHOES. The robots are in control of our footwear and it’s all starting at Zappos, perhaps the most brilliant shoe store you’ll ever find. Kiva Systems has…

As if our soon to be robot overlords are not scary enough, now there’s a Robot University for them to systematically learn how to take over the minds of small children and impressionable young college students. I exaggerate a bit. This is actually a place where the academics and the automaton-interested can gather via an…