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RQ-TITAN robot wants to dominate the soccer field
Let's say you're interested in acquiring a large bipedal robot. Commercial options, like Kawada Industries' HRP-4 and KAIST's HUBO cost upwards of US$300K and $400K respectively. Those could break the bank, and building one from scratch is an expensive and time-consuming process in itself. Now Korean robotics company RoboBuilder is offering a pre-built solution that's one-tenth the cost of those robots, and at approximately three feet tall is big enough to compete in RoboCup soccer's "TeenSize" division.
The RQ-TITAN (Technological Innovation Towards ANdroid) is a modular research platform optimized specifically for RoboCup's TeenSize division, which has a minimum height restriction of approximately 3 feet. However, the robot is suitable for other domains, such as general AI research, human-robot interaction, or even as an eye-catcher at corporate events or exhibitions. Its hardware and software are open source, compatible with Windows 7, Linux Mint, and Android OS.
The standard version has 19 or 20 degrees of freedom (with the option of adding multi-fingered hands), which are actuated by the company's new line of RQ brand servo motors. For brains it sports a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor with 2 GB DDR RAM, and a 60 GB SSD with multiple ports and Wi-Fi. It comes equipped with a USB camera for vision, a microphone and speaker for speech recognition and synthesis, and force sensors, a gyrometer, and an acceleration sensor to help keep its balance. All of the above weighs in at just 22 pounds (10 kg) and it will operate for up to 30 minutes on its 18.5 volt Li-Po battery.
RoboBuilder's RQ-TITAN features a modular body that can be outfitted with an attractive exoskeleton
At US$30,000 dollars the RQ-TITAN isn't exactly cheap (and the optional exoskeleton is an extra $10,000 dollars) but it's comparable to its most direct competition. The Robotis-based NimbRo-OP, launched earlier this year, is roughly the same height and spec but costs $26,000 dollars. A little further up the chain is the ZMP e-Nuvo humanoid (which is taller at 4 feet / 126 cm), but it costs $83,000 dollars, and its performance probably doesn't justify the added expense.
Until very recently most university labs would be forced to design and build this sort of robot themselves, which limited their participation in the larger RoboCup size divisions. That said, it's nice to see that hobby robot companies are beginning to cater to researchers, which should lead to bigger, more exciting matches. RoboBuilder also markets a line of much smaller hobby robots which, at around $800 dollars, are amongst the more affordable kits out there.
You can see the RQ-TITAN walking, kicking a ball, laying down and getting back up again in the clip below.
Source: RoboBuilder
Source: http://www.gizmag.com/robobuilder-rq-titan-biped-robot-soccer/25538/
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Founded by Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 with the participation of leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems.
The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies.
The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.
A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future.
The "2045" team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.
An annual congress "The Global Future 2045" is organized by the Initiative to give platform for discussing mankind's evolutionary strategy based on technologies of cybernetic immortality as well as the possible impact of such technologies on global society, politics and economies of the future.
Future prospects of "2045" Initiative for society
2015-2020
The emergence and widespread use of affordable android "avatars" controlled by a "brain-computer" interface. Coupled with related technologies “avatars’ will give people a number of new features: ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, travel in extreme situations etc.
Avatar components will be used in medicine for the rehabilitation of fully or partially disabled patients giving them prosthetic limbs or recover lost senses.
2020-2025
Creation of an autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot, ‘avatar’, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged. Any patient with an intact brain will be able to return to a fully functioning bodily life. Such technologies will greatly enlarge the possibility of hybrid bio-electronic devices, thus creating a new IT revolution and will make all kinds of superimpositions of electronic and biological systems possible.
2030-2035
Creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness with the subsequent development of means to transfer individual consciousness onto an artificial carrier. This development will profoundly change the world, it will not only give everyone the possibility of cybernetic immortality but will also create a friendly artificial intelligence, expand human capabilities and provide opportunities for ordinary people to restore or modify their own brain multiple times. The final result at this stage can be a real revolution in the understanding of human nature that will completely change the human and technical prospects for humanity.
2045
This is the time when substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities far exceeding those of ordinary humans. A new era for humanity will arrive! Changes will occur in all spheres of human activity – energy generation, transportation, politics, medicine, psychology, sciences, and so on.
Today it is hard to imagine a future when bodies consisting of nanorobots will become affordable and capable of taking any form. It is also hard to imagine body holograms featuring controlled matter. One thing is clear however: humanity, for the first time in its history, will make a fully managed evolutionary transition and eventually become a new species. Moreover, prerequisites for a large-scale expansion into outer space will be created as well.
Key elements of the project in the future
• International social movement
• social network immortal.me
• charitable foundation "Global Future 2045" (Foundation 2045)
• scientific research centre "Immortality"
• business incubator
• University of "Immortality"
• annual award for contribution to the realization of the project of "Immortality”.
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