Fish-shaped robot to detect ocean pollution
Fish-shaped robot developed a new team of British scientists. The robot is the way he looks like a real fish, can swim almost as if alive.
Prototypes were produced carp as a model, waiting to be released into the ocean in northern Spain in 2011 while swimming in an aquarium tank in London.
This robot has a small chemical sensors to collect data port pollution Gijon in northern Spain, is a management center of the port to send information gathered by radio.
"The body may say that the laboratory is equipped with tiny", BMT Laurie Doyle, who is a scientist, senior researcher of the group said. BMT Group is an independent engineering company, is looking to commercialize the robot fish funded by the European Commission. Design Britain has already finished Fuoshen Hu and colleagues at the University of Essex, now at the stage of practical model assembly.

Doyle said, the fish robot sensor that provides the ability to detect dangerous situations, such as chemicals and fertilizer runoff. The authorities can immediately identify sources of pollution and impacts.

Was chosen as a model of the robot fish, because that is really pursue energy efficiency in several hundred million years of evolution. "It's very well-designed product of nature," he explained with Doyle.

And cost-consuming and also somewhat better mimic the original, but the price of one body per two million pounds (about 280 million yen) to as well. Therefore, this fish-shaped robot with a size of a seal, which is designed to accommodate themselves to the contingencies and conflicts such as missing. Neither would easily take the net, it also has the ability to avoid obstacles such as the tracking system built boat.

London Aquarium shark to avoid swimming in a fish-shaped robot, but for now it seems there's little danger of being mistaken for food. Doyle said the idea of a shark repellent electromagnetic field of the robot sees.

In addition, it also has been studied in parallel to the natural environment and disturb the sound from the robot fish.

Radioactive waste, "dismiss your robot"
Radioactive waste storage tank cleaning robot "Possum"
Movie WALL • E / Wally 』hero" Wally "is a robot that was left was to clear the earth is full of garbage, this robot is also, radioactive waste storage tanks of old people unable to work long hours送Rikoma to be alone. To scrub and scrape it in the tank waste.

This was developed by GE Insupekushontekunorojizu "Possum" is back into the underground tank inspection about 30 cm from the mouth. The same name that is similar to the marsupial possum slowly.

The tank can be operated from outside, because it incorporates a camera operator can determine the location of waste treatment.

Possum and move to that position, a container waste move skillfully use a small shovel. Inspectors measure the radiation level in the container material, may determine the amount remaining in the tank.
Janken robot appeared in London
Advanced Robotics binding Yankenwosuru curator at the Museum of Science and London "Berti (Berti)". How will the outcome of this fight now.

"Bertie" is a high capacity for gesture recognition, gesture can move his arms and hands. Is an important step to realize human-friendly robot human co-existence.

Bertie on March 17 after the announcement, had been exhibited at the museum until May 19. Meanwhile, visitors enjoy the ability to evaluate the interaction with Bertie.
Only brain signals controlling the robot, the U.S. success in monkeys

Able to eat a monkey can operate a robot arm using only signals from the brain.

University of Pittsburgh Medical School neurobiologist, Andrew Schwartz, "and visually communicate what the desired behavior in monkeys, neurons in the monkey brain as you start doing work that actually work" and talk. Schwartz's team, by examining the brain activity of these were able to understand how neural activity produced by the body to which the desired behavior.

Path of the monkey motor cortex neurons that control voluntary muscle movement of the first electrode inserted as a human hair thickness. Imagine the operation of the robot arm monkey, the electrode to detect neural activity. That information is sent to a computer that is mapped to a particular operation. Since brain activity is very complicated, to map the activity of nerve cells to work but not all, Schwartz's team, and based on limited data from the electrode is detected to reproduce the neural developed an algorithm.

The resulting nerve cell activity data is sent to the robot arm, shoulder joint and elbow joint, is achieved and the movement of a finger. As a result, the monkeys were able to manipulate the arm just imagine in your head. Without using their own hands, and was able to eat marshmallows and fruit.

Currently, machine interface brain many (BMI) has been studied in technological development, stroke or spinal cord injury, and will enable support for those suffering from other neuromuscular degenerative disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is expected. However, according to John Crow Fahrenheit University of Montreal, to work with technology that signals the brain to the limbs are expected to achieve higher future practical applications in devices that there are still some difficulties.

He particularly to prosthetic limbs as well as sending information from the human brain, emphasizing the need to receive information from the limbs of the human brain. The real skin and muscles are signaled to the brain from sensory receptors that. The adjustable handgrip strength when the object is due. To achieve a real sense of the limb as it is essential that this feedback function, the robot arm does not present these features.
Leave it to the moon first construction robots?
Construction workers could be the first lunar robot. According to a recent NASA-sponsored research.
According to this study, if the back-country exploring the moon with two remote-controlled robot that can, that there is a chance to build a highway to the place of arrival and departure of aircraft for less than six. If so, in the early stages of planning a lunar base, to realize a safe and cheap construction work involved than people themselves.
Although NASA is aiming to start operation of the overall lunar base by the year 2024. One of the challenges confronting the planning area is the development of the first phase of construction will be departing the base. Roll up the dust when landing, because that needs to be constructed will not adversely affect residential construction for later.

"NASA has recognized the potential danger to city development and the other flying debris in the blast at the landing. This issue certainly will. We have proposed a solution, the choice is NASA's "said David Gump, president of Technology Asutorobotikku said. The company conducted the study in collaboration with researchers at Carnegie Mellon University.

Results of the study, can also ride in the size of a lawn mower, when working with two robot weighs 150 kg, and the results revealed the most effective construction. The first two robots, lunar soil sounded rough, surrounded by high ground to build a wall 2.6 meters departure. However, production of prototypes of the robot to move on this build, and researchers need more information about the polar soil that is the future site of the first candidate is pulling together.

According to Gump's estimate, and two landing craft for transporting the robot, including the material costs for the ground is that the two will be 300 million U.S. dollars. After completing the construction of the departure, there could be other uses for robots. "For example, when a towing vehicle to transport food and samples, can be used as vehicles for the return of astronauts stranded in a lunar rover and failure," he said.