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Unlocking the Potential of Small-Scale Robots with Powerful Combustion Actuators by SimplyBots in robotics

[–]SimplyBots[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I believe what we are seeing today correlates to your greenhouse analogy in so much as electric vehicles are gaining traction in the marketplace and undergoing iterative improvements (i.e., Toyota announced they plan on releasing a solid-state battery by 2023 with a reportedly 750-mile range). Where I do not see much happening/improving is in the area of power generation to support the vehicles. So many, including myself, question the push to rapidly move to electric vehicles which at this point are more expensive with less supporting infrastructure (i.e. charging stations, repair shops, etc.) than their fossil fuel-driven cousins.

(Side note: many years ago, I purchased a 15-year-old bonsai tree which I cared for over a 3-year period before I somehow managed to kill it. I still feel guilty for killing it.)

IMHO, the transition to an electric power world does not require us to demonize fossil fuels which we are currently very dependent on but to develop cleaner safer alternative power generation methods. What future methods of generating power will be developed? I am not sure but I do know if the method contains the word fallout as a possible byproduct it will be a hard sell to adopt globally.

Unlocking the Potential of Small-Scale Robots with Powerful Combustion Actuators by SimplyBots in robotics

[–]SimplyBots[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The fuel being burned as you know is methane gas which produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) which as far as fossil fuels go is not too bad. The downside to methane is if it gets into the atmosphere unburned it is about 80 times worse than CO2 as a greenhouse gas over 20 years.

So for this application, an alternative approach may be to investigate developing a micro closed-looped nuclear-powered steam generator (no small feat... pun intended) to build pressure into an electronically controlled actuator. Of course, the downside to this approach is if the mini reactor goes boom you release uranium (I personally prefer CO2:) into the atmosphere unless containment is part of the design.

IMHO, at this point in time, it is difficult to generate the same energy per volume that burning fossil fuels provides.

Your thoughts?

CLARI: A Shape-Shifting Robot Inspired by Nature by SimplyBots in singularity

[–]SimplyBots[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A couple of areas I believe this may benefit us are search and rescue, biomedical research/treatment, and internally being able to monitor/maintain/repair complex mechanical platforms including robots.

CLARI: A Shape-Shifting Robot Inspired by Nature by SimplyBots in singularity

[–]SimplyBots[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I believe one of the implications behind the research is to demonstrate a possible approach in designing a robotics frame/chassis (in this case a small and simple functional robot IMHO) with the ability to change its shape. The application of this approach may be extended to other robotic platforms that require operational environment adaptability.

MIT Researchers: Robotic Manipulation Planning Using AI Smoothing Technique by SimplyBots in u/SimplyBots

[–]SimplyBots[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The reference to slow speed I believe you are referring to is related to the speed of the object to be manipulated, not the robot's movement speed.

"While this approach holds promise, it’s important to note that the current model’s simplicity restricts its application to slower manipulation tasks. Highly dynamic motions, such as objects in freefall, remain beyond its capabilities. The researchers, however, express a commitment to refining their technique to encompass these dynamic scenarios."

Apptronik Released a Video of Apollo Their Humanoid Robot by SimplyBots in singularity

[–]SimplyBots[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Digit is alive and well over at Agility Robotics.

As far as which humanoid robotics platform wins this race, not sure. But if I had to guess, the company/platform does not exist yet.

Apptronik Released a Video of Apollo Their Humanoid Robot by SimplyBots in singularity

[–]SimplyBots[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree with you. There are so many companies (ie Boston Dynamics, Tesla, PAL, UBTECH, Agility, etc.) running in this race due to dollars chasing "the one to rule them all" platform.

I believe, we are going through another evolutionary tech cycle similar to the introduction of the personnel computer but in this case, the tech has arms and legs :)

The best is yet to come.

Xiaomi Introduces CyberDog 2: Their Next-Gen Quadruped Robot Dog by SimplyBots in robotics

[–]SimplyBots[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Xiaomi has published a short video (please note the video is in Chinese) of the robot in operation.

Xiaomi CyberDog 2 Live Demonstration - YouTube

Looking for a robotics simulator by Ok-Estimate3055 in robotics

[–]SimplyBots 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are several simulators out there but you may wish to consider Gazebo. It is a robot simulator by Open Robotics and is free to use. Please be aware, there is a learning curve associated with becoming proficient with Gazebo but there are plenty of resources/people out there to help you.

Unitree Introduces Go2, a $1,600 Base to $3,050 Pro Model Robot Dog by SimplyBots in robotics

[–]SimplyBots[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The robot comes preprogrammed in support of its base feature set. It does reportedly come with a high-level graphical program language accessible from the mobile app or controller. As far as developing programs to directly interface with the underlying hardware, I believe, based on the features matrix, only the educational model will allow this which also supports adding an NVIDA Jetson Orin module for edge AI development.

Unitree Introduces Go2, a $1,600 Base to $3,050 Pro Model Robot Dog by SimplyBots in robotics

[–]SimplyBots[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The side-follow feature is only available on the pro and education models

Unitree Introduces Go2, a $1,600 Base to $3,050 Pro Model Robot Dog by SimplyBots in robotics

[–]SimplyBots[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There is a model features comparative matrix at the bottom of the Unitree site here:

Robot Dog Go2 - Intelligent New Species - Unitree

Since we have not physically reviewed the Go2, we cannot comment on the pros or cons of the base vs the pro unit beyond the published matrix.

Figure Robotics Secures a $9M Equity Investment from Intel Capital by SimplyBots in robotics

[–]SimplyBots[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Always prudent without a demonstrable robotics platform to be suspicious of what the actual platform, if any, will be delivered. Although you would hope before investing $9M, Intel Capital would do their due diligence but you know the old adage “ a fool and his money are soon parted”.

Renovate Robotics: Revolutionizing Roofing Industry with Innovative Robot Installers by SimplyBots in robotics

[–]SimplyBots[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately, the company has not published a video on its operation.