Voice-Activated R2-D2 Obeys Your Commands, Beats Up the Neighbors
Let’s start our Friday with something sure to put a smile on many of our faces: a voice-activated R2-D2! Yes, now you can own a piece of Sci-Fi movie history in R2-D2, a 15-inch tall robot that obeys simple commands like “turn around” and “move forward.” The little guy responds to 40 commands in all…
Nextfest: Video Recap of the Technology Convention That Wired Built
Nextfest, the big convention in New York City that showcased tomorrow’s technology (today!) just wrapped up and we’ve got a nice video recap for your prying eyes. Some of the highlights include virtual kayaking, a robot bartender and, the coup de grâce, a desperate housewife trying to pick up a hot stud robot. Unfortunately for…
Bartending Robot Mixes Drinks, Helps Ruin Lives
Wired’s Nextfest is about to begin in New York City, ushering in a weekend of gadget geeks walking the mean streets and getting lost. Our camera man Richard was able to sneak in early and grabbed some groovy footage for us, the first of which is of a bartending robot. The robot actually works properly,…
Toyota Develops Robot Leg That Jumps
Toyota’s actually pretty big into robotics, so their latest robotic innovation shouldn’t come as any real surprise. Word is that the Japanese powerhouse has developed a robotic leg that can actually jump—a full 1.6-inches into the air, no less. Able to stay upright on its own, the robotic leg represents a coup in the development…
NMX04-1A, the 18-Foot Tall Combat-Ready Robot
After a fine Labor Day holiday, who can resist the temptation to read about giant, man-eating robots? Currently in development, the Bipedal Exo-Skeletal Robotic Vehicle, also known as the NMX04-1A, is poised to conquer Earth by next summer when a fully-functional prototype will be ready. Apparently, the aim of this robot, and forthcoming robots like…
Blimey! A Boot Throwing Bot.
Forget about droids that make breakfast or try to take over the World. In the UK, a team of scientists have constructed a robot to assist them in the eccentric and perverted-sounding British sport of Welly Wangling, which has nothing to do with masterbation. It’s actually the sophisticated sport of hurling a boot as far…
Domi Arigato, Mr Roboto: The Mother of all Gundams
Kotaku reports that, in the Land of the Rising Tentacle Porn, they’ve built a 7-meter tall Gundam. And it only took them 10 months to construct, complete with hydraulic pistons. One of them supposedly located in its crotch (which i hear needs lots of lube.) The controls are naturally tucked away in a cockpit, which…
Mazu Kan: Fake Fight For Real
I don’t personally have any obsession with becoming a superhero, despite my frequent baths in radioactive waste while clinging to a spider, bat and orangutan for dear life. However, since my roommate’s cousin’s pet finds the whole topic of great interest… Mazu Kan is a $50 two-player air-fighting game. You strap on the Mazu Kan…