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Cast-in-Place Steel: Robots to 3D-Print Metal Bridge in Holland

17 Jun

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

3d canal crossing bridge

Designed to span a historic canal of Amsterdam, this cutting-edge structure will bridge traditional and automatic construction techniques using continuous extrusion technology to generate three-dimensionally-complex, self-supporting steel space frames. Imagine for a moment a pair of robots scaling the very structures they are building as they build them, walking themselves out over a bridge from both sides to meet in the middle. The approach of casting a material in place, generally associated with concrete, is suddenly possible for metallic substances as well.

3d welding steel extrusion

3d welding sautering prototype

3d printed bridge robots

Having already created a series of increasingly successful small-scale prototypes, Dutch design firm Heijmans (already well known for houses built in one day and glow-in-the-dark bike paths in The Netherlands), tech startup MX3D and designer Joris Laarman are working together to make this design/build concept a reality. Programmed to extrude and weld together steel segments, specialized robotic builders are able to assemble a network of structural lines and curves to form a load-bearing bridge in this case, but could be deployed to frame tall buildings in the future as well.

3d extruding robot curves

3d curved steel form

3d bridge prototype rock

“Construction and design are currently rather separate factors in construction – the architect designs something and the constructor interprets the design and builds what he thinks is needed,” says Jurre van der Ven, Heijmans’ Innovation Manager. “But using 3D printing for a bridge makes design and construction operate hand-in-hand. For instance, both activities are done at the same time, instead of first building the structure and then adding the design later. This means we will also have to start looking at design in a completely different manner.”

3d bridge design renderings

3d bridge span connection

3d on site construction

Refined and optimized, such techniques and technologies will ultimately bring down the cost of construction, reduce building waste and help automate worksites. The first real-world application being a bridge is no coincidence, but rather a “fantastic metaphor for connecting the technology of the future with the city’s historic past, in a way which would reveal the best aspects of both worlds.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

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Drawing Machines: 13 Rivetingly Creative Art-Making Robots

09 Jun

[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

robot art shapiro 1

Is it the human element that’s crucial in calling a creation ‘art,’ or does it still count even if it was made by a robot? Adding to the age-old debate attempting to define a fairly abstract concept, robotic art mimics human movements or transcends them altogether using all sorts of computer programs, magnets, pendulums and CNC machines. One even draws blood and uses it as ink to create a portrait of the artist in his own bodily fluids.

Robot Draws Artist’s Portrait in His Own Blood

robot art blood portrait 1

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robot art blood portrait 3

Artist Ted Lawson’s blood was fed intravenously straight to a CNC machine to paint his own portrait for ‘Ghost in the Machine.’ The project uses a robot arm to trace a programmed illustration in squiggly red lines. For Lawson, the experience was… draining. “I want to show the connection between our existential humanity and the ever-expanding technology that we use, are addicted to and rely on, as something deeply personal and very real. I’m trying to repeal the underlying code that is present in all things.”

Kinetic Sand Drawing Machines by Bruce Shapiro

robot art shapiro 3

robot art shapiro 2

The Sisyphus machine by Bruce Shapiro automatically creates incredibly intricate drawings in sand using magnets, steel marbles and a computerized motion control system. It’s mesmerizing to watch, the patterns seemingly appearing out of nowhere, the steel balls moving all on their own. Shapiro is planning a tabletop consumer version. As Shapiro explains the name, “For the crime of cheating death, Sisyphus must push his boulder up the mountain only to have it roll back down each day. For all eternity.”

Lounge in a Hot Tub and Watch a Robot Build with Salt

robot art salt tub 3

robot art sand sculptures

robot art sand sculptures 2

Watch from a hot tub as a robot plays in twelve tons of salt poured onto the entire floor of a gallery space, pushing and extruding it into abstract shapes resembling city skylines. Artist Jonathan Schipper’s installation ‘Detritus’ makes the viewers a destructive element in the scene, as their movement to and from the water destroys what the robot has created. “Objects are continuously being formed but, due to the fragility of the salt crystals used to make them, they deteriorate at nearly the same rate new ones are being built. This installation is an attempt to create a vantage point that is impossible in the real world. A vantage point that both condenses and speeds up time and provides an objective view of the things we value which, at times, we recognize as merely detritus.”

Pinball Prints: Art from Chaos

robot art pinball machine 1

robot art pinball machine 2

The movement of an ink-colored sphere is captured on a piece of paper, set within the guts of an old pinball machine. STYN by Sam van Doorn creates prints that get more complex depending on how good you are at the game. “In a time of digitization of the work process, you can easily forget the freedom and fun of play,” says the artist. “By creating new tools, you give yourself the opportunity to break free from standards in design.”

3D Drawing Machine Splits Your Vision to Help You Trace

drawing machine 3D 1

drawing machine 3D 2

drawing machine 3D 3

Not so confident in your artistic skills? While it’s not entirely autonomous, this machine will help you produce strikingly accurate drawings by screwing with your brain a little bit. ‘Vision’ splits your ocular system to create two images of your subject, so that you can trace one directly onto the curved surface before you.

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Drawing Machines 13 Rivetingly Creative Art Making Robots

[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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Flying Bikes & Pedaling Robots: 14 Futuristic Bicycles

18 Nov

[ By Steph in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

flying bike

All you need is an alien in a basket to make your biking experience just like a Spielberg film with this crazy flying bike and 13 other highly unusual, sometimes impractical bicycle designs. While some are just wild concepts, others represent truly innovative ideas for the future of cycling, from bending frames that function as built-in locks to extremely aerodynamic shapes and chainless drives.

XPloreAir Flying Bike

futuristic flying bike 1

futuristic flying bike 2

In a surreal scene straight out of ET, this bike can actually be flown right off the ground to an altitude of up to 4,000 feet. The XploreAir X1 Paravelo flying bicycle is a compact commuting bicycle that can be used like any other bike, or attached to a trailer equipped with a biofuel-powered fan. Get it going and the bike will lift into the air with the help of an attached fabric wing, traveling at up to 25 MPH for about three hours until the battery runs out.

Joules the Bicycle-Pedaling Robot

futuristic bicycles joules 1

futuristic bicycles joules 2

If you want to bike around without actually doing any work, and look as conspicuous as possible in the process, here’s an idea that’s right up your alley: Joules, the bike-pedaling robot. Perched on the back of a tandem bike, Joules essentially performs the same function that an electric motor would. Says the creator, “Joules came from a challenge to build an electric tandem bicycle powered by actually pushing the pedals like a person. Fun kinetic design was part of the intent, practicality was not.”

Bending Bicycle Frame is Its Own Lock

futuristic bending bicycle 1

futuristic bending bicycle 2

Is this the ultimate theft-proof bicycle? Thanks to an innovative ratchet system, the frame of this bicycle can actually be bent to wrap around a lamp post so it can be secured without the need for a lock or a chain. Ratchet the frame tight again to make the bike rideable in an instant. The bending capability also makes it easy to store.

Air-Filtering Bicycle

futuristic air filter bike

In cities like Beijing, riding a bicycle is a popular and practical alternative to fighting monstrous traffic every day, but then you’re breathing in all of the exhaust from those millions of vehicles. Artist Matt Hope found an interesting if not very attractive solution: a 5,000v air filtration system with a filter that’s powered by your pedaling. The clean air that passes through the filter is then sent through a hose to a fighter pilot mask on the rider’s face.

StreetFlyer Harness Bicycle

futuristic streetflyer bicycle

futuristic streetflyer bicycle 2

Pretty much the opposite of ultra-compact urban bicycles, the StreetFlyer is a massive three-wheeled contraption that gives you the feeling of flying by suspending you from a lightweight frame using a harness. You strap yourself in, get a running start and then use swimming-like movements to pilot the thing.

The Contortionist Folding Bike

contortionist folding bike 1

contortionist folding bike 2

The Contortionist Bike folds from full-size to the size of a single wheel in just twenty seconds. Once it’s folded, you can simply pull it behind you with the handlebars, freeing up your other hand.

Lunarctic Chainless Bicycle

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The larger rear wheel and smaller front wheel of the unusual Lunarctic bicycle isn’t purely to give the bike an eye-catching look; it’s functional, too. The larger wheel provides stability, while the smaller one offers enhanced maneuverability. But the truly notable feature of this bike is the lack of a chain, making use of a belt drive instead.

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Flying Bikes Pedaling Robots 14 Futuristic Bicycles

[ By Steph in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

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Almost Human: 15 Frighteningly Realistic Robots & Androids

01 Jul

[ By Steph in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

Creepy Androids Main

How would you react if you were chased down the street by a sprinting android wearing head-to-toe camouflage and a gas mask? Probably about the same way you’d react to finding a dead-eyed mannequin convulsing alone in a closet with blood streaming from its mouth. Android technology is getting more disturbingly realistic every year, and these 15 represent some of the most jaw-dropping examples yet.

World’s First Android Newscaster

Creepy Androids Robot Newscasters 2

The world’s first news-reading android reported on an earthquake and an FBI raid in Tokyo on June 24th, 2014. The pair of remarkably realistic humanoid robots include a child (kodomoroid) that can recite reports gathered from around the world in a variety of voices and languages, and an adult woman (otonaroid) who will serve as a robot science communicator for Japan’s museum of emerging science and innovation.

BINA48

Creepy Androids BINA 1

The memories, beliefs and core personality of a real-life woman have been transferred to a robot called Bina48, who’s sophisticated enough to detect and reach to racism, discuss philosophy and tell jokes. The woman the android was modeled after, Bina Rothblatt, was interviewed for more than 20 hours on topics that ranged from her childhood to her career, and the conversation was transcribed and uploaded to an artificial intelligence database. Robot designer David Hansen crafted the bust-only robot for $ 125,000.

SimMan 3G Patient Simulator

Creepy Androids SimMan 2

The SimMan 3G might be a great way for medical professionals to practice, but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing to look at, especially when it starts bleeding, convulsing, crying or foaming at its gaping mouth. It’s designed to simulate virtually every emergency medical situation in the book and it can withstand four hours of surgery. Just imagine being the cleaning person who opens a closet at the hospital to find this thing staring back.

Geminoid F

Creepy Android Geminoid F 2

Japanese robot designer Hiroshi Ishiguro outdid himself with Geminoid F, a female android who can smile, furow her brows, talk and sing. Her face is equipped with 12 motorized actuators powered by air pressure to mimic human expressions, and she’ sso realistic she was actually used as an actress in a Tokyo play.

Geminoid DK

Creepy Androids Geminoid DK 1

With Geminoid DK, Ishiguro made an android copy of Henrik Scharfe, an associate professor of Aalborg University in Denmark (the roboticist’s first non-Japanese creation.) The purpose, he explains, is to understand the ‘emotional affordances’ in human-robot interaction. In the video you can see just how realistic the robot’s facial movements are, blinking and moving its mouth.

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Almost Human 15 Frighteningly Realistic Robots Androids

[ By Steph in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

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Flying Robots: 6 Stunning Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Projects

24 Sep

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

unmanned aerial vehicle flights

From the MIT Senselab quadcopter and ETH Zurich self-assembling multicopter to DIY drones mounted with paintball guns, toy rockets and automatic weapons, flying robots are quickly making their way from distant war zones to local city streets. The big question in the minds of many is whether this proliferation is a utopian or dystopian development. The following six examples (each with its own video) highlight extremes both positive and negative in the controversial and fast-paced evolution of unmanned aerial vehicles (or: UAVs for short).

Headline-Making Buzz as UAV Makes Surprise Flyby

Recently Angela Merkel made headlines as she was photographed close-up by a UAV, which then promptly crashed when its controller was approached by police and had to drop the controls. The Pirate Party claimed credit, stating they wanted to force the issue of urban surveillance and the domestic use of non-combat drones. At and it worked: her close encounter with a miniature UFO has sparked serious debate about the roll of UAVs in everything from front-line combat to city surveillance.

Self-Assembling Multi-Copter Flies in Raft Formation

self assembling multi copter

Before going further down the complex political and social implications of drone development, it is worth looking at the innovative upside and sheer technological achievement associated with UAV innovations, starting with the following Distributed Flight Array developed in a Swiss research lab. In this experimental project, a series of autonomous hexagonal copter pods assembles itself into a group on the ground using laser guidance systems. Once attached and aloft, each component copter within the larger composite ‘raft’ plays a roll in maintaining altitude and stability, rotating clockwise or counterclockwise to create lift and cancel torque.

self flying helicopter raft

From Gizmag: “As the united band of robots hovers and climbs off the ground, each robot module is using inertial sensors to detect tilt and roll – exactly the same sensors found in an iPhone or iPad to detect tilt. Each of the modules determines how to correct for pitch (forward and back tilting) and roll (side to side tilting) by making small adjustments to the speed of its propeller. The data link on the infrared light beams helps the robots decide which direction and axis is which.”

Flying Tour Guide Takes You to Desired Destinations

mit lab autonomous vehicle

Meanwhile, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have built a less playful and more purposeful autonomous quadcopter designed to help people navigate cities or to aid in remote search-and-rescue missions. The SkyCall from Senseable City Lab provides networked intelligence in physical form, and is more than just a prototype – initial versions are being deployed on MIT’s campus to give guided tours or take visitors to specific on-demand destinations when summoned by phone or via other mobile devices.

mit campus tour robot

From Dezeen: “UAV technology holds huge disruptive potential …. We want to harness this and specifically explore its value to the city and its inhabitants.” In this case: “Rather than the visitor diverting their attention to a map, the autonomous guide provides an intuitive navigational system of simply ‘following’.” Of course, not everyone has such a bright vision for these various new flying devices, as you will see below.

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Rise Of Drones 6 Sides Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Debate

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

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Smarter cameras may help bring autonomy to space robots

12 Sep

Space robots, including the Curiosity rover currently roaming Mars, have been great at following orders. Now, scientists are looking for ways to put more decision making power within the grasp of the rover itself. A team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is developing a camera system called TextureCam to do just that. They’ve developed an algorithm to allow the rover to analyze 3D images and determine whether an object in front of it deserves further investigation. Click through to read more.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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fighting robots

14 May

Two Robots fighting to the death. Took about 3 days to make and render.

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Posted in Animation Videos

Iron Man, Spider-Man & The Incredible Hulk vs Giant Robots 3D Animation Marvel Cartoon

19 Sep

Click the link below (in video description) to see how an 18 year old makes over 8 per day through the internet… This is the craziest thing I have ever seen.. It’s so freaking cool! tinyurl.com

25 Comments

Posted in Animation Videos

360Photography

Posts Tagged ‘Robots’

Cast-in-Place Steel: Robots to 3D-Print Metal Bridge in Holland