Showa Hanako 2 – Robotic Patient to Train Dentists

 

Showa University in Tokyo alongside robotics company Tmsuk has developed a robotic patient to help train dentists.  The robot gadget called Showa Hanako 2 replicates typical patient movements and responses alongside being as realistic looking as possible. Just check out that face in the picture and tell me you didn’t think that was a real person.

The idea behind the Showa Hanako 2 is that dental students can practice on the robot before attempting procedures on a real patient. The advantage of this is that students build confidence on techniques alongside experiencing typical reactions of patients.

 

Showa Hanako 2 which as you can guess is an upgrade from Showa Hanako 1 is much more lifelike, user-friendly, and functional compared to its older version. The lifelike look and feel of the skin is due to the silicone skin developed by Orient Industry. The realistic lifelike features help psychologically remind the trainee dentist that they are working on a genuine patient even if they are working on a robot.

Gestures to which Showa Hanako 2 can exhibit are; blinking, sneezing, coughing, head shaking, tongue movements, and rolling of the eyes.  All these movements happen smoothly and naturally much like the human form. One final feature to Showa Hanako 2 is its ability to simulate a gag reflex; this was put in place after reviewing typical patient reactions during dental procedures.

I can imagine this medical gadget being quite expensive to buy later this year when Yoshida Dental Manufacturing make it available to order, however the prices dentists charge these days I am sure they can afford it.

Willow Garage PR2 Robot

 

As we enter further into the 21st century, the technology gets better and better every day. Soon robots will take over jobs that almost everyone hates, like a cashier’s job. The PR2 Personal Robot from Willow Garage was created by a group of researchers at Stanford’s AI laboratory and they designed it to be a bag boy and also a coat checker. And things seem to be working well for them then.

Now, the group of researches is ready to try something new. The PR2 robot is being programmed to be a checkout clerk. The robot will be programmed to do a three step procedure which would be grabbing an item, scanning it and then placing it in a bag. For now, the robot can only do the first part efficiently as the programming part of it has not been not fully completed yet. The robot does not really seem to be able to scan the items all that well and instead of placing items in the grocery bag, it drops them. Imagine if it was a carton of eggs, boy that robot would have been so fired!

The researchers are still working on this project. The PR2 robot still has a lot more modification that it needs to undergo. Problems like it’s too tight of a grip, it misses scanning items at times, it doesn’t arrange item in a grocery bag and it doesn’t greet customers is yet to be solved. Of course, there are a lot of modification and further programming that needs to be done.

Hector Spider Robot

 

The human mind does wonders, and it has never cease to impress the world with intelligent creations. Just look at how mankind came up with something called the robot, and work on improving it day by day. Now, the Department of Biological Cybernetics of University of Bielefeld has come up with the artificial autonomous robot gadget called HECTOR the spider robot.  The name is derived from the quasi-acronym of Hexapod Cognitive Autonomously Operating Robot.  It is awesome if you are not afraid of real spiders!

Hector is about 1 meter long, and it weights more or less 12 kg. The purpose of this insect is to be used in various experiments because of its ability. Hector has 3 body segments, and 6 legs connected with 18 joints. Each of these joints possesses its own processor, drive feature sensors, and complete control electronics. The joints are also equip with a sensorized elastic coupling which enables Hector to yield or bend during impact or when playing tricks on humans like chasing after them! Not to mention that Hector is actually design to carry heavy loads.

Hector’s unique body design also allows sensor equipments to be replaced to suit the particular project or experiment that it is involve in. An example would be switching a tactile antenna for a near or long range sensing camera. The developers of Hector would also like to improve on the basis of providing Hector with the ability to learn and plan ahead – somewhat a cognitive function. This is so that Hector could explore unknown boundaries or territories and perform missions on its own.

Check out the Hector Spider Robot in action

Omnitread

 

The Omnitread is a snake like robot that is capable of going through vertical and rough terrains, and the device can also cross huge gaps. The Omnitread was developed in the University of Michigan by a group of researches.

The Omnitread is able to travel into a hole that is at least 4 inches and it can go along electrical conduits. It is controlled by a joystick and is connected with an umbilical cord that sends commands to the specially designed software while giving electrical source to the snake like robot. The Omnitread is separated into five square segments that may look like small boxes that are connected through the middle by a drive shaft spine. Pneumatic bellows can be found in the joint of the segments.

The good thing about the bellows is that even though they require less amount of space, they are powerful enough and are naturally compliant. It also gives enough torque to lift the Omnitreads rear segments so that it is able to climb on objects.

The Pneumatic control method enables multiple proportional control of the Omnitread’s angle at its joint and stiffness as well. The segments are covered on all four sides with wide moving tracks. The tread that covers the robot’s body pushes it forward so it won’t get stuck while maneuvering through rough terrains.

The use for the Omnitread is to be a little ‘rat’ that spies for certain things, just like surveillance or industrial inspection, urban search and rescue mission and military and the Central intelligence agency (CIA). It is the modern era on cameras, instead of just being stationed in one corner, it moves around.

Robot Grasshopper

 

Are you a movies buff? If yes, then this idea isn’t new to you – this gadget reminds me of transformers, i,e a vehicle with legs like a grasshopper, that is generally the ‘bad guys’ vehicle.

The Tokyo Institute of Technology has created the robotic grasshopper that is similar to a grasshopper and its movement.

The device has four legs and can jump a distance of four feet forward and up to a foot in height.

Perhaps this robot grasshopper concept could very well be the solution to the huge traffic jams that we experience everyday.