It may not look like much, but this little modular robot's got the stuff to give Keepon a run for its money -- oh yeah, and according to its creators, iMobot's got big implications for the field of robotics too. Sporting four degrees of freedom, two rotating joints, and a pair of faceplates that act as wheels, the patent-pending device can crawl, drive, and potentially act as an autonomous camera platform. The surprisingly agile hunk of machinery was developed by two UC Davis professors who say their versatile invention could aid in search and rescue, as well as education and research. We think it's super cool that iMobot could be a hero, but really, we just want to see it bust a move. Check out a video of our new robo love after the break.
As cool as this is... Anyone want to tell me where My Keepon is? There was supposed to be a press release about the availability over a month ago and still nothing.. :(
ReplyDeletek, so there are two ways to move around,
ReplyDelete1- catterpillar like crawling- may be only possible on smooth/clean/dry surfaces
2- wobbly wheels- which seems entirely pointless
I think if a system is created using multiple units all joined end-to end, that thing can get other ways to move, like serpentile, or it can use suction cups to move like worms on ceilings and walls (creepy but awesome!).