Slashdot

Researchers from Imperial College London are improving the Da Vinci surgical robot by installing an eye-tracker, which allows surgeons to control the robot's knife simply by looking at the patient's tissues on the screen. Tracking the eyes can generate a 3D map, which in turn can make moving organs — like a beating heart — appear to stand still for easier operation. Other features include "see-through" tissues on the surgeon's screen (so tumors can be seen underneath tissues) and "no-cut" zones, places where the robot doesn't allow the surgeon to cut by mistake. Says ICL Professor Guang Zhong Yang, "We want to empower the robot and make it more autonomous."
http://www.robotworldnews.com/100503.php

In the latest feat of artificial intelligence (AI), researchers have taught AI agents to play Ms. Pac-Man — and sometimes do it better than humans. The study, performed by Istvan Szita and Andras Lorincz from the Department of Information Systems at Eotvos University in Hungary, showed that AI agents can successfully be taught how to strategize through reinforcement learning. The researchers hope that teaching Ms. Pac-Man will be an ideal means to explore what artificial intelligence is still missing.
http://www.robotworldnews.com/100389.php

Researchers are trying to give avatars physical bodies, so that the virtual reality robots can control the actions and emotions of mobile robots. The unification of software and mobility like this results in the so-called "Ubibot" (ubiquitous robot), which the researchers predict is the future of interactive robotics. In the future, avatars on your pc/cell/pda screen may be able to bring you your tea, scratch your back, or do whatever robots of the future will do.
http://www.robotworldnews.com/100328.php

trogador writes "A program that lets kids chat with Santa became a bit too naughty when a kid's question asking Santa to eat pizza prompted Santa to bring up oral sex. "You want me to eat what?!? It's fun to talk about oral sex, but I want to chat about something else," Santa replied to a child. Then Santa called the child a "dirty bastard." Microsoft took the program offline to fix it, but still faced similar problems. The program (northpole(at)live.com in Windows Live Messenger) is reportedly back online."
http://www.physorg.com/news116144431.html

trogador writes "A 25-year-old engineer, an ex-Disney film maker, and a shotgun maker started a little company called Robotex. In six months, they designed and built a warrior robot that can walk up stairs on wheels, roll through water, and glide over rough terrain, all while shooting 300 rounds per minute at a target 1/4 mile away with great accuracy. And it only cost $30,000 to make. Now they're trying to get their creation to the government. There's also a video here: http://money.cnn.com/video/ft/#/video/fortune/2007/12/04/robotex.fortune"
http://money.cnn.com/2007/12/03/technology/robotex.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2007120403

trogador writes "A robotics expert has attempted to create a geometrical model of the human psyche, with the aim to develop "psycho-robots" — Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that exhibit important elements of the human psyche. Andrei Khrennikov, researcher at the University of Vaxjo in Sweden, says that psycho-robots will have elements of a human-like self-developing psyche, with cognitive systems that evolve through interactions with humans and other psycho-robots. Not only would these robots exhibit emotions and desires like a human, but the machines would also necessarily evolve human psychological problems, including psychopathic behavior."
http://www.robotworldnews.com/100250.htm

Researchers are making another attempt at building a flying machine that uses the unique "cyclogyro" mechanism for generating a lifting force. So-called cyclogyro planes are supported in the air by power-driven rotors on wings that rotate about a horizontal axis, similar to the paddle wheels of a steamboat. Although cyclogyros were originally invented in the 1930s and a few companies have built different versions of the machine, there are no records of any successful flights.
http://www.robotworldnews.com/100194.htm

trogador writes "Researchers at the University of Washington have designed "Vocal Joystick," an alternative to a handheld mouse based on the human voice. The interface software can detect sounds 100 times per second and instantaneously turn the sound into movement on the screen. For example, different vowel sounds such as "ah," "ee," "aw," and "oo" move the cursor one of eight different directions. The sounds "k" and "ch" simulate clicking the mouse, while louder sounds make the cursor move faster."
http://inventorspot.com/articles/voicecontrolled_computer_mouse_7384

http://www.physorg.com/news111141405.html