Stable running and climbing stairs for robots is not a problem!

One of the participants in the contest DARPA Robotics Challenge will be the company Boston Dynamics, the most experienced player in the robotics market, which has in its arsenal of advanced solutions, and large real achievements. As proof that the company published a promotional video in conjunction with his old partner - Agency DARPA.

The report describes several projects on robotics. The first robot steadily up the stairs as fast as a person. The machine is equipped with a much poorer person, the robot from Boston Dynamics has only a couple of feet, shod in sneakers, and upper extremity, which ends with something like a fist. The mechanism relies on the wall and very briskly climbing the ladder in seconds. In slow motion we see that the robot makes mistakes, stumbles, but his work is efficient.

Robot PETMAN differs no less remarkable talent. He walks and runs, but it cleverly keeps the balance. Next to the robot is an operator which is quite sensitive pushes him in the shoulder, PETMAN makes a couple of steps away, but quickly returned to its former route. And for some reason, Boston Dynamics engineers are taught to the robot push-ups on the floor. It seems to become stronger.

Amazon buys manufacturer of robots for $ 775 million

The largest online retailer Amazon has signed an agreement to acquire Kiva Systems - manufacturer of robotic loaders, which are able to independently move the goods. The deal amounted to $ 775 million in cash. Kiva technology will automate the Amazon warehouse logistics and make the delivery faster.

As expected, the transaction will close in the second quarter of 2012. Kiva will be the largest purchase for Amazon since 2009, when the company acquired online shoe seller Zappos.com for $ 1.2 billion, reports Bloomberg.

Amazon's revenue up to 2011 grew by 41% and the number of employees exceeded 56,000 people. According to the annual report, the largest operating expense Article Amazon warehouses to service - this in 2011, the online retailer spent $ 4.6 billion. Should we expect significant reductions in production personnel whose work will replace the robots, the company did not say.

Kiva went on profitability only in the past year. In 2011 the company got 24 new clients, including Toys "R" Us, and Timberland. Kiva robots are also used in warehouses Quidsi - the former owner of online retailers Soap.com and Diapers.com, which Amazon bought last year for 545 million dollars.

Also on the theme: four-footed robot set a speed record Flying nanorobots taught to play music in Japan have made a robotic "avatars" in the United States established a DNA robot for Cancer Research: Most people dream of a robot-servants

Robots set a record range of movement in the ocean

Four robot set a world record distance of movement of water among the automatic machines.

The previous record, which stood at 4630 kilometers, it was possible to beat the device under the name PacX Wave Glider, manufactured by U.S. company Liquid Robotics. Wave glider translates to English as "water glider."

Journey, which began November 17, 2011 in the port of San Francisco, lasted 4 months. During this time, the robots covered the distance of 5926 kilometers and reached the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific. On the way robots are faced with waves of eight meters and a constant strong wind - the phenomena that are typical for regions of the ocean, where they visited.

"We are proud that our robots have reached their goal in Hawaii and managed to break the world record - says Edward Lu (Edward Lu), head of the innovative programs in the company of Liquid Robotics. - I have no doubt that lie ahead new discoveries obtained by robots PacX. Our devices have advantages such as mobility and autonomy, which allows to remove all pre-existing limitations on the study of the ocean. "

According to the developers, the robots have to go into unexplored areas above the ocean and collect information on the oxidation of water, as well as reducing the number of shoals of fish.

In achieving these goals will help them to machines autonomy and unique design. The fact that robots do not need additional sources of supply: to move, they use unlimited energy of ocean waves.

Solar panels installed on the machines, fed by numerous sensors that monitor weather, and every 10 minutes, analyze water samples for temperature, salinity, fluorescence, and the amount of dissolved oxygen (zatemeti data is transmitted to the satellite).

Each robot consists of several parts. The upper part is adapted for movement on the surface of the water like a surfboard. The lower part is a special device designed for converting wave energy into energy of motion.

The devices are PacX names and nicknames of famous explorers of the ocean. One of them - "Papa Mau" or the "Index of the way" - named after a Micronesian navigator Payesa "Mau" Piylega (Pius "Mau"), which is known as a scholar and teacher of traditional methods of orientation in the ocean (navigation by the stars, clouds, wind and so on).

Following the teachings of Micronesians, the device is "Papa Mau" is not used to guide any navigational instruments. Programmed to move in the harbor Kavaye (Kawaihae Harbor) on the island of Hawaii is a robot, ignoring all the difficulties, reached the goal, using as a guide only the coordinates of the destination.

Island of Hawaii - not the ultimate goal of automatic travel. Then the way they split. Two robots are sent to Japan, crossing in its path Mariana Trench (the deepest place of the planet), and two more will have to get to Australia.

As a result, PacX will be the distance of about 16,688 kilometers in length. Thus, they can beat the record for the long journey automatic device, which was raised, and unmanned aerial vehicle was 13,840 kilometers.