DARPA Grand Challenge - Unmanned Vehicles Update

A while back I wrote on the topic of Unmanned Vehicles (UAV)where the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)was planning the organization of its third Urban Challenge designed to encourage the best minds in the world to meet Congress' requirement that one-third of all military vehicles be unmanned by 2015.

The challenge date is upon us and now 35 teams of elite robot experts are on their way to Victorville in hopes of finding a pattern when it comes to driving cars which will save hundreds, if not millions of live claimed to automobile accidents each year.

The prize is $2 million, a fractional sum when it comes to saving lives.The military of course is putting out the award money in hopes to keep its people out of the path of an improvised explosive device.

In the long run, the hopes is that these robots could drive humans around or at least take over on an "auto pilot" way when we are too tired or just partied a little too much, for example.

In two days, this Thursday, DARPA will announce the names of the 20 teams that have made it past the first phase and will go on to compete in the finals Saturday. The final event is open to the public from 6:30 a.m. to noon. For more information, visit the DARPA challenge Web site.

Lightweight UAV Plane on Hydrogen

It seems that everyday I hear "we've gone green" over here and the "we are greener" over there. I just haven't gotten the full concept of going green. Maybe is because I know that recycling paper causes more damage than normal paper due to the chemicals involved, or maybe I'm just not that caring when it comes to the environment unless there is added value for me.

.This is the prime example of a story I read today, where the benefits is the green factor, not necessarily what the product was intended for. Here is the excerpt:

"Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have just developed a small unmanned plane that uses 500 grams of liquefied hydrogen to power whopping 10-hour flights."

The bottom line here is that these researchers are looking for ways to increase flight time through other fuel sources. The "green benefit" is less carbon dioxide, but they don't lead off with all the green marketing hype. Yes, we should care about our planet and consume less resources, however, less not forget the prime directive. Create unmanned aerial vehicles which can save lives, aid is in the fight against terrorism, and place our troops out of harms way

Robotic Massage

Facials, Spas, Massages, and health products are all the rage. The human pampering industry is a 2 billion dollar industry. It is no wonder that many are looking for an entrance into this market.

The robotics industry has been in this area for a while now, but not very widely recognize. Simply walk into Brookstone at your local mall and you will be faced by a massaging robot in the form of a lounge chair. These robotic massage therapist can run in the upwards of $5,000.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting some folks whose whole focus is massage chairs. Their chairs far exceeded the quality and massage style of Brookstone's and ran in the $1 to $2 thousand range.

However, if you have more money to burn and are looking for the ultimate robot to massage you then wait no more. A new $70K robot has been premiere in Japan and it is ready for facial massages. Researchers at Tokyo's Waseda University hope the contraption will soon be deployed to hospitals and spas across Japan to give therapeutic facial massages. The WAO-1 (Waseda Asahi Oral Rehabilitation Robot 1) robot, is being developed initially for patients with jaw-related medical problems, but will make a penetration into Massage Therapist Offices in the near future. The robotics driving the unit have been refined to account for the softness and bone structure of the face. Learn more on this from the AP.

Next Goal: Unmanned Vehicles

With the Iraqi War costing in the upwards of $134.5B and increases at a rate of $177M per day, $7.4M per hour and $122,820 per minute, it is no wonder that Congress has set out a new challenge for the creation of self-driving vehicles.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as DARPA, whose scientists are credited with the creation of the Internet, is organizing its third Urban Challenge, designed to encourage the best minds in the world to meet Congress' requirement that one-third of all military vehicles be unmanned by 2015.

This program has been on its way for a while now, but as of 2004 not one robot has finished the race. That is all about to change in 2007 as this year’s challenge has raised the requirements. Instead of simply being able to navigate a curvy desert road, the robot cars must be able to drive in traffic.

Dr. Tony Tether, Director, DARPA, states "Vehicles competing in the Urban Challenge will be judged not just based on how fast they navigate the course, but also on how well they perform. The complexity of the Urban Challenge places a premium on vehicle performance, and our judging criteria will reflect this. It may turn out that vehicles complete the 60-mile course in less than the required 6 hours, but no one wins the prize."

To draw upon the national scientific and consumer community the third Urban Challenge has recruited ADAM SAVAGE and JAMIE HYNEMAN, hosts of Discovery Channel's Mythbusters, to host the event.

DARPA has already selected thirty-five teams as Urban Challenge semifinalists to participate in the National Qualification Event. The webcast of the announcement may be viewed here.

All DARPA Urban Challenge events are open to the public and free of charge. Spectator information including a schedule of events can be found here.

Fall Cleaning

Fall is upon us and one of the things I really don't enjoy is picking up leaves. Lucky for me, I have now relocated to the sunshine state and I don't have to go through the fall exercise, not yet anyways.

But for those of you in the northern part of the country, iRobot has heard your cries of pain and has invented a Gutter Cleaning Robot. The robot, fondly named Looj, is capable of cleaning up to 60ft in just under 10 minutes.

The robot requires that you still break out the ladder, which is a major undertaking for some folks. I know I always had trouble in trying to get to the top most gutter in my three story home. iRobot promises that it is a simple setup:

• Set your ladder in one secure position and place the robot in the gutter


• Attach the robot to your belt and climb the ladder using both hands


• Place the robot in the gutter and remove the detachable handle/remote

For a video on this click here.

There are three models available, the 120, 130, and 150, ranging in cost from $99 to $170. The difference in the models vary from having a Belt clip, 3-stage gutter cleaning auger, Looj holster, and a High power battery pack. To see the exact difference, visit the iRobot site.

With such an item available just in time for fall, there is no reason why your gutters should be clean. A clean gutter means proper drainage for the winter months to come.