Google's New headquarters: The Moon

The search engine giant is setting its sight on the moon. Google recently announced a contest with $30 million dollars on price money for robot experts to develop units that can go to the moon and send back high definition pictures.

Google launched a Google moon site simultaneously designed to showcase the Apollo landing series with important dates and facts. The site, which is Google map base, provides such features as geological and topographical charts and lunar elevation mapping.

The contest offers a 20 million dollar top prize for a robotic vehicle that is able to travel around the moon while sending data back to Earth. A $5 million dollar second prize for a stationary robotic unit that sends data. Another $5 million dollar bonus prize for any robotic vehicle that is able to discover water or ice, that is able to travel a distance over 5 kilometers, or is able to captures images of abandoned space vehicles from past missions.

The contest comes about because of lack of government funds to start new exploration missions, although NASA has a planned mission for 2020. The prizes are offered until December 31, 2012, after which a lowered grand prize of 12 million dollars can be won.

Robotic Spiderman

Researchers from the University of Canterbury had created a wall climbing robot. The research team, lead by Associate Professor XiaoQi Chen in the University’s Mechanical Engineering department, announced the breakthrough in mobile robotic technology.

Professor Chen said other wall-climbing robots being developed used either suction techniques, electromagnetic principles or nano-fibre based dry adhesion, however theirs uses unmatched technology. However, he could not discuss further the mechanics of the robot because the team is investigating patents for the new technology.

The team has other mobile units in mind, you can read more on this at Science Alert.

In Search of Life, Once Again

Since before we hit outer space or the first lunar landing, we have always asked ourselves, are we alone? Space and its final frontier are too wide and large for live to exists but on Earth.

There the reason why NASA has once again send out a space probe on to a 10 month journey to Mars. As we can all remember, NASA has experience many failures from many probes in the past. Most recently, the robot which damage the proof that there was life on the planet.

NASA is looking to redeem themselves by sending out a new probe which will dig through Martian soil in a search of life in a frigid region of the Red Planet.

The unit, named Phoenix, is powered by solar panels and will travel 680 million kilometers (422 million miles) through space to arrive at its final destination. During its three-month mission, the lander will pierce through soil in the planet’s arctic region amid freezing temperatures ranging from minus 73 degrees Celsius (minus 99 degrees Fahrenheit) to minus 33 C (minus 27 F).

Further, the robotic arm will lift samples onto its deck to check for water and other carbon based chemicals that are essential to life. It will also analyze the soil in hopes to find traces of past or present life.

Soon we will know whether Gene Roddenberry federation will need to be formed.

Meet the New Weed Whacker

The Danish agricultural engineers have been working on a new robot for the past three to four years to help them eliminate, of all things, weeds.

The scientists have created Hortibot, a weed pulling and killing robot that currently costs $71,000, and can run all day and night thereby decreasing the need for more manpower to run the farming fields.

The number of robotics units needed to manned a sizeable field is yet to be determined, but what is sure is that the robot can pluck, laser, burn or eliminate the weeds in a more green and efficient manner than any human has been able to in the past making produce healthier and pesticide friendlier.

Another side effect may be that it will reduce the border control problem due to lack of employment of illegal aliens, or will it? Only time will tell. Read more on this at the Ludington Daily.

Forget India, outsourcing to Robots is the next boom

I'm siting getting my weekly allergy shots when I just finished reading a story about a Japanese company who rents out robots to serve as receptionist.

Apparently, they have taken advantage of the many speech applications introduced in the late 90's and have sophisticated and perfected it to understand about 10,000 words which is all that is needed to serve as a receptionist.

Typically in all job postings I seen, a high school diploma is required; especially for a receptionist position where they face clients and interact with them.
The unit measures but 3 feet in height, and rents out for approximately $1,000.

I don't see us grabbing on to this technology anytime soon, but as jobs have been outsource to India, Philippines, and other countries in the APAC region, I can see some companies moving towards this solution, but not until the price tag becomes more affordable.

It is stipulated that office temp agencies have seem a 133% growth over the past year, including oversee staffing needs. With robots in place I predict that number doubling worldwide as we round out this decade.

Introducing the World’s Largest & Strongest Robot

KUKA Robotics today announced the introduction of their latest robot, the KUKA KR 1000 titan 6- axis robot into the Guinness Book of Records. The KUKA titan can withstand a static torque of 60,000 newton meters (Nm) with a payload capacity of 1000 kg and a reach of 3200 mm.

With such a massive machine in hand KUKA has placed themselves at the forefront of industrial design and manufacturing decreasing the space needed in manufacturing plants providing a cost effective alternative. The robot also provides speeds and dynamics never seen before.

KUKA Robotics Corporation is one of the world's leading manufacturers of industrial robots, with an annual production volume approaching 10,000 units, and an installed base of over 80,000 units. The company’s 5 and 6 axis robots range from 3kg to 570kg payloads, and 635mm to 3700mm reach, all controlled from a common PC based controller platform.

The German based organization can be contacted at 866-873-5852 or via its web site at www.kukarobotics.com. They will also be the Premier Sponsor of RoboCup 2007 in Atlanta, GA.