Take a look at this cool new vid on the remarkably tiny isobot! Its recognized as the smallest humanoid robot in production by the Guinness Book of World Records!

Standing tall at 6 1/2″, the humanoid bot uses precision mechanics to somersault, stand on one leg, do push-ups, perform martial arts, and even reenact a cowboy duel from an American Western.

“The robot has 180 preprogrammed individual movements, responds to verbal commands, and performs up to 240 movements in sequence, allowing you to design countless routines, such as programming the device to say “hello,” introduce himself, play an air guitar, bow to his audience, and say “good-night.”"

39cm in height and 2.5Kg in weight, Nuvo is a small and light home-use-type humanoid robot aimed being marketed as a daily life companion. With 15 degrees of freedom (6 for each leg, 1 for each shoulder and 1 for the head), this small robot can dance, talk, play music, tell time, click pictures and even shake your hand.

Nuvo is also equipped with joint angle sensors, rate gyro sensor and acceleration sensors to allow ZMP calculation and proper balancing. The infra-red sensors give feedback of the surroundings and saves the robot from banging into dead-ends. It is capable of walking at a speed of 3 metres a minute, can balance over a variety of terrains and can even stand up from a fallen position. Nuvo’s features don’t just stop at walking, but it is also programmed to respond to a variety of voice commands from its owner.

If you ask Nuvo to shake your hand it will walk over to you, and reach out its hand for you to shake. If you want it to move forward, you simply tell it to do so and it responses by walking forward with smooth human-like motion. You can also ask Nuvo to give you the time, play your favourite music or even take pictures for you with it’s built in camera.

A new type of battery based on the radioactive decay of nuclear material is 10 times more powerful than similar prototypes and should last a decade or more without a charge, scientists announced this week.

The longevity would make the battery ideal for use in pacemakers or other surgically implanted devices, developers say, or it might power spacecraft or deep-sea probes. You might also find these nuclear batteries running sensors and other small devices in your home in a few years. Such devices “don’t consume much power,” said University of Rochester electrical engineer Philippe Fauchet, “and yet having to replace the battery every so often is a real pain in the neck.”

Fauchet told LiveScience the batteries could last a dozen years. They’re being refined at Rochester. The technology was developed with the help financial support from the National Science Foundation and has been patented by BetaBatt Inc.

“… it is hard to deny the relevancy and appeal of a robotic character that is almost 25 years old.”
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Who hasn’t thought of having a robot version of themselves to do all the work for them? There is something very cool about humans building a mechanical version of themselves to perform tasks they aren’t equipped or, more often, not willing to do. Robots in movies come in all shapes and sizes: from cute and cuddly (Johnny 5 from Short Circuit) to not so cute and cuddly (Agent Smith from The Matrix series), or just plain misunderstood (Robocop from, well, Robocop). Whatever they are, they have made for some interesting movie characters in the past. With that in mind, I present:

Top Five Best Movie Robots

5. C-3PO and R2-D2, Star Wars trilogy (both of them)

Never have there been characters more iconic to a film’s mythology than the two most beloved robots in the Star Wars franchise, C-3PO and R2-D2. In spite of all of the science fiction and technology presented to us in these movies, isn’t the best part watching these two display their limitations? Aside from the primary task for which he was designed, which is communication, C-3PO is just a clumsy oaf who hates the adventures he always ends up mixed in with. Conversely, at least once per film, R2-D2 finds a way to save the day. One without the other would not be as effective, and they are both used perfectly for comic relief when the tension begins to mount. Think of them as the Jay & Silent Bob of the Star Wars universe.

4. Optimus Prime, Transformers (2007)

For all you geeks out there (such as myself), was there anything cooler than seeing the commander of the Autobots come to life on the big screen last year? Say what you will about the movie itself, but there is no denying the jaw-dropping action.

And with a message that was little more than, can’t we all just get along? it is hard to ignore Prime’s spot on this list. Plus, I don’t remember seeing any other movie recently that made me want my truck to come to life and blow stuff up after I saw it.

3. NS-5, I Robot
In a world filled with robots, a robot hating homicide detective is sent to investigate the mysterious death of a U.S. Robotics scientist. As he digs deeper he suspects a new NS-5 robot is the culprit
which means the robot broke the Law of Robotics. But of couse, a mysterious force acts to stop him from discovering the truth.

Based off of the stories of legendary Isacc Asimov and the three robot laws, it touches on the hot topic of impending robot doom. Not only does it create a distrust for manipulative robotics that can be seized and used against people, it also draws attention to the fact that should robots become self-aware, they will, like us, seek their own freedom.

2. Johnny Five, Short Circuit (I & II)

The numero uno icon on what it means to be a robot learning to live in our world. Short Circuit has been the fuel for many of the robotic advances and designs since its release in the 80’s and to use it has been nothing less than a true icon of a robot at its finest.

Currently the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is holding a new exhibit of animatronic characters in movies. You can see Johnny-5, the arms Doc Oc used in the latest Spiderman movie, the little Men in Black aliens, and Alien vs. Predator in mid-combat. So if you’re in town, you might as well make a trip of it.

1. Terminator, The Terminator series (1984, 1991, 2003)

The T-101, a cyborg assassin sent from the future to kill the woman whose as yet unborn son founds a resistance against the machines. So it’s not a romantic comedy? The Terminator launched both actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron’s careers and may be solely responsible for the 80’s action movie as it were.

Subsequently, it spawned one of the best movie sequels of all time and yet another special effect which was a marvel to behold, T-1000. Whether you’re a fan or not, with the Terminator television series, it is hard to deny the relevancy and appeal of a robotic character who is almost 25 years old.

Are you getting tired of tipping your waiter? Well there may just be help for you because there may be a robot out there soon to take their spot. Last December, Honda Motor Co. announced the completion of their latest ASIMO robot. According to Honda, the newest ASIMO can greet and escort its assigned guests as well as searving them drinks and brining them a tray.

They were programmed not to run anyone over. Safely seated, the guests order drinks by using a terminal on the table. An ASIMO “waiter,” can easily push a drink trolley or carry a tray and deliver the beverages. ASIMO robots talk to each other by Wi-Fi . This allows the robots to determine where each ASIMO is, its status, and how to complete shared tasks most efficiently.

In addition to the bugs and glitches, the company was worried about how people would react to robots shaped like humans. Honda’s stated goal is to provide one robot per household, freeing humans from annoying chores. But no time soon–ASIMO won’t be delivering soda and little wieners on toothpicks anytime soon. Just to lease one costs .2 million dollars a year. And they are not for sale. Honda’s Hirose says he hopes to bring a commercial version of ASIMO to market around 2015.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo are exploring robots to serve tea. In a demonstration this week, a humanoid with camera eyes made by Kawada Industries Inc. poured tea from a bottle into a cup. Then another robot on wheels delivered the cup of tea in an experimental room that has sensors embedded in the floor and sofa as well as cameras on the ceiling, to simulate life with robot technology.

University of Tokyo professor Tomomasa Sato believes Japan, a rapidly aging society where more than a fifth of the population is 65 or older, will lead the world in designing robots to care for the elderly, sick and bedridden. Already, monitoring technologies, such as sensors that automatically turn on lights when people enter a room, are becoming widespread in Japan.

The walking, child-size Asimo from Honda Motor Co. greets people at showrooms. NEC Corp. has developed a smaller companion robot-on-wheels called Papero. A seal robot available since 2004 can entertain the elderly and others in need of fuzzy companionship. Sato says his experimental room is raising awareness about privacy questions that may arise when electronic devices monitor a person’s movements down to the smallest detail. On the bright side, the tea-pouring humanoid has been programmed to do the dishes.