The Biologically Inspired Robotics Laboratory at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) has created many unique robots. This research paper describes the process of designing and constructing one of the newest creations, a robotic cockroach. Weighing over 30 pounds, the CWRU Robot V is much larger than its real-life counterpart but its design closely approximates the movements of an actual roach....

The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University is very active in the development of robots whose function relies on efficient communication and interaction with people. Published in 2003, this comprehensive study looks at the history, operation, and classification of a large sampling of socially interactive robots from both industry and academia. The authors define and discuss several...

The Aerospace Robotics Laboratory (ARL), operated at Stanford University, focuses its research "on improving robotic performance through the application of feedback control, integrated sensing systems, and task-level autonomy." The systems designed at ARL allow the human operator to have varying levels of control over the robot. Specifically, the robot performs given tasks until it reaches a point...

AI Topics (see also November 30, 1999 Scout report for Mathematics, Engineering and Technology) is "a dynamic library of introductory information about Artificial Intelligence." In this article, AI Topics provides an extensive listing of online resources for anyone interested in learning more about AARON Robot. Initiated by artist Harold Cohen, AARON is a research project to develop an autonomous...

ASIMO is a robot built by Honda, and on this website visitors can learn about its technical specifications including many photos of ASIMO out in the world. ASIMO stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility (ASIMO), a fact which may be of interest to many. In the "Design Concept" link Honda states "ASIMO was conceived to function in an actual human living environment in the near future. It is...

This is the educational companion website to ASIMO (see MET report August 16, 2002, Humanoid Robot), a robot designed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. The ASIMO North American Educational Tour introduces the Honda ASIMO robot to kids across America as a way to encourage students to study robotics and science. Although the online schedule shows no touring after July 11, 2004, they suggest you check back...

Botball is a workshop and competition presented by the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics. The program offers hands-on learning in robotics and is "designed to engage students in learning the practical applications of science, technology, engineering and math." Registered teams receive KISS Institute's kit of robotics equipment, but teams must have access to a laptop computer and the Internet....

The goal of the Carnegie Mellon University Autonomous Helicopter Project is to develop a vision-guided robot helicopter that can self-start, take off, safely fly to a designated area, search for and locate a designated object, track or pursue objects, and return home, all "within any weather conditions and using only on-board intelligence and computing power.� Recent flight tests of the linear...

Involving two universities and two research organizations, this multi-tiered project is "aimed at developing new technology to support the coordinated deployment of as many as 100 robots for missions such as urban surveillance." One of the most significant tasks concerns the problem of designing the robots to efficiently work together as a team. Many technical details of the project are given, as...

As part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, this is is a well-planned Web site devoted to the research and development of Cog, a humanoid robot. Combining robot mechanics with artificial intelligence, Cog is the closest thing yet to Star Wars's C3PO. Highlights of the site include an in-depth research section with links to papers on relevant topics...