Top 10 Robots of the Past Decade

Gorobotics. net has made a list of the top 10 robots of the 2000's thus far. The list in no particular order is as follows:

- KeepOn - autism research, human interactions
- PackBot - search and investigative operations for 9/11 and Afghanistan
- Pleo - toy, human interaction, learning ability
- Big Dog - 'pack mule' for soldiers in the field
- RoboSapien - toy, hobbyists
- Asimo - Honda walking, life-sized robot
- Aibo - robot dog
- Predator Drone - reconnaisance
- LEGO Mindstorms - toy, education, hobbyists
- Roomba - vacuum

One robot that has my top vote for the next decade is the ROV used by BP to monitor and close the Deepwater Horizon oil well. Admittedly, it is not a robot in the purest sense since it is controlled by humans; however, it deserves credit for lending the vision and hands to complete much of the repair work.




For the list by gorobotics.net: http://www.gorobotics.net/articles/top-10-robots-of-the-past-10-years-robots-of-the-decade-awards/

BeatBots

The Keepon seems like a relatively simple toy, but the motivation for the robots is compelling. One of the visible human traits that robots commonly lack is the rhythm we express in communication, often seen in speech and movement. Common examples include the use of hand gestures in combination with words to convey a message, or when we express empathy by responding to others emotions in a similar manner. Synchronization between the emotions perceived by others and our responses is a critical part of human relationships and identifies characteristics about the other, and oftentimes this synchronization comes naturally as we convey our thoughts.

The Keepon has been designed to make 'eye-contact' with faces, has four degrees of rotational freedom, and has dance skills and rhythm that puts many people to shame.

One application of Beatbots have been to study autism and has demonstrated how autistic patients seek to share interest in others. In the study autistic children expressed positive emotion in response to the Keepon and then sought to communicate their positive interaction with the Keepon with an adult. The unique aspect of the Keepon for autism studies is thought to be how it relays emotional response in a simpler and more consistent manner than in human interaction. More on the autism research: http://beatbots.net/2008/09/25/the-works-robots-on-the-history-channel/