Product Reviews Net » robotics http://www.product-reviews.net Information on the latest gadgets, technology, news and product reviews Sun, 27 May 2012 08:13:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Sphero: Control a Ball With Your Smartphone – What Next? http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/12/13/sphero-control-a-ball-with-your-smartphone-what-next/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sphero-control-a-ball-with-your-smartphone-what-next http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/12/13/sphero-control-a-ball-with-your-smartphone-what-next/#comments Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:23:19 +0000 Daniel Chubb http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=117098 We have seen a few iPhone accessories recently including the Cool iPig docking station, now we are moving onto something a little… Different. Have you ever wanted to be able to control something with your smartphone? Well now you can, think of this as the pet ball for your smartphone.

You can control the “Sphero” using a smartphone’s Bluetooth such as an iPhone or something along those lines. You might be wondering how it works and also why would you want to do it? The device is made by a company called Orbotix and it is basically a little robotic ball that will communicate with your smartphone’s tilting functions and make the ball move. You can see that in the video at the bottom of this article courtesy of Engadget.com.

The Sphero will be appearing at the 2011 Consumer Electronics show, you can read a little more about it from the official Orbotix blog here. They say that the idea of it is to be able to play a game with it, like challenge a friend to go through a maze or to get two of the Spheros and have a Sumo fight against one another. These are some great ideas but I can see other things copying the idea soon.

Can you imagine having a racing car that worked in a similar fashion? Imagine being at home making little tracks for you and your friends to compete against one another, it would be like real life Micro Machines!

What do you think of the Sphero? Would you get one? What do you think will be coming next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/12/13/sphero-control-a-ball-with-your-smartphone-what-next/feed/ 0 Robotic Trousers – ReWalk Does Away With Wheelchairs http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/12/07/robotic-trousers-rewalk-does-away-with-wheelchairs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=robotic-trousers-rewalk-does-away-with-wheelchairs http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/12/07/robotic-trousers-rewalk-does-away-with-wheelchairs/#comments Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:17:30 +0000 Peter Chubb http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=116467 There is nothing worse than losing the ability to use your arms or legs, this was a huge problem years ago, but technology has come a long way – so now there is a solution. Take one guy who lost both his arms in an accident, he can now do the things that we do thanks to mind controlled robotic arms.

Another device that helps those who do not have the use of their legs is called REX or Robotic Legs Exoskeleton. These act as a pair of robotic legs, and this leads us to another new invention, this time by an Israeli entrepreneur who is also paralyzed.

He is paralyzed from the neck down, but still managed to create ReWalk, which is like a pair of robotic trousers. You put the 7-pound device on by strapping your legs into it, but the sad fact is, the inventor cannot use the device. The reason for this is because you have to have some sort of hand and leg control. However, according to Daily Tech, the company behind the ReWalk, Argo Medical Technologies aims to make it useable for quadriplegics as well.

While visiting the Argo website you can clearly see that they have put a lot of effort into this, and will be ideal for war veterans who have lost the use of limbs during conflict. The ReWalk can last all day on a charge, and makes it possible for you to walk, sit or stand – even up a flight of stairs.

How much would you be prepared to pay for a solution like this?

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/12/07/robotic-trousers-rewalk-does-away-with-wheelchairs/feed/ 7 Rex Robotic Legs Exoskeleton: No more wheelchairs http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/07/15/rex-robotic-legs-exoskeleton-no-more-wheelchairs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rex-robotic-legs-exoskeleton-no-more-wheelchairs http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/07/15/rex-robotic-legs-exoskeleton-no-more-wheelchairs/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:22:12 +0000 Peter Chubb http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=104564 Can you imagine how difficult it must be for those who are bound to a life in a wheelchair? Thankfully Hayden Allen knows this only too well as he has a damaged spinal cord. Since then he has been developing a device that will hopefully do away with all wheelchairs – well in most cases.

The device is called REX or Robotic Legs Exoskeleton and it certainly works, as you can see Allen use it himself in the two videos below. The best way to describe REX is like a pair of robotic legs, you will see in the video that those normally bound to a wheelchair are able to stand and move around more freely.

There are so many benefits to this system, especially to your health. When you sit in a wheelchair all day you are more prone to bladder infections as the water cannot wash through correctly. Being able to stand eliminates this issue and also helps the muscles in your legs, as they would often waste away and become skinny over time.

Being able to stand and walk around aided by the Robotic Legs Exoskeleton allows you to enjoy everyday life more and also offers greater job opportunities. Vlad Savov from Engadget learned from a press release that those wanting to purchase one would have to complete a medical appraisal first.

The only downside to REX is its price – costing $150,000 that price will be lower in New Zealand, as that is where the device is built.

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