Product Reviews Net » robots 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 Robot For Autism: Helps Autistic Kids http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/03/09/robot-for-autism-helps-autistic-kids/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=robot-for-autism-helps-autistic-kids http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/03/09/robot-for-autism-helps-autistic-kids/#comments Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:52:28 +0000 Tina Chubb http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=124728 It wasn’t that long ago that 4-year old Eden Sawczenko – who has autism – would back away when another little girl tried holding her hand, or go stiff if they tried hugging her. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case now, thanks to a new robot aimed at helping autistic children.

The robot – which according to Maria Cheng at news.yahoo.com has been named “Kaspar” – is said to help autistic kids by teaching them about physical contact and emotions. Eden’s mother Claire Sawczenko claims that her daughter is a lot more affectionate since she started playing with Kaspar.

The human-looking, child-sized robot, which was built by scientists at the University of Hertfordshire, is programmed to do a number of things such as frown, laugh, smile, blink and even wave his arms. The robot features shaggy black hair, a baseball cap and stripy red socks.

Although the robot is currently in the experimental stage, the researchers hope that he can be mass-produced in the future for a few hundred dollars. Canada, Japan and the United States are said to have similar projects, but none that are as advanced as the British one.

Scientists first started using a version of the Kaspar autism robot back in 2005, but the latest version is covered in silicone patches that feel like skin. This is to help the children become more comfortable with physical contact. Almost 300 autistic kids in Britain have played with the robot so far.

You can read the full article via the news.yahoo.com article. Do you think the Kaspar robot is a great idea for autistic children?

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/03/09/robot-for-autism-helps-autistic-kids/feed/ 1 How To Automate Your Home: Gadgets That Help http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/09/29/how-to-automate-your-home-gadgets-that-help/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-automate-your-home-gadgets-that-help http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/09/29/how-to-automate-your-home-gadgets-that-help/#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2010 09:14:52 +0000 Peter Chubb http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=109836 We are almost at a point when technology is moving at a faster pace than our minds can cope with – well some of us. We can make things what we once thought was impossible into a working reality, but we certainly pay the price for this new technology.

However, there are a few devices on the market that helps to make your life easier, and one-way is to help automate your home. After spending most of the day at work, you want your time at home to be as stress free as possible, so there are a few gadgets on the market designed to help you around the home.

The first gadget that comes to mind has to be the range iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaners. Not only do they lift the dirt from your carpet or hardwood floors, but there is also a new range designed to wash the floors. We have never tried one of these devices, so would be great if you could let us know how well the range performs. See the range of iRobot devices by visiting the official website.

Another cool gadget is this Yale Keyfree locking system, so you will no longer have to fumble in the dark while you try to put your key in the lock. Now all you do is get your key fob out, as you do with your car and press to let you in your home. Coolest Gadgets has more details on this device.

The last product that we thought we would look at is not a physical thing as such; it is an app for your iPhone. There is not just one, but a host of apps all designed to make your life easier in the home, from controlling the lighting to your music and TV. More details on this can be found by visiting TouchMyApps.

What other gadgets can you suggest to make life simpler in the home?

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/09/29/how-to-automate-your-home-gadgets-that-help/feed/ 0 Teaching Robots: Engage and Teach Simple Skills http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/07/11/teaching-robots-engage-and-teach-simple-skills/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=teaching-robots-engage-and-teach-simple-skills http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/07/11/teaching-robots-engage-and-teach-simple-skills/#comments Sun, 11 Jul 2010 22:01:16 +0000 Daniel Chubb http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=104232 After following Sci-Fi for many years, it was obvious to me that we would one day see teaching robots, which would teach our children simple skills or us. This could be used for children with special needs, like autism.

An article on nytimes.com shows us a video titled “Robotic Teaching”, and we see machines that can teach humans. The article starts by explaining what happened when a 6-year-old with autism meets a robot teacher.

If you have ever met an autistic child then you will know how hard it can be for them to learn, and accept change. Computer scientists are designing robots around the world that can teach simple skills, and engage people.

You can read the full story about this particular teaching robot in this article here, but this topic is raising ethical questions once again. Could technology become the instructor, and is it right?

For now, it looks like this technology is moving forward with classrooms testing teaching machines in South Korea as we speak. The best teaching robots so far are fully autonomous, these include speech recognition, motion tracking, and artificial intelligence software.

Thoughts?

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]]> http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/07/11/teaching-robots-engage-and-teach-simple-skills/feed/ 1 Glider Robots: Gulf Oil Spill real-time location map http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/06/20/glider-robots-gulf-oil-spill-real-time-location-map/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=glider-robots-gulf-oil-spill-real-time-location-map http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/06/20/glider-robots-gulf-oil-spill-real-time-location-map/#comments Sun, 20 Jun 2010 08:55:59 +0000 Peter Chubb http://www.product-reviews.net/?p=102831 Those tracking the Gulf Oil spill have been trying a number of devices to try and keep ahead of the game by keeping an eye on where the oil spill is – the latest device are Glider Robots. These offer a real-time location map, giving information on ocean movement and the predicted path of the oil.

These Glider Robots uses the power of the water to move across the ocean – Stephanie Pappas who has written an article on Yahoo News reports that there are eight of these aquatic robots marauding the Gulf and are being controlled by researchers remotely.

These gliders have been packed with high-tech sensors, which can measure organic material and water temperature. If you were to see one of these Gliders you will be forgiven for thinking that it was a torpedo. They can move around the ocean by sucking in water, this lowers the robot in the water.

Once the glider is at its required depth it can then expel the water and then return to the surface. The controller continues to do these so that the gliders perform a zig-zag pattern. These gliders are used because they are much quicker and more maneuverable than research vessels.

To see Gulf Oil Spill real-time location map visit Rutgers

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