BOCCO is a robotic messenger that brings your loved ones closer

---

Wherever you are, BOCCO can keep you connected to your family.

---

It’s official. We’ve entered an era where it has gone from “Dad, can I get a dog?” to “Dad, can I have a robot?” Currently live on Kickstarter, Tokyo-based Yukai Engineering has launched a robotic messenger named BOCCO.

Unlike other bots on the market today that are designed to entertain or boost productivity, BOCCO is an easy-to-use messaging device geared towards children and those unable to use a conventional smartphone to help stay in touch while away from home. This makes it a viable option for a wide-range of users, including parents who work far from their children, the elderly, disabled family members living remotely, or even the visually-impaired.

The Wi-Fi-enabled robot, which is roughly the size of a bobble-head doll (90mm x 55mm x 195mm), securely sends and receives messages to and from smartphones via its accompanying iOS and Android app. Whenever a message is received, BOCCO’s eyes light up, its head shakes and it emits a sound. In the event the robot gets too loud, the volume can be controlled with a mere twist of its nose. Once a loved one plays the memo, they can record one of their own and transmit it back.

Created with simplicity in mind, the robot has two buttons: one for recording voice messages, the other for playing them. Although BOCCO can only send audio recordings, it can receive both audio and text messages, which it will translate and read aloud to a recipient.

What’s more, BOCCO also includes a motion sensor that can be installed on a door to receive notifications of when your child arrives home from school or when your grandparents head outside. In other words, when somebody closes the door, the motion sensors will immediately send an alert right to your device via the app.

The WALL·E-like gizmo is equipped with Bluetooth Low Energy and IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, as well as an ATmega328P MCU tasked with driving its servos and LED controller. Meanwhile, the motion sensor is packed with a three-axis acceleration sensor to detect movement along with a BLE module and a par of AAA batteries.

Clearly, BOCCO isn’t meant to serve as a replacement to your smartphone and can’t be used to alert authorities. However, it does offer an easy and inexpensive way for kids to pass messages along to parents and other relatives from afar.

Sound like something you and your family would like? Then hurry over to its official Kickstater page, where the Yukai Engineering team is currently seeking $20,000. If the funding goal is met, shipment is expected to begin in August 2015 to early backers, with delivery slated for September 2015.

mDrawBot is a 4-in-1 drawing robot kit

---

This drawing robot kit can be assembled into four different configurations: mScara, mCar, mSpider and mEggBot.

---

If there’s anything we have learned in recent months, it’s that Makers love robotic art. Frankly, who can blame them? It’s pretty awesome. For those unfamiliar with the genre, robotic art refers to any artwork that employs some form of robotic or automated technology. The future behavior of such installations can then be altered by input from either the artist or the participant, which differentiates these from other types of kinetic pieces.

From a bot that can draw on beach sand to one that plots based on heart rate, do-it-yourselfers continue to find innovative ways to leverage the next-gen technology to create fascinating projects. Looking to help facilitate this creativity is the Makeblock team, who has recently launched a new Kickstarter campaign for its mDrawbot, a four-in-one drawing robotic kit that can be easily assembled into a few configurations.

The kit is comprised of over 60 Makeblock components along with some screws and nuts, all powered by an ATmega328 based Makeblock Orion main board. (Though the team does admit that an Arduino Uno can also be used.) Beyond that, custom mDraw software enables users to control any one of the four completed robots: mScara, mCar, mSpide and mEggBot. Once the program is installed, users can simply import SVG images, convert MBP to SVG format, customize a number of parameters, and in the near future, even use a gray-scale laser engraver to etch a project. Designed with convenience and ease-of-use for Makers in mind, each kit can be pieced together in less than an hour.

As its name would suggest, mScara is a SCARA (Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm) driven by stepper motors. By installing a pen on mScara, the device can draw pictures on any flat surface. Replacing the pen with a laser diode can even transform it into a desktop engraver.

Next, mSpider is capable of scribbling pictures on a wall or a whiteboard as two stepper motors control the movement of mSpider though strings. Theoretically, it can draw in a huge range by increasing the length of its strings.

Ideal for Easter decorations, the mEggBot can be tasked with doodling on things that would otherwise be improbable to print on, including letters on eggs or decorations on ping-pong balls.

Finally, mCar is a three-wheel vehicle that is driven by a pair of stepper motors as it draws its own movement tracks on a surface. What’s more, if chalk is used instead of a pen, the gadget can sketch things on the floor.

“mDrawBot is a drawbot (or four drawbots), and it’s more than a drawbot. You can re-use the Makeblock robot parts in countless new projects and it’s easy to extend the kit with new parts,” the team writes.

Only limited by their imagination, Makers can do anything from add an accelerometer and gyro sensor to devise a two-wheeled self-balacing vehicle, or throw in some other Makeblock mechanical parts to transform it into an XY plotter. Better yet, the team also plans on offering various upgrade packs including both a Bluetooth module and a laser engraver in the near future.

Interested? Head over to its official Kickstarter page, where the team is already well on its way to garnering $50,000. Shipment is expected to begin in May 2015 — just in time for Maker Faire Bay Area!

This robot can dance like Michael Jackson

---

Now that’s a ‘Dancing Machine!’

---

If you don’t know anything about BQ, you’ll want to soon enough. That’s because the company, who happens to be the second largest smartphone manufacturer in Spain, has unveiled one of the most impressive, audience-captivating robots we’ve seen in a long time: a bot that can dance (and perhaps even moonwalk) like Michael Jackson.

As previously reported on Bits & Pieces, the company’s DIY sets are comprised of 10 components and a battery holder, each of which are used to assemble the electronic workings of a vibrantly-colored PrintBot. The body of the robot is constructed entirely through 3D printing, where like 3DRacers, Makers have the option of either ordering the frame online or creating their own if a printer is readily accessible.

For those with a little programming knowledge, BQ even lets users customize their project by developing and installing their own code. Once pieced together, Makers can control the friendly bot by simply pairing their Android mobile device. Aside from its embedded Bluetooth module, the easy-to-use kits are packed with IR and light sensors, a potentiometer, a buzzer, LEDs, mini servos and a ZUM BT-328 control board based on the versatile ATmega328P. The growing family of gadgets, which currently includes a Renacuajo (Spanish for “tadpole”) and a Beetle, will soon welcome another member in the next couple of weeks. This 3D-printable robot will not only be able to walk like the King of Pop, but will get his groove on like Michael as well.

An advocate of the burgeoning Maker Movement, BQ’s CEO Alberto Mendez is passionate about inspiring the younger generation to pursue STEM-related disciplines and to begin dabbling with design, programming and mechanical engineering. Indeed, allowing kids to gain hands-on experience as they build their own open-source robot is a great way to do it, especially those capable of dancing to “Thriller” and “Beat It” — compared to the abstraction of traditional classroom education in math and the sciences.

Intrigued? Then you’ll want to watch this video from Digital Trends that captures some of the MJ-like dancing robot’s moves. According to BQ, you too can have one when they go on sale within the next two to three months. At the moment, PrintBots will run you about $100 each. Head over to it official page to learn more.

Pleurobot is a lifelike robotic salamander

---

This bio-inspired robot may be the future of search-and-rescue missions.

---

Bio-inspired robotic locomotion is a fairly new sub-category of bio-inspired design, revolving around learning concepts from nature and applying them to the design of real world engineered systems. More specifically, this field is about making robots that are inspired by biological systems. When it comes to these bio-mimicking bots, it seems as though we’ve seen just about everything, ranging from bats to spiders to dogs. And while it may not be all that difficult to make a bot that looks like an animal, having it behave like one is an entirely different story.

Meet Pleurobot. Recently developed by the BioRob at EPFL and NCCR Robotics, it is a salamander-inspired robot that is truly amphibious, meaning it is capable of walking, changing its gait to navigate uneven terrain, and even swimming. As the researchers note, the key to Pleurobot’s eerily-lifelike motion is its unique design, which was based on 3D X-ray movies of a real salamander walking, waddling and swimming. By tracking up to 64 points on the animal’s skeleton, the team was able to record movements of bones, and then deduce the number and position of active and passive joints needed for the robot to reproduce the 3D movements with reasonable accuracy.

According to its research proposal, the team first created a snake robot Kulko with tactile sensors in order to test the suggested control framework. This was comprised of a serial connection of 10 identical ball-shaped joint modules, along with a smooth surface to avoid getting stuck against obstacles. Each of the joint modules had 2-degrees of freedom (pitch and yaw), and had used servo motors as its actuators. On each side of every joint module, there were four force sensing resistors tasked with measuring contact forces — these were the only contact points between outer shell and inner structure.

“The current layout of the sensors can only measure horizontal forces which is enough for the application. The total force is estimated by summing forces measured by each FSR on the module. Each module also contains two Lithium-Ion batteries, angle sensors (magnetic rotary encoders), voltage regulation card, battery charger card and microcontroller card. The microcontroller card is based on the Atmel microcontroller AT90CAN128 and is continuously measuring position of the motors and controlling them with a PWM signal. Modules communicate with each other over CAN bus,” BioRob’s Tomislav Horvat writes.

By design, Pleurobot provides torque control for all the active joints, which enabled its creators to apply their neural network models of the spinal cord neural circuits of the salamander and to activate virtual muscles to replicate the recorded animal movements along with realistic viscoelastic properties. This was imperative when obtaining a fundamental understanding of vertebrate motor control.

What’s more, Pleurobot is also waterproof. While this feature actually proved to be the project’s most daunting assignment, the salamander-like project is currently using a water-repellant skin suit. Moving forward, the team hopes to improve upon this layer with aspirations that one day, the bio-mimicking robot will have a role in search-and-rescue efforts, with shallow waters for example. Its amphibious nature will enable it to go where humans cannot.

In the future, the team says it plans to use Pleurobot’s design methodology to bring early tetrapods to ‘life.’ So sure, we can write about it all day, but watching it in action is so much better! Those wishing to read up on the bio-mimicking project can download the team’s detailed proposal here, or head over to its official page for an abbreviated version.

Ringo is a palm-sized robot with a real personality

---

This Arduino-based digital pet robot features an accelerometer, gyrosocope, RGB LED lights, sound and communication sensors.

---

Well, it looks like we’ve come a long way since the days of pet rocks. While the concept of a digital pet may not be all that new (think Giga Pet, Furby, AIBO and Tamagotchi), a recent project from Plum Geek is looking to change the game with its palm-sized bot that not only has its own personality and is capable of responding to commands, but aspires to introduce children to programming as well.

Ringo — which has debuted on Kickstarter — is a super-friendly pet robot bug based on the Arduino Uno (ATmega328) and packed with a number of electronic goodies such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, communication sensors, six RGB LEDs, a music chirper and more.

“The robot was inspired and co-designed by my 1st grade daughter Hailey and my 3rd grade son Parker, who are both already writing C code. Ringo grew out of a project intended to build just one robot for my kids but we realized something much greater could be done in producing Ringo for the masses,” explains Kevin King, Plum Geek Founder. “We hope it will catch the curiosity of young engineers and also have a particular appeal to girls who may not otherwise become interested in coding and technology.”

The device is pre-loaded with 10 different behaviors, enabling a user to begin playing with it straight out of the box. Once activated, anyone can guide their robotic pet via a remote control. Shine the light in the dark and Ringo will chase the glow like a cat and a laser pointer. Draw a line on the floor and he’ll use his edge sensors to follow. Nudge him and his built-in accelerometer will decipher direction and begin heading towards your finger. Similarly, when tapped in scaredy mode, he will head the opposite way.

An embedded gyroscope is tasked with keeping Ringo pointing in the same direction, so no matter which way he is turned, he’ll return to his original position. Beyond that, Ringo navigates his surrounding area with “ninja-like” agility using a pair of pager motors, which can determine his current and desired location. Meanwhile, users can program his sensors to travel specific directions and distances.

Makers can activate and switch between behaviors using a remote control, while also customizing their own using standard Arduino functions and the Arduino IDE. Ringo’s embedded IR light sources can be enabled individually in any pattern and driven together simultaneously, which allows for remote signals to communicate with other Ringo bots or appliances. Furthermore, a 38 kHz receiver is designed to sense the modulated light signal produced by most TV remote controls.

“We have always been interested in the idea of the ‘digital pet,’ and for that matter, any kind of machine or robot that exhibits a personality.  That was the real driving force behind the design of Ringo.  We wanted to put some really useful parts on a circuit board that is very easy to program, then see what people do with it.  We’ve already written code to do much of the heavy lifting for you, and we’ve also written a pile code examples to get you started.”

Ringo charges his battery automatically whenever plugged into the programming adaptor, or when a USB cable is connected directly to his USB port. An LED lets a user see when he has completed charging.

While virtual pets may typically appeal to children, Ringo’s advanced capabilities and open-source hardware will likely to make it a favorite for “kids” of any age. Interested in learning more about this fun way to get young Makers into coding? Head over to Ringo’s official Kickstarter campaign, where the team has already exceeded its $12,000 goal. Shipment is expected to begin in May 2015.

This robot may soon 3D print objects as large as 100 cubic meters

---

Artis Engineering has created a robotic arm that will soon revolutionize architecture. 

---

While 3D printers tend to be bound by available materials, build volume and nozzle size, one Germany company is looking to change all that. In fact, a team from Artis Engineering recently conceived an idea after toying around with the concept of 3D printing: Why not use a big robot to print out even bigger objects?

Already having a gigantic CNC machine in their possession, the team’s current KUKA Quantec arm boasts a build envelope of 150 cubic meters, a 7-axis system, as well as a tool changer on its “hand” that is capable of milling, sanding, polishing, hot wire cutting, and now, 3D printing. Using the industrial gadget, Artis Engineering believes one day it will even be able to construct 3D-printed objects as large as 100 cubic meters in size.

The robot is based on an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560) and RAMPS 1.4. On the software side, the team used Rhinoceros 5, Grasshopper, KUKA|prc to make this all possible. The nozzle is equipped with two 40w heat cartridges and pair of 100k resistors, while an LCD control panel is tasked with monitoring temperatures and speed settings. Simon Lullin of Artis Engineering tells 3DPrint.com that employing a E3D v6 modified nozzle allows the team to print at high speeds, with a 0.5mm, 1.0mm and 2.5mm nozzles avoiding jamming and other problems.

“Our next goal is to perfectly synchronize the robot movements with the extruder (mainly the speed), which will require a mountain of new hardware, since we are already to the limits in terms of ‘extensions’ quantity. This is the equivalent of adding an 8th axis to our robot. This will be done in the upcoming months,” Lullin adds.

Interested? Head over to Artis Engineering’s official page here, or watch it in action below!

Robot Garden hopes to make coding more accessible for everyone

---

This robotic garden demonstrates distributed algorithms with more than 100 origami robots that can crawl, swim and blossom.

---

Created by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the aptly named Robot Garden is a defined as “a system that functions as a visual embodiment of distributed algorithms, as well as an aesthetically appealing way to get more young students, and particularly girls, interested in programming.”

At its core, the project is a tablet-operated system that illustrates MIT’s cutting-edge research on distributed algorithms using robotic sheep that were created through traditional print-and-fold origami techniques, origami flowers (including lilies, tulips and birds of paradise) that are embedded with printable motors enabling them to ‘blossom’ and change colors, as well as magnet-powered robotic ducks that fold into shape by being heated in an oven.

“Students can see their commands running in a physical environment, which tangibly links their coding efforts to the real world. It’s meant to be a launchpad for schools to demonstrate basic concepts about algorithms and programming,” explains Lindsay Sanneman, a lead author on the recently-accepted paper for the 2015 International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

The project is comprised of 16 different tiles, each connected to an Atmel based Arduino board and programmed using search algorithms that explore the space in different ways. The garden itself can be controlled by any Bluetooth-enabled device, either through clicking on flowers individually or a more advanced “control by code” feature that calls for users to add their own commands and execute sequences in real-time. In fact, users can interact with the garden through a computer interface, allowing them to select a tile and inflate/deflate the flower or change the color of its pedals.

“The garden tests distributed algorithms for over 100 distinct robots, which gives us a very large-scale platform for experimentation,” says CSAIL Director Daniela Rus, who is also a co-author of the paper. “At the same time, we hope that it also helps introduce students to topics like graph theory and networking in a way that’s both beautiful and engaging.”

The project was recently displayed at CSAIL’s “Hour of Code” back in December, where it surely did its part in inspiring kids to get interested in STEM-related disciplines. In the near future, the researchers hope to make the garden operable by multiple devices simultaneously, and may even experiment with interactive auditory components such as microphones and music that would sync to movements.

Interested? Head over to MIT’s official page here, and be sure to watch the garden in action below.

ORIGIBOT is an open-source telepresence robot with an articulated arm

---

Goodbye, chores! 

---

With all of this talk about the Internet of Things ushering in a Jetsons-like future, wouldn’t it be great if every household came equipped with their own Rosie the robot as well? Think about it, no more doing the dishes, folding the laundry, fetching drinks or taking out the trash. If it were up to Origin Robotics, we may be closer than you think. That’s because the Miami, Florida startup has launched an Indiegogo campaign for its ORIGIBOT, a fully-robotic platform that pairs with your Android device to perform everyday tasks such as watering plants or to bringing grandma her medicine.

The ORIGIBOT is a sleek and minimalist robot with a stable base attached to motorized wheels, an arm extension, a mobile device (with a display of up to 10”), as well as a gripper that opens to 7.8cm with a recess to accommodate cans, bottles and cups. The gadget features two-way audio and video, and impressively, complete remote control of its 5 degrees of freedom.

More importantly, the open-source robot was built using off-the-shelf components including standard and high-torque hobby servos, standard T-Slot aluminum framing, and an Atmel based Arduino for control. Its team also reveals that the Arduino sketch will be made available so anyone can customize commands and adjust parameters themselves. ORIGIBOT is powered by a set of NiMh batteries that are capable of providing nearly eight hours of standby time with moderate use. An included charger will safely recharge the batteries in under 4 hours.

The minimalist body is comprised of sleek aluminum and stainless steel extrusions for functionality and strength, as well as ABS plastic parts that were carefully designed for 3D printing for easy updates and modifications. In fact, all .stl files for the custom components will be available for download so users can modify and print replacements yourself. Meanwhile, ORIGIBOT’s body and arms are just the right length to be unobtrusive while navigating, yet can reach from a few inches off the ground to just above most counters, door knobs, and refrigerator water dispensers.

So, what can the ORIGIBOT do? As the video below demonstrates, the bot is equipped to handle mundane tasks ranging from getting water from the fridge and filling your pets bowl to locking/unlocking deadbolts and retrieving the TV remote. Each of the actions are easily facilitated through an intuitive joystick, which makes maneuvering the household bot as easy as playing an arcade game. In addition, sliders control movements for its arm, wrist and gripper, while tilting the neck forward and backward will enable a user to get a better view of the surrounding environment. Just lift the arm up and down, then turn the wrist to get just the right position. Finally, open and close the gripper to grasp or release.

By leveraging an existing device as its communications hub, display and camera, the Origin Robotics crew was able to create something easy to use and even easier to afford. Ready for a friendly robot in your smart home? ORIGIBOT is live on Indiegogo, where it is currently seeking $18,000.

This wearable robot can zip up your jacket for you

---

Could a robot be coming to your fly or gym bag zipper in the near future? 

---

Sartorial robotics can best be defined as a method of merging fashion theory and robotics through the design and development of robotic systems. These systems look to facilitate interaction and mimic the materiality, aesthetics and construction techniques of textiles and other apparel. Unlike others, these bots have one objective and one objective only: to enhance the social aspects of the human-robotic dynamic using clothes. In other words, cyberclothes.

Ultimately, researchers hope that it will one day lend a helping hand in how we include robotics in our everyday lives. And, while self-tying laces seem to get all the attention as of late, self-zippering has emerged. Created by Adam Whiton of MIT’s Personal Robots Group, the aptly-dubbed Zipperbot is exactly what its name implies: an autonomously-controlled, continuous closure for joining the edges of fabric.

“Clothing is a uniquely human pursuit and is nearly universal in its adoption and use. It plays a prominent role in our individual cultures transmitting a mixture of social signals and meanings through the semiotics of fashion. It is through this performance of assemblage of fabric surfaces we reconfigure ourselves and our identities,” Whiton explains.

(Source: Adam Whiton / Mashable)

The wearable mechanism does more than merely fasten your jacket. In fact, Zipperbot uses optical sensors to properly mesh the zipper teeth and motion sensors to open and close at the right time. While Whiton doesn’t go into the details of how Zipperbot was built, it appears to be a comprised of a zipper head, a stepper motor and two wires. In its current iteration, the tethered bot is likely connected to an Arduino or a similar microcontroller that enables it to glide up and down the chain.

While it may not be tiny enough to zip up your fly nor is it ready to be severed from its wires, the innovative project does currently work on sleeves, jackets and other forms of material with attached zippers. Nevertheless, this could be the start of something wonderful. Aside from helping the absent-minded, the device can play an integral role in situations where touching any part of clothing could be detrimental to one’s health, like in a medical or biohazard setting, as well as aid those wearing gloves looking to bundle up on a cold winter’s night. More importantly, the gadget has tremendous potential in spurring “assistive clothing” for those with disabilities.

Along with the Zipperbot, Whiton has also devised a number of other innovations in the past, which range from a wearable defensive jacket geared towards women to thwart off violence to an open-source, ATmega32 based MCU platform. Interested in learning more about this next-gen robotic accessory? Head over to the project’s official page here.

hitchBOT kicks off its German adventure

---

The friendly hitchhiking robot is back. This time it’s headed for the Autobahn.

---

After completing its three-week, 3,700-miles trek across Canada last summer, the hitchhiking robot named hitchBOT has returned. This time it’s headed for the autobahn. The friendly device, which relies entirely on the kindness of strangers and its tablet-and-Arduino brains, has kicked off its latest 10-day adventure through Germany.

hitchBOT is outfitted with a rubber hitchhiking hand, speech recognition software, and even its own Wi-Fi network that it uses to offer regionally-specific tidbits of information that it picks up along the way. This allows it to engage in conversation, send tweets and even engage in a game of trivia. In fact, the Atmel based device is programmed to explain itself to those who decide to pick it up, and can ask to be plugged in to keep its battery charged. While its German skills are a bit limited, it does know enough to get by and can share a conversation around his hobbies — these include soccer, hockey, baking and riding.

Every 30 minutes or so, hitchBOT snaps and sends a photo to headquarters and its social media accounts via its built-in wireless connectivity. Meanwhile, an on-board GPS allows for the public to track its travels. During the German journey, it will will take to the throne room in Neuschwanstein, and while in Cologne, will hitch a ride on the Rose Monday train. Then, the Canadian embassy will officially welcome the bot to Berlin at the city’s Brandenburg Gate.

Powered by a simple tablet and Arduino, the friendly robot has a bucket for a torso, blue swimming-pool noodles for limbs and a smiling LED panel for a face, which is protected by a cake saver. It wears yellow gloves on its hands and rubber boots on its feet. Together, all the parts cost about $1,000; however, the experience of picking up this friendly robot… priceless.

As for the overall objective behind the project, its creators David Harris Smith and Frauke Zeller are aspiring to promote human interaction with robots. Following hitchBOT’s tour, the Makers will analyze data to determine where the robot was more welcome: Canada or Germany.

Interested in learning more? You can follow along with hitchBOT’s travels here.