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  A freely walking biped robot the size and shape of a human being is being developed to realistically simulate a soldier wearing protective clothing. 

The robot, PETMAN (from Protection Ensemble Test Mannequin), is being developed by Boston Dynamics for the US Army for testing chemical protection clothing. The anthropomorphic robot will be able to balance itself while walking, crawling, doing calisthenics, and generally moving freely like a human while being exposed to chemical warfare agents.
At its current stage the robot resembles a box on legs, but in its final form it will closely resemble a person, having “the shape and size of a standard human,” according to VP of Engineering at Boston Dynamics, Robert Playter. When completed, PETMAN will be the first anthropomorphic robot to move dynamically like a real person, Playter said. The army also wanted the robot to simulate physiological responses inside the suit, such as sweating, temperature and humidity control, and even breathing, to even more realistically simulate a soldier wearing a protective suit.

The prototype robot walks heel-to-toe just like a human, and remains balanced even when pushed. In tests it has achieved a fast walking speed of 4.4 mph walking on a moving conveyor belt. PETMAN’s walking algorithm and the mechanical design are based on a previous Boston Dynamics robot known as Big Dog, which is designed for carrying supplies over almost any terrain. Like its predecessor, the PETMAN robot has a hydraulic actuation system and articulated legs with shock-absorbing elements. The robot is under the control of an on-board computer and an array of sensors and internal monitoring systems.
The 13-month developmental period will be followed by 17 months of building, installation, and validation. Delivery of the completed and tested robot is expected some time in 2011. Boston Dynamics is a small company that spun off MIT in 1992. It specializes in robotics, with many of its projects being for military applications. Measurement Technology Northwest, Midwest Research Institute (MRI), Smith Carter CUH2A (SCC) and HHI Corporation are all partners in the PETMAN project.

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  -- Apple has filed a patent application for electronic video spectacles that will allow wearers to watch films in 3D on the inside of the glasses. Fans have already nicknamed the gadget iSpecs.

Users would attach their iPhone, iPod, or other device to the spectacles, which have a special lens that can split the image into two frames — one for each eye — and then project the image onto the spectacles. The two images would create a stereoscopic effect since they would appear to have been taken from slightly different angles, and this would simulate 3D.
According to the patent application (number 20100079356) the images would be equivalent to high definition in quality, and sensors inside the spectacles would detect the precise location of the wearer’s eyes to ensure the image is projected at exactly the right place and is comfortable to watch. The device could be controlled by the wearer’s head movements, such as nodding or head shaking, or by voice control. Sound would be provided by earphones fitted into the device. To enhance the viewing experience, the spectacles could even vibrate in response to content such as explosions.
The spectacles would also incorporate a small camera and infrared sensors embedded in the frames to stream video of the surroundings to a smaller screen in the glasses if anyone approached or tried to gain their attention while they were watching the film. The aim of this system is to make people feel more comfortable about wearing the glasses in public, such as during plane, train, or bus trips.

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There are already a few video glasses that can be plugged into an iPod to allow viewers to watch films, but none offer 3-D viewing or high-quality images. Another drawback of the previous gadgets is that wearers are unable to see what is happening around them, which makes them reluctant to wear them in public. Some have suspected the patent application is a hoax since news of it was published on the Web on April 1st, but the US Patent and Trademark Office is unlikely to be involved in a hoax and the application was filed in late 2008. Apple never comments on patent applications.
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UCSD engineering students will unveil the new iFling,a remote-controlled robot that can pick up and throw ping pong balls, during Research Expo April 15.

  --  In the UCSD Coordinated Robotics Lab, mechanical engineering professor Tom Bewley and his students, have just released the latest generation of their Switchblade family of agile treaded vehicles.

As featured in the film Hurt Locker, small robotic vehicles already play a key role in the safe disposal of improvised explosive devices in modern urban warfare. As the military and industry work together to improve the performance of such existing robots, engineers at UC San Diego are exploring new roles for small robotic systems in combat. The families of agile, autonomous robotic systems they are developing are also expected to have significant roles in homeland security, border patrol, search and rescue, and planetary exploration.
In the UCSD Coordinated Robotics Lab, mechanical engineering professor Tom Bewley and his students, have just released the latest generation of their Switchblade family of agile treaded vehicles. Switchblade can pop wheelies, climb stairs and rubble, and carry substantial payloads such as real-time video; Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR), an optical remote sensing technology; chemical, radiation and biological sensors; and GPS. The robot can also, literally, run circles around other treaded vehicles in its class, and can be produced for a fraction of the cost, according to the engineers.
“The focus of our lab is on an application of robotics that is today much less developed — the deployment of multiple inexpensive robots for the exploration of dangerous and confined environments, such as buildings, caves, mines, and tunnels,” Bewley said.
The mechanical engineering students will showcase Switchblade, along with four other student-designed robots during the Jacobs School’s annual Research Expo April 15. One of the robots that will make its debut at Research Expo is the new and improved iFling, a fun, remote-controlled vehicle that can, among other tasks, pick up and throw ping pong balls. iFling, which was designed using a new 3D printer, has potential commercial use as a toy, Bewley said.
The mechanical engineering students will be among more than 250 UCSD graduates students who will be presenting posters at Research Expo.

Provided by Jacobs School of Engineering

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