Follow the eight steps described in this video, and you too can start solving Rubik’s cubes faster … and faster … and faster.
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Researchers train bipedal robots to step lightly over rough terrain
Researchers at the Hybrid Robotics Group at UC Berkeley and CMU are hard at work making sure their robots don’t fall over when tiptoeing through rough terrain. Using machine learning and ATRIAS robots, the teams are able to “teach” robots to traverse stepping stones they’ve never seen before.
Their robots, described here, are unique in that they are bipedal and use a mixture of balance and jumping to ensure they don’t tip off the blocks.
“What’s different about our methods is that they allow for dynamic walking as opposed to the slower quasi-static motions that robots tend to use,” write the researchers. “By reasoning about the nonlinearities in the dynamics of the system and by taking advantage of recent advances in optimal and nonlinear control technology, we can specify control objectives and desired robot behaviors in a simple and compact form while providing formal stability and safety guarantees. This means our robots can walk over discrete terrain without slipping or falling over, backed by some neat math and some cool experimental videos.”
The robots are currently “blind” and can’t use visual input to plan their next move. However, with a robot called CASSIE, they will be able to see and feel the stones as they hop along, ensuring that they don’t tip over in the heat of fun… or battle.
Laser-equipped shoes help Parkinson’s patients take the next step
Here’s an unexpected but pleasant little way tech might be able to improve a few lives: laser shoes. Yes, seriously. Shoes equipped with small laser emitters were shown in recent tests to help sufferers of Parkinson’s disease to walk normally. Read More
User outcry prompts OnePlus to step down its excessive data collection
Earlier this week, it was revealed that independent phone maker OnePlus was collecting all manner of information from phones running its OxygenOS — without telling users, of course. Caught red-handed, the company is backing off from the opt-out data collection program, giving users a choice up front instead of buried in the options. Read More
Fluffy dog tails could be the next step in robot-human interaction
The IEEE unearthed a fascinating 2013 study that showed that a cute dog tail does more than just amuse — it can communicate. The study, created by Ashish Singh and James Young, posited that a Roomba with a tail attached could communicate quickly and easily with a human — a fast, excited wag means things are going OK, while a slow side to side motion shows disdain. “Any… Read More