Mass High Tech has posted an interview with iRobot’s CEO, Colin Angle, on their plans for the future. Angle discusses their plans to combat the “demographic shift” of a 4:1 caregiver to care-needer ratio to a 1:1 ratio in the next 20 years. In other words, in the next 20 years, there will be a huge need for people or robots to take care of the elderly. iRobot is now focusing on how to help people perform physical tasks that may become difficult as we age. They are starting with plans for a “robot buddy” – probably much like the iRobot ConnectR prototype from a few years back. The new initial products will have a consumer focus, but will leverage government funding to make them cost effective.

As for other home innovations, Angle says, “We’re not done there by any stretch of the imagination.”

What do you think will be the next cool robot to come out of iRobot?

[Via @iRobotSPARK via @Transbotica]

Thanks to some great research at Waseda University, doctors of the Showa University of Dentistry now have robots to use as teaching aids. Meet Hanako.

The humanoid robots are designed to resemble a human female and are programmed to illicit responses similar to what a dental patient might, such as wincing in pain if the dentist is not careful about the procedure at hand.

The robots has a variety of emulations to give the dentist as realistic a simulation as possible. ‘She’ can blink, roll her eyes, move her jaw and her tongue too. A nice touch is that the robot also exhibits tiredness during a long procedure by slackening the artificial muscles of her jaw muscles, and yes – she even drools. You can catch a video here.

Waseda University is known for their work on KOBIAN, an emotional humanoid robot, which is delight to check out because it provides some context for the body of work coming out of Waseda. Check out Pink Tenatcle’s post about KOBIAN.

To look back in time a little, the concept of using robots in dentistry training isn’t a new idea, it’s one that’s been developed over a few years now. At the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo in 2007, Kokoro Company Ltd (interestingly enough, a Sanrio Group company – they don’t just make Hello Kitty merchandise, they make robots too) unveiled the Simroid dental patient, which has been noted for its appearance falling deep into the uncanny valley much like its sister project the Actroid: robot receptionist. They share an abundance of features.

Like her Actroid sister, Simroid is equipped with a system of air-powered muscles and soft silicone skin. However, she has something the Actroid does not — sensitive teeth. Thanks to a mouth loaded with sensors, she knows when her dentist-in-training makes a mistake. And to express her pain, she grimaces, moves her hands and eyes, and says, “That hurts.” - via Pink Tentacle back in 2006.

Another unique is that she exhibits a gag reflex if instruments are too far back in her mouth. You watch a video of Simroid here.

I like this progression of robotics for dientistry that I am seeing because it means that robots are making a place for themselves in educational contexts. That’s great! PhysOrg sums up thesituation quite nicely:

Few people would want to be guinea pigs for aspiring dentists but Japan has found an always-willing patient — a robot. – via PhysOrg

In other news, I still have an interview and Hexbug Nano review coming – hopefully early in the week next week. In the meantime, if you see some amazing robot news, be the first to share it with us and help spread the robot appreciation.

Honda recently had a media extravaganza in which they demoed their recently announced “Stride/Bodyweight Assist Machine”, an experimental device that aids human walking by reducing stress on joins and muscles. It’s a cross between an exoskeleton and a chair – the former because it’s powered and aids your movement, and the latter because you sit on it, and it doesn’t require cumbersome straps and fixtures to stay attached to your body. The smaller “Stride Assist” weighs 6 lbs and the larger “Bodyweight Assist” weighs 14. The former, after getting used to it, seems to quite natural.

Honestly, the first few steps felt awkward and a bit otherworldly. However, the prototype is designed to learn how you walk, at the same time as you’re learning how to walk with it. Within a few moments, I was walking quickly down a hall and then even running back through it. All of my actions felt natural, but improved, compared to my normal gait and running style.

The device anticipates your walking motion and aids you. It aids muscle activity and is designed for people with limited mobility – those than can stand, but have trouble walking.

The larger cousin of the Stride Assist, the “ Bodyweight Support Assist”, wasn’t nearly as “transparent” but still would allow a great many impaired people have a greater range of mobility.

Video of the Stride and Bodyweight Assist below.

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