The Future is Made of Vibraphones

Play Rock Band With Vodka-Powered Robots

nobody@vox.com(mikepop) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:10:45 -0500

[this is cross-posted from my robot stuff blog, Grok Robots, because it was a lot of fun and I thought people here would like to try it out!]

How much would you pay to see a performance where the liner notes include "robotic cannon?" Well, you, the cannon (which fires rubber balls at a marimba), robotic fingers making haunting noises on some wineglasses and some percussion elelments can all jam while you (and the Internets) watch via a series of webcams.Created by Dan Paluska and Jeff Lieberman for Absolut Machines, a project the vodka company is using to explore how machines can be creative (even though they don't drink the product).

Once your session is complete, they'll mail you a video of your performance. Here's mine:

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Let There Be Robots

nobody@vox.com(mikepop) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:34:34 -0500

robot

Sorry for the lack of posts, but I have been working on a new project that launches right about...now.

Grok Robots is a place for me to collect all sorts or robo-goodness. Some techie stuff, yes, but mostly offbeat stuff pulled from the depths (or in some cases the shallows) of pop culture. Movies, music, fashion(?!) and other such miscellany.

Today's featured post celebrates Mr. Roboto, a song which turns 25 years old today.

Link on over when you have a moment and let me know what you think.

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ROBOTPOP: Soccer-Playing Robots Kick Balls

nobody@vox.com(mikepop) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:05:16 -0500

PLEN

On last night's episode of The Amazing Race, teams were rushing around Japan and had the option to either go smell some flowers or go play with some robots. Luckily, one team chose robots, so we got to see some sweet cellphone-robot-soccer action.

Racers competed in a robot soccer game at SYSTEC AKAZAWA, controlling a PLEN model robot (PDF specs), pictured here. Like him? He'll only set you back about $2,400. This makes you wonder how much the tricked out custom robots the other players were using cost. One thing is certain - if the Japanese kids controlling them hadn't had their robots all but dive out of the way of the racers' attempts at goals, that team still wouldn't have be done with that leg of the race.

This segment illustrated the massive robot literacy gap we face here in the United States. Senators - please introduce mandatory robot soccer stadium construction legislation. Do it for the children.

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