Tag Archives: smart robot

Warehouse-friendly robot comes outfitted with smart technology to streamline operation and optimize ergonomics!

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In collaboration with OTTOBO Robotics, product and car designer Berk Kaplan developed a concept design for a task robot that integrates smart technology to streamline ergonomics and package-carrying flexibility.

Each day, it feels like we’re getting closer to a future where robots will walk among us. Advancements in smart technology and Artificial Intelligence have streamlined and catapulted robot development to the forefront of our minds. Wrocław-based car and product designer Berk Kaplan recently teamed up with OTTOBO Robotics to develop a concept design for their smart task robot.

During the beginning stage of the concept design phase, Kaplan first conducted his own research to settle on the overall mood and personality of the robot. Following the research period, Kaplan sat down to sketch outlines of his robot in development, toying around with practical elements and aesthetic touches. The first proposal envisioned the robot with both a hard outer shell and inner core, giving it a tough, hardworking personality and weighty body.

Where the first proposal found durability in a tough exterior and interior, the third proposal from Kaplan wrapped the robot in a soft outer shell to cover the robot’s soft interior core. The second proposal, which Kaplan and OTTOBO Robotics ultimately chose as the concept design’s final form, conceived the robot with a soft outer shell and hard inner core for a cushioned tactile experience, outfitting the robot with a friendly and approachable disposition.

Once the final conceptual form was chosen by the OTTOBO Robotics team and Kaplan, 3D models were created to further develop the robot from every angle. Working with 3D models of the robot allows Kaplan to find the best ways to optimize the robot’s ergonomics and package flexibility. During this stage, more technical specifications were chosen for the robot, more specifically deciphering how smart technology would be built into the room to ensure its operability. Following this concept design phase, Kaplan and the OTTOBO Robotics team are looking forward to future production.

Designer: Berk Kaplan x OTTOBO Robotics

Berk Kaplan used 3D models after deciding on the robot’s conceptual final form to understand its shape from every angle.

Using 3D technology, Kaplan deciphered how to best optimize the robot’s package-carrying flexibility. 

After settling on its form and creating matching 3D models, Kaplan added aesthetic details like branding and logos. Production coming soon!

Samsung designed public service bots to provide contact-free delivery with a smile!

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The world as we know it is changing, and robots are steadily taking over, a sci-fi fantasy that is soon turning into reality. Moving toward a healthier and more hands-off future does mean that technology is taking a lot of the work off our hands. Designers are building robots to take care of public service jobs primarily rooted in collecting, cleaning, and distributing. Recently debuting their public service bot, Samsung’s Bot Public does all of that and even winks.

The designers behind Samsung Bot Public built the public service robot to provide contact-free professional services in public spaces. Samsung Bot Public looks like the public service robot we’ve come to expect based on all the sci-fi movies we’ve seen, capable of shifting into different configurations for different service jobs. The versatile base of Samsung Bot Public works as a universal charging base that can register other mounted domains to complete various tasks throughout the day.

The different domains are configured according to the task at hand– while one domain features a three-tier shelving unit, another features only a display screen and slim carrying tray. The most sought-after public service bots in circulation today are serving, delivery, and guide robots, and these were the three services prioritized. While the robots are generally programmed and made for free movement, their software is still accessible through external devices and storage systems. If serving the public wasn’t enough for the robot’s plate, each interaction is also met with a wink and smile.

Designer: Samsung

The Samsung Bot Public’s design hinges on the main base platform that adapt to each changing domain.

One domain features a large panel display screen, built-in charging port, and small tray table.

Another domain seems to indicate collecting and distribution duties with a three-tier shelving unit and drawers.

Each Samsung Bot Public comes with an emergency stop button and a rear LED display panel.

The original domain’s drawers pull out to create more storage space for collecting and delivering.

With all of this, Samsung Bot Public also ends each interaction with a good ole robot wink.

This fully automated bionic coffee maker is just like a robot straight from The Jetsons!

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If you sometimes feel like a robot before your first cup of coffee, you’re in good company. Without even fully opening my eyes, I get my first cup of coffee going for the morning, and while it brews I get myself ready. On good days, I turn my stove off on time, and on other days, I gulp down a burnt cup of coffee. Coffee is a necessary part of the day for a lot of us and having that perfect cup in the morning might be all we need to get our day off on the right foot. To save us from those ‘other days,’ Beijing’s Orion Star Technology Co. Ltd. recently designed a robotic coffeemaking system, the Zhi Ka Master that was shortlisted at 2021’s iF Design Awards.

Zhi Ka Master is a coffee-making system that employs the use of twin-arm robotics to perform traditional coffee and tea brewing for hand-poured, automated cups of coffee. The entire system comprises a twin-arm, six-axis robot and accompanying work table. Twin-arm robotic systems are typically chosen for their efficient and automated execution of more involved assembly operations. Through bi-manual manipulation, twin-arm robots can perform complicated tasks in a human-like manner. The incorporation of twin-arm robotics for Zhi Ka Master and a bionic profile design equips the robot with enough know-how to stimulate masterful coffee or tea-making methods with the push of a button. A pre-sized and programmed worktable is used to keep all the machines and tools necessary to make any drink on a typical coffee menu.

You’re like me if your coffee order comes with some conditions: an extra shot of espresso please and not too much ice. Rest assured, Zhi Ka Master knows how to receive special input for specific coffee orders that veer from the menu. Through integrated software, Zhi Ka Master can make coffee and tea drinks for specific tastes all without human intervention. So maybe, don’t push that button.

Designer: Orion Star Technology Co. Ltd.

Zhi Ka Master is a six-axis, twin-arm robot coffeemaker.

Integrated software adjusts the robot’s mechanical grip to fit whatever item it grasps.

Through a built-in RGB camera, the robot performs duties and responds to feedback in real-time to ensure safe operation.

Equipped with an emergency stop button, Zhi Ka Master prioritizes safety even before coffee.

Zhi Ka Master occupies a total of only three square meters.

Boston Dynamics’ latest robot moves away from biomimicry to design a practical warehouse solution!

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Thirty years ago, starting out as a tightknit research company, Boston Dynamics began its quest to create robots that could go where people go, do what people do, and move as people move. Today, a leading engineering and robotics design company, the team behind Boston Dynamics continues to produce and deliver commercial robotics equipped with dynamic control, cutting-edge electronics, and next-generation software. Designed for easy rollout servicing in existing warehouses, Stretch is Boston Dynamics’ latest mobile, automated case-handling robot.

In appearance, Stretch resembles an excavator or backhoe construction truck, with a solid, bottom-heavy base and tensile robotic arm. Filled out with four small wheels for tight turning and lots of movement, Stretch’s mobile base is capable of sliding in every direction and designed to allow the fuller robot to fit anywhere a pallet fits. The long robotic arm provides plenty of reach and height with seven degrees-of-freedom, granting Stretch access to cases and shipping goods throughout any freight space or pallet.

At the end of Stretch’s robotic arm, a smart gripper embedded with sensors and active controls grants Stretch with handling mechanisms to grasp a wide array of different types of packages. Keeping the whole operation going throughout the workday are high-capacity batteries and an advanced perception mast for long-lasting, precise, and stable power. Speaking of how Stretch differentiates the currently saturated truck unloading robots, palletizing and depalletizing robots, and mobile bases with arms, Kevin Blankespoor, Boston Dynamics’ VP of Product Engineering and chief engineer for both Handle and Stretch says “Stretch is built with pieces from Spot and Atlas and that gave us a big head start. For example, if you look at Stretch’s vision system, it’s 2D cameras, depth sensors, and software that allows it to do obstacle detection, box detection, and localization. Those are all the same sensors and software that we’ve been using for years on our legged robots. And if you look closely at Stretch’s wrist joints, they’re actually the same as Spot’s hips. They use the same electric motors, the same gearboxes, the same sensors, and they even have the same closed-loop controller controlling the joints.”

While Stretch is still a prototype, the wheeled robot is the commercial version of a smaller, earlier model from Boston Dynamics called Handle. Stretch currently enacts unloading and building applications for trucks and warehouses, with future plans for truck loading in the works for Boston Dynamics. While the team behind Stretch has yet to name a price, Boston Dynamics is working to make the case-handling robot compatible with other warehouse systems.

Designer: Boston Dynamics

Four wheels fill out Stetch’s mobile base, allowing it to fit anywhere a shipping pallet fits.

Smart gripping technology allows Stretch to reach for and take hold of a multitude of varying package types.

Stretch’s lengthy robotic arm grants the robot access to packages throughout the warehouse and full extension for easy rollout.

The team at Boston Dynamic equipped Stretch with seven degrees-of-freedom, providing plenty of reach and height.

Stretch was designed for warehouse case-handling and truck unloading.

This AI personal assistant transforms into a bike that uses robotic mapping to meet you anywhere!

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Is it a Vespa? A BMX bike? A horse? In fact, it’s all of the above and a robot too. Adding to their larger AI robot series, RidRoid, the creators at Future Robotics Technology designed the CanguRo (that’s, ‘kangaroo’ in Italian) in order to bring a sense of companionship to smart robots. Like many AI robots, CanguRo can offer support to users with tasks such as shopping and office work, but integrated software also brings this robot to your location, even if you’re far away, and then turns into a vehicle for you to ride whenever necessary.

The inspiration behind the CanguRo design was taken from a page of history. Humans once depended on horses for both work and transportation. All one had to do was send out a whistle for their horse nearby, and a horse would come trotting their way. Decades later, the Ford Model T made automotive transportation more accessible for everyone and the possibilities for future modes of transportation were reimagined. Today, designers and engineers are concocting concepts for transportation that no longer require the use of human or animal intelligence. Instead, popularity in self-driven cars and AI-led transportation is increasing and the potential behind smart technology is bursting at the seams. The possibilities seem endless.

In order to make the connection between robotic intelligence and human conscience more harmonious, the team at Future Robotics integrated SLAM technology into CanguRo. SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) technology, allows robots to produce maps of their surroundings and places their position within them through sensors that make navigation and robotic mapping easier to process. I fewer words, SLAM technology positions CanguRo as the “human eye.” When the user is away from CanguRo, SLAM technology supplies intelligence for the vehicle to mobilize, using autopilot functions, then locate and reach your geographic location. All you have to do is call for CanguRo with your smartphone or tablet PC and once it greets you, CanguRo transforms into ride mode and adapts to your physical movements.

When riding CanguRo, bodily sensation technologies help to unite the machine with the human user. Features such as CanguRo’s ‘heartbeat’ signal to users the speed at which they’re moving. Additionally, force feedback is implemented into the steering functions in order to bridge the human’s sense of touch with the movement of the ride. Smart stop functions have also been incorporated into the vehicle to avoid the unlikely event of a collision. CanguRo was created in order to offer a mode of transportation that humans can always depend on, no matter where you are, all you’ve gotta do is call and CanguRo will find you.

Designer: Shunji Yamanaka x fuRo

This Star Wars-inspired smart assistant will turn your home into X-Wing Starfighter!

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Nadeem Hussain, a United Kingdom-based designer, recently rendered a smart assistant robot that was inspired by BB-8 from Star Wars for Render Weekly’s Instagram showcase. Sometimes the most eye-catching designs find their inspiration from well-known film and television characters. If the designer channels their inspiration well, then the final product won’t be a spitting image of that character, but a gentle reminder of how art forms are inherently interconnected.

When design feels inspired by something as iconic as Star Wars, the tricky part doesn’t have to do with imitating the franchise’s original creativity, but with evoking a feeling of familiarity. Hussain’s render of a new smart assistant is as charming and functional as Star Wars’ BB-8 robot but resembles a futuristic robot that might reside elsewhere in the intergalactic universe. BB-8 is described as an “astromech,” or repair droid with humanlike qualities such as general skittishness, a fight or flight response system, and an overall softly charismatic disposition. The same can be said for Hussain’s interpretation of the household smart assistant. In today’s world, where technology is depended on for repair work just like the astromech is in the Star Wars universe, it’s vital to bridge cutting-edge innovation with familiar, natural design attributes, and this vision of a home smart assistant does just that. Thin, gray fabric lines half of this two-bulb miniature robot in order to indicate the product’s speaker features, and a true-tone, computer display fills out the smart assistant’s touch screen face. The smart assistant’s bigger globular base slides across surfaces with so much ease that it imitates a hovering orb, the likes of which we’ve been acquainted with time and time again on the silver screen.

As our world quickly develops into a technological hub of digitized timelines and self-driven cars, it seems that references from film and television connect us more than we might know. Smart assistants are becoming more and more popular in today’s households since there’s still room for both software and hardware developments. It’s comforting to know that creatives behind such iconic stories like Star Wars have imagined this future long before. Nadeem Hussain’s rendition of a smart assistant proves adherence to today’s technology and a familiar acknowledgment of generation-defining franchises, which is exactly what makes such artful displays of passion so eye-catching.

Designer: Nadeem Hussain

This Smart Robot Is The Perfect Quarantine Companion For Youngsters!

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Quarantine has been an adjustment period for everyone, but especially for young children who only got a taste of what socializing and education could offer prior to the onset of today’s global pandemic. The world is most likely forever changed as a result, which true creatives embrace accordingly. Designers behind products like Xiaole, an educational company robot for young minds, adapt to today’s world while acknowledging the connective companionship that molded our world of yesterday. Xiaole offers a touch of sentimentality in its friendly accompaniment and an artful amount of respect for the young person of today in regard to their future world.

Companionship is essential for young children, so globally mandated quarantines might get in the way of fundamental growth. Jerry C, the designer behind Xiaole, created the smart companion prior to 2020, but it’s timelier than ever. Xiaole’s digital library is filled with high-quality content that helps inspire self-motivated education amongst youngsters. Reminiscent of robot characters from science-fiction films, this robot is also naturally comforting and familiar to young minds, so learning will always feel welcome and accessible. Speaking to the product’s accessibility, the digital library is stocked with integrated translators, encyclopedias, and entertainment components. This all-encompassing library provides thoughtful and leisurely entertainment for children of varying ages and backgrounds. Xiaole is warm in its shape, emotional in its digitized expressions, and dynamic is physical gestures. This smart robot is intuitive in its control buttons, so anyone, no matter how old or young, will be able to bring Xiaole to life With this merging of innovation and sensitivity, Jerry C notes that Xiaole is a “smart companion robot with a sense of technology and affinity.”

Ahead of its time, Xiaole’s design was conceived before the age of COVID-19, but its early arrival speaks to the young human’s inevitable need for connection and stimulation. With or without quarantine, we all need some good friends in today’s world, especially young kids, and if there ever was a time to implement lighthearted respect for our unstoppable future world through design, the time is now.

Designer: Jerry C