Top 10 Strangest Robots

10. TomCat – The Quadrupedal Robot

Here’s something you don’t see everyday: a “fast moving quadrupedal robot” that’s capable of running at approx. 2 body lengths/sec. The TomCat is primarily used by researchers to investigate the “principles of the neurocontrol of movement”. Unfortunately, they are only available in limited quantities to the research community. Video clip after the jump.

“TomCat’s architecture is completly open, allowing easy addition of sensors, and computational elements.”

[Source]

9. King Kizer

Rayered-X and OmniZero.2 weren’t the only cool robots at Robo-One 9. Add King Kizer to the list, this bot can track and hit opponents with great accuracy — along with jumping rope. Video clip after the jump. [Source]

8. OmniZero.2

This exciting match took place during the Robo-One competition — held in Tokyo on March 18 – 19. OmniZero.2 was crowned the new champion. Entire match after the jump.

Check out the moves he has: the body slam, the reverse body slam, the crouching jab, the double windmill

[Source]

7. “RunBot” – The Fastest Robot on Two Legs

“Runbot” is a two-legged robot developed by researchers from Germany and Scotland — claimed to be the fastest for its size, with a 3.5 leg-lengths per second stride. It measures 30 cm high and has sensors that detect when a foot touches the ground or lunges forward. The robot’s walk cycle is controlled by neuron mimicking software. Video clip after the jump.

This beats the previous record holder – MIT’s “Spring Flamingo” – which is four times as tall but manages just 1.4 leg-lengths per second

[Source]

6. Robonova-1 – King of the Robot Jungle

This modified Robonova-1 is able to climb ropes, swing from trees, and perform a variety of other tricks.

Matt Bauer took a standard Robonova-1 biped robot, taught it some neat karate and kung-fu moves, then hacked it to add grippers that could actually pickup objects like pencils from the floor

[Source]

5. Mighty Morphin Rayered-X

Rayered-X (pronounced Layered-X) is an innovative robot with four extremeties – each consisting of seven servos – that give it 28 degrees of freedom. It sports a custom aluminum frame, is 50 cm tall and weighs around 8 pounds. Unfortunately, it only placed 24th during the “Demonstration” phase of the Robo-One competition. Video clip after the jump.

“At first it looks like a short tower, then becomes a carousel, then a walking spider, then into a tall biped battle robot. It can even transform an arm into a new leg and keep on fighting.”

[Source]

4. EveR-1 Female Android

Korean scientists have developed the world’s first (Japanese speaking?) female android, the EveR-1, which stands 1.6m tall and weighs approx. 110 pounds. It’s capable of understanding 400 words, speaking, and making facial expressions via fifteen motors embedded into her silicon face. Video clip after the jump.

For now, EveR-1 can be employed as a guide robot at museums and department stores or as an educational model to read books to children,” Baeg said. But we are looking further ahead _ we are working on upgrading the android with the aim of making it move its legs by the end of this year. It will be able to sit down and stand up by then,” he expects.

[Source 1 – Source 2]

3. RI-MAN

RI-MAN was designed to look after the growing number of elderly in Japan. It’s the world’s first robot that was specifically engineered to lift and carry humans. The 5-foot, 220 pound RI-MAN includes a variety of built-in sensors, which allow it to see, hear, touch, and smell. Video clip after the jump.

“Still in the initial testing phase, RI-MAN is currently practicing with dolls that weigh about 12 kg (26 lbs). Researchers plan to increase the weight of the practice dolls over time, with the aim of achieving the ability to lift human adults in 5 years. Researchers will continue working to upgrade RI-MAN’s sensors and data processing skills to improve adaptability.”

[Source]

2. The Robotic Chair

How about a chair (remote controlled) that can put itself back together? That’s right, the D’Andrea Group has created a nifty robotic chair that can break apart — for easy transportation — and reconstruct itself within two minutes. Video clip after the jump.[Source]

1. Cockroach Controlled Mobile Robot

Put simply, this “Cockroach Controlled Mobile Robot” is one of the strangest creations we’ve seen. Basically, a Madagascan hissing cockroach controls a three wheeled robot by being placed atop a modified trackball. It was developed by Garnet Hertz, who specializes in “animal-machine-hybrids”.

This project was inspired by a number of different things, including thinking about biologically inspired (“biomimetic”) technologies and also seeing and thinking about scientific and artistic experiments in bio-hybrid/robotic systems.

[Source]

Honorable Mention – CG Optimus Prime

Technically, this is an animation so we’ve made it an honorable mention. Lets just hope the upcoming Transformers movie will be of this quality.

I have tried to make this robot as I think he would be in the real world. I mean, a true truck. As a true truck he is no clear and his parts as truck are the same that his parts like robot. I like to see it as an old used truck

[Source]

Honorable Mention -Six-Legged Robot with PS Controller Port

This “autonomous/RC crawling 6 legged robot with 14 RC servos” proves that Playstation controllers are good for more than just playing games. It uses the controller to test walk cycles and for changing parameters in real time. The body is constructed from precision-milled plywood and was designed on a PC. Video clip after the jump. [Source]