The DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) is a competition where systems & software teams compete to build robots that can assist humans in responding to man-made and natural disasters. The finals will be held June 5-6, 2015 at Fairplex in Pomona, California.
RobotChallenge 2014 is one of the world’s largest international competitions for self-made, autonomous, and mobile robots. Held in Vienna, Austria from March 29 till 30, this annual event serves as a venue for people to showcase their creations, share…
Formerly known as the AASS Mobile Robotics Lab, Orebro University's mobile robotics lab is now named the Cognitive Robotic Systems Laboratory (CRSL) at AASS. Its mission is to perform basic and applied research of cognitive robotic systems and to address…
The CDR is one of the leading robotic research labs in the United States. The chief objectives of this robotic lab are to design, build, and show distributed robotic systems. Among the robots that they have co-developed is the UMN Scout robot, designed…
CIM is one of the largest robotics centers in Canadian universities. This research group has a separate mobile robotics lab, the MRL. Together, they develop many robotics projects, such as an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of being operated…
The CRES is USC’s robotic systems research unit. The center’s research engages over 60 physical robots, with research on mobile, humanoid, molecular, and re-configurable robots. Some of their notable projects include Sony robot dogs, the Beobots Chimp…
CAS is KTH’s premier mobile robot systems research center. This facility’s research includes various robotics, computer vision, and machine learning and control. Recent studies included close-contact robot manipulation and computer animation in a project…
Focal Meditech is a company that delivers custom-made robotic medical equipment. They develop medical equipment and provide personal care robots for people with disabilities.
Groot Klimmendaal is a Dutch medical rehabilitation center that has a goal of offering rehabilitation for children, youth and adults who from physical, cognitive or multiple disabilities. The center aims at making the patients as independent as possible.
Established in 1907, the Imperial College London is one of the United Kingdom’s leading public research universities. The college has established various laboratories to equip its students with hands-on experience and vital technology.
The IRR lab is home to many groundbreaking robotics developments, such as UT Austin Villa Robot Soccer Team and TEXPLORE. Their research makes it possible to create robot prototypes more quickly. The lab also conducts research on Neural Networks and…
The ISL at the University of Maryland performs extensive robotics research. Their focus is to advance state-of-the-art design and real-time control of intelligent systems. Among the lab’s impressive list of projects is the robotic hand the Modular Dexterous…
Intespring is involved in product design and technical projects. It advices on motion technique and spring mechanisms. It is involved in projects like X-Arm, LabCoat and SpringUp.
The ISA System Engineering and Automation Department is home to many achievements in the field of robotics, including a wheelchair robot and a mobile robot that can deliver objects. The lab engages in a wide range of areas in robotic research, including…
Korea Tech has had a 100% graduate career placement for 13 straight years and is the number one university in the country. Their School of Mechanical Engineering established the KUT BioRobotics Laboratory. The lab’s mission is to create and develop science,…
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the most notable research universities in the world. You can learn about robotics at the Field and Space Robotics Laboratory, the Personal Robots Group, and the Biomometic Robotics.
Based in Kingston, Ontario, Queen's University is a well-known Canadian public research univer-sity. Students at the university have developed the FANUC F-200i Robot and addressed the fail-ure analysis of the DEXTER parallel manipulator.
The Robotics and Intelligent Machines Lab at UC Berkeley is a leading academic lab in the field of medical robotics. One of its biggest projects is Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS). Lab researchers have created a way for an operation to be performed with…
Being the largest scientific research center focused on rehabilitation technologies, Roessingh Research and Development (RRD) is an independent research and development organization that is connected to the Roessingh rehabilitation centre.
Semnan University is an Iranian university that provides students hands-on experience and advanced learning facilities. It has continually researched on ways and means to improve not only its facilities and physical structures but also its teaching capabilities,…
The Shiga University of Medical Science Hospital has departments in nearly every medical field available. The school has expanded its offerings to include work in the robotics field, to help equip students with advanced technology. Researchers helped…
Serving as the Dutch agency for space research, SRON is the national institute of expertise for the exploitation and development of satellite instruments for earth-oriented and astrophysical research.
SPbSPU is Russia’s major technical university located in St. Petersburg. It is also the country's top research facility and the leading educational institution in the fields of industrial engineering, aerospace engineering and several other disciplines.…
Germany’s Technical University Munich is one of the country’s top research universities and a member of the TU9 technology society. The school’s Robotics and Embedded Systems conducts ongoing research on the education of machines used for perception,…
The Technical University of Catalonia in Spain is home to the Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial, a joint research center actively promoting basic research in robotics and applied informatics. Here, students conduct hands-on research with mobile…
The Robotics Institute Manipulation Lab at CMU is a prominent academic robotics research lab. Focusing on the autonomous robotic manipulation problem, the Lab works on everything from robotic hands to the dynamics of robotic legged movement. Among their…
Founded in 1994, Tree C is a privately held, independent company that comes from a background in PDM, 3D CAD, visualization software and Knowledge Based Engineering. Currently, the company develops its own 3D graphics software.
The University of Tsukuba in Japan is one of the country’s oldest universities. Its robotics research center, UTARC, has been instrumental in leading the university in its quest for advanced robotic research. The center aims to create an interdisciplinary…
The Technical University Eindhoven, or TUE is a research university that specializes in engineering science and technology. The TUE has a separate research institute for robotics which focuses on the cooperation between humans and robots.
Being Michigan’s oldest university, the University of Michigan is one of the public research universities in America that has a very high research activity. As part of robotics research they host facilities like the Perceptual Robotics Laboratory (PeRL)…
Waseda University in Japan is one of the most prestigious universities in Asia. The school’s robotics research dates back to 1970, when Professor Ichiro Kato began researching anthropomorphic robots and started the WABOT Project. In 2000, the university…
Naoki Maru created King Kizer, which is a boxing champion of Robo-One. This fighting robot has the Kinect-style motion technology allowing it to follow and copy other's motions.
JSK Laboratory and University of Tokyo created the Kotaro humanoid robot. It is flexible, has reinforced humanoid muscles and has the potential to integrate in people’s life.
Naoko Hikima developed a bear looking robot toy called Kumataro. It was completely redesigned and re-fabricated from the original with more torque and upgrade of servomotors.
MABEL was developed to help physically challenged individuals walk again and provide rescuers with superhuman capabilities. It is the world’s fastest knee-equipped bipedal robot. There are two motors in each leg that utilize a cable transmission. MABEL…
International Robotics Inc. created a multi-lingual interactive robot called Millennia. It is remote-controlled and programmable, and it can interact and dance with a human.
ZMP Japan developed a small robot housemate called Nuvo. It can play musical sounds, dance and tell time. Nuvo serves as a baby monitor and home security device. This robot doesn't walk into objects when it walks and is able stand on its own. It stands…
Japan's Tohoku University created a dancing humanoid robot in 2005: the Partner Ballroom Dance Robot (PBDR). This robot can follow its partner's lead through sensors in its upper body and stands 5 1/2 feet tall. Its face was modeled after legendary beauty…
The Penbo pink penguin robot is a great robot for girls. It can play games, dance, show emotion, and has its own baby robot in an egg that fits inside its stomach. This robot even knows when it's being patted on the head. Penbo listens, talks, and plays…
Fujitsu Robotics and Kyushu University developed PICO-2 from the HOAP-2 concept in 2005. The two foot tall human telepresence robot can walk and imitate human gestures.
A Facebook-integrated robotic desk pet, Pingo reads messages, news and weather forecasts; it also has a personality and responds to physical stimuli and electronic gifts.
Polaris robot charges mobile phones while removing data from them for interacting with users. Then it interacts through a TV, giving advice and making helpful comments.
The Prison Guard Robot helps to keep human guards safe. It is equipped with cameras and speakers to report problems to guards. It also assists sick or injured inmates.
If your schedule needs you in two places at once, the telepresence robot QA can help. It has 802.11g wireless connectivity and can connect you to another place with just a few clicks on your PC or MAC. QA has 4-6 hours battery life, 2-way audio and an…
The QB robot can fill in for you as your avatar at social gatherings. This telepresence robot roams around and interacts with people. It runs for 6 hours and can charge itself when it senses the battery is low. Captured video is delivered to a Mac-based…
Universidad Carlos III of Madrid, Spain developed a humanoid called RH-0. It is the first robot of the RH series, and can walk, control lightweight objects and recognize objects.
RIKEN and Tokai Rubber created the RIBA-II, a newer version of the RIBA. This humanoid robot can now carry up to 80 kg and bend at the waist, making patient transport much easier. It also has Smart Rubber sensors, which are considered the world’s first…
Kärcher's Robocleaner RC3000 vacuums all types of flooring, rolls over wires, uses infrared and optical sensors to avoid obstacles, and resists wedging under furniture.
Romeo is a humanoid robot that is being developed under Project Romeo. The 140-cm long robot will assist people who depend on others for help. And to achieve this goal, Romeo will boast an interactive design. The robot will be able to move naturally as…
Roppie is a service robot that can help with household tasks. It uses eye-to-motion technology to translate images into actions. It has new grasping software as well.
Japan's Robot Force customized Sambi from an KHR-3HV hobby kit. This customized humanoid is dressed in a yellow costume and has vibrant cherry blossom-colored hair, making it a cute robot friend. It is reminiscent of an anime character in appearance and…
Dr. Gil Weinberg developed a robot which plays drums, creates its own musical style, and performs live on stage with human players and with musicians across the globe.
Michiko Shoji developed a virtual reality called U-Tsu-Shi-O-Mi. A 3D image, synchronized with robot’s motion, is plotted on a green screen that lets the user touch and feel it.
Waseda University of Japan developed WABOT 2 which is the second robot in the WABOT series. This intelligent and advanced humanoid can read musical notes and play a keyboard.
Wappy dog is an interactive toy robot by Sega. This canine pet can be played with both inside and outside a Nintendo DS console. In the console, the simulated version sings, does tricks and plays mini games. The physical version of Wappy Dog can be trained,…
Waseda University's WF-4R is a major improvement over the WF-3RIX. This anthropomorphic flutist robot now has 38 degrees of freedom. The range of motion increased in the neck and arms and the vibrato mechanism is smaller. The fingers are link mechanisms…
WF-4RII is the successor to Waseda University's WF-4R. This flutist robot uses MIDI accompaniment data to perform and collaborates with human partners. Two CCD cameras in the eye system allow it to interact with the audience and the eyebrow moves depending…
Tmsuk and Waseda University developed a two-legged walking robot called WL-16 that carries people. This chair robot can also transport heavy goods in difficult areas or terrains.
Kong and Wu are two advanced ping-pong playing robots developed at Zhejiang University. They are made with high-strength, lightweight materials and have 30 degrees of freedom. Their reaction time is between 0.05 and 0.01 seconds with an accuracy of 2.5…
