GetRobo

Voice Authentication for Robots

Universal Robot Inc., a startup in Tokyo, has developed a voice authentication system for robots. The robot photographed below will only take verbal orders from the owner - or whoever is authorized to be the operator. The system can only understand Japanese at this time, but GetRobo thinks this type of technology will become extremely important now that robots are mobile and are being remotely operated (some even with cell phones). You do not want someone controlling your household robot from a remote location to use it to damage your home. And what about airports and other public locations?

The same with the autonomous vehicles now being developed through initiatives such as the DARPA Grand/Urban Challenges. A voice recognition system could help to prevent the robotic vehicles from being stolen and causing havoc. Well from that perspective, it could help the current car owners too, I guess.   

Robot of the Year 2007 - 3

Three more special prizes for the 2007 Robot of the Year. Best component was the ultra-small AC servo actuator RSF-3B made by Harmonic Drive Systems, Inc. Fit for robot hands as in the video below.

Japan's machinery association chose the Automatic Robotic Blood Sample Courier System made by  Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd. to award its prize. Two key features of this system is that the robots can work in groups without predesignated tracks.

Last but not least, an MR Image-Guided Surgical Robotic System developed by a group of academia and companies and led by Prof. Makoto Hashizume of the Dept. of Advanced Medical Initiatives at Kyushu University, received the jury's special award. What is so cool about this surgical robot is that it is compact enough to fit inside an MRI scanner and that all the electronic/mechanic parts needed to manipulate the robot and that would normally interfere with the MRI are OUTSIDE of the scanner. Thus for the first time, the robot enables doctors to conduct surgery utilizing MR images at real time. Something the popular da Vinci surgical system is not capable of doing.