I was thinking of some things this evening and what came to my mind was to learn something about ROBOTs and then i came across this article am about to share about the 7 most dangerous and expensive robots.. These robots walk into danger zones, shoot machine guns and zap lasers. You probably can't get your hands on them. So lets get started. Here they are: 1.Atlas Atlas puts all other humanoid robots to shame. Equipped with cameras, head-mounted lasers and 28 hydraulically-operated joints, Atlas can scan its surroundings and maneuver through complex environments: walking, climbing stairs and dodging debris. The 300-pound, 6-foot 2-inch robot was created to perform disaster recovery in places unsafe for humans, such as damaged nuclear power plants. It now belongs to Google ( ), which recently bought Boston Dynamics, the company that designed Atlas. Seven computer research teams from around the world are currently developing software to give Atlas a better brain, part of a $2 million contest sponsored by the Department of Defense.
2. Madss Northrop Grumman's ( ) Mobile Armed Dismount Support System is designed to be a soldier's best friend: It can carry their heavy equipment and if it starts raining bullets, soldiers can hide behind a rock and send Madss out to shoot back. Madss is a 1,400-pound remote controlled beast of a robot. But it's surprisingly efficient: Its hybrid engine (diesel and battery) can run for 20 hours on just over three gallons of fuel. At only 32-inches wide, it can squeeze into narrow alleys. It's a robot without an owner, though. The U.S. Army is still deciding on whether to use it.
3.Valkyrie Valkyrie is a one-of-a-kind marvel developed by NASA. It was designed to operate in dangerous environments, such as exploring the surface of other planets or performing external repairs at the International Space Station. Valkyrie is semi-autonomous, meaning that she (yes, NASA assigned the robot a gender) receives commands from a human being, then performs those tasks. That includes walking, turning and twisting valves. She weighs 275 pounds and is just as tall as Atlas. Cameras in the chest, forearms, knees and feet help scientists see what's going on. To analyze her surroundings, she emits lasers from her head and sonar from her abdomen. A massive battery in her back charges her body -- and the superhero glowing emblem in her chest. This first model cost $7.6 million to build, but NASA expects future copies will cost $2.5 million a pop.
4. Chimp Carnegie Mellon University's Highly Intelligent Mobile Platform -- Chimp, for short -- is appropriately named. Chimp can stand on two legs and use its much longer front arms to lift up to 300 pounds. It's shorter and bulkier than its companions Atlas and Valkyrie, standing at 5-foot-2-inches and weighing 400 pounds. Chimp doesn't walk. Instead, each of its four limbs has tank-like treads, so it kind of rolls along. Chimp has laser radar beams shooting out of its head, which create a three-dimensional map that lets operators see its surroundings, almost like a video game. But Chimp can do most minor tasks -- like moving, turning valves and keeping from falling -- on its own.
5.Xenex If the captain of the Enterprise orders you to sickbay, you'll want the Xenex there. Once it's turned on remotely, the robot lifts its head and bathes the empty hospital room in ultraviolet light, disinfecting everything in sight. Xenex, the eponymous company that created the robot, made it easy to use. Hospital housekeepers just have to wheel it in, turn it on, then leave the room for a few minutes. Technically speaking, anyone can buy this robot. But it's geared toward hospitals. The company requires you to take a certification course and costs $125,000. Xenex claims it pays for itself: a North Carolina hospital saved $2.3 million in six months by preventing several nasty MRSA infections.
6.iRobot 110 This little sucker's small stature masks its ruggedness. The iRobot 110 FirstLook weighs only three pounds and looks like a toy, but it's meant to be a scout in the most hazardous situations. Soldiers or a rescue team can't get inside a building? Throw it hard and send it crashing through a window. You can remote control it through flooded areas (it's got flippers), have it climb steps, use its flashlight to spot a bomb, stand up to reach it and pull wires with a tiny hand. It all works with a video game-style controller. Each one costs about $20,000, so they're chiefly marketed for use by military and first responders.
7. Protector The Protector is something of a lookout for soldiers. Its massive digging tool sets off buried explosives -- so you don't. That's particularly important in modern warfare. Improvised explosive devices have become increasingly common and harder to detect. The Protector, at a bulky 1,000 pounds, can remove the top three inches of soil while traveling 5 mph. It's a transformer too. Clear the top, and it's a stretcher. Add HDT's robot arms, and suddenly it's humanoid. Add a backhoe, and it's a construction robot. You can even attach something called an Anti-Personnel Obstacle Breaching System: a bazooka that shoots an explosive line of charges that clears a path through a minefield.
Source:money.cnn.com Sorry i cnt put all the pix 1 Share |