Tag Archives: segway

Sydney students develop robots for Marines

design, ,

This article describes the robots as Terminator but I suspect they are closer to the mannequins in an old Doctor Who issue
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/3963622/Sydney-students-develop-robots-for-Marines

“The Rover robots, the first such “smart targets” to be adopted for training exercises by the US military, are armoured autonomous robots that look, move and behave like real people. Australian troops are already using them for training.Teams of the robots can execute complex pre-planned scenarios and are intelligent enough to scatter and run for cover when a buddy robot is shot. The robots, which weigh 150 kilograms, are based on the Segway platform. They do not need to be controlled with a joystick and can accelerate at up to 12.6km/h.They use GPS and a scanning laser range-finder for navigation, positioning and obstacle detection and avoidance. The robots are networked so they can be monitored and given commands remotely.”

The Psychology of Transport

design, ,

I admit it, there is something fascinating yet uncanny about Segways. One writer tried to nail its lack of acceptance amongst the public by suggesting that it just looks too effortless (or more accurately that the rider looks too lazy). On the other hand he talks of the response to the electric unicycle and I must admit it does look to be more effort, but surely not just because the rider is astride it, but because it just looks too darn hard to balance on? And is it-what is it like to ride?