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Baxter breaks out
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Technology
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Hornick think they can safely let it perform physical tests. The team is initially teaching Baxter to use an electronic stethoscope, operated remotely. Baxter can be taught new movements simply by physically grasping its pliant arms and manoeuvring them into the desired positions. The system works by having the doctor control a “master Baxter” in this way, while an identical remote robot mimics these movements to carry out the patient examination while the doctor watches by video link. Other researchers have an even loftier ambition for Baxter – space farming. Nikolaus Correll at the University of Colorado in Boulder (UCB) is using a Baxter to explore how robots could tend to plants –Armed and dexterous– in space. His work is funded by NASA as part of a project to grow food autonomously in space, which would allow astronauts to spend longer away from Earth. Robots are awful at handling plants because they tend not to have a sense of touch and the A robot designed to work side by side with humans in factories is flexible nature of plants makes finding a range of unusual alternative applications, finds Hal Hodson them difficult to manipulate. But Baxter has the skills for this A PAIR of chunky robot arms close work, and Correll and his in 1981. Whalen is working August at the Conference on connected to a computer brain graduate student Dave Coleman with John Wen of the Rensselaer Automation Science and rides a motorised wheelchair over Polytechnic Institute in Troy, are exploring how to help the Engineering in Taiwan, is helping to a jar of peanut butter. The red robot handle plant-like material. New York, to turn Baxter into to solve that problem. “I’ve used it arms reach out and grab it. The “The veggie growth chamber was a mobile assistive robot. to pick up dropped items, retrieve right gripper holds the jar still, just launched to the International To do this, Baxter’s circuits items from shelves and push while the left unscrews the top. Space Station in April this year,” have been combined with those things around,” Whalen says. The arms belong to Baxter, an of an electric wheelchair. Whalen Wen’s lab owns three Baxters. He says Correll. The plan is to show industrial robot with a twist – it what they can do on Earth with can control the whole chimeric is working with David Hornick of is designed to work right next apparatus using a device he Albany Memorial Hospital to turn Baxter, then transfer those to humans on factory floors. skills to the International Space originally developed to allow “It’s being used to see how Launched in 2012 by Boston-based him to play music without the Station’s on-board automaton, robots could farm plants in Robonaut. Rethink Robotics, founded by use of his arms. The digital, space, allowing astronauts pioneering roboticist Rodney Baxter is even turning its breath-controlled device, called longer missions” Brooks, hundreds of Baxters grippers to lab work. Correll is Jamboxx, looks like a cyborg already work on assembly lines working with UCB’s Rob Knight to harmonica. With various sips and packing stations in factories teach Baxter the job of preparing and puffs, Whalen can direct the others to another application across the US. faeces samples for research. Baxter around on the wheelchair that Rethink Robotics can hardly But Baxter is now stepping out Correll sees huge potential and also control its arms. have anticipated: being remotely of the factory and into quirkier “Imagine being alone in your controlled by a doctor to carry out in the $25,000 robot, even if projects. The robot isn’t opening some others take persuading. house for 8 hours, not able to get medical examinations. Because peanut butter jars for kicks, but at a drink when you need one or “When I went to NASA they said Baxter is designed to be safe the behest of David Whalen, who bad things about Baxter, and I pick up something you dropped,” around people, with additional was left quadriplegic as a young said, ‘You know what? Your robots he says. His work with Wen on sensing and arms that stop when man following a skiing accident cost millions.’ ” n Baxter, due to be presented in they meet resistance, Wen and
Baxter breaks out
26 July 2014 | NewScientist | 19
Technology
For more technology stories, visit newscientist.com/technology
Hornick think they can safely let it perform physical tests. The team is initially teaching Baxter to use an electronic stethoscope, operated remotely. Baxter can be taught new movements simply by physically grasping its pliant arms and manoeuvring them into the desired positions. The system works by having the doctor control a “master Baxter” in this way, while an identical remote robot mimics these movements to carry out the patient examination while the doctor watches by video link. Other researchers have an even loftier ambition for Baxter – space farming. Nikolaus Correll at the University of Colorado in Boulder (UCB) is using a Baxter to explore how robots could tend to plants –Armed and dexterous– in space. His work is funded by NASA as part of a project to grow food autonomously in space, which would allow astronauts to spend longer away from Earth. Robots are awful at handling plants because they tend not to have a sense of touch and the A robot designed to work side by side with humans in factories is flexible nature of plants makes finding a range of unusual alternative applications, finds Hal Hodson them difficult to manipulate. But Baxter has the skills for this A PAIR of chunky robot arms close work, and Correll and his in 1981. Whalen is working August at the Conference on connected to a computer brain graduate student Dave Coleman with John Wen of the Rensselaer Automation Science and rides a motorised wheelchair over Polytechnic Institute in Troy, are exploring how to help the Engineering in Taiwan, is helping to a jar of peanut butter. The red robot handle plant-like material. New York, to turn Baxter into to solve that problem. “I’ve used it arms reach out and grab it. The “The veggie growth chamber was a mobile assistive robot. to pick up dropped items, retrieve right gripper holds the jar still, just launched to the International To do this, Baxter’s circuits items from shelves and push while the left unscrews the top. Space Station in April this year,” have been combined with those things around,” Whalen says. The arms belong to Baxter, an of an electric wheelchair. Whalen Wen’s lab owns three Baxters. He says Correll. The plan is to show industrial robot with a twist – it what they can do on Earth with can control the whole chimeric is working with David Hornick of is designed to work right next apparatus using a device he Albany Memorial Hospital to turn Baxter, then transfer those to humans on factory floors. skills to the International Space originally developed to allow “It’s being used to see how Launched in 2012 by Boston-based him to play music without the Station’s on-board automaton, robots could farm plants in Robonaut. Rethink Robotics, founded by use of his arms. The digital, space, allowing astronauts pioneering roboticist Rodney Baxter is even turning its breath-controlled device, called longer missions” Brooks, hundreds of Baxters grippers to lab work. Correll is Jamboxx, looks like a cyborg already work on assembly lines working with UCB’s Rob Knight to harmonica. With various sips and packing stations in factories teach Baxter the job of preparing and puffs, Whalen can direct the others to another application across the US. faeces samples for research. Baxter around on the wheelchair that Rethink Robotics can hardly But Baxter is now stepping out Correll sees huge potential and also control its arms. have anticipated: being remotely of the factory and into quirkier “Imagine being alone in your controlled by a doctor to carry out in the $25,000 robot, even if projects. The robot isn’t opening some others take persuading. house for 8 hours, not able to get medical examinations. Because peanut butter jars for kicks, but at a drink when you need one or “When I went to NASA they said Baxter is designed to be safe the behest of David Whalen, who bad things about Baxter, and I pick up something you dropped,” around people, with additional was left quadriplegic as a young said, ‘You know what? Your robots he says. His work with Wen on sensing and arms that stop when man following a skiing accident cost millions.’ ” n Baxter, due to be presented in they meet resistance, Wen and
Baxter breaks out
26 July 2014 | NewScientist | 19