REAL ROBOTS

Future phones Future phones will be more than just phones, they will be all of your mobile devices combined into one. They may be transparent, flexible, self-cleaning, and shape-shifting, but one thing is for sure, they will be cool.

Robotic Cheetah Let's take a look at some weak flesh-bag-human replacements, that might seem scary-advanced now, but to future generations will be as laughable as the first mobile, a 5in floppy disk, and those damned Furbies are to us now.

PETMAN, created to test protective clothing for extreme situations, has become so much more. He’s able to walk like a man, run like a man, and even jump like a man. You can push the big fella and he’ll balance himself out to keep on walking. We suspect he’s made for more than clothes testing – perhaps a future race of robot soldiers who don’t like being pushed about? Yes, that’s much more exciting.

MILITARY ROBOTIC TRUCK The goal of the Army and Marine Corps’ Autonomous Mobility Appliqué System (AMAS) program is to take active military vehicles and "roboticize" them to the extent that they can operate fully autonomously in both urban and rural environments. Lockheed took part in a Capabilities Advancement Demonstration (CAD) late last month, and it's looking pretty good: 

Self-parking car BMW's next self-parking car won't need any human help

Soft robotic fish Soft robots — which don’t just have soft exteriors but are also powered by fluid flowing through flexible channels — have become a sufficiently popular research topic that they now have their own journal, Soft Robotics. In the first issue of that journal, out this month, MIT researchers report the first self-contained autonomous soft robot capable of rapid body motion: a “fish” that can execute an escape maneuver, convulsing its body to change direction in just a fraction of a second, or almost as quickly as a real fish can.

710 Kobra The iRobot 710 Kobra is a powerful, rugged, fast robot that supports or carries multiple and heavy payloads while not sacrificing mobility or operation over rough terrain and stairs. Designed with power, agility and flexibility in mind, the iRobot 710 Kobra can lift in excess of 330 pounds, negotiate around and through obstacles and be equipped with numerous payloads to expand your operational area.

510 Packbot iRobot 510 PackBot® the Multi-mission Robot Modular, adaptable and expandable, the iRobot 510 PackBot can perform bomb disposal, surveillance and reconnaissance, CBRN detection and HazMat handling operations. Quickly configured based on mission needs, PackBot easily climbs stairs and navigates narrow passages with sure-footed efficiency, relaying real-time video, audio and sensor data while the operator stays at a safer, standoff distance

BRAAVA iRobot Braava™ Floor Mopping Robot Maintain gleaming hard floors every day, the easy way. A hassle-free cleaning option, Braava uses dry or damp cloths to mop hard-surface floors for you, keeping dust, daily dirt and smudges under control automatically.

XMI2I19 The XM1219 Armed Robotic Vehicle was an unmanned ground combat vehicle based on the MULE Platform. The ARV-A-L MULE Vehicle (XM1219) would feature integrated anti-tank and anti-personnel and reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) systems remotely operated by network linked soldiers. The Armed robotic vehicle was canceled in July 2011 over mobility concerns