Thousands of companies came together at the Anaheim Convention Center last week to display their technologies during the Pacific Design & Manufacturing, ATX, and MD&M West shows, among others.
Click on the image below to see some of the cool items that were on display during the three-day event.
This 3D-printed platypus was printed with an Objet printer by Purple Platypus. It definitely made us stop and take a second look.
Puddles was 3D printed, then painted to show how a raw 3D printed object can be turned into a complete, show room quality product / prototype. high end auto clear coat gets that ceramic look.
I know what you mean, Chuck. I haven't come into contact with any of them myself, personally, but it would seem sort of weird, even for someone like me who grew up in the Star Wars generation. ;) I'm sure we're not alone, but perhaps as robots become more advanced and are more prevalent in the human world, people will just get used to them. As with most things, the more you experience something, the more familiar it becomes.
For whatever reason, Liz, I would have trouble taking any of these humanoid robots seriously in a business setting. I'd feel comfortable talking to a Telepresence system on a wall, but I can't imagine carrying on a discussion with humanoid robot that's following me down a hallway.
Ah, interesting...so perhaps "the eyes" have it? (Pun intended. ;)) But seriously, it is intresting to think what parts of the robot make it more human-like and therefore make people more comfortable interacting with it. I would imagine eyes, which already are important windows into a human being's character, would be an important feature on a robot to make it seem more human. We often judge a person by their eyes--ie, do they look trustworthy, does their smile reach their eyes. Perhaps it's the same with robots.
Interesting concept, Chuck, I did not know about the "uncanny valley." Makes perfect sense, but I suppose as you say we have to just get used to the idea. Humor seems a good way to bridge the gap, for sure. And if Baxter is as well designed as Ann says, perhaps "he," too, bridges the valley. I guess we will just have to see. But it still may be awhile before it's like C3PO or R2D2 in Star Wars and robots are seen as our friends and trusted companions! Just to get people in an industrial setting to work comfortably alongside Baxter and others like "him" would be a good start.
That's funny, Ann, I was tempted to call Baxter a "he" straightaway! Good to know he lives up to his design promise. Is he as intuitive as he is suposed to be? I really would be so curious to meet him (yes, it is a bit weird to be thinking this about a robot) since he was so hyped!
By experimenting with the photovoltaic reaction in solar cells, researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in energy efficiency that significantly pushes the boundaries of current commercial cells on the market.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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