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Awesome Robots

Robotic Wok Cooks Fried Rice

Robotic Wok Cooks Fried Rice

When you want to make fried rice, it’s best to stir-fry it in a wok. But if you can’t be bothered with the stirring part, then you need one of these automated stir-fry machines that spins the wok over a flame while combining the ingredients. There’s also a simpler stir-fry machine that just shakes the wok.

The History of Robots in Film Told with AI-Generated Art

The History of Robots in Film Told with AI-Generated Art

Starting with the Maschinenmensch in Metropolis, robots have been a staple of science-fiction movies for a century. Using a series of AI-generated art, Stillskates explores the origins and evolution of on-screen robots and how they started as dangerous and powerful characters and gradually became comedic and helpful.

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Useless Machine Battle

Useless Machine Battle

A useless machine is a contraption that’s designed to automatically flip its own switch off as soon as you flip it on. Fornax built a pair of 8-switch useless machines, then linked them up to flip each other’s switches, resulting in a perpetual battle for switch-flipping supremacy.

Making an Animatronic Thing from Wednesday

Making an Animatronic Thing from Wednesday

Wednesday’s pal Thing is brought to life by magician Victor Dorobantu in a blue costume removed by VFX. Jamie and Jay from Wicked Makers made an animatronic version of the hand instead. They started with a cheap Halloween decoration, then sculpted and cast a latex glove and painted it to look like the character.

ATLAS Gets a Grip + Does a Flip

ATLAS Gets a Grip + Does a Flip

Boston Dynamics’ ATLAS robot continues to amass new skills. We’ve seen how agile the bipedal automaton has become; now ATLAS has grippers, so it can pick up objects while walking and performing acrobatics. This demo video shows off some of the ‘bot’s newfound capabilities as it helps out on the job site – and does it with swagger.

Building a Giant Walking Spider Mech

Building a Giant Walking Spider Mech

Yeah, we know a spider has eight legs and not six, but Hacksmith’s rideable hexapod robot looks like a giant spider to us. It took a crazy amount of time and effort to create the massive mech, which they built from six excavators provided by Princess Auto. The year-long project served up a serious schooling in mechanical engineering.

Transformers Masterpiece G Trainbots

Transformers Masterpiece G Trainbots
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Takara Tomy’s Masterpiece G figures are based on the 1980s anime Transformers: The Headmasters. There are figures of Trainbot Getsuei, Seizan, Shouki, Yukikake, Suikan, and Kaen – each capable of transforming from a heavily-armed robot into an inconspicuous choo-choo train. Combine all six figures to build Raiden.

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Playing a Harp with a Talk Box

Playing a Harp with a Talk Box

For decades, musicians have used talk boxes to combine guitar sounds and their voices into a robotic effect. Dunlop sent harpist Emily Hopkins one of their analog talk boxes and some other effects pedals, and she gave them a whirl to see what kind of sounds she could make. Mostly, it’s just a video of Emily cracking up.

JUNG_E (Trailer)

JUNG_E (Trailer)

The latest from Hellbound and Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho is a science-fiction movie about a future in which humans decide their best chance for survival is to copy the brains and abilities of one of its greatest fighters into an army of robotic warriors. What could possibly go wrong? Coming to Netflix 1.20.2023.

The Trash Train

The Trash Train

Sometimes we forget to put our trash cans out until the garbage truck is already outside. What we need is Max Maker’s Trash Train running on a schedule. Max built this automated railway for his cans when he had to start storing them on the other side of his house. Engineering and fabricating it was more complicated than it looks.

Rock ’em Sock ’em BattleBots

Rock ’em Sock ’em BattleBots

You might remember Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots from when you were a kid. For his Maker’s Secret Santa gift this year, engineer James Bruton made a pair of robots that do battle with their fists. Somebody already knocked their blocks off, though. Stick around to the end to see the fun gift James scored.

M3GAN (Trailer)

M3GAN (Trailer)

After being left to care for her 8-year-old niece, a roboticist decides she could use some help. So she programs her prototype toy robot to be her niece’s companion. Naturally, the thing goes nuts in this horror from writer/producer James Wan, the man behind Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring. In theaters 1.6.2023.

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Robot vs. World’s Hardest Jigsaw Puzzle

Robot vs. World’s Hardest Jigsaw Puzzle

A while back, Stuff Made Here showed off an early version of his robot that could solve simple jigsaw puzzles. After refining the robot’s hardware and rewriting its puzzle-solving algorithm, he turned it loose on a 4000-piece puzzle with only white pieces. Oh, and he had to move his entire shop in the middle of the project.

High-Jumping Robot

High-Jumping Robot

This 12″ tall robot can launch itself more than 100 feet into the air, making it the highest jumping robot. It stores up energy using a tiny motor and a fishing line to compress its springy legs before launch. Its lightweight feet efficiently transmit energy to the ground, and its dart-like shape once airborne helps it cut through the air.

The Cake-o-Matic 1000i

The Cake-o-Matic 1000i

If you’ve ever watched Nailed It!, you know that it takes some skill to cleanly frost a cake. This piece of factory equipment from Unifiller Systems does the hard work by squeezing out frosting and smoothing it. The Cake-o-Matic 1000i can ice the top and side of a cake in just 1.3 seconds, and can also fill layers or decorate pies.

Moonwalkers: The World’s Fastest Walking Shoes

Moonwalkers: The World’s Fastest Walking Shoes

There are many faster ways to get around than walking, but Shift Robotics wants to improve that too. Their Moonwalkers shoes let you walk naturally while increasing your speed up to 250%. They’re far beyond ordinary roller skates, with the smarts to move with your gait and to stop naturally. You can even climb stairs in them.

4-Side LEGO Walker

4-Side LEGO Walker

2in1 Bricking loves to create LEGO machines that can walk or drive. This particular model is designed to amble along the ground no matter which edge it’s placed on. Can you imagine giant robots or vehicles getting around like this?

Adam Savage Meets the Original Johnny 5

Adam Savage Meets the Original Johnny 5

1980s kids, Johnny 5 is alive! Adam Savage got to geek out over one of the original screen-used models of the friendly and inquisitive robot from Short Circuit. This particular Johnny 5 was never functional but it still looks amazing. It’s one of the many amazing props and artifacts headed to Prop Store’s 2022 London auction.

Robot Apple Picker

Robot Apple Picker

We’re not sure if we should be amazed by or terrified by Advanced.Farm’s wheeled robot that autonomously harvests apple crops. Its six mechanical arms are fitted with custom-built stereoscopic cameras to identify ready-to-pick apples, then pluck them off with their grippers. The machine can pick roughly 30 apples per minute.

Plasma (Reveal Trailer)

Plasma (Reveal Trailer)

This engineering sandbox game lets players make their own working machines, structures, and interactive objects. It features a robust visual programming interface for controlling movements and encourages players to share their creations. Coming to Steam in early 2023. A PC demo is available now.

Making a Giant Cardboard Scopedog Mech

Making a Giant Cardboard Scopedog Mech

We never watched the anime Armored Trooper Votoms, but it looks pretty awesome. The main mech in the series was the ATM-09-ST Scopedog. Feeling inspired, maker DanCreator got to work building a cardboard replica of the mech’s cockpit that’s big enough for him to sit inside of. Now he needs to build a torso and legs.

Giving Legs Their Snakes Back

Giving Legs Their Snakes Back

After seeing a video by Allen Pan in which he gave a snake legs, engineer James Bruton thought his robotic legs could use a more snake-like motion. So he got to work building a 6-legged robot which incorporates a mechanism he got from LEGO builder Akiyuki. Now he needs to give a snake a ride on it like Allen did.

Robot Breaks Record for the 100-Meter Dash

Robot Breaks Record for the 100-Meter Dash

We’ve seen Cassie, the Ostrich-shaped robot strut her stuff before. Now the speedy automaton has set a record for the fastest 100-meter dash ever run by a bipedal robot. With a time of 24.73 seconds, she’s no Usain Bolt, but it’s still an impressive achievement for the engineers from Oregon State University.

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