TEAM DUCT TAPE

From Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Academy blog:
PITTSBURGH—A new four-year, $7 million educational initiative by Carnegie Mellon University will leverage students’ innate interest in robots and other forms of “hard fun” to increase U.S. enrollments in computer science and steer more young people into scientific and technological careers.
The initiative, called Fostering Innovation through Robotics Exploration (FIRE), is [...]

A post at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories about the Egg-Bot heading out to the Maker Faire in Detroit, caught our interest.  
The Egg-Bot “  is an open-source art robot that can draw on spherical or egg-shaped objects from the size of a ping pong ball size to that of a small grapefruit– roughly 1.5 to 4 inches [...]

When TDT visited Georgia Tech, we saw Aldebaran robots used for work with special needs children.  An article in today’s St. Petersburg Times, which originally appeared in the New York Times (A Soft Spot for Circuitry), talks about growing use of “robot therapy“ in environments ranging from nursing homes, to substance abuse counseling to diet coaching. 
Paro is a [...]

From Newswise:
 The loneliness of the long-distance robot: A Cornell University robot named Ranger walked 14.3 miles in about 11 hours, setting an unofficial world record at Cornell’s Barton Hall early on July 6. A human – armed with nothing more than a standard remote control for toys – steered the untethered robot.
Ranger navigated 108.5 times [...]

The New York Times reports on classroom applications of robotics (Students, Meet Your New Teacher, Mr. Robot)  that TDT members learned about while visiting Georgia Tech in April, during the FIRST World Championship:
From the article:
In a handful of laboratories around the world, computer scientists are developing robots like this one: highly programmed machines that can engage people [...]

What: Robotics Trends’ Virtual Summit: Autonomy, Navigation and Mobility Solutions
When: Wednesday, June 16, 9:00am - 6:00pm EDT
Where: Online from the comfort of your home or office
Cost: FREE for robotics professionals when you sign up at www.robovirtualevents.com
See the full online event agenda below, complete with keynote presentations, conference sessions, and interactive chats with exhibitors in the [...]