The Best Robots Of 2013 |Mindstorms EV3|iRobot|InTouch Health’s RP-VITA|

The concept of humanoid artificial intelligence ---better known as robots--- has been with us for quite sometime, and yet aside from the iconic C3PO of Star Wars series, it seems no real-life, walking, talking and self-thinking robot has captured the people’s fancy. Several almost made it, like Azimov, but none has yet shown wide general appeal.

Be that as it may, here are some robots for 2013 you might fancy, in no particular order.

Mindstorms EV3

. A build-it-yourself programmable robot from Lego, the EV3 is the latest from a long line of robot models made of plastic bricks. The robot is controlled using a remote, and also via smart gadgets through a free downloadable app. Several other robots can be built from the EV3 kit, such as TRACK3R, SPIK3R, EV3RSTORM and GRIPP3R. The robot was introduced in January 2013 but released into the stores only in September.

iRobot and InTouch Health’s RP-VITA. This bedside assistant robot enables physicians and other health professionals to help

patients without being physically present in the room. Consulting with patients and other hospital medical staff may now be performed remotely via the RP-VITA, which can move to the patient’s bedside on its own. The patient can then talk to the doctor and the doctor to the patient without them necessarily being near each other.

Already equipped with an electronic stethoscope, the VITA may also be connected to diagnostic devices such as an ultrasound machine and otoscope. One thing it can’t do, however, is to assist the patient go to the bathroom, but be that as it may, the robot is making telemedicine a more effective functional reality than otherwise.

For housecleaning, particularly floor vacuuming, iRobot’s Roomba 780 appears to be the favorite for 2013. Equipped with dual HEPA that can filter dust and clean the surrounding air, controllable by infrared remote device, programmable to work even without your presence up to seven sessions, and with a longer battery power than earlier models, this robot is by far the most reliable housecleaning robot so far.

Kirobo. The first robot astronaut, launched into space in August 2013 from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Developed to be an assistant crew member, the purpose was to determine how robots and humans will interact in a weightless space environment, and what roles each can play best in space missions. (This Kirobo is different from the build-it-yourself MR-9132 kit robot.)

From the conceptual Tamagochi virtual pet now comes Pleo, a robotic pet dinosaur made by Ugobe in 2006 and now popularized by Innvo Labs, a division of Jetta Company. Although programmed to simulate the actions and responses of a real Camarasaurus baby dino, the robot learns to create its own responses and thus develops individuality later, much like a living pet animal. Hence it can be a lifelong companion for someone who wants to have a pet yet cannot stand molting hair, poop-cleaning, chewed-up upholstery and morning wake-up slobber.

There are hundreds of robots now available for various purposes and more are being developed. While more and more people are being born, we are making more robots to replace them. No wonder the cinematic idea of robots taking over the world was conceived. Let us hope it does not come to pass. Not in our lifetime anyway.

About the Author:

Ryan loves keeping up with technology news when not blogging or creating automation technology for RNA Automation.