Botropolis

We’ve seen robotic hummingbirds before, but it’s still a rare thing. Japanese researchers at Chiba University near Tokyo have developed a new one that behaves just like the bird and is controlled by an infrared sensor. T...

At first glance I thought that DASH just looked like a kid’s science fair project, but in fact it is made by a hand full of engineers at UC Berkeley. The differences between DASH and other robots are as follow. DASH is partially designed so that it can run straight at 1.5 meters per second. ...

Vuisuton has produced a new product named the “Robovie-nano”. Unlike its more expensive friends, the Robovie comes in seperate, unassembled parts. Because the labor is brought on to you, it costs about $540 rather than $690. Yo...

Sure, the internet has given us email, gmail, myspace, twitter, Facebook and all manner of porn. But if you click down the wrong alleyways and wander into the wrong cyber-streets, things can get pretty damn freaky. I’m talking batshit insane wrongness people. Some things just should not be seen. ...

The Lost In Space B9 robot remains a classic. So you’ll be happy to know that you can buy a fully licensed replica of your own and re-live all of your favorite Lost In Space moments. Mike Joyce, a retired Air Force Pilot, makes the robot replicas in his basement. ...

The aptly named Ballbot moves around on a single large ball and it’s as tall as a person. Thin too. The design may not look like much, but it gives it the ability to fit into smaller spaces and allows for smooth and graceful movement. ...

Aiko the fembot was created by inventor Le Trung. You probably remember them both. They are hard to forget. Trust us, we’ve tried. Well, Aiko and her boyfriend are at it again. ...

Nils Volker’s Drawing robot was cool, but his Lightdrawing Robot takes things a step further, painting beautiful images with LEDs and long exposures. As you can see by the image above, this approach can deliver some festive holiday art. [Theawesomer]

This is a good office prank. The device hides in the ceiling above a cubicle. When activated, it lifts up a ceiling tile and unleashes a bunch of ping pong balls on it’s victim. We just find that awesome. [Botjunkie]

These beautiful illustrations from 1989’s Hello, I’m Robot! by Stanislav Zigunenko are amazing. Not just artistic, but visual poetry. They convey some pretty massive ideas to children and I’m sure they inspired more than a few to become scientists. Just amazing. Clic...

This 4 port usb hub is designed to look like a bot from Wall-E, which is why it is so darn cute. I’ll be getting this little guy for my desk. He’s PC and Mac Compatible and yes, the eyes light up. The arms are also adjustable. I proclaim it to be the best USB hub ever! Only $19.99. [Amazon]

Asus wants a piece of the robot vacuum market as well. The ECleaner features a 6000-hour UV light that also helps disinfect your floor and it comes with a slot that can be used for spreading fragrances. The Roomba doesn’t care how your home smells, now does it? ...

Fuji Soft Inc. has unveiled its first commercial biped humanoid robot at the All Japan Robot Tournament competition. The robots (one of which goes by the name Sakura-chan), will have an official name and price sometime in early 2010 and the company says that it will be affordable...

iRobiQ has found himself some work in South Korean primary schools. He isn’t the teacher, but he does help the teacher. iRobiQ will help check and verify attendance and welcome kids to class. Apparently, kids love the little bot. ...