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Rovio robot controlled via Skype with Emotiv brain-reading headset

Jon Dron
  • Public
By Jon Dron 5 May 2010 @ 9:41am Comments (2)
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/rovio-robot-controlled-via-skype-with-emotiv-brain-reading-heads/

Call me a geek, but I want one of these! It's not quite Avatar yet but it's a pretty good start. A robot that can be controlled by thoughts transmitted over the Internet. Who wouldn't want one?

The Rovio itself is a mighty cool device at a very reasonable price (its main competitor is the Spykee, which is natively controllable by SKype, and both are obtainable for well under $300) which lets you do online video conferencing while your robot avatar wanders around the remote location, controlled by you. Both are clever enough to find their own charging stations when they run out of juice. Sadly, neither Rovio nor Skypee yet includes a front-facing video screen - just camera and microphone - so the people at the other end have to stick a picture of you on the device with a bit of blu-tack if they want that Avatar-like realism,

Comments

  • Mary Pringle

    So if I couldn't be at a meeting in person, my robot would be there in my place sticking a pen in its ear to stay awake? Cool Smile

    Mary Pringle May 5, 2010 - 1:49pm

  • Jon Dron

    Isn't it wonderful? I've been intending to try doing something along these lines for a year or so now (well, without the thought-control bit - that's ultra-cool) but I have two main worries:

    1. someone really has to be there to set it up in the first place and save it from untoward disasters and
    2. the network at ELC leaves a bit to be desired in terms of reliability.

    I'm also kind of hoping for that video screen but current systems I've found that don't cost a fortune don't have that option (though I must spend more time investigating Lego Mindstorms - definitely not an out-of-the-box solution but maybe can be built and programmed to do everything I want, given time and effort)

     

    Jon Dron May 5, 2010 - 2:19pm

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Jon Dron

Jon Dron

still learning, never learning enough

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