Robotics Trends

JAUS Toolkit Trial Now Available with National Instruments’ LabVIEW Robotics Software National Instruments’ LabVIEW Robotics 2009 graphical programming environment to contain an evaluation version of TORC Technologies’ JAUS Toolkit, which supports the DoD-mandated Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) SAE standard for messaging between elements of unmanned systems. TORC, a provider of robotics technologies for unmanned and autonomous vehicles, has announced that an evaluation version of its JAUS Toolkit is now included with National Instruments’ LabVIEW Robotics software. National Instruments released LabVIEW Robotics 2009 earlier this year, providing a development platform for designing robotic control systems. The JAUS Toolkit is available as an option during installation with the LabVIEW Robotics Module and LabVIEW Robotics Bundle. With the congressional mandate that one-third of all military vehicles be unmanned by 2015, TORC is helping to prepare the robotics industry… View this post
Filed in: Design and Development • Vendor Spotlight • Vendor Spotlight
Tagged: robotics, robot, labview robotics, labview, national instruments, Jaus toolkit, torc technologies, jaus

Myomo Neuro-Robotic Technology Restores Use of Paralyzed Limbs Northeast Senior Health pioneers use of Myomo neuro-robotic arm brace in home health care and skilled nursing facilities, enabling brain-injured patients to maximize their recovery and restore movement. Northeast Senior Health is the first organization in the nation to implement Myomo, an innovative stroke rehabilitation technology, in the skilled nursing and home care environments. Northeast HomeCare, Ledgewood Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center and Seacoast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, all programs of Northeast Senior Health, recently implemented the Myomo System. Northeast HomeCare is the first home care agency to implement Myomo and Ledgewood and Seacoast are the only skilled nursing facilities to make the technology available. Ten rehabilitation therapists have been certified to use the Myomo system. The Myomo e100 Neuro-Robotic System enables brain-injured patients to restore… View this post
Filed in: Service Robotics • Latest News • RT News
Tagged: robotics, robot, northeast senior health, stroke, paralyzed, service robotics, rehabilitation, myomo

Hokuyo URG LIDAR Drivers Integrated into National Instruments LabVIEW Robotics Software NI’s newly released LabVIEW Robotics 2009 software, used to design and prototype sophisticated robotics control systems, now includes drivers for Hokuyo’s URG family of compact laser range finders. Hokuyo Automatic Co., Ltd. announced that National Instruments has integrated drivers for Hokuyo’s URG Laser Range Finders (or known as LIDAR) as a standard feature for the newly released NI LabVIEW Robotics 2009 software. Hokuyo’s URG sensors have been recognized as the smallest laser range finders available on the market and are suitable for small robotics platforms. Since released in 2004, the URG-04LX has been widely used in robotics research laboratories around the world. Currently more than half a dozen of models are available to handle various needs of robotic researchers. “The release of NI LabVIEW Robotics, which… View this post
Filed in: Design and Development • Feature • Robotics Features
Tagged: robotics, robot, labview robotics, labview, lidar, national instruments, development, urg

NASA to Check for Unlikely Winter Survival of Mars Lander The Phoenix Mars lander is not expected to have survived he harsh Martian winter, but NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter will attempt to lock onto Phoenix’s signal and gain information about the lander’s status, and if successful, to determine what capabilities Phoenix retains. Beginning Jan. 18, NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter will listen for possible, though improbable, radio transmissions from the Phoenix Mars Lander, which completed five months of studying an arctic Martian site in November 2008. The solar-powered lander operated two months longer than its three-month prime mission during summer on northern Mars before the seasonal ebb of sunshine ended its work. Since then, Phoenix’s landing site has gone through autumn, winter and part of spring. The lander’s hardware was not designed to survive the temperature extremes… View this post
Filed in: Service Robotics • Feature • Robotics Features
Tagged: robotics, robot, Mars lander, nasa, mars odyssey, phoenix, mars, odyssey

MAKO Surgical Launches New Knee Resurfacing Application MAKO Surgical, developer of the RIO robotic-arm interactive orthopedic system for minimally invasive orthopedic knee procedures, has added an application for lateral unicompartmental knee resurfacing, bringing the number of robotic knee applications to three. MAKO Surgical Corp. (Nasdaq:MAKO), a medical device company focused on marketing its advanced robotic-arm solution and its implants for minimally invasive orthopedic knee procedures known as MAKOplasty, today announced the commercial availability of the Lateral Unicompartmental Knee Resurfacing Application for its RIO Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System. The new application complements MAKO’s existing unicompartmental and bicompartmental knee applications targeting the medial and patellofemoral compartments. “We believe the advanced proprietary features of our RIO Robotic Arm System and the RESTORIS MCK bicompartmental knee implant system provide the potential to address a larger population… View this post
Filed in: Service Robotics • Latest News
Tagged: robotics, robot, rio robotic arm interactive orthopedic system, mako surgical corp., mako surgical, robotic surgery, Knee resurfacing, rio