Via Drudge and Computerworld:
Teams of researchers are hoping to give life to a six-foot, 330-pound humanoid robot at the the Robotics Challenge in Homestead, Fla. on Dec. 20 and 21.
The teams are expected to enable the robot -- and others -- to autonomously walk, use human tools and drive a car.
Click the link to see more: Researchers compete to bring humanoid robots to life - Computerworld
Points:
- “The test is part of a multi-year competition that's divided into three phases. The Florida event is the second phase. The final phase is set for late in 2014. The winner will receive a $2 million prize.”
- “During a disaster, communications could be very poor. The robot needs more smarts to be able to do things on its own.”
- “The robots will have 30 minutes to complete each task in the challenge. They include climbing a ladder, removing debris, opening and walking through doors, cutting a hole into a wall, turning valves and driving a car. The tasks are geared to test the robot's mobility, dexterity, perception, and operator control mechanisms.”
