From robot apes to bot bartenders: The robots of CeBIT

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  • Rise of the robo ape

    Rise of the robo ape

    The CeBIT trade fair in Hannover, Germany has it's usual share of bots of all shapes and sizes - here's a glimpse of what's on show.

    The is Charlie, an ape-like bot that can crawl on all fours like a primate.

    Its creators, from the German iStruct (intelligent Structures for Mobile Robots) project, say it is the first robot to be equipped with an actuated spine and feet that can "feel", allowing it to retain its balance when knocked or tilted.

    Researchers hope that Charlie's descendants could traverse uneven terrain, such as craters on the Moon in search of frozen water.

    Photo by: Deutsche Messe

    Caption by: Nick Heath

  • Robots to the rescue

    Robots to the rescue

    Hector - the small wheeled robot on the left - is a semi-autonomous robot designed to support rescue operations by scouting areas dangerous to humans with its video cameras, infrared sensors, 3D camera and laser scanner.

    The small bot has proven credentials, winning the 2014 RoboCup Rescue competition, where bots explore simulated disaster zones and are scored on their ability to locate victims and objects.

    Developed by Darmstadt Technical University, Hector can also be used for cartography and land exploration.

    Photo by: Deutsche Messe

    Caption by: Nick Heath

  • Hex on the beach

    Hex on the beach

    Its banter may be lacking, but Barobot is happy to whip up more than 1,000 different cocktails, 24 hours a day.

    Not designed to replace a professional mixologist, its creators say it is suited to helping bar staff or for open-bar events.

    Photo by: Deutsche Messe

    Caption by: Nick Heath

  • Block by block

    Block by block

    Tinkerbots are designed to let kids build robotics ants, diggers and other creations.

    Tinkerbots blocks snap together like Lego and are simple to control. Finished bots have a record-and-play function that allows kids to teach the robot what to do, while older users can program them using the language C.

    Developed by graduates from the Bauhaus University of Weimar in Germany, the aim of the bots is to teach children about 3D movement and robotics through play.

    Photo by: Deutsche Messe

    Caption by: Nick Heath

  • Flying high

    Flying high

    Project Icarus is a system for tracking and controlling swarms of robot drones.

    Hardware and software work to marshal multiple miniature multicopters. The system is designed to be cheaper than competing systems.

    Photo by: Deutsche Messe

    Caption by: Nick Heath

  • Are friends electric?

    Are friends electric?

    The Aisoy1 robot is designed to make an emotional connection with users.

    Made to be used in the classroom, the bot uses natural language processing to understand what people are saying and tries to respond appropriately.

    Photo by: Deutsche Messe

    Caption by: Nick Heath

  • Robomop

    Robomop

    The days of balancing on a ladder trying to wipe smudges off glass could be numbered.

    The HOBOT-188 can clean a variety of windows using a vacuum molt. It packs an embedded UPS to prevent it falling off if power is interrupted and gyro sensor and navigation system to control the glass cleaning.

    Photo by: Deutsche Messe

    Caption by: Nick Heath

  • Chops away

    Chops away

    This is Robochop, an installation that allows users to remotely command robotic arms and carve polystyrene blocks into objects.

    To find out more, read about it here.

    Photo by: Deutsche Messe

    Caption by: Nick Heath

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Block by block

Tinkerbots are designed to let kids build robotics ants, diggers and other creations.

Tinkerbots blocks snap together like Lego and are simple to control. Finished bots have a record-and-play function that allows kids to teach the robot what to do, while older users can program them using the language C.

Developed by graduates from the Bauhaus University of Weimar in Germany, the aim of the bots is to teach children about 3D movement and robotics through play.

Caption by: Nick Heath

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