Who doesn’t love a good robot. In the 21st century mankind really has come up with all kinds of different uses for robots both very useful and lesser so.
Of course it should be said that even if the robot in question is completing a task that doesn’t seem all that important, it is important to note that even the most mundane task takes quite a bit of work to program and figure out the dexterity needed. Whether you are talking about robots that are geared towards more fun, like the dancing robots that sported Angry Birds heads, or robots that might actually provide a real service such as the rolling robot that can go up a wall every little advance leads to the next one.
It is because even the smallest advance can lead to the next big leap that robots, like the ones a team of Czech scientists have invented actually get to make headlines. The Czech scientists have actually found a way to get a robot to learn…how to juggle. Right now you’re reading this and slapping your forehead saying “well, that’s what the headline meant.” Still the programming it takes to get robotic arms to move in just the right way and in just the right sync is more impressive than it looks at first blush.
The robot is actually a fairly complex piece of machinery that employs two servo driven arms moving fast enough that they are actually able to keep the balls aloft while a high speed camera monitors where the balls are so that the arms know when they need to move up or down. The robotic juggling machine has been refined to the point where the machine can juggle both three and five balls at one time and it must be said that when the machine really gets going, the motion of the balls being rocketed back and forth is truly as mesmerizing as watching a person do the same thing.
For your viewing amusement we have posted both videos so you can see this amazing contraption in action. While its not a skill that seems all that important, it is quite fascinating.
