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Robot guards being tested in South Korea

The robot, called Robo-Guard by many in the press, is equipped with several cameras, one of which is 3D, microphone, speaker and circuitry and software that allow it to roam autonomously in predefined areas within the prison. It also has software that allows it to analyze behavioral characteristics of inmates to help in deciding whether to alert the human guards. Its main purpose, according to the AFC, is to reduce manpower costs in prisons and to make a safer environment for both inmates and those that guard them.

It also appears that the South Korean government, which has paid for the development of the robots, is using its prison population as a test ground for bolstering its robotics technology in general. After all, most, if not all of what these new robots do could just as easily be done by installing cameras in every hall and cell and connecting them to a computer that does the processing. But, because the testing is done in an environment where test subjects don’t have the option of objecting, research can be carried out that would not be possible in any other environment.

In addition to patrolling the halls, the robots are also able to serve as wireless two-way communications devices, allowing inmates and guards to communicate without the guard having to leave the command center. The human guards can also manually control the actions of the robots using an iPad application.

The current test trial, which employs the use of three robots, is set to run for just one month and to cost a little over three quarters of a million dollars; at the end of which, researchers and politicians presumably will determine if the idea is feasible and whether the program ought to become permanent. If it does, the AFC has said they’d like to get the robots to one day perform body searches, though it’s not likely they would be capable of searching body cavities, instead they would perhaps be able to frisk inmates randomly, which likely would reduce the number of homemade weapons inmates use to harm one another or their guards.

Line Following Robot

This Video is taken in Sir Syed University of Engineering Technology from 12th Robocom Event. This was the Winning robot of the Event

Samsung Galaxy SIII

The Galaxy S3 boasts a 4.8-inch screen (12.2cm), 22 percent larger than the Galaxy S2, the hugely popular predecessor that helped the company overhaul Nokia as the world leader.

Despite the larger screen, Samsung says the phone is not much wider than its predecessor due to its smaller frame.

Other new developments include "intelligent camera features" which use face-recognition technology; and enhanced voice-activated controls.

An improved processor also allows users to watch video and write messages at the same time.

"With the Galaxy 3, Samsung has maximized the consumer benefits by integrating superior hardware with enhanced smartphone usability," said JK Shin, President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung.

"What makes me most proud is that it enables one of the most seamless, natural and human-centric mobile experiences, opening up a new horizon that allows you to live a life extraordinary," he added.

The new model also uses the Android operating system, and its performance in the marketplace is perceived to be crucial to the success of the Linux-based system.

"The importance of the Galaxy S3 to Samsung cannot be underestimated," Adam Leach, principal analyst at Ovum, told the BBC.

"The company has built its reputation on producing the 'must-have' Android smartphone and in the process has become the poster child for the Android platform."

The handset's new "Smart stay" feature is designed to recognize how the phone is being used by having a camera on the front identify movement of the eyes.

It also comes with an eight mega-pixel camera with a zero-lag shutter speed to provide instant image-capturing.

Samsung Music Hub will provide a personal music streaming service and the Game Hub, Video Hub and Music Hub will soon be available globally.

Voice recognition interface "S Voice" allows the user to orally control the alarm clock, music features, text services and calendar.

The handset goes on sale in Europe in May to be followed by launches in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Samsung last week reported a record net profit of 5.05 trillion won ($4.44 billion) in the first quarter, thanks largely to strong smartphone sales.

Apple, which is engaged in a patents dispute with Samsung, is expected to release a new version of the iPhone later this year.

New robot butler "HERB" can microwave your dinner

Now, though, it looks like we might finally be getting somewhere thanks to the efforts of the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute - started and run by Siddhartha Srinivasa, all courtesy of a grant from Intel. There, a research team has been hard at work trying to create robots that do stuff that everyday people might consider useful. Their latest creation is the Home Exploring Robot Butler, aka HERB.

HERB, has arms and hands (more like claws) and of course a lot of sensors and sits atop a Segway base that allows it to move around. For situational awareness in an unpredictable environment, such as the typical home, HERB has been armed with a spinning laser that provides “him” with a 40,000 points per second data stream. All of that allows the robot to move around in an unknown environment without bumping into things. But HERB has a lot of intelligence built in as well, and that’s how the research team has taught him to retrieve a frozen meal from a counter top, open a microwave oven door, slip in the meal, close the door and then run the microwave to properly heat the meal. Once it’s finished heating, he can retrieve the meal for consumption by its human master. All without a word of encouragement. HERB can also recognize and fetch requested items from a group of other similar objects.

This particular demonstration by the team is meant to convey to those that watch HERB in action that the goal of the Institute is to do research on real-world robotics applications rather than focusing on technology that is used for industrial, military or “cutesy” purposes. Their goal is nothing short of creating a robot that truly can do the things we all really want them to do, such as taking care of the laundry, cooking, washing the dishes, or perhaps most importantly, fetching a cold beer from the fridge for us as we sit back in kingly fashion in our easy chair watching football on the telly.