FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Humanlike Robotic Manipulator for Under $15,000 Hits Market
ST. CHARLES, Illinois (March 18, 2009) - Page 5, Inc. is now taking advance orders for the world's most cost-effective four-fingered general-purpose manipulator based on an open development platform.
Cedric, an acronym of Cost-Effective Dexterity and Remote Intuitive Controller, is a telemanipulation system that solves three of the four primary issues keeping machines with hands and arms from appearing in human-occupied spaces:
- High cost of producing artificial musculoskeletal systems capable of manipulating objects found at home and in the workplace.
- Lack of a practical wearable remote controller enabling human intervention to augment autonomous functionality and vice-versa.
- Absence of a cost-effective nonproprietary hardware platform and support community dedicated to the evolution of machines with humanlike hands and arms.
Cedric's market introduction is timed to provide additional incentive for the nation to move to extreme-bandwidth telecommunications, the lack of which comprises the fourth barrier to widespread use of humanoid telerobots.
Cedric's all-plastic skeletal system provides exceptional strength-to-weight ratio while keeping the moving mass intrinsically safe for working around people. Heat generated by the tight packing of the servo actuators is removed through cooling ducts integrated into the skeletal system for gestural and light-duty applications. Optional water cooling is under development to facilitate heavier lifting and for applications requiring seamless skin to be applied over the manipulator.
Cedric and the type of manufacturing cell used in its production represent two key components of a self-configuring system. Self-configuring systems are important since they hold the potential to be scalable at nearly 2n, a characteristic of self-replicating systems found in nature. Upon further system development, the structural components of Cedric and its manufacturing technology will be producible using a single computerized milling machine. Application of telerobotics to the assembly of components and gradual transference of tasks toward autonomous execution will yield self-configuring systems of increasing complexity and capability.
About Page 5, Inc.
Page 5 is dedicated to creating open-source development platforms for telerobotics and self-configuring systems. Page 5's mission is to showcase the benefits these technologies offer society while raising awareness of the serious consequences of potential misuse.
For more information about Cedric and Page 5, Inc. please visit www.page5.org
