Top 10 amazing robots in the world
Robots, once considered a luxury for many countries, have been increasingly penetrating fields as diverse as outer space exploration and ordinary daily services. According to a report released by HIS, an international information company, about 52,000 industrial robots are expected to be sold by 2017, generating a market value of $1.3 billion.
Let's take a look at some of the world's most awesome robots that may catch your eye.
No 10 "PR2"
Robot 'PR2', developed by Willow Garage - a company best known for its open-source software suite Robot Operating System in the United States, can experimentally do household tasks and is part of a Europe-wide project.
No 9 Kirobo
The 34-cm high robot astronaut, born in the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, was announced as the first robot that was able to speak in outer space. The talking robot was set to be employed as 'companion' to Japanese astronaut Kochi Wakata, who is expected to take command of the ISS later last year.
No 8 Coloning "Bertolt Meyer"
World's first-ever bionic man that can breathe, walk and talk is 6-foot tall and built entirely from bionic body parts and implantable synthetic organs. All artificial organs were donated by 17 companies worldwide. The robot worth roughly $1 million was based on Bertolt Meyer, a social psychologist in University of Zurich, Switzerland.
No 7 "Compressorhead"
The robotic band has three members: a four-arm drummer "Stickboy", a 78-finger guitarist "Fingures", and a top-notch bassist "Bones". Their maiden performance tour started from Australia last year.
No 6 Robot jockeys
Robot jockeys are used and include shock absorbers and GPS tracking systems. The camel's owners control the robot's whips from their speeding four wheel drives at the side of the track. Throroughbred racing camels can be as valuable as $1 million.
No 5 Porton Man
It is a newly unveiled robot mannequin that will help test the next generation of chemical and biological protective suits for the UK's armed forces. The Porton Man can walk, march, run, sit, kneel and even mimic the movement of a soldier sighting a weapon, allowing scientists to test the suits designed to protect UK personnel from chemical and biological attacks such as nerve agents like Sarin.
No 4 RoboThespian
British humanoid robot RoboThespian, designed by Engineered Arts Ltd, is adept at performing and taking pictures.
No 3 Actroid-F
Humanoid robot, considered the world's most beautiful robot, is able to make eye contact and communicate with human beings freely.
No 2 Valkryie
The 1.9-meter automaton - complete with glowing NASA logo - was designed in nine months by a team of engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, to help humans during disasters and, as with all the other entrants, will be tested in a series of scenarios it might encounter in extreme situations - driving a vehicle, cleaning debris and cutting through a wall