I would like to introduce you to iRobot's latest prototype: a new telepresence robot named AVA that was unveiled this week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2011) -- see the video below.  Through AVA, iRobot intends to explicitly leverage the proliferation of tablets / smart phones and their associated app stores.  They intend to furnish actuation (mobile base, pan-tilt unit, telescoping linear actuator spine, etc.), a sensor suite (including sonar, laser, and a depth camera like Microsoft's Kinect), and basic robot software (eg. obstacle avoidance, mapping, and direct physical interfaces).  Meanwhile, you provide the brains in the form of a tablet (eg. iPad or Android).  In theory, this should open up mobile robot application development to a much broader audience, creating the oft-discussed robot app store.  When combined with the recent announcement of the Scooba 230 floor cleaning robot (which I will certainly purchase), I would say iRobot is still innovating!

After many years of searching for the perfect telescoping linear actuator, I would like to share my discovery of the I-Lock Spiralift 75 (ILS75) prototype by Paco Spiralift.  The ILS75 has a compact form factor (10x15x15 cm) that can telescope out to 1.6 meters while lifting a 175kg load (350+ lbs).  It relies on a system of interlocking horizontal and vertical metal bands that "unroll" to lift a load, a process best illustrated in the videos embedded below.  The ILS75 is just one Spiralift offering; others range all the way up to a goliath version (Spiralift ND18) that can lift an 11,000 kg load 12 meters (25,000 lbs to 40 ft).  To date, Spiralift mechanisms have been applied to theater stage-lift systems and automotive lifts.  At Hizook, we believe robotics is a compelling application, especially as a robot's vertical spine (eg. on EL-E, Cody, and PR2) -- increasing the robot's effective workspace to include floor and tables, and also for compact and easy transportation.  As such, we're working with Paco Spiralift to gauge roboticsts' interest and vet the technical specs of the ILS75 -- tell us what you think in the comments.