The Huggable project started in the MIT Media Lab (The Robotic Life Group) in 2005. The Huggable is a new type of robotic companion for healthcare, education, and social communication. It is inspired in traditional companion animal therapy.

The Huggable is equipped with a full body multi-modal sensory skin (see the video below for details), quite mechanical servos, inertial sensors, eyes cameras, ear microphones, and mouth speaker. In addition, it has an embedded PC with WiFi (802.11) communications capability.

The Huggable project has two main components: the Huggable robot itself and a set of Huggable technologies. Additionally, the Huggable robot has two modes of function. On one hand, it can work as a fully autonomous robot interacting with the patient. On the other hand, it can also work as a semi-autonomous robot avatar with some level of human control via the Internet.

These capabilities make the Huggable robot a really interesting platform for many applications in the fields of healthcare and education.

Follow the "read more" link below for additional information and a video of the Huggable.

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How to get started with the Microsoft Robotics Studio (MSRS) Platform?

 Microsoft Robotics Studio is a Windows-based environment for academic, hobbyist and commercial developers to easily create robotics applications across a wide variety of hardware. Key features and benefits of the Microsoft Robotics Studio environment include: end-to-end Robotics Development Platform ,lightweight services-oriented runtime, and a scalable and extensible platform.

If you are completely new to Microsoft Robotics Studio, having a look to the introduction is a good idea to start getting a feeling of what you can do with it. Also, it is important to note that MSRS is built on top of .NET Framework environment (and this means that it only runs under Windows - I don't believe it can run under Linux using Mono).

Step One: read the Introduction to Microsoft Robotics Studio

•  http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483024.aspx

Now, you should have the clear idea that MSRS is not just a simulation environment. In fact, the simulator is just one of the components that come with the MSRS development framework. So, let's clearly identify the key components of MSRS:

- MSRS Runtime (CCR and DSS).
- Visual Simulation Environment.
- Visual Programming Language (VPL).

Step Two: read the overview and introduction for each of the components.

• 2.1 Runtime Introduction: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483056.aspx 
• 2.2 Application Model Introduction: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb466255.aspx 
  
• 2.3 Simulation Overview: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483076.aspx
• 2.4 VPL Introduction: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483088.aspx

At this stage you should now more or less what this tool is intended for and decide whether or not you want to learn further. It is time to download and install Microsoft Robotics Studio (make sure you download the latest version from the Microsoft official site). If you are especifically interested in the VPL, you should have a look to the VPL Getting Started Howto.

Step Three: download the latest version of MSRS.

• http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=73092ff6-e37b-45c6-8e5e-c23d5d632b1e&displaylang=en 

If everything went all right, now you have MSRS installed in your machine. It is time to start playing with some basic tutorials. As Robotics Studio is a service oriented framework you should start by learning how to create and manage services. The MSRS package that you have installed comes with several sets of tutorials, and I think you should look first to the service tutorials.

Step Four: follow the Service Tutorials to learn how to create and manage MSRS services.

• Service Tutorials Overview: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483065.aspx 

As you get familiar with the MSRS environment it is important to remember that there are user guides of the components that you can use for reference:

- CCR User Guide: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483117.aspx.
- DSS User Guide: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483118.aspx.
- DSS Manifest Editor User Guide: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483122.aspx.
- Visual Programming Language User Guide: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483129.aspx.
- Visual Simulation Environment User Guide: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb643235.aspx.

Once you are familiar with services, you are in a good position to start programming a robot. Let's start with robotics application programming by following the robotics tutorials that come with MSRS.

Step Five: review, follow, and run the Robotics tutorials. This will teach you how to build from a simple service for your robot to autonomous navigation.

- The basic robotics tutorials help you getting started writing the very first service for your robot. The tutorials take you from getting input from a single sensor to control an actuator to being able to write a "drive-by-wire" application where you can move your robot around.

- The advanced robotics tutorials demonstrate more advanced topics including autonomous navigation to how you can build your own support for your robot. In addition, we provide tutorials for how to provide rich UI that allows you to control and monitor your robot remotely from either a Web Browser or from an Instant Messaging client.

• Basic Robotics Tutorials: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb466258.aspx 
• Advanced Robotics Tutorials: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb466254.aspx

Step Six: review, follow, and run the Simulation tutorials. This will teach you how to use the Visual Simulation Environment, which will allow you to develop your robotics application even if you don't have a real robot.

• Simulation Tutorials: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483075.aspx 

Do you want to face a real robotics application? Are you looking for more serious and comprehensive stuff? Let’s move then into the Lab Courseware.

Step Seven. Download the Microsoft Robotics Studio Courseware and follow the VPL Lab Tutorials.

• MSRS Courseware download: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=f294c8e7-6617-4dd8-8354-7e97f3167e1a&displaylang=en
• MSRS Courseware documentation: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727287.aspx

Once you have reached Lab Tutorial 6 you will be able to program a robot to learn basic behaviors from human robot spoken interaction. Next step is up to you!

 Additionally, there is some cool stuff bundled with the standard distribution of MSRS. These robotics samples include other integrated technologies like text-to-speech, artificial vision, and GPS.

• Additional Robotics samples: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483057.aspx.

 If you have trouble with MSRS you can use the MSDN Forums for Robotics Studio, or if you have any comment or question regarding this instructions, please contact me.

• MSRS Forum: http://forums.microsoft.com/msdn/default.aspx?forumgroupid=383&siteid=1 

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Scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital have combined a normally inactive lidocaine derivative with capsaicin, the ‘heat’-generating ingredient in chili peppers, to produce pain-specific local anesthesia. When injected into rats, this combination completely blocked pain without interfering with either motor function or sensitivity to non-painful stimuli.

This technique could revolutionize pain management, as it specifically targets pain-sensing neurons. Current local anesthetics block all neurons, not just pain-sensing ones, and produce dramatic side effects such as temporary paralysis and complete numbness. [1]

This means that using this drug you are still aware of touch while you are unaware of pain. A lot new applications could result if the new method is validated in humans (hopefully in 2 or 3 years).

As reposrted in Nature [2], rats given an injection of the anaesthetic were able to tolerate more heat than usual, while moving around normally. Then, they tried injecting the anesthetic near the sciatic nerve of the rats and pricked their paws with nylon probes. The animals seemed to ignore the painful prick, but continued to move normally and responded to other stimuli.

• Check this NECN video about this story.

Researcher Professor Clifford Woolf, of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston in the US, said: 'We're optimistic that this method will eventually be applied to humans and change our experience during procedures ranging from knee surgery to tooth extractions.

'Eventually this method could completely transform surgical and post-surgical analgesia, allowing patients to remain fully alert without experiencing pain or paralysis. 'In fact, the possibilities seem endless. I could even imagine using this method to treat itch, as itch-sensitive neurons fall into the same group as pain-sensing ones.'

In time, it may be possible to package it in pill form, rather than giving it as an injection. There are, however, several hurdles to be crossed before the technique can be tested on human patients. Scientists will have to find a way of removing the temporary burning sensation associated with the use of capsaicin, as well as prolonging the pain-relieving effect of the drug.

 [1] News release, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. (http://web.med.harvard.edu/sites/RELEASES/html/Oct07Pain.html)

[2] Nature, Oct. 4, 2007
“Inihibition of nociceptors by TRPV1-mediated entry of impermeant sodium channel blockers”
Alexander M. Binshtok (1), Bruce P. Bean (2), and Clifford J. Woolf (1)

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How to get started with the Microsoft Robotics Studio (MSRS) Visual Programming Language (VPL)?

First things first: at least you need to have an idea of what Microsoft Robotics Studio is, so having a look to the introduction is a must unless you are already familiar with this framework.

Step One: read the Introduction to Microsoft Robotics Studio

•  http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483024.aspx

Now, let’s find out what is exactly the Visual Programming Language.

Step Two: read the VPL introduction.

• http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483088.aspx

At this stage you should now more or less what this tool is intended for and decide whether or not you want to learn further. It is time to download and install Microsoft Robotics Studio.

Step Three: download the latest version of MSRS.

• http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=73092ff6-e37b-45c6-8e5e-c23d5d632b1e&displaylang=en 

If everything went all right, now you have MSRS installed in your machine. It is time to have a look to the user guide. And more specifically, the VPL user guide.

Step Four: read the VPL user guide and start the VPL in your machine so you can get familiar with the interface.

• http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483129.aspx 

After you have gone through the guide, you are in a good position to review and follow the VPL introductory tutorials.

Step Five: review, follow, and run the VPL introductory tutorials. This will teach you how to build from a simple “hello world” to a run a simulation from the VPL.

• http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483136.aspx

By now, you should have a good feeling of what you can get done using the VPL, however you want to deal with robots, so let’s face the next step: the robotics tutorials.

Step Six: start programming a robot by following the Basic Robotics Tutorials for VPL.

• http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb466257.aspx

Do you want to face a real robotics application? Are you looking for more serious and comprehensive stuff? Let’s move then into the Lab Courseware.

Step Seven. Download the Microsoft Robotics Studio Courseware and follow the VPL Lab Tutorials.

• MSRS Courseware download: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=f294c8e7-6617-4dd8-8354-7e97f3167e1a&displaylang=en
• MSRS Courseware documentation: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727287.aspx

Once you have reached Lab Tutorial 6 you will be able to program a robot to learn basic behaviors from human robot spoken interaction. Next step is up to you!

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CB2 (Child-robot with Biomimetic Body)  is a young android created by Japanese researchers Minoru Asada and Hiroshi Ishiguro (who famously created an android twin of himself). The following video shows this silicone skin baby bot rolling around and trying to kind-of speak:

 This 130 cms tall robot weights 33 Kg and is endowed with 197 tactile sensors and 51 compressed air-powered actuators. The robot is able to develop a behavior similar to a 1 or 2 years old baby. He react to touch and turns his gaze towards the person who touched him. The next step for this project from the Science and Technology Agency in Osaka is to develop a new version able to emulate a three years old child, able to walk and talk. That will be a real challenge requiring some degree of consciousness...

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