MIT Funded for a Personalized Robot Project From: Industry Week - 04/03/2012 By: Agence France-Presse $10 million MIT project aims to bring made-to-order robots into the home. Imagine going to a local store, picking out a design for a robot to help with some household chores, and having the device built within a matter of hours. That is the vision of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where a five-year, $10 million project to bring the power of robots to the average person is just getting started. The first two designs under consideration for prototypes include an insect-like machine that could be sent to explore a contaminated area, and an arm-extension device that could help people grip things that are out of reach. The idea is eventually to create a library of home robotic designs that customers could choose from at a local store, select a blueprint and customize and build their own device from paper or plastic within 24 hours. Read the entire article at: http://www.industryweek.com/PrintArticle.aspx?ArticleID=26996 Submitted by Drew Nelson Links: Daniela Rus http://people.csail.mit.edu/rus/ Make customized 3-D bots at a 'Robot Kinko's' http://www.futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/technology/futureoftech/make-customized-3-d-bots-robot-kinkos-651266# 'Smart Pebbles' Self-Sculpt to Create Simple Objects http://www.innovationnewsdaily.com/1010-smart-sand-sculpts-create-simple-objects.html