Robbie the Robot: Personal Assistant for Limbless Teenager From: Robotics Trends - 03/27/2014 By: Emmet Cole Robbie the Robot remains a work-in-progress, but engineers hope to create a robot that compares favorably with more developed personal assistant robots. Joanne O'Riordan, 18, was born without limbs. She is one of nine people currently living with Total Amelia, a condition that prevents arms and legs from developing. O'Riordan spoke at a United Nations-sponsored conference in April 2012 and challenged roboticists to create a personal assistant to help her pick up small everyday items. Read the entire article at: http://www.roboticstrends.com/service_healthcare/article/robbie_the_robot_personal_assistant_for_limbless_teenager/ Links: Balloon filled with ground coffee makes ideal robotic gripper http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2010/10/researchers-develop-universal-robotic-gripper Rwandan President pledges €50,000 to perfect Joanne O’Riordan’s robot http://www.thejournal.ie/rwanda-offers-funding-to-perfect-joanne-oriordans-robot-1377941-Mar2014/