1 May 2013 - 100k MIT Semi-Finals
The past month has involved some hard work! Presentations are due. Let the fun begin …
[http://www.mit100k.org/launch/2013_semi_finalists/ManusRobotics]
18 Apr 2013 - Harvard Press Release
Our technology was featured on the front page of Harvard School of Engineering. (Yey!!)
https://www.seas.harvard.edu/news-events/press-releases/robot-hands-gain-a-gentler-touch
22 Mar 2013 - NYC Hardware Meetup
Looking forward to presenting TakkTile technology to entrepreneurs and tinkers at the NYC Hardware Meetup!
[http://www.meetup.com/NY-Hardware-Start-up/events/106832212/]
1 Mar 2013 - TakkTile LLC - Filed
It's time to announce that TakkTile, LLC has been filed! TakkTile sensing technology is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Leif Jentoft and I have decided to take on the hard work of bringing it to the market. Please wish us luck!
http://www.takktile.com
5 Dec 2012 - NULL Project - Exhibited
The project I was helping with is finally being exhibited in the UK! Think about nothing - NULL project.
http://www.designweek.co.uk/whats-on/gustav-metzger-thinks-about-nothing/3035677.article
15 Nov 2012 - TakkTile Publication - Submitted
A new publication was submitted for review! Yey!
Inexpensive and Easily Customized Tactile Array Sensors using MEMS Barometers Chips, IEEE
Y.Tenzer, L. P. Jentoft, R. D. Howe , IEEE (under review), 2012. Download
4 Aug 2012 - Our work is featured in Engadget.
Here is the article: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/04/takktile-turns-digital-barometers-into-open-source-robot-touch-s/
27 Jul 2012 -TakkTile alpha is being tested!
TakkTile arrays have arrived, and we are checking them. Also, the http://www.takktile.com is up for the community.
22 May 2012 - Novel technology for tactile arrays.
We used MEMS barometers for tactile arrays, and the results are fantastic. Cheap and robust tactile arrays are an essential technology for robotic development, and we believe that our product now offers this solution. More details are here: http://biorobotics.harvard.edu/takktile/
15 Aug 2011 - Changing places (London, UK to Cambridge, MA)
I am no longer with Imperial College in London … moving …
12 Feb 2010 - Careers Day – American School in London (ASL)
I was asked to give a talk about my work at Careers Day at the American School in London. The aim of the event was to show kids that there are many different and interesting jobs out there. What surprised me is that, a few days after, I received a bunch of letters! Here is an example:
3 Dec 2009 - Winning the Speak Out For Engineering competition - IMechE
Actually the competition was difficult because it is very challenging to present "a niche engineering development" to a wide audience in an interesting way…and in only 20 minutes. Also, it was extremely hard to compete against native speakers, but the experience was very rewarding. :)
James Barclay, Keith Millard and Yaroslav Tenzer |
An annual speakers competition entitled "Speak Out for Engineering" organized by the Institution of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE) took place in early December 2009. The event was conducted in stages over a number of days and 4 (out of 16) speakers were selected for the final, which took place on December 3rd, 2009. The speakers were judged on presentation skills and on the way they conveyed scientific and engineering information to the audience. The president of IMechE, Mr. Keith Millard, attended the final evening and awarded the prizes in person.
Awards were given to the top two speakers; the second place went to James Barclay, a 2005 Mechanical Engineering graduate and currently a Rolls-Royce employee. James was presenting results from his undergraduate project on the engineering analysis of crispy foods. The first place went to Yaroslav Tenzer (me), currently a PhD student of Imperial College, Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering. My presentation was on a novel programmable brake, which is an outcome of his PhD work and was recently patented by Imperial Innovations, the College's technology transfer office.
Additional information can be found here : Imperial College Reporter - (page 5)
30 Jul 2009 - Attending a lecture by Prof. Shigeo Hirose
I am currently visiting Tokyo Institute of Technology, and have just attended a lecture delivered by the world famous robotics expert, Professor Shiego Hirose. He is world-renowned for snake-type robots. The lecture was half in Japanese and half in English. Near the lecture's end, he shifted focus away from math and more toward inspiration and innovation; I found this part particularly fascinating. After lecturing, Prof. Hirose took me to his lab where it was exciting to see the creatures which had resulted from his innovative thinking!
Additionally, as I was reading about the Professor prior to his lecture, I came across his paper entitled "A Code of Conduct for Robots Coexisting with Human Beings." In this paper, he states that Asimov’s three laws are wrong and then presents an improved approach. I fully agree with the proposed "moral behaviour" approach, but I disagree with the statement that Asimov was wrong; rather, Asimov may have been far ahead of his time and likely, one day, the three laws will find their way into the integrated circuits. One day…