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HAZE Temp: 48 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend October 13, 2002 Mark Medonis of Portland explains how Maxwell, an animatronic robot head, can talk and move his mouth during the Robomaxx robotics fair Saturday at the Jackson County Expo. The exhibition continues today. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Maxwell’s silver tongue Talking heads, German tank replicas share stage at robotics fair By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Mark Medonis is proud of Maxwell, who was born in August 1997. "He has moveable eyes, moveable head and moveable jaw," said Medonis, 33, of Portland. "He has full lip-sync, which is, as far as I know, unique." Maxwell, an animatronic robot head, will speak whatever text is typed in on his keyboard. Medonis, who writes software for a living, said he realized with the large amount of speech software available these days, it seems silly to still be looking at a computer screen. "If you’re going to have all this speech software, why not talk to a head?" he said. Medonis was one of dozens of hobbyists and dealers at the RoboMaxx robotics fair and exhibition Saturday. The event continues from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today in the Padgham Pavilion at the Jackson County Expo. Admission is $3 (children under 6 are free). John Olson, a member of the Southern Oregon Robotics Club, said the robots are all computer programmed rather than run by remote control. "These are all autonomous," he said. "We only do autonomous robots." Drawn by competitions ranging from mini sumo matches to open class, participants of all ages are showing up to flaunt their technology. Jacob Durrett, 16, of Gold Hill was showing off a Lego kit version of a World War II German Panzer tank. "I’ve been working on it a couple of months," he said, adjusting the treads on his robot and setting it on a rocky terrain display. "I didn’t finally come to this design until last night." Jacob said he’s been building robots for four or five years, and has built at least a hundred. "I like the potential of artificial intelligence," he said. Medonis said he and Maxwell attend several shows like this one every year. "The main thing I want to do is exposure," he said. "Having Maxwell out in public lets people interact with him. I see weaknesses in the design, ideas for new directions." For more information about the Southern Oregon Robotics Club, the local chapter of the Robotics Society of America, call 955-5219 or visit the Web site at www.1sorc.com Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S