I know some of us never want robots to ever have emotions, but I suppose that no one has any qualms about creating a robot that could show emotions. This is the desktop robot known as REETI, and I am not certain what it stands for, but it is a communication robot and a multi-media tool that could be used to convey a very particular type of message. You can watch the video after the jump if you want to get an idea of how this works. The software for REETI allows the user to program emotions and the facial expressions, for the motions of the eyes, ears, and mouth. This can even be done from the iPhone or the iPad. It even has three touch sensors, which allows for the colors in the face to change. I honestly think that this is pretty incredible, as I think we all know that the plain text from an email or text message can be of questionable as far as emotion is concerned. Have you ever read a message and thought someone was angry when they weren’t? I am assuming this is why emotic...
Welcome one and all, to the future, the days have arrived where the cheesy sci-fi movie scenes of yesteryear are actually coming true. Case in point, check out these new eyeglasses, you’ve seen them before, they just weren’t a reality, until now… This SmartVision product consists of a pair of spectacles incorporating EnahancedView technology which can actually be linked to most commonly available IT sources like your mobile phone, PDA, portable DVD Player, Laptop or Netbook, and… wait for it… Video Game Consoles. Hence, these glasses let it’s users dispense with a monitor altogether, the view is in the glasses! Soon, you might be able to cut our computers loose from monitors completely and be able to project graphical information onto your world by augmenting reality, does it get more sci-fi than this? Later this year, Laster Technologies based in a Paris suburb, says it will be releasing its first-generation SmartVision spectacles, which will project VGA-res...
Sometimes it is the simple things in life that you appreciate the most. For example, something that can clean up a ketchup or mayonnaise stain without leaving any trace evidence (for lack of a better word). This is the Furukawa Kikou SWITL robot hand, and I have a video of it after the jump removing an ugly stain. What makes it really interesting is how that it is able to put the stain back, as if the stain was never removed in the first place. Yes, I don’t really see the value of a robotic hand spatula that can move a stain. Especially when I couldn’t help but notice that it looks like the stain was put on some Teflon coated surface. If this is just your ordinary kitchen counter, then it is worth building the rest of this robot’s body to go with the hand if it can do these speedy clean-ups. This is assuming that the robot hasn’t already been built just yet. Apparently, the purpose of this robot arm is to create a robot arm for bakeries who want to handle sof...
I am definitely in need of a new electronic screwdriver, as this old Wal-Mart one seems to have out-lasted its short life. If I waited long enough, perhaps this Neutral Power Drill designed by Tim Bennett will become a reality. Not only is it an electronic screwdriver, but it also includes a stud finder and a laser level. I believe that the laser level is found in the small black rectangle located just below the screwdriver bit. I have honestly never used a laser level before, so I wouldn’t know too much about that, which is the same as the stud finder. This screwdriver thing works by a slide back head. I would imagine that if you knew what you are doing, you can find the stud, set up a level place to put a screw, and then put it in. As you can probably tell from my last two paragraphs, I don’t really know what I am doing with a tool like this. Still, I wouldn’t mind having one of these things to make me a handier handyman. The inventor has entered this particular...
KickStarter is a pretty interesting initiative since it allows budding ideas to take off as long as enough people buy in into the idea. One of the more recent ones would be the iChair, and judging by the ‘i’ prefix in front, one would think that this has something to do with a device from Apple. Of course, such thinking is spot on, as the iChair is an integrated stand that offers hands-free viewing in either portrait or landscape mode. This is also a dual layer case for added protection, where the slider style lets one access all third party accessories in the process. Well, so far we do know that the iChair project has 21 backers who has pledged a total of $1,030, which is still a far cry from the $15,000 goal. Good thing there are still 20 more days to go, so with nearly three weeks left on the calendar, there is a glimmer of hope. For those of you who are wondering what the iChair is all about, why not head on there and see whether you are able to make a contribution?...
While I was at CES last January, I passed a booth for Cyberdyne. I saw that and wondered: “don’t they know that this is the organization that ended the world in the Terminator movies?” Just to let you know, this company isn’t making Skynet, but it is making some serious exoskeletons that you see here known as the HAL-5. Cyberdyne isn’t stealing from another science fiction film with the name HAL-5. HAL stands for Hybrid Assistive Limb, and the company demonstrated a lower-body suit that is meant for use by health care professionals and factory workers to help with heavy lifting. You can watch the video after the jump. It reminds me of the Equipois X-Ar that we reported on last week to help with repetitive motion working. As I recall, I suggested just making a robot to do the repetitive work. As I also recall, this is the mistake Cyberdyne made in the Terminator films. It looks like this HAL-5 could allow machines to work with us and not dominate us. It ...
I came across this amazing foldable DVD player concept while browsing online, but before I could marvel at its ability to be fold up and be put in a pocket, I had to understand the technology behind it. Unbeknownst to me, For almost 30 years now, over a dozen companies have been working on what’s called, electronic paper technologies. Their work has now evolved into being able to combine the flexibility of digital information with the convenience of a foldable, bendable paper-like product, well, more like a thin foldable plastic placemat. Which brings us to this Origami DVD Player concept, which is actually a portable DVD player that may someday be manufactured using this new e-paper technology, all in full color. It looks amazing, and has tons of “wow-factor” but off the top of my head, I can envision many more substantial applications for e-paper, can’t you? Wow, what lies ahead? Will e-paper be the future of newpapers? menu’s? window shades? computers? Well, just fo...