Jet Pack World Record Attempt
May 22nd, 2009 by admin
Developed by Jet PI LLC, the 800hp Go Fast Jet Pack can travel
a quarter mile horizontally at a maximum altitude of 300-feet and weighs a hefty 135-pounds.
Having said that, 30 or 40 seconds worth of fuel is easily enough time to get me to the grocery store and back at 60 mph. I just have to root around under the couch cushions for a quarter million dollars.
Volvo Gets Equipped with Water Cannon
May 20th, 2009 by admin
Ford researchers strapped a gigantic water cannon onto a Volvo “to help study how to enhance stability control technology, reducing risks to test drivers and damage to test vehicles.” Video after the break.
“It’s a very effective test that demonstrates the ingenuity of our engineering team to think outside the box,” said Jeff Rupp, manager, Ford
Lost Robot Can Ask for Directions
May 19th, 2009 by admin
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have developed the ACE (Autonomous City Explorer) robot, which “uses cameras and software to detect humans nearby, based on their motion and upright posture.” Continue reading to see just how it uses that information to find its way.
After 5 hours and 38 interactions, ACE reached its destination. I have to wonder, though, if we really want robots to be asking people for directions.
Body Check Ball
May 19th, 2009 by admin
The Body Check Ball from Japantrendshop basically “lets you get an accurate, detailed picture of your health, anytime, anywhere — has sensors to read your body fat, bone density, and muscle percentages, and displays them all on an easy-to-read LCD screen.”
The ball supports up to 10 different user profiles, and I assume it will keep track of past measurements for comparison. It also doubles as an alarm clock.
BUGlabs Modular Gadget Factory
May 18th, 2009 by admin
The BUGlabs Modular Gadget Factory from ThinkGeek is basically “a set of tools that lets you create personalized gadgets and devices; it’s open-source and modular, letting you literally snap together the device you need.” Video after the break.
Unhappy with Google maps street view? Snap on the GPS module and the camera, and code your BUG to take geotagged photos at specific intervals and roll your own.
Pole-Climbing Robot
May 17th, 2009 by admin
Boston Dynamics’ RiSE v3 is essentially a “28-inch long quadruped robot [that] can make its way up vertical terrains at a rate of 21cm (a little more than 8 inches) per second.”
Created for use in search and rescue missions, reconnaissance and surveillance, the four-legged robot has claws crafted from surgical needles, letting it grip vertical surfaces.
Roomba Mod Adds Robotic Grasping System
May 13th, 2009 by admin
This nifty Roomba mod adds a robotic grasping system to the device, allowing it to “pick up foreign objects and deliver them to you at about waist height.”
The system was 95 percent effective in picking up objects of all sizes and shapes during trials, and it was apparently quite simple to build and code.
SOBEaR v02:The Responsible Bartender
May 13th, 2009 by admin
Put simply, the SOBEaR V02 is “a DIY teddy bear with a built-in breathalyzer that’ll only dispense liquor depending on how drunk you are.”
In order to put him to work, patrons must press the “breathe + pour” button on his foot, which will then prompt the user to blow into his face.
Roomba’s Path Mapped Out Using Long Exposure
May 13th, 2009 by admin
Despite being autonomous, the Roombo cleaning robot manages to keep most rooms nice and tidy. However, its vacuuming path has been a mystery until now. This long-exposure shot, shot in a span of 30-minutes, reveals just hat.
You can see the initial spiral path in the center, but after that it’s a free-for-all that somehow manages to cover the entire room.
Xerox Introduces ColorQube Solid Printer Ink
May 13th, 2009 by admin
Here’s a first: solid printer ink that claims to reduce the cost of color printing by up to 62%, when compared to laser color printers. The Xerox ColorQube 9200 series “are said to be like crayons and they are melted and squirted onto pages through four separate print heads.”
The fast spray speed allows the printer to print at 38 ppm up to 85 ppm. Each solid ink cube can print 55,500 pages. The big issue at this point is that the printers start at over $23,000.
