Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
7 Strange Robots the Pentagon is Developing
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Posted in
Amazing,
Creative,
news,
Technology
With a budget in excess of $600 billion, the pentagon is hard at work researching technology that is sometimes bizarre and out of this world. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA is busy bringing in robotic creations to the pentagon that are craziest at the least. Here is a list of some of the strange robots the pentagon has in mind.
No 7. BigDog
BigDog is a dynamically stable quadruped robot created by Boston Dynamics with Foster-Miller, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard University Concord Field Station. It was made in 2005 and can haul, climb, and carry its way over rough terrain. Capable of traversing difficult terrains, running at 4 miles per hour, carrying 340 pounds, and climbing a 35 degree incline, BigDog is intended to one day be able to serve as a robotic pack mule to accompany soldiers in terrain too rough for conventional vehicles.
This strange-looking robot is powered by a two-stroke, one-cylinder and 15-HP go-kart engine operating at over 9,000 RPM.
No 6. Nano Hummingbird Drone
Developed by AeroVironmen, the Nano hummingbird drone is built to look like a bird for potential use in spy missions. It is capable of flying at speeds of up to 11 miles per hour, hovering and flying sideways, backward and forward, as well as going clockwise and counterclockwise, by remote control for about eight minutes of sustained flight.
Evidently, the technology needs a lot of polishing before being put to some actual use.
No 5. LittleDog
A quadruped robot designed for research on learning locomotion, the LittleDog’s four legs are each powered by three electric motors and are strong enough for climbing and “dynamic locomotion gaits.”
No 4. RiSE Climbing Robot
RiSE is a robot capable of climbing vertical terrain such as walls, trees and fences. It has “feet with micro-claws” to climb on textured surfaces. It weighs at 4.4 punds and is able to travel at 0.68 miles per hour.
It has six legs, an on-board computer that manages the coordination of these legs and a variety of sensors.
No 3. PetMan
This is a bipedal device constructed for testing chemical protection suits. The technology is basically derived from BigDog with advanced features such as sweating; simulating both human movement mechanics and human physiology to a much realistic extent.
PetMan is capable of walking on a treadmill i.e. walking, doing squats and pumping out push-ups. It also has a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range.
And as Boston Dynamics President Marc Raibert said:
“Places like the Fukushima reactors could be accessed by Petman-like robots (or AlphaDogs), without requiring any human exposure to hazardous materials. Perhaps firefighting inside of buildings or facilities designed for human access, like on board ships designed for human crews.”
smallest drivable electric car
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Posted in
autos,
news,
Technology
How do you allay your parking woes? You could walk or bike to your destination but sometimes, owning acar is just plain necessary. But the lack of parking space can be a huge hassle especially when you need to make multiple stops. Romano Artioli, ex-owner of the Lotus and Bugatti brands, has developed a tiny single-seater eco-friendly car that’s small enough to fit into an office elevator. Measuring just 1 meter in width and 1.5 meters in height, the Volpe weighs only 350 kg and can squeeze itself into the smallest of spaces.
So tiny is the Volpe that it can zip about your workplace and even fit in your office to be charged from your desk. The small car is meant for city commuters and though it doesn’t touch high speeds – just 30 mph max – it’s perfect for congested areas. There’s also not a lot of space for baggage but unless you plan to cram in plenty of goods, the Volpe makes the ideal small city car.
Volpe, world's smallest electric car fits in an elevator and can be parked and charged at your work desk.
Artioli worked with coachbuilder Zagato which is responsible for styling limited edition models of Aston Martins. The idea was to design a car that could help ease traffic congestion which is becoming a daily nightmare for commuters.
To further limit its size, Volpe sports scissor doors and a miniature motor that’s street legal as a quadricycle. This means that anyone who’s as young as 16 and has a motorcycle license can drive it. The eco friendly car will sell for about 5,600 pounds and is set to hit European markets by 2013.
The unique car has generated quite a buzz in online forums with many praising it for its aesthetics and functionality. As small as it is, however, it still doesn’t beat the record of the Peel P50 microcar which measures just 54 inches in length and 41 inches in width.
A robot that washes your hair and massages your head
The Japanese are now know for their passion to mechanise every thing. This time they have decided to make a robot that can be put in a hair salon and offer its automatic services to the customers. This robot which has been built by Panasonic is having a trial run in a hair salon.A glass doorknob shows who’s standing behind the door
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Posted in
artarchitecture,
Creative,
Technology
Designed by a Japanese architect Hideyuki Nakayama, this doorknob shows who is standing behind the door. The only drawback is that it also shows the room you are in to the other party.
Worlds smallest one-man helicopter
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Posted in
autos,
Creative,
Technology
It has has two rotors turning in opposite directions to maintain stability, and four engines that enables a 30-minute flight with a top speed of about 56 miles (100 km) per hour.Controlling the GEN H-4 is not difficult at all.
For going forward, you pull the control bar toward you; to go to the right, you the control to the left and vice versa.
If you push the throttle lever, it goes up, you let go of it and the helicopter goes down.
For going forward, you pull the control bar toward you; to go to the right, you the control to the left and vice versa.
If you push the throttle lever, it goes up, you let go of it and the helicopter goes down.
Future Trucks Today
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Posted in
Amazing,
autos,
Creative,
Technology
Luigi Colani has designed many amazing things. Here you can see some of the trucks he has come up with and how interesting they look. These trucks are actually in use today and were actually originally designed in the 1980’s. Changes have been made to them through the years to what you see today.
There is a dog fed through a Twitter account
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Posted in
Creative,
it,
Technology
IT professional Nat Morris created a system that feeds his dog while he is away at work. The system releases food from an automated food dispenser when Nat sends a message to ‘@FeedToby’.
8 Sleep Gadgets
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Posted in
Gadgets,
Technology
A National Sleep Foundation poll found that 60% of people experience a sleep problem every night or almost every night. Why? The reasons vary from snoring to restless legs syndrome to technology addiction, but one thing is for sure: Adults need 7.5 hours of sleep a night, and only 37% are getting it.
If you don’t have the time (or the funds) to plan a rejuvenating bed and breakfast getaway, worry not. There are plenty of at-home remedies that will help you fall asleep faster and wake up more refreshed. From the ultimate alarm clock to cutting-edge pillows, here are 8 of the best snooze technologies:
Philips Wake-up Light
End the daily battle with your alarm clock and wake up as nature intended. Starting 30 minutes before your set wake up time, this nifty clock/lamp combo gradually fills your room with light that imitates the rising sun. When the highest level of light is reached, you’ll hear your choice of pleasant natural sounds (think chirping birds, jungle noises or windchimes) or a pre-selected radio station.
Price: About $100
LUMI Mask
The LUMI mask has the same basic concept as the Wake-up Light, but in addition to simulating sunrise, it also blocks light (perfect if your spouse reads into the wee hours or if you live on a bright street). The mask is made from soft neoprene foam and has an eye cavity to allow for normal blinking, as well as a built-in controller to set your wake-up time and preferred light intensity.
Price: About $75
ZEO Sleep Set
Through the magic of a brainwave-monitoring headband, Zeo tracks your sleep patterns nightly from the comfort of your own bedroom. Each morning, it tells you—in real time—when you were awake, when you were in REM and when you were in Deep Sleep. All of the information is stored on a memory card that you can upload to Zeo’s website, where you can track your patterns and receiving daily sleep coaching tips.
Price: About $399 (including 6 months of daily email coaching)
Chillow
Tired of flipping your pillow over and over to find the cool side? Well, flip no more. The Chillow is a thin, soft, medical-grade, non-electric thermoregulating device. Just fill it one time with water, smooth out the air and you’re good to go—no freezing required. So how does it work? The water inside the Chillow absorbs your excess body heat, then the special foam core releases it back into the air. When the device eventually reaches your body temperature, all you have to do is set it aside until it cools itself down.
Price: About $25
SleepTracker Watch
These little watches (his and hers) contain a tiny motion sensor that measures your restless nighttime movements. While they can’t tell you when you’re in REM or Deep Sleep, it can wake you up the moment before you’re about to wake up anyway. Just set the watch with a window of time (half an hour, usually) prior to your desired wake up time, and the watch will wake you up in a natural point in your sleep cycle. And in addition to the alarm, you can also download your sleep patterns to your home computer and track your habits.
Price: About $150
BedPhones
Bedphones are headphones specifically designed for sleep—perfect for those finicky sleepers who need background noise in order to drift off. They’re made of soft, ¼” foam that lays flat against your ears, and the earhooks are made from rubber-coated memory wire for a custom fit. Bedphones even come with an app that not only turns your smartphone into a giant play/pause button, but also shuts off the sound completely when you fall asleep (when you stop moving, that is).
Price: About $30
Pzizz App
Pzizz is an audio app that sets out to solve yours sleep problems, boost your energy and reduce stress. It has over a billion combinations of voices, instrumental music and ambient sounds, prepping your mind for either deep sleep or relaxation, depending on the settings. You can also choose separate volume levels for voice and music, adjust the track length and set an alarm.
Price: About $10
Sheex
Sheex “Performance” bed sheets are made of the same type of breathable material used in professional-quality athletic fabrics. They regulate temperature better than cotton, keeping you cool and dry while you slumber, and allow your body to prepare for a good night’s sleep by cooling off naturally. They sheets are even wrinkle resistant and fit all mattress types, including pillow tops.
Price: About $200 for a sheet set
