Adam Williams
Scientists involved in robotics research are increasingly looking toward biological systems for solutions to specific challenges, and when one considers that nature has been solving problems for rather a lot longer than we humans have, this makes sense. Such is the reasoning behind BIOSwimmer: an underwater surveillance robot created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S and T) that takes its design cues from the tuna fish. Read More
At this year’s Tokyo Games Show, Japanese purveyor of electronically-augmented fashion Neurowear unveiled the successor to its Necomimi brain-activated cat ears. It's called Shippo, and it's a brain-controlled motorized tail that responds to the user's current emotional state with corresponding wagging. Read More
Sony unveils new smaller and lighter PS3 model
At this year's Tokyo Game Show, Sony unveiled its latest iteration of PlayStation 3, which sports a new design and significantly smaller form factor. The console will be produced in three versions: a 500 GB hard drive model, a 250 GB hard drive model, and a budget-friendly 12 GB flash memory model, though the latter is initially slated for European consumers only. Read More
Dark Energy Camera captures its first images
The Dark Energy Camera (DEC) has captured an initial batch of images as part of an ongoing quest to afford scientists with a better understanding of dark energy. The images were taken by the 570-megapixel behemoth from its location within the Chilean Andes on September 12 while undergoing a series of tests. Scientists hope it may soon help answer one of the biggest mysteries in physics: why the expansion of the universe is speeding up. Read More
"No Place Like Home" GPS shoes inspired by The Wizard of Oz
British designer Dominic Wilcox has created a pair of prototype shoes which offer to guide the wearer home with built-in GPS navigation. The inspiration for the clever footwear derives from The Wizard of Oz character Dorothy’s red shoes, which famously transported her home with a click of her heels. Naturally, the GPS system within Wilcox’s shoes is also activated by clicking the heels together. Read More
In a new development which on first glance resembles a storyline plucked from the pages of Harry Potter, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, have adopted a system of levitation in order to more effectively develop pharmaceuticals - no magic wand required. Read More
KillaJoule electric sidecar motorcycle tops 216 mph
University of Denver engineering graduate student Eva Håkansson pushed her home-built electric sidecar motorcycle "KillaJoule" to just over 216 mph (347 km/h) last week, while setting a new world record for electric sidecar bikes at the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at Bonneville Salt Flats. The top speed comes achingly close to the fastest record ever set with an internal combustion engine for a bike of that type: 219 mph (352 km/h). Read More
Laser-based system promises to take the "ouch" out of injections
Nobody likes getting their shots, but whether childhood immunization, annual flu vaccination, or whatever else, we're required to undergo the uncomfortable sensation of needle piercing skin multiple times throughout our lives. However, a new laser-based system promises to take the “ouch” out of injections by delivering shots as painlessly as being struck by a puff of air. Read More
San Francisco-based startup Boosted Boards has produced an eponymous electric skateboard prototype capable of providing a push-free ride for up to 6 miles. While an electric skateboard isn't anything new in itself, this particular longboard is declared by its makers to be the world's lightest electric vehicle. Read More
A group of computer scientists based at the University of Helsinki, Finland, have developed new software which creates automatically composed music from data concerning a person's sleep measurements. The software makes use of figures gleaned from an internet-equipped Beddit sensor, which is placed beneath a subject's mattress in order to record the stages of their sleep, their movements, heart rate and breathing. Read More
