Smoking Robot - Its not a Malfunction

Usually a robot smoking might be considered as faulty and let your technician to have it looked at. However, in this situation it’s actually a good thing, because this particular robot was created with the sole intention of smoking. Now don't come to any conclusion now.

Read More

JO-Zero - The wonder Humanoid Bot

Himeji Softworks wanted to develop a robot that was “stylish, speedy, and human-like” and I believe that they have succeeded. If you don’t believe me, watch the video.

Read More

Cyborg is no more Science Fiction

REMOTE-CONTROLLED insects may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but they have already been under development for some time now.

The creation of a cyborg insect army has just taken a step closer to reality. A research team at the University of California Berkeley recently announced that it has successfully implanted electrodes into a beetle allowing scientists to control the insect’s movements in flight. “We demonstrated the remote control of insects in free flight via an implantable radioequipped miniature neural stimulating system,” the researchers reported in their new paper for Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. ” The pronotum mounted system consisted of neural stimulators, muscular stimulators, a radio transceiver-equipped microcontroller and a microbattery.” Eventually, the mind-controlled insects could be used to “serve as couriers to locations not easily accessible to humans or terrestrial robots,” they note.


Source: ScienceBlog

Read More

Anti-Snoring gadget uses Acupuncture Technique

This is for those that haven’t found a way to get their snoring to stop.

The watch doesn’t actually tell the time, so it’s a little silly to call it a watch. However, it does have a sensitive micro-sound detector that will detect when you’re snoring. Once it does that it will send a very mild electronic signal. Apparently it’s even capable of distinguishing between snoring and just other noises in general. This device will make slow down the frequency of your snoring as well as make it so you don’t snore quite so loudly.

Do you need this gadget Click Here to Buy.

Source: GadgetGrid

Read More

Robot riding bike - Amazing

Flossie may sound like the name of a dental hygiene bot, but it’s actually the Castrol-developed test rider you see above straddling that cycle. The robot has a self-learning mode that lets it to get a feel (throttle response, clutch drag, gear shifting patterns, etc.) for any stationary bike upon which it’s perched.

That’s right, he “rides” while stationary. We wonder how long it will be before he actually takes one of these bad boys on the road, joining up with Murata Boy. Flossie lets Castrol evaluate its lubricants as effectively as possible.

Source: Engadget

Read More

A shoe That grows as you grow

One thing about having kids is that they outgrow their shoes more often than they wear them out. So, it is with great interest that I’ll be following these new INCHworm trainers which promise to grow with kids up to one full shoe size.

Using a technology called “iFit,” (what, is Apple an investor?!), the INCHworm has an accordion like middle which can be pulled out after pushing a button release. Then, wearers can pull out by the toe in ½ size increments. While pulling out to extend the size, there is a counter in the heal which ticks off the size change. But built into the heal is bound to break it before it can properly keep track. Regardless, this translates to essentially having three pairs of shoes before having to replace them, giving Junior plenty of time to wear the shoes down a tad more before outgrowing them. In fact, designers promise that these shoes will take the toughest playground abuse kids have to offer and last three to six months longer than the average tennis shoe. The INCHworm also has another advantage … if your kid has one foot larger than the other, which is fairly common, the shoe’s can be adjusted accordingly thereby making for a far more comfortable fit.

The INCHworms are available in Great Britain now through distributor Fat Shoes Day and are available in three styles for kids aged three to ten. Cost is a tad pricey upfront, though, at $106 US.
Source: Daily Mail

Read More

A Suit that lets you lift Heavy things

It appears like the giant aircraft maker company Lockheed Martin has developed an actual working exoskeleton. That’s right, one of those wearable strength-booster things plucked right out of science-fiction is now working reality!

Lockheed Martin calls this exoskeleton the HULC. Clearly, it takes its name as homage to the superhero Hulk, but, practically speaking, it reminds me of Iron Man, without the full-body metal suit.

The HULC is a “hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton that provides users with the ability to carry loads up to 200 lbs for extended periods of time and over all terrains”. Note the soldier carrying the bomb. I am assuming that the HULC is taking the weight, and preventing back strain.

As for the power of the HULC, it is completely battery-powered. I have heard that the exoskeleton is quite flexible, and its design is “power-saving”, to save on energy for secret missions.

So is this the age of the super-soldier? Remember in Iron Man how one of the bad guys said that you could conquer Asia with twelve Iron Man suits? Just imagine what an army of HULCs could do.

I don’t really have much information on this, but I’m guessing Lockheed Martin will only market this to the military. Too bad. I could think of a lot of private uses for this.

Source : TechFresh

Read More

Avoid those arm strains caused by a mouse

If your boss is too cheap to buy you a comfortable working chair that has arm rests, letting you sit on a plastic stool all day long, perhaps it is time you considered investing $19.99 in the Arm-Rest Table Pad. The name of the device is pretty much self-explanatory - it was specially designed to attach to most work tables, with the aim to reduce arm fatigue, prevent injuries and save money on medical bills in the long run. Constructed from sturdy metal,



you won’t need a single tool to assemble this and comes in handy at both home and the office. Just make sure the table is no thicker than 5cm and you’re good to go. If you need to get this for the office, we doubt that you can claim the $19.99 from the Claims Department either. Find a new employer already!

Source: usbfever

Read More

A gift for your kids this Christmas

Trossen Robotics will be making available its new MechRC Humanoid Robot to the masses in the US, and parents can breath easy since this Christmas present won’t break the $1,000 barrier in terms of pricing. That doesn’t mean it is affordable for everyone though, since it is still pretty pricey at $599.99 - definitely not an impulse purchase considering how everyone else is tightening their wallets to weather the current global economic meltdown.

High torque metal gear servos, LiPo batteries for longer run times, a fluid 3D visual software programming interface for easy custom motions, and a remote control unit are included. Everything you need to have you own walking robot is included in this ready-to-walk kit! With over a hundred pre-installed motions and sounds you can get this robot throwing some dance floor shapes or some killer fighting moves straight from the box.

Kids will definitely love this, but it remains to be seen whether this $599.99 device is able to offer as engaging an experience compared to a cheaper games console.


Source: Trossen Robotics

Read More

Eating fish Reduces diabetic kidney disease

Eating fish twice a week may reduce the risk of kidney disease in diabetics.



A British research institute found that eating fish twice a week will actually reduce the diabetic kidney disease. This was studied from 22,000 adults and of which 517 are diabetic. Eating fish twice a week reduces the protein in the urine which is the early stage to the kidney disease.

The "unique nutrient composition of fish" may benefit kidney function by enhancing blood glucose control and improving plasma lipid profiles. In addition to eating fish, people can reduce the risk of albuminuria -- protein in the urine -- by controlling glucose, lowering blood pressure, smoking cessation and following a diabetic diet as prescribed by a doctor.

Read More

Searching Online Can help your Brain get stronger

According to latest results set to be published on the American Journal for Geriatric Psychiatry, Internet searches can actually help strengthen the aging brain - thanks to the greater mental "activity" that it undergoes while waiting for the search results and the following "scan".

Studies in the past have shown that any mentally tasking act has the capability to change the way the brain responds to the task. This is known to create a "mental reserve" that comes in handy when the brain is subjected to insult and injury. Additionally, this increase in the mental reserve is reportedly capable of lessening the effects of the inevitable - mental aging.

A recent research conducted to verify these claims threw in some interesting results. Expensive MRI equipments were used to monitor the cranial activity of two sets of people: Internet regulars and novices. As for on what basis the teams have been classified in to "regulars" and novices", regulars were those who went online at least once daily, while the novices were the ones who have never been online or use the Internet once or twice in a month.

Source: bbc.co.uk

Read More

Human Skin Cells turned into Insulin

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of medicine, scientists have successfully transformed human skin cells into cells that can produce insulin the Harmone that is used in the treatment of diabetes.
This discovery may one day lead to new treatment or even a cure for people who are affected by diabetese. This breakthrough achievement is done by reprogramming skin cells into pluripotent stem cells, or cells that can produce any other cell type, and then inducing them to transform into cells that perform a insulin secretion.

Lead author Yi Zhang said

"Not only have we shown that we can reprogram skin cells, but we have also demonstrated that these reprogrammed cells can be differentiated into insulin-producing cells which hold great therapeutic potential for diabetes"

Source: UNCNEWS

Read More