Technology

Posts

Showing posts from 2017

Yes, the jet-powered hoverboard is real, and yes, the creator has crashed it

One of the most talked about things this week was a strange video of a man who appeared to have a real life jet-powered hoverboard. The video was published by Zapata Racing, which has made water-powered versions of these flying machines for a few years now . The difference is that those are always tethered to some kind of personal watercraft. This new "Flyboard Air," as CEO Franky Zapata calls it, is something totally different. The video went viral on Monday, and it polarized the internet. People thought it was either the coolest thing ever invented , or that it was a massive hoax . Even optimistic parties, like myself, were skeptical . Maybe we all still feel a little burned by Tony Hawk and FunnyorDie, or maybe we were just being careful — after all, the video was suspiciously edited, there were very few details, and it just looked a little fake. Over the week, more videos of the flight(s) surfaced, and it appeared to be the real deal. This morning, thou...

Further phone

We can already do a million and one things with the smart phones in our pockets, but who knows what phones will be able to do in the future. Contact lens phones, gold tooth phones, earring phones - the possibilities are endless. Here at Digital Trends, we're personally rooting for the eye patch phone because if you want to be cool, you gotta wear an eye patch, mahn . Below are 10 cool concept phones that we came across while we were wakeboarding the Internet. TRON PHONE This phone will never be made, because it doesn't work, but we think it's pretty cool. This phone was designed by Andrew D. Morgan with inspiration from the Tron Legacy film. They essentially felt that the programs in the grid would need a way to communicate. Stay tuned for AT&T's manufacturing of this phone once the grid becomes a real thing. Likelihood of existing: Lower than grandpa's ... life expectancy? NOKIA 2030 This phone was designed by Jim Chan and it'...

Domestic robot

First generation Roomba vacuums the carpets in a domestic environment A domestic robot , or service robot , is an autonomous robot that is used for household chores . Thus far, there are only a few limited models, though speculators, such as Bill Gates , have suggested that they could become more common in the future. [1] Many domestic robots are used for basic household chores. Others are educational or entertainment robots , such as the HERO line of the 1980s. While most domestic robots are simplistic, some are connected to WiFi home networks or smart environments and are autonomous to a high degree. There were an estimated 3,540,000 service robots in use in 2006 [ clarification needed ] , compared with an estimated 950,000 industrial robots . [2]

Robotics

If we ignore the part about robots dooming us all by forcing us into unemployment, the idea of a robot kitchen assistant is a dream come true. A year and a half ago, Moley Robotics said their robot hands would launch in 2017, claiming they would be able to cook 2000 meals at the push of a button. Whilst the undoubtedly expensive equipment won’t be one for all of us next year, the robot hands pave the way for a future where you might never have to stir your boyfriend’s beans again.

Geminoid F

Japanese robot designer Hiroshi Ishiguro outdid himself with Geminoid F, a female android who can smile, furow her brows, talk and sing. Her face is equipped with 12 motorized actuators powered by air pressure to mimic human expressions, and she’ sso realistic she was actually used as an actress in a Tokyo play

SimMan 3G Patient Simulator

The SimMan 3G might be a great way for medical professionals to practice, but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing to look at, especially when it starts bleeding, convulsing, crying or foaming at its gaping mouth. It’s designed to simulate virtually every emergency medical situation in the book and it can withstand four hours of surgery. Just imagine being the cleaning person who opens a closet at the hospital to find this thing staring back

BINA48

The memories, beliefs and core personality of a real-life woman have been transferred to a robot called Bina48 , who’s sophisticated enough to detect and reach to racism, discuss philosophy and tell jokes. The woman the android was modeled after, Bina Rothblatt, was interviewed for more than 20 hours on topics that ranged from her childhood to her career, and the conversation was transcribed and uploaded to an artificial intelligence database. Robot designer David Hansen crafted the bust-only robot for $125,000.

Human robot

How would you react if you were chased down the street by a sprinting android wearing head-to-toe camouflage and a gas mask? Probably about the same way you’d react to finding a dead-eyed mannequin convulsing alone in a closet with blood streaming from its mouth. Android technology is getting more disturbingly realistic every year, and these 15 represent some of the most jaw-dropping examples yet.