Well, its not quite the super sensory perception you see in comic books, a group of researchers utilizing Sharp IR sensors created what could be called a ‘second skin’. Think of how something gently touching the fine hairs on your arm instantly tells you that something is going on. Very handy if your moving around in the dark, you get a millisecond warning before you run into the wall. It might be enough warning to make you start slowing down before maximum damage can be done. Now imagine that you can do the same thing but with objects that are inches or even feet away from you. With enough sensors you could navigate through a room in the dark and not bump into anything. The possibilities here are almost endless.
[via Hack a Day]
The Haptic Radar / Extended Skin Project
Category: Cool
DIY Drones
I’m sure this is going to end up like the guy that has had a site about building the DIY cruise missiles.This
is a resource for all things about amateur Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): How-to’s, links, videos, images and a discussion group. Among other things, this is where we’ll be listing all the parts, software and instructions to build each of our UAVs.
I know that I’d like to have a plane with a camera built into it. An autopilot would make lining up a good photo a lot easier. How cool would that be? It’s simply amazing what you can do with off the shelf stuff and some brains. Oh yeah, and LEGOS. Yes, one of these planes has a servo actuated camera mount that is built from LEGO parts. That in mind your not going to be loitering over your target all day looking for the guy that has been stealing your newspaper every morning. These UAVs get about 20 minuets in the air and can only go about five miles. Still, it is very cool.
DIY Drones
The Sultan’s Elephant
This is a thing of beauty, I blogged this before but these clips are a whole bunch better.
The Sultan’s Elephant is a giant marionette show put on by the French street theater company Royal de Luxe. It has been performed in several European cities.
I find it simply amazing that a gargantuon marionette can be manipulated in such subtle ways. If it weren’t for the block and tackle surrounding her you might almost forget that it’s 30 feet tall.
War Of The Worlds eComic
A true classic, H. G. Wells’s story "The War of the Worlds" has been turned into an online comic.
[via presurfer]
War Of The Worlds eComic
Fire Piston
I happened across such a clever and handy device that everyone should have one. It’s a fire piston. Originating in South East Asia this device works on the same principal as a diesel engine (possibly the where Rudolph Diesel got the idea). A solid piston is rammed home in a tight fitting tube with a bit of dry tinder in the bottom of it. As the gas (air) is compressed with a sharp blow from your hand, it undergoes rapid compression and gets hot. All those air molecules throw off quite a bit of energy when they are all crammed into a tiny space. It gets so hot that it will make the tinder ignite. Pretty darn amazing isn’t it?
If you want to buy or build one there are loads of resources on the ‘Net (just ask Google) but you can read the Wikipedia article if you want from more science about the fire piston.
Bicycle Electric-Motor-Assist Project (BEMAP)
An old friend of mine is undertaking a project to add an electric motor to his bike. He has been asking me a bunch of questions about motors and such because I have a bit of a background in building robots. I tried my hand at the old combat robotics thing a while back, had my own robot and even started a real competition. However, the sport turned out to be a great way to burn through money so I had to give it up. Anyway, I gained quite a bit of skill at scrounging for parts and how things like that work. I’ll be more than happy to help out even if is just as a sounding board for ideas.The BEMAP project looks to be pretty cool. So far he has a supply of DC motors from a disused car and some battery packs. Mike is a born scrounger so I’m sure his solution will be very unique.