Eclectic junk from the four corners of the ‘Net. And pictures too!
Here is a simple and elegant solution for movement in a virtual world. Walking in the sphere while wearing wireless VR gear provides 360 degree freedom of movement. Just the think if your going to be walking around in Second Life.
[via GadgetMadness ]
The VirtuSphere: full body immersion Virtual reality at last
Oh bother, looks like a mistake during a down link hand off from one ground station to another resulted in the robotic lander Minerva to be dropped at the wrong time. Hayabusa (it’s shadow is visible on the above photo, cool eh?) had been making burns to keep station over the asteroid Itokawa when the lander was commanded to release. The spacecraft was moving away at a speed of 15cm/sec, 2cm/sec faster than the asteroids escape velocity. So, Hayabusa launched Minerva into space. That sucks, I was looking forward to seeing that hop around on the surface. However, all is not lost. The laser range finder system on Hayabusa is working great, the thrusters are working pretty well to keep correct orientation, and plans for the slug to be shot into Itokawa is still on the short list of planned events.
This is getting close to an actual replacement for human hearing, it can detect sounds but it can’t do anything with the information. Also, the frequency range (4200-35,000 Hz) passes human hearing (20-20000 Hz). Still it is a major step closer to a hearing implant that could restore the hearing of thousands of people.
Oh yeah, this is some real hydro powered goodness here! I love the idea of attaching a tiny video camera to a water rocket. It brings a time honored classic toy into the modern age.
[via MAKE]
I have a bag full of these disposable cameras that I got for the lenses but I think that the flashes might end up as one of these. I need a way to pop balloons…
[via Hack-a-day]
The Japanese mission to land a 10cm high robot names ‘Minerva’ on an asteroid is still on track even if the spacecraft is not in the best of health. Three of its four reaction wheels (devices used to maintain correct orientation) have failed and is now using precious propellant to stay on target.
The images that are being sent back are stunning. The survey of asteroid Itokawa is sure to produce a wealth of data on solar objects.
I’m looking forward to seeing if the tiny rover will be able to stay on the surface for any length of time or if it will bounce off and float away. If everything works as planned this will be the fist controlled landing and exploration of an asteroid in the history of mankind.
[ via BBC News ]