Spiders have inspired a group of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA to create a mobile robot which looks and moves as spiders. This high-tech assistant is still a prototype, but researchers envision its use as an exploratory tool in environments that are too hazardous or hardly reachable for humans. ... »
In order to counter the multimedia brought by TV shows and video games which leave kids stationary, the researchers at the MIT Media Laboratory are developing a system called Playtime Computing. Aside the projectors, the prototype of the Playtime Computing system consists of a cube-shaped, remote-controlled robot, called the Alphabot, with infrared emitters at its ... »
Thanks to a partnership between Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Houston’s Rice University and an Indian nonprofit, Villages for Development and Learning Foundation (ViDAL), some of the estimated 100 million Indian children who attend schools without electricity may soon have access to one of the world’s most advanced electronic notepads. Dubbed I-slate, the device is ... »
Although systems that remove salt from saltwater (desalination systems) have existed for decades, they are typically large-scale installations that require lots of energy to operate. A team of researchers from MIT has designed a solar-powered desalination system that could be rapidly deployed in remote areas, such as desert locations or farms and small villages in ... »
Berkeley Bionics developed the first practical exoskeleton and the first untethered exoskeleton in the world. Later on, through a licensed agreement with Lockheed Martin Corporation, they came up with HULC exoskeleton which is meant for military use. A few days ago they unveiled similarly looking eLEGS, a wearable, artificially intelligent, bionic device that powers paraplegics ... »
Raytheon Company unveiled their second generation Exoskeleton named XOS 2 at their research facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, during a demonstration with Paramount Home Entertainment. The new robotic suit is lighter, faster and stronger than its predecessor, yet it uses 50 percent less power. Its enhanced design also makes it more resistant to the ... »
Researchers at the University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) are demonstrating that plants from Earth could be grown hydroponically (without soil) on the moon or Mars, setting the table for astronauts who would find potatoes, peanuts, tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables awaiting their arrival. The technology shows a great potential for application on ... »
