June 2008

sugar + bacteria = OIL (sort of)
Posted in daily on 16 June 2008

via the Times
“Ten years ago I could never have imagined I’d be doing this,” says Greg Pal, 33, a former software executive, as he squints into the late afternoon Californian sun. “I mean, this is essentially agriculture, right? But the people I talk to – especially the ones coming out of business school – this [...]

Camspace turns any object into a game controller
Posted in daily on 16 June 2008

via /.
“It’s a Wii without the $250 console. It’s virtual Pong and so much more. Any object is now an input device, even your fingers. Camspace is a pure software solution that allows nearly any ordinary PC webcam (95% are supported) to track up to four objects — even as small as 5mm — in [...]

Hexapod robot turned into a CNC
Posted in daily on 13 June 2008

via Hack A Day
Matt Denton has converted a standard hexapod robot into a CNC (and a plotter).
LINK

mechanical mario
Posted in daily on 13 June 2008

Over the years, the development of video games is trying its best to produce the virtual reality experience which getting closer to the reality. By changing the interface, from Atari’s joystick to Analog Vibration of PS2 joystick, then Gun Shape controller for shooting game, and Dance Mania’s floor controller to Wii wiimote, video game design [...]

New Material completely blocks sound waves
Posted in daily on 13 June 2008

via the BBC
Scientists have shown off the blueprint for an “acoustic cloak”, which could make objects impervious to sound waves.
The technology, outlined in the New Journal of Physics, could be used to build sound-proof homes, advanced concert halls or stealth warships.
Scientists have previously demonstrated devices that cloak objects from microwaves, making them “invisible”.
“The mathematics behind [...]

gas price as a % of income
Posted in daily on 12 June 2008

via nyt:
LINK

robotic fish
Posted in daily on 12 June 2008

via /.
Many of today’s underwater robots need to periodically come up to the surface to communicate with their human supervisors. But researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have developed a new kind of underwater vehicle. The ‘Robofish’ can work cooperatively with each other. ‘The Robofish, which are roughly the size of a 10-pound salmon, [...]

world’s fastest supercomputer
Posted in daily on 10 June 2008

via /.
“The NY times is reporting that an American military supercomputer, assembled from components originally designed for video game machines, is more than twice as fast as the previous fastest supercomputer, the I.B.M. BlueGene/L. To put the performance of the machine in perspective, Thomas P. D’Agostino, the administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said [...]

nanopaper stronger than cast iron
Posted in daily on 10 June 2008

via /.
“All paper is made of cellulose, which at the nanoscale level is quite strong, but paper processing makes large, fragile fibers that break easily. Researchers in Sweden have have come up with a manufacturing process that keeps the fibers small, resulting in ‘nanopaper’ with over 1.6 times the tensile strength of cast iron (214 [...]

Monkey controlling robotic arm
Posted in daily on 7 June 2008

Shown many places:
Monkey controls robotic arm directly from his brain: