OK, the title is a bit misleading, in that I (and I imagine a lot of us) already think of our iPhones as robots. And with the release of the iPhone 4S and its introduction of Siri, the already-amazing devices certainly became much more robotic. But they still count on you for gettin’ around.
Peter, Phu and Keller at Romotive would like to put a stop to that. They’ve developed Romo, a mobile platform and app network that turn your iPhone into a moving, talking robot. For funding, they launched a Kickstarter page, and based on the response so far, it looks like they should be able to expand Romo’s capabilities a lot in the coming months—their goal deadline is Nov. 21st and they’ve already more than doubled it. This is good news, because in theory, the more money they receive, the more command apps they’ll be able to develop, as well as new hardware modules to attach to the basic base to enlarge Romo and (ideally) increase its functionality.
See, Japan? Not every robot has to be man-sized and terrifying. Ease us into the future…baby-steps!
As we’ve already discovered ad nauseum (literally), Japan loves re-purposing poop. So it comes as absolutely no surprise that TOTO, Japan’s version of American Standard, is promoting it’s new eco-friendly image with an upcoming 500-mile jaunt from Kyushu to Tokyo on its prototype Toilet Bike Neo.
What makes Neo a “toilet bike”, you ask? Well… it’s “powered entirely by the on-board biogas digester. Biogas systems use an anaerobic bacteria system to convert dead organic matter into a usable fuel primarily made of methane.” Theoretically, this hog could run forever, provided the driver’s nice an’ regular. Oh, and if pooping out in the open into your vehicle is not embarrassing enough for you, Neo also talks as part of this campaign. Because nothing makes you less self-conscious while pooping in public than the robot you’re sitting on shooting the breeze with you. Still—pooh-derived energy certainly beats nuclear meltdowns. Right?
This is a fitting post, considering that I’m blogging at you FROM THE PAST. Real talk: I’m currently somewhere over the Pacific hoping I don’t pull an Oceanic 815 on the way to Melbourne. So Mystery Monday is actually Straightforward Saturday. But this is still very cool.
By “this”, I mean f@#king REPLICATOR TECHNOLOGY.
According to a story in the February 2011 issue of The Economist (seriously, how was I not aware of this for the last 8 months?), we (that is, humans) have been dabbling in “additive manufacturing”, which is just an extremely fancy way of saying “3-D printing”.
It works like this. First you call up a blueprint on your computer screen and tinker with its shape and colour where necessary. Then you press print. A machine nearby whirrs into life and builds up the object gradually, either by depositing material from a nozzle, or by selectively solidifying a thin layer of plastic or metal dust using tiny drops of glue or a tightly focused beam. Products are thus built up by progressively adding material, one layer at a time: hence the technology’s other name, additive manufacturing. Eventually the object in question—a spare part for your car, a lampshade, a violin—pops out. The beauty of the technology is that it does not need to happen in a factory. Small items can be made by a machine like a desktop printer, in the corner of an office, a shop or even a house; big items—bicycle frames, panels for cars, aircraft parts—need a larger machine, and a bit more space.
What. The. F@#k.
You know, when the first Iron Man movie came out, and Tony Stark tells his AI butler J.A.R.V.I.S. to fabricate his Mark II armor, and J.A.R.V.I.S. says it’ll be complete in something ridiculous like 9 hours, I chalked it up to interesting future-tech that some fanboy writer made up to make Stark and his resources seem cooler. I did not think for even a second this shit was real.
Now, about the asterix in the post title—there are two big limitations to this form or manufacturing at present:
1. The fabricators can only reproduce objects comprised of inorganic material. Hence starvation still existing and people still dying of exposure. Trust me, if these things could do cotton, every single one of the shirts you guys buy from me would be made with one.
2. They’re not exactly priced to own for everyone, but they’re surprisingly inexpensive (given that we’re talking about rudimentary Star Trek technology) at around $7000. You could buy two of these things for the same amount of money you’d spend on most sub-compact cars.
So while we still can’t get a cup of tea out of thin air, we’re a lot closer to it than I ever thought we’d be in my lifetime.
Look, I love robots as a concept. Cats riding around on them while they clean my house. A red & blue semi that protects us from Decepticons. Pudgy maids sassing me as I swallow my three-course breakfast pill before I head off to work in my flying suitcase-car. These are just a couple of the things that excited me about the future as a little kid. MABEL, however, is a little too much T1000, not enough Hedonism-Bot:
That’s right—scientists at the University of Michigan have developed a robot that can outrun the average person. And honestly, it’s not the speed that makes this frightening—it’s the combination of MABEL’s appearance and the ominous sound of “her” metallic legs clanking along as it circles this track.
I’ll file this one under “good idea for someone else, bad idea for me.” As much as I whine about how science has failed us over the last 30 years, I have to admit that when faced with the reality of a (relatively) small, lightweight hovercraft, I’m a bit apprehensive.
Described as being ideal for “aerial cattle herding, search & rescue, surveying, filming, and power line inspection”, Australian Chris Malloy’s Hoverbike is both exciting and terrifying. Mostly exciting; the “terrifying” comes into play when you realize that up to now he’s only built one prototype (shown above), and that anyone who’s willing to pony up the cash for a second one to be built and sold to them must be willing to also take on the responsibility for full-flight air testing and the dangers that entails.
Again—good idea for someone else, bad idea for me.
That said, I really hope that Chris gets the funding he needs to take the next steps in testing and development. This thing looks an awful lot cooler than our current “futuristic” personal transporter.
Seriously? No thanks, Japan. I’m fine with Rosie Jetson, C3PO and R2D2—robots that look like robots. But when it veers into the realm of creepy humanoid/Michael Myers-in-William-Shatner-mask automatons, I get scared. Especially when they giggle like a demure geisha.
OK, so maybe that header is a bit harsh. There’s a new iPhone app called Urban Signals. If you go to the proprietary site, you’ll get a cutesy little demo video of how it works; it basically turns your cell phone into a GPS device that helps point out other single-and-looking folks. At first blush I thought this was way creepy, but then I paused and thought about it and realized that since it’s an opt-in subscriber-driven app, the only people who will show up on your phone’s UI are exactly like you (editorially speaking). So it’s a lot like a less web 1.0 version of Craig’s List’s “Missed Connections” board, with the possibility of a “Casual Encounter” thrown in. So…still creepy, but vaguely consensual.
That said, I could see this blowing up in the faces of the creators of the app when the resulting network is comprised of a) an army of Comic Book Guys pinging b) a much smaller army of kind of cute girls with no self-esteem.
Do you love getting drunk but hate the pukey, headachey morning after? Well, science has, once again, stepped up to the plate! Scientists are now developing a booze substitute that gives you a buzz, but won’t get you totally falling down hammered or give you a hangover. Imagine, those nights of dancing on the bar and waking up next to a complete stranger could be a thing of the past.
As an added bonus, the fake booze will come with an “off” pill, so you can drink up during your lunch break and return to your job as a forklift operator immediately after.
The fake booze is being designed using chemicals related to Valium. It will work like booze on the brain, providing a feeling of relaxation and happiness. Unlike real booze, the impostor version won’t cause mood swings or addiction. Sounds like a win-win I guess. Thanks, science? I just hope fake booze will be as delicious as the original.
While we’re on the subject of fun with booze, my wife and I are going on vacation in May! (Vacation usually involves a fair amount of adult beverage consumption). We are going to Reykjavik, London and Amsterdam! If you have tips on any of these locales (or live there and want to join us for a beer) let me know. I’ve never been to any of these cities so I would love to hear your suggestions on what to do, where to go drinking or where to stay.
P.S. Many thanks to Modern Cat for featuring us today! I know lots of our readers are as crazy for kitties as we are, so take a gander at this kitty related blog. We’re doing a tee giveaway over there too, so be sure to check that out.
our customers
