HOME BOT: Armar-III is learning how to load a dishwasher, how to recognise objects such as books and how to talk with humans. Armar is a humanoid robot at the University of Karlsruhe. It uses Proprioceptive Learning which engages all of its sensors to detect and classify objects. Cameras look at colour, shape and size, while tactile sensors measure features such as softness and microphones pick up sounds. Household helper robots need all these skills and more. Start writing up the job descriptions and contracts. More at PlasticPals and video on YouTube.
IN THE BLOCK WHERE YOU LIVE: We all know that streets run along the ground. Not the vertical street to be built in Melbourne, Australia though. The 35 story building will have gardens on every 6th floor, with 5 high-rise communal gardens. Structural supports will hold the weight of the soil, windows will reflect heat and even the sides of the building will collect rainwater. The building will be completed by 2014, and will house shops, apartments and offices. So the trick will be to get work at a firm whose offices are in your apartment building. Fill a city with these streets and we'll need flying taxis too. More at NewScientist.
LEND YOUR EYES: VizWiz is an iPhone app that gets humans to quickly answer questions for blind people. The blind person takes a photo of something - perhaps cans of cooking ingredients - and records an audio question only a human could answer, such as "Which one is the Coconut Milk?". The questions are routed through Amazon's Mechanical Turk service and a useful response comes within a minute or so. Humans still excel at intelligence. More at NewScientist.
OUT OF THE GAIT: At Georgia Tech Research Institute in the USA researchers are using radar to detect whether or not an individual has concussion. The radar is able to determine the velocity of a person's foot kicks, head and torso movements. Software analyses the pattern of movements in the gait and indicate when the walker may be impaired by alcohol or concussion. This could be of great value on a sports or battlefield. Or between the bar and the carpark. Details at GTResearchNews and video on YouTube.
DID YOU MEAN SHOPPING?: Ford and Google are getting together to make cars smarter. The car will make an encrypted copy of your driving routes and habits then tap into Google's Prediction API to guess at and optimise your future trips. It may choose a suitable route, adjust the powertrain and improve fuel efficiency. Still just a theory, it is an actual project. Doing for driving what Google's spelling correction has done for search. More at Wired.
- Miraz Jordan knowit.co.nz
Tech Universe: Thursday 19 May
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.