IRON FIST: A German built robot hand was created for robustness. Collisions with hard objects don't do it any harm. The size and shape of a human hand, it uses 38 Dyneema tendons for motion. It has 19 degrees of freedom and can move the fingers independently, even snapping them.
Actuation and spring mechanisms mean the hand can absorb kinetic energy. Ok, we already have robot football, soon it'll be robot boxing. More at IEEE and video on YouTube.
INTERNET SERVICE UNPLUGGER: There's trouble in Egypt, so the Egyptian Government issued an order for ISPs to shut down service. All it took was for each ISP to change a configuration setting or pull a cable out and 80 million people were offline. 3,500 routes were shut down in minutes, although one ISP remained online. Now the people are using ham radio, dial-up to an overseas ISP and phonecalls to communicate with the outside world. Communication is like water: it will always find a way. More at Gizmodo.
MOVIES ON THE MOVE: Over in South Korea they're testing out LTE-Advanced - a superfast mobile network that can download a 700MB movie in 9.3 seconds. That about 40 times faster than 3G. How many commutes will it take to watch that one movie though? More at Engadget.
THOSE LAZY DUMB CARS: Why do drivers have to do all the work? Surely cars and other vehicles should be smart these days, and able to warn the driver or even take action themselves when hazards appear. Ford want to make use of WiFi and GPS - features already available in smartphones - to have cars 'talk' to each other. Sudden braking or moving into a blind spot could be triggers for a driver alert. "Watch out: I think my driver's a bit tipsy!" "Tell me about it. Mine had an argument before leaving home." Details at DVice and video on YouTube.
USE LESS MESSAGE: Scientists at the University of Cambridge did a few sums. They calculated that 73% of global energy use could be saved by changes in how we insulate buildings, reducing water temperatures for things like washing machines, and other efficiency measures. It's simple economics: make the most of what you've got. More at NewScientist.
- Miraz Jordan knowit.co.nz
The 'Super Robust Robot Hand.' Photo / Supplied
IRON FIST: A German built robot hand was created for robustness. Collisions with hard objects don't do it any harm. The size and shape of a human hand, it uses 38 Dyneema tendons for motion. It has 19 degrees of freedom and can move the fingers independently, even snapping them.
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