Posts tagged FutureTech at Switched

Posts with tag FutureTech

World's First Personal Roller Coaster

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 1st 2008 at 8:28AM

Those positively fed up with lengthy lines for coasters at amusement parks will likely dig the concept here. Evento's BuzzBall is essentially a personal roller coaster, which reportedly features a "single seat inside a large outer ball that's able to spin and roll independently of the ball itself" alongside a pair of electric motors used to power it. Better still, you don't even need a hill to ride, just a wide open field (or a road, if you're the daredevil type) to frolic in.

As it stands, the BuzzBall is simply a prototype waiting to flourish, but it sure looks like this company is serious about selling at least a few to those with enough resources (you know, cash and spare time) to enjoy it. [Source: BuzzBall via OhGizmo]

Airbus Unveils Carbon Fiber Plane

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 12:40PM

You know that weird, checkered material you see used in cars, bikes, and sporting gear? It's called carbon fiber, and it's super light. Now, Airbus has rolled out its newest plane, made mostly of the material. The result, though still not quite friendly-skies-friendly, could become the way forward for an airline industry suffering from high oil prices and extensive financial problems.

"Making wings out of carbon fiber cuts the fuel consumption by at least 20%," said Dave Phipps, head of Airbus' carbon fiber research department at Filton, UK. "It's a revolutionary technology. It is so much lighter, and yet just as strong and just as safe."

The tech has been in the works for over two decades – mainly for safety concerns. "Dealing with lightning strikes is much harder," says Professor Philip Lawrence, aviation expert at the University of the West of England. "Every time you cut a hole to fit electronics the structure of the wing is affected and joins between metal and carbon fiber can be tricky."

Which leads us to our closing and rather delicious pun: If the technology takes off, it could be lightning in a bottle for the airline biz. [Source: BBC]

Hi-Tech Car Reads Road Signs and Tells You the Speed Limit

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 26th 2008 at 9:17AM

File under: Good Ideas.

In the UK, Vauxhall is launching a new car armed with a high-speed camera, which shoots 30 still pictures every second and then uses image recognition software to identify speed limit signs -- essentially, reading road signs for you, and alerting you to changes in the speed limit.

The camera is mounted on the inside of the windshield behind the rear view mirror. When a sign is detected, the data is sent to the dashboard display, which shows the speed limit right next to the car's current speed.
When the speed limit changes, the car warns the driver with an alert sound. (File that last part under: Annoying Ideas.)

Vauxhall is owned by American carmaker GM, so don't be surprised if the tech filters into some US models sometime in the near future.

[Source: Daily Mail]

E-Ink Newspapers Could Be Widespread By Late Next Year

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 25th 2008 at 12:26PM

Yeah, quite a few rags out there have already diverted at least some of their efforts to the electronic press, but according to E Ink's Ryosuke Kuwata, the trend is set to explode in late 2009. Said VP, who is currently in charge of market development, admitted that some newspapers in Japan, America and Europe are all looking to make the move to e-paper in the not-too-distant future.

He also stated that "verification tests" (trials, we presume) would be starting up "using several thousands of terminals by the end of 2008," and that the company would "gradually shift to a specific business in the second half of 2009." Reading the local headlines on e-paper, scooting to the market in a flying vessel and showing up to work by flipping on a hologram transmitter. Meatloaf always said two out of three wasn't bad.

Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo Will Take to the Air Later this Year

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jun 10th 2008 at 5:16PM

While much of the attention surrounding Virgin Galactic's race to space tourism has surrounded its SpaceShipTwo, word has come that carrier ship WhiteKnightTwo will rollout in late July, and after some ground tests, take to the skies by September.

With this rollout come some new details about the composite, twin-boom mothership, which Virgin Galactic is selling as an "open architecture" that it is clearly open to pimping for other applications. Says Prez Will Whitehorn, "WhiteKnightTwo is the world's most advanced payload carrier (a plane from which another vehicle/vessel takes off). It has the best fuel efficiency of any aircraft ever built in history. It is the world's first 100% carbon composite aircraft." Virgin Galactic is even looking into using WhiteKnightTwo as a forest fire water bomber with its payload capacity.

Nonetheless, we care because the giant ship that will carry rich people to space at $200,000 a pop is going to be flying by September. Press passes please? [Source: USAToday]

Inflatable Cars That Withstand Crashes and Fold Up for Storage

by Tim Stevens, posted Jun 4th 2008 at 8:43AM

Are Inflatable Cars the Future of Transport?

People have been trying all sorts of novel ideas to power cars lately, but regardless of how many batteries or fuel cells you shove into them, it's hard to call a thing that weighs two tons and carries just one person around "efficient." For this reason, many companies aren't focusing so much on changing the way cars are powered, but instead are changing the way they're constructed, adding efficiency through lightness. One such company is XP Vehicles, which is working on a line of cars that aren't made of metal; they're made of air.

Yes, where a typical dealer delivery of a new car involves peeling off stickers and filling up the tank, delivery of one of these would require some compressed air and a quick charge for the electric cars' battery packs. The body is made of the same sort of material used by NASA to cushion the landing of the Mars rovers on rocky soil, so it should stand up to daily use and even minor fender-benders without incident. The company even indicates you can deflate and fold up some of their models for storage!

Right now, it's all sounding pretty conceptual, with no actual models on display and no clue of how much such a car would cost. So, this may all be hot air, but if the claims of a 2,500 mile range on a single charge turn out to be true, then a car powered by electricity and made of lightweight fabrics could revolutionize modern transport. [Source: XP Vehicles, via Ubergizmo]

Update: Looks like we didn't read the FAQ close enough. The company is targeting to be able to release cars for under $10,000.

The Future of Tennis, According to Lacoste

by Peter Mychalcewycz, posted May 23rd 2008 at 11:19AM

How would we describe Lacoste's vision of the future of tennis? Hmmm. Here goes...

Imagine your favorite tennis player. Now toss in a pinch of 'Robocop,' a dash of P Diddy's white party, and a whole bunch of 'Tron.' Mix this all together and you will start to have an idea of what Lacoste has cooked up.

Lacoste's vision, set 75 years in the future (in honor of Lacoste's 75th-anniversary) is a technopile's dream. It is also, generally speaking, just plain cool. The futuristic player prototype wears motorcycle-racing-inspired boots, body armor, and wields a retractable laser green racquet. Sweet. All of the aforementioned gear is predominantly white (a vintage Lacoste touch). This description gives you an idea of what to expect, but you truly need to experience the video of said prototype running and diving around like Pete Sampras on crack to truly appreciate this marriage of sport and technology.

Is this the future of tennis? We hope so. And we haven't even seen the ladies' outfits yet. [Source: DVICE].

New Lunar Rover Could Build Roads On the Moon

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Mar 27th 2008 at 3:03PM

If you've been wondering what your tax dollars are being spent on over at NASA just take a quick look at this video. The new lunar rover, dubbed Chariot because astronauts ride it while standing on the back, is getting put through its paces at the Lunar Yard at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

The six-wheeled Chariot tops out at 20-miles-per-hour and can accept a range of interchangeable attachments, including plows and drills. Scientists have so far been happy with the results, and say it has had no problem handling the moon-like loose surface at the Lunar Yard, which is a good thing since the Chariot is designed to one day build roads or drill for minerals on moon's surface.

Even though the first build has exceeded the engineers expectations, it will undergo further improvements, including wheels that can move up or down independently of one another for greater agility and a smoother ride.

From Engadget and New Scientist

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Audeo Neckband Translates Your Thoughts Into Speech

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Mar 13th 2008 at 1:32PM

Who wants to waste energy speaking words when just thinking about speaking will do? Audeo -- a neckband that detects nerve impulses sent to the larynx -- will help you do just that. The techo-accessory has previously been demonstrated controlling a motorized wheel chair, but now the scientists behind the device have added "voiceless" speech to its repetoire of tricks.

Ambient Corporation demonstrated a phone conversation where one side of the discussion was not spoken but thought, then converted words and vocalized by a computer. The Audeo could prove to be a boon not only for those who have lost the ability to speak, but those who simply don't want to discuss sensitive or private matters out-loud in public, since presumably one could just think of something and evenutally send it in an e-mail or text message.

The current model only understands 150 English-language different words, and suffers from a noticeable delay between thought and vocalizations.

Don't worry about your secret thoughts getting accidentally transcribed, however, since the device requires a "level above thinking" according to Ambient co-founder Michael Callahan, to actually translate into speech. In other words, you'd have to specifically think about speaking specific sentences for them to get vocalized or transcribed.

Ambient is working on a next gen model already that will have a vocalization engine based on phonemes that will give the device an unlimited vocabulary, but will come at the cost of even slower performance. Check out the video for a demonstration.

From NewScientist (via Engadget)

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Microsoft's New Image-Based Face Search

by Evan Shamoon, posted Mar 6th 2008 at 8:03AM

In yet another sign that we are becoming worryingly calculating in our search for love, behold Microsoft's new patent, which it's calling Image-Based Face Search. If and when it hits the market, the new app will allow the upload of an image of a face a user considers to be "hot" to a dating service, then automatically determine the closest visual matches in the local area.

So, like, if you think Kate on 'Lost' is hot, and you upload her picture to so-and-so Web site, and it brings up a bunch of local ladies who look like Kate (sorta, in the right light, from the right angle, and after six beers)....you get the idea.

Sweet.

From Geeksugar

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Senior Citizens Like Robo-Dogs As Much As Real Dogs

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Feb 28th 2008 at 6:07PM

Pets (dogs, in particular) have long been used to alleviate feelings of loneliness and depression in nursing home residents. But not robots, at least until now. Researchers in St. Louis, Missouri, conducted a study of 38 senior citizens in a nursing homes. The residents were divided into three groups.... The first group was regularly visited by Sparky, an adorable floppy eared mutt. The second group got to spend time with AIBO, the now discontinued robot dog from Sony, while the third group had no visits from flesh, blood, fur, plastic or gears.

Logic would lead you to believe that the real dog would bring significantly more comfort to each of the residents, and that they would develop a stronger attachment to Sparky. Even the researchers clearly expected this result. Surprisingly, the AIBO was shown to be just as effective at alleviating loneliness and the participants grew just as attached to robotic mutt as they did to the living, breathing version.

As an added bonus, the robotic dogs require much less care and attention than a live animal. So senior citizens who are too physically or mentally frail to properly care for a pet can still obtain some of the benefits of companionship, without the worry of neglecting an animal.

Hey, it might seem kind of strange or funny, but in Japan, much of the bleeding-edge robotic innovation is focused solely on creating "helpers" for the elderly. Who knew it could be done so cheaply with a plastic dog lik AIBO?

From AOL News/Reuters

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Amphibious Car Can Drive Itself On Land or In the Water

by Ian Rowan, posted Feb 19th 2008 at 7:21PM

Admittedly inspired by James Bond's amphibious Lotus Esprit in 'The Spy Who Loved Me,' the Rinspeed sQuba one ups the ante by actually working, and well.

To be announced next month by the creative genius and Rinspeed big boss Frank Rinderknecht at the March Geneva Motor Show, the custom-modded Lotus Elise is powered by three electric motors - two to power the twin screws and one to get the zero emission car up to speed on land.

While still on land, the car has another ingenious,Q-like function, which is that of driving itself. Now some might argue that the remote control self-driving feature belongs to the realm of 'Knight Rider,' but we stick with James Bond's techno-whiz Q.

DARPA-Challenge-tested technology is built into the sQuba's futuristic chassis, so that you can remotely guide your car safely to your location during getaway scenarios.

When said getaway demands an aquatic detour, all you have to do is drive into the water, engage the props, affix a mask and oxygen regulator, drive out into the water, and submerge. For maneuvering underwater, the vehicle has two rotating jet exhausts behind the front wheels, which are fed by jet drives that intake from the front grill (see gallery).

So put your waterproof tuxedo on and head to the island casino, 007.

From Autoblog

Gallery: Rinspeed sQuba

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When Exposed to Sunlight, These Clothes Clean Themselves

by Will Safer, posted Feb 12th 2008 at 4:22PM

Could this mean the end of laundry day? Textile scientists in Australia and Hong Kong have developed a special coating for fabrics made of titanium dioxide nanoparticles that actually cause the fabric to self-clean when exposed to sunlight.

Besides the obvious benefit of less time spent doing laundry, the new fabric could also mean less water used to wash clothes and less detergent being washed down drains -- both of which are good for the environment.

When hit by direct sunlight, the nanoparticles -- specifically Keratins, a class of biologically fibrous proteins -- begin to interact with oxygen in the air, breaking down stains and dirt. According to a report on the scientists' findings in the science journal Chemistry of Materials, red-wine stains on pieces of wool started to fade within a few minutes of exposure to light and had all but vanished within a day (see the time-elapsed test here).

Supposedly, the nanoparticle coating does not affect the feel of treated clothing, but it may make the clothing less durable over time. It could take about five years to refine the technology to make it ready for wide distribution and use.

Note: This does not mean you can stop bathing -- an important caveat, especially for the Switched.com interns.

From The Daily Mail.

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Underwater Robot Glider Harvests Ocean Heat

by Evan Shamoon, posted Feb 12th 2008 at 9:02AM

The future is awesome!

U.S. scientists are testing a robotic glider that harvests heat energy from the ocean ... and guess what? It works.

The yellow, torpedo-shaped machine has been combing the depths of seas around the Caribbean since the end of last year (covering thousands of miles in the process), and has just returned home to roost.

The team behind glider glider believes that battery-free wonder could undertake oceanographic surveys for up to six months at a time.

"We are tapping a virtually unlimited energy source for propulsion," said Dave Fratantoni of the Wood's Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOi). A bit of rain came upon this parade courtesy of Steve McPhail, an expert in autonomous underwater vehicles at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Southampton, who said that the machine would not do away with batteries completely, despite the scientists' optimism.

"You still need to provide power for the sensors, for the data-logging system and for the satellite communications system to get the data back," he said. Meaning, essentially, that the vehicle would have to return to a ship (or to shore) every so often to recharge its batteries.

"It's always a trade-off between the power used for the propulsion system and the power used for the sensors," said McPhail.

Something we can all relate to, certainly.

From BBC

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Flying Hotel to Cart Passengers Around In Luxury -- at 18,000 Feet

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Feb 4th 2008 at 3:25PM

Long-haul airships got a bad reputation after the Hindenburg disaster, but French designer Jean-Marie Massaud seems to think that the secret to resurrecting the flying gas bags is by turning them into luxurious floating hotels. The so-called Manned Cloud, which isn't set to take flight until 2020, will cart 40 passengers around the world at a height of 18,000 feet.

When completed, the flying ship will have 20 bedrooms, a spa, a gym, a library, a bar, and a restaurant -- all crammed into a two-story hanging glass structure that provides panoramic views of the world around you. With a top speed of 105 miles-per-hour the Manned Cloud can circle the globe in 10 days, and cross the U.S. on a single tank of fuel.

According to the designers, the ship will run on some sort of gas, rather than gasoline or diesel, making it a fully-green cruise-ship of the skies.

No price has been announced, but its sure to be a little steep for most. But look on the bright side, at least you'll have the next 12 years to save up for a ticket!

From Daily Mail

Gallery: 'Manned Cloud' Flying Hotel

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World's First Personal Roller Coaster

Airbus Unveils Carbon Fiber Plane

Hi-Tech Car Reads Road Signs and Tells You the Speed Limit

E-Ink Newspapers Could Be Widespread By Late Next Year

Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo Will Take to the Air Later this Year

Inflatable Cars That Withstand Crashes and Fold Up for Storage

The Future of Tennis, According to Lacoste

New Lunar Rover Could Build Roads On the Moon

Audeo Neckband Translates Your Thoughts Into Speech

Microsoft's New Image-Based Face Search

Senior Citizens Like Robo-Dogs As Much As Real Dogs

Amphibious Car Can Drive Itself On Land or In the Water

Gallery: Rinspeed sQuba

When Exposed to Sunlight, These Clothes Clean Themselves

Underwater Robot Glider Harvests Ocean Heat

Flying Hotel to Cart Passengers Around In Luxury -- at 18,000 Feet

Gallery: 'Manned Cloud' Flying Hotel

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