I, for one, used to love R/C cars when I was a kid. Tyco R/C still has some of the best radio controlled cars, but I wasn’t aware of R/C aircrafts up until a couple of years ago. When I say aircraft I mean helicopters and things with propellers, not airplanes and jetfighters, though NASA has managed to build one of those recently. If you don’t have room for a normal R/C chopper, I recommend you try an ultra-portable infrared version from ThinkGeek.
The mini copters can take off from almost anywhere, even your hand, and circle your entire living room. Everybody is going to be impressed by your flying skills, including your pets, which will most likely chase these things, trying to hunt them down.
You got full control over this miniature flyer, so you can hover and turn left or right as your copter moves slowly forward. The remote can operate on a second channel so you can fly two of these together with a friend. Here’s an extended list of specs:
• Color Cycling Multi-Color LED for Night Flying
• Helicopter is always moving forward slowly
• Body is constructed from injection molded plastic and carbon fiber
• Internal helicopter battery charges from remote control unit
• 15 minute charge time, 5 - 7 minute flight time
• Uses 6AA Batteries (Not Included)
Want to transform one of your rooms into a miniaturized military outpost? Get these copters for about $49.99 directly from ThinkGeek.
Guess you already know about Honda’s ASIMO android and what cool tricks he can perform. Looks like people really want to put the android to work as on May 13, the ASIMO will conduct the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. ASIMO will attempt to perform “Impossible Dreams” in the opening of a special concert in Detroit. With this performance, Honda hopes to attract people’s attention on the DSO’s music education programs.
According to Honda spokesmen, ASIMO will demonstrate its unique capabilities for hundreds of area school children at 10:45 a.m, May 14 prior to a specially arranged master class in Orchestra Hall, where a select group of music students will receive personal music instruction from Yo-Yo Ma. In attendance will be students from the Detroit School of Arts (DSA), Detroit Renaissance and Cass Technical high schools, as well as from schools across metro Detroit and Windsor, Canada.
Currently, ASIMO is being used to encourage and inspire young students to consider studies in math and science. Honda thinks that the addition of music education to ASIMO’s repertoire is a natural extension of these efforts.
Hmmm, the Japanese also integrated some hi-fi sonic receiver into ASIMO? Otherwise, how exactly does the android hear the music? If they just program it to conduct, than that’s no big deal after all. Hey Honda, how about some technical explanations?
The Star Wars defense program initiated by the US army seemed weird at first. OK, the Russian, the Arabs and the Koreans could have launched some nuclear missiles but that was more or less taken care of in the past few years. Just recently, I’ve come to understand that the Star Wars program could actually be designed to rid us of alien invasions or meteorite threats. Yeah, OK, I’ve read too much sci-fi, I admit. But the possibility remains and here’s some proof that I’m not actually that loony.
I don’t know if you got to read Arthur C. Clarke’s “Earthlight” sci-fi novel. Anyhow, the 1955 novel climaxes in a battle between some lunar fortress and three attacking spacecraft. At the height of the battle, the defending commander unleashes “The Stiletto”, which resembles “a solid bar of light” and pierces one spacecraft “as an entomologist pierces a butterfly with a pin.” Additionally, the Stiletto is more of “a jet of molten metal, hurled through space at several hundred kilometers per second by the most powerful electro-magnets ever built.” Neat penetrating ray missile thingy!
Remember Pentagon’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)? One of their projects actually aims at turning “the Stiletto” into a real weapon. Now, the “Star Wars” denomination doesn’t seem that far-fetched anymore, does it?
DARPA’s version of “the Stiletto” is called MAHEM - Magneto Hydrodynamic Explosive Munition. It’s supposed to use magnetic fields that will propel either a narrow jet of molten metal or a chunk of molten metal that morphs into an aerodynamic slug during flight. Unlike Clarke’s “Stiletto”, the molten jets will be projected by a device that generates a powerful electromagnetic field from an explosion, not giant electr-magnets..
For now, MAHEM is supposed to be carried by a warhead: “MAHEM could be packaged into a missile, projectile or other platform and delivered close to target for final engagement and kill,” says DARPA. MAHEM would apparently be useful against tanks and other missiles, but I reckon it could also work swell against meteorites and alien spaceships.
What is it with watches and robots these days? I mean not a single day goes by without seeing some new watch model or gizmo robot. I figured you’ve seen enough watch concepts and turned my attention towards an interesting robotic design.
Festo is a company known for it Air Ray concept – an inflatable R/C controlled Manta Ray that flies around flapping its fins. The guys from Festo have recently developed yet another ocean-inspired robot – the mechanized jellyfish. In fact, they have developed two versions: the AquaJelly and the AirJelly. Festo claims that the AquaJelly is “an artificial autonomous jellyfish with an electric drive and an intelligent, adaptive mechanical system.” The interesting part is that several of these robots can autonomously work together using a communication system comprised of Zigbee short-range radio on the surface and LEDs when underwater.
AirJelly takes on a different approach. This is a remote controlled device that can glide through the air using a helium-filled ballonet, a central electric drive and an intelligent, adaptive mechanical system.
In addition, AquaJelly is already prepared for an aquatic project involving the study of real-life jellyfish. I don’t know how practical these robots can get, but they sure are interesting to watch in action. Here’s the AirJelly in all its glory.
If you thought Sennheiser got all the best headphones in the world, you might want to take a look (and maybe tune your ear) at Ideazon’s Banshee headphones.
The metalized finish sure adds to the artistic impression, but these headphones are practical too, with a dual suspension and an open air design. If you are pretty picky (like I am) when it comes to ear, you’ll be pleased to know that Banshee offers “sweat-less” velour ear cushions, so you can wear these as much as you like… you might as well forget you are wearing them. To further prove they are as comfortable as they can get, the Banshee headphones incorporate an ergonomic design and are light weight so you can game for hours and your ears won’t fall off.
Hey, this is no design contest! Give us some tech specs! Alright, let’s see what we got on sonic stuff. Banshee provides a wide frequency spectrum of 20hz - 20khz. The speakers are 40 mm in diameter, offering a 32 ohms impedance. But the best is still to come: in-line sound controls, gold plated connectors and stereo adaptor. Not to mention you also get a detachable stereo microphone so you can mock your friends when you give it to them good in UT3.
How about that Sennheiser? Well, maybe you got all this stuff, but not at this price! Banshee sets you back only $69.99 .
