Ahh, I remember the days when a rolled-up newspaper would bring the end to any sort of bug incident. These days, thanks to the popularity of the Dalai Lama and Morrissey, it’s seen as cruel to deliberately end the days of a harmless little insect. That’s why you need one of these insect vacuums, just point and suck to safely trap your new potential best friend. What’s more is that it doesn’t even need power; it uses a special magic called “pneumatics” to do the sucking. At 2,839 Yen (£12/$24.50) it’d be silly not to buy one.
One-day robots will be able to do more than simply dance, but until that time comes let’s just enjoy the moment. Here’s Tokyo University’s new “Promet” robot dancing to a bit of aizu bandaisan.
Solid Alliance has released Tengu, British designer Crispin Jones‘ USB marvel. Tengu is a little device with an LED face capable of showing seven different facial expressions that change if you blow on it. Just like what would happen if you blew on my face! If that doesn’t impress you then play some music to Tengu; it will lip-sync the words, just like on YouTube! Have a look and see what you make of it:
“Transformers, fall apart and make you cry,” we hilariously sung to the transformers motif as kids. I never thought I’d see technology approaching the point where an actual transformer could come to my house and beat the crap out of me for singing that song. It may be small, but it’s a sign of things to come…
Suit specialist, Aoyama, has come up with a way of keeping businessmen cool this undoubtedly hot Japanese summer. Along with the Japan Wool Textile Co. and two other companies, they’ve created a new material that consists mainly of wool, but by enlarging the spaces between the weave, it breathes just like a t-shirt.
“The suit allows 6 times as much air to pass through than a conventional dress shirt, or 180cc per square centimeter per second. ”
Cleaning-obsessed robot fan, Figla, has created the ultimate multi-purpose cleaning machine. When I say ultimate, I really mean a talking vacuum cleaner. Using a combination of its numerous sensors (infrared, gyro, ultrasonic, as well as a normal camera), the machine can detect rubbish while judging uneven surfaces and obstacles. Probably couldn’t avoid a good kick in the pipes though. Although, I don’t know why you’d want to do that, it’s only a poor robot hoover. See it in action and judge for yourself whether or not violence is required.
The Tokyo University of Science proudly showed off their SAYA receptionist robot at a recent robotics forum in Tokyo. Development first began in 1993, and SAYA is now capable of spouting 300 words/700 phrases from what looks like her speaker-bra. However, it’s not just conversation that SAYA has become skilled in. She is now capable of contorting her face into a number of different expressions, including, happy, sad, anger, and surprised. This is done by pulling at different combinations of the 18 control points underneath the skin.
You may have heard of SAYA before now, but I thought it would be a good time to bring her up, as Ben-Gurion University in Israel recently bought SAYA in order to aid the development of their own robotics program. Be amazed as she demonstrates a few of her creepy expressions on Israeli TV:
Jeff spotted this ad the other day. It’s for a new 10-part dollhouse magazine targeted toward adult women with a keen interest in, eh, dollhouses. If you’re excited about this as much as the women in the advert, then check out the publisher’s site.
If you take 9 musicians and stick them up a 20-foot ladder, what do you have? Yup, The Six String Sonics. This oddball lineup consists of 5 guitarists, 2 bassists, 1 drummer, and 1 computer tinkerer.
Take a look at a clip of a live performance from the Liquid Room in Ebisu.
Designed for those who are too lazy/busy to look out the window to see if it’s raining, Asahi Kasei Electronics, has developed the Rain Sensor. Stick the detection unit outside your window or in your garden, and the alarm unit in your house. You’ll then be alerted as soon as a drop of rain happens to fall. Ideal if you’ve hung your washing out to dry I suppose. Watch a video of the sensor in action and imagine that the person’s finger is a big drop of rain.
