This is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen:
Technology
OLED TV0
OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode—a little innovation that changes the way future televisions will be made.
Let’s start with the obvious. Just look at how thin these televisions are:
Electricity and Water0
Water and electricity are a dangerous, often deadly, combination. That’s why I found this picture a bit distressing:
Light for Life0
Many years ago I heard a story about researchers discovering how to make an automobile tire that wouldn’t wear out. I recall thinking that this was the greatest boon to society and the environment that I’d heard of in years.
Then the story simply vanished, possibly assassinated by a giant industry that needs people pay butt-loads of cash for a product that suffers from wear-and-tear.
With that in mind, here is a product that I hope not only lives up to its hype, but won’t be quietly silenced: the Nokero Solar Light Bulb .
This product makes sense. Made of impact-resistant plastic, these lights carry four solar panels and a NiMH rechargeable battery. Five LEDs create the illumination. And, all in the size of a regular old light bulb.
Designed to replace kerosene lamps, this bulb can generate two hours of light per daily charge. In addition to making it easier to see around the ol’ camper, 1.6 billion people around the world still rely on burning fuel for light, which is dangerous and expensive, and environmentally unsound.
From my standpoint, the Nokero bulb would absolutely rock during the many Florida storm days when the electricity gets wiped out. I’ve been through hurricanes where I sat for days in candle-lit rooms, drinking warm beer and eating sandwiches of stale bread and frighteningly melted cheese.
At least with these lights I’d be able to see what I was eating.
See. Even the bull is happy that he can see what he’s eating.
I’m stocking up, and I’m going to keep them right next to my Sidewinder.
by John Barker
Is It Snowing Yet?0
Winter is coming. And, depending on where you live, snow is inevitable. I’ve been lucky in this respect; it rarely snows in Florida (believe it or not, it has snowed a few times in The Sunshine State—but it usually melts upon hitting the ground).
My experiences with snow are primarily related to business trips to Pennsylvania and Michigan. And I went through enough to know that I wouldn’t want to live in those states during the winter.
I find snow to be a pain in the ass, mainly because of all of the work it takes just to start your day – like starting your car half an hour early just to warm it up. Or scraping the windshield just to be able to see. Or shoveling your driveway just to get to the car in the first place.
Which brings me to the I-Shovel. This robot has a three-foot-wide shovel that can plow through snow up to one-inch deep. Fourteen-inch wheels propel the robot— and it operates independently by automatically detecting snow accumulated in the driveway. When it detects enough snow, it comes to life and starts shoveling.
Rechargeable batteries (with optional solar recharging accessory) power the I-Shovel which creates no emissions or noise pollution. Take that, snow blower.
This product is not yet available. But I say, the I-Shovel looks to be a great little device, and they are looking for investors (hint, hint). It has already snowed in Vermont and North Dakota, and where there were tornadoes yesterday, it will be white and flaky before you know it . . .
by John Barker
Name This Tool0
Any guesses?
If you said a jigsaw, you’d be correct. Me? I thought it was a loom or some sort of sewing apparatus.
The device above is a rare Schrofter Brothers jigsaw, patented in February 1876. The one pictured happens to be in working order and is for sale at Union Hill Antique Tools for $1825.
I can’t even tell how it works . . . It appears you either pedal or crank the bottom wheel to drive the belt that in turn moves the blade up and down. But I have a hard time visualizing how this could get fast enough to efficiently cut wood. What I can see clearly are tired arms (or legs) and a few partially chewed through fingers.
And it’s a lot larger than today’s jigsaws. Take the Skil 120-Volt Orbital Jigsaw with Laser, for example:
It’s quite small. With variable speed control, a 4-position orbital cut control, and a laser guided cutline, the Skil Orbital Jigsaw is quite a little cutter. It even has a soft grip handle to comfort the user’s hands.
And note: no pedal/crank device to power the blade. Just good ol’ electricity. Technology is a wonderful thing.
by John Barker
Tool Tip: Chainsaw with a Brain0
This is the Husqvarna 576 XP AutoTune —the world’s first smart chainsaw.
It sports many features, including felling marks (which help to aim the direction of timber fall), a magnesium crankcase, ergonomic handles, and a centrifugal air cleaning system. It also utilizes X-Torq®, a patented system that saves fuel and creates lower exhaust emission levels. To further augment fuel use, the 576 XP also has an oil pump that can adjust flow based on weather conditions and what type of labor you’re using the saw for.
The feature I like best is the ability to keep itself tuned via a sensor that gauges conditions such as outside temperature and internal airflow. The sensor checks these conditions every eight rotations and uses the data to adjust the engine’s fuel/air mix. As a result, there is less user maintenance required to keep the chainsaw in optimal working condition.
It’s a little hard on the wallet, however: $860. But if you’re planning on doing some serious tree chopping, this is the chainsaw you want.
Now if only the chainsaw blade was smart enough to take itself to the nearest hardware store when it needs to be sharpened . . .
by John Barker
The Suits0
See a movie, get inspired to invent?
It hasn’t happened to me, but apparently, that’s how some creative folks get their ideas.
Take the Power Loader from James Cameron’s kickin’ film, Aliens:
Sorry, not a great video, but you get the idea.
Some guy has actually invented a version of this thing—which is the point of this article. But before I get into that, let me point out some details concerning the true operational nature of the Power Loader from the Aliens film. According to stason.org, based on information gleaned from the Collector’s DVD of Aliens:
“…the loader is part real, part fake. The actual loader is real, but has an external power supply. Since the loader is extremely heavy, it is supported by cables (sic) which are masked out for the final print. A power loader was on display at the Boston Museum of Science as part of a special effects exhibit. This power loader was worked by a person inside, behind and below the actor, that is with their legs down in the power-loader’s legs and their torso in the power-loader’s back. Different constructs of the power loader were used depending on the action it had to perform in front of the camera.”
In reality, the film version looks like this:
I see a face-plant in that poor guy’s future.
Then some other guy (pronounced “Go Shirogauchi”) goes and makes the real thing.
- Activelink chief engineer Go Shirogauchi wearing the robotic exoskeleton inspired by Aliens / Activelink Source: Reuters
Now that’s quite a suit—though I wouldn’t wear it to a high-end restaurant. I’d never be able to find a tie that would match.
Developed for disaster relief scenarios, this sucker can lift over 100kg (220 lbs.).
But it’s quite heavy. 230kg (485 lbs.), to be precise. Something tells me it would walk around like the rickety movie version shown at that conference in the video above—if it could walk at all.
The unit utilizes 18 electromagnetic motors to carry “force-feedback” to the user, which allow for more precise control. Interchangeable parts allow the unit to be used in a variety of situations, with emphasis on construction.
And the concept is great. But…
Yeah…
Um… I don’t see this sucker walkin’ anywhere. And no amount of high-tech bounty hunter deadeye crosshair graphics are gonna save this thing from looking like a gallon of just plain ol’ suck.
It looks like a robot’s grandmother with a person stuck in it.
Of course I’m just being a bit mean. I’m not saying that there’s no potential. The goal is to have this thing up and going by 2015, which leaves plenty of time to get it off of it’s walker and into a Bingo parlor.
Realistically, five years is a long enough developmental period to have the Power Loader fully functional—and I hope it is. The concept presented in Aliens was a good one. And if Shirogauchi and his team get the real thing up and running by 2015—well, I’ll stand in line to try it out.
I just don’t want to fight a giant queen alien with it. . .
by John Barker
Latch Key Cook0
Mom and Dad not home? Nobody to make dinner for you? Well, come on down to the FIY Robot Emporium and pick up a Motoman SDA10 Robot!
Okay, actually we don’t sell this robot. It’s a prototype, designed by YASKAWA Electric Corporation to show the possibilities of robots in home and commercial applications.
Introduced in 2008 at the International Next-Generation Robot Fair in Osaka, Japan, the Motoman SDA10 is just under 5’ tall. It has 15 joints, making it quite versatile for both kitchen and factory applications.
In the picture above, Motoman makes Okonomiyaki, a savory pancake that is a comfort soul food to the Japanese, sort of like the fried chicken or meatloaf is to Americans.
The Motoman uses speech recognition technology to take orders from customers. Then, the robot is able to mix the batter, pour it into the pan, flip it, transfer it to plate, and serve it with condiments. Ingredients can include bacon, port, green onion, cheese, and a wide variety of vegetables.
Sounds like a perfect after school snack for the kiddies. And I wouldn’t mind at all coming home from work and having some ready for dinner.
I’m sure it could be programmed to make other items such as omelets—or just plain ol’ pancakes with syrup.
Odds are good that stuff like this will show up in our houses within the next 20 years. And I’m okay with that. I’ll take some delicious Okonomiyaki for breakfast when I’m getting up waaaayyyy too early to contemplate cooking.
Breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner – leave it to the Motoman.
by John Barker
Solar Ivy1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-o/2322313969/sizes/o/in/photostream/
Wikipedia tells us that ivy, a common climbing or ground creeping evergreen plant, comes in 15 species.
Perhaps we should update the article with a 16th variety: Solar Ivy.
Manufactured by New York-based SMIT (Sustainably Minded Interactive Technology), Solar Ivy is inspired by natural ivy which grows beautifully on the sides of buildings, even though vertical surfaces do not generally capture the strongest sun of the day.
In nature, individual ivy leaves tilt and angle so that they can gather enough solar energy to flourish. Solar ivy seeks to mimic the quality of the leaves and expand the potential of solar energy onto the currently unused sides of buildings.
Solar ivy is a lightweight customizable system in which individual leaves are attached to a wire grid based on a computer analysis of how to capture the maximum sunlight in a particular environment. The solar leaves are angled to avoid shading each other and can be used on their own or in conjunction with a rooftop solar system.
According to SMIT, 4000 leaves would generate around 10 kilowatt-hours of energy each day. That’s about 1/3 of a home’s power usage—and would save quite a bit of cash for the homeowner in the long run.
Solar Ivy will be available for preorder in 2011. The cost varies based on the size of the building—but it looks to be between $10 to $15 per “leaf.”
by John Barker
