There has been a lot of talk about the potential of drones. Now there is Hex, a new Kickstarter project that aims to bring the technology and opportunities that drones afford to anyone.
MakerBot’s 3D scanner scheduled to arrive mid-October for $1,400
Digitizer 3D scanner
MakerBot’s seemingly-magical Digitizer 3D scanner will ship by mid-October and will cost $1,400. Shoppers can add an additional $150 for “MakerCare” a warranty service and support program. The Digitizer is essentially a CAD modeler and duplicator rolled up into one when paired with MakerBot’s Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printers.
Continue reading… “MakerBot’s 3D scanner scheduled to arrive mid-October for $1,400”
Sprayable Energy: A topical energy spray for absorbing caffeine through your skin
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgSHTfSOOVw[/youtube]
Thiel fellowBen Yu and Deven Soni believe there is a $45 billion market up for grabs. Instead of looking to attack the market with another consumable drink they have come up with a sprayable form of caffeine that you absorb through your skin.
Dust cloud from Russian meteor explosion lingered in the atmosphere for months
In February, a meteor exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. Pieces of the bus-sized space rock hit the ground while its detonation shattered windows, set off car alarms and injured more than 1,000 people.
Continue reading… “Dust cloud from Russian meteor explosion lingered in the atmosphere for months”
Florida to test drones in the battle against mosquitoes
Drone packing a shortwave infrared camera to find the pools where larvae are
Mosquitoes are a big problem that plagues the world. We have recently seen a sticker that will render the wearer invisible to mosquitoes. Now, Florida, the paradise of marshy wetlands i.e. mosquito breeding grounds, is gearing up for an experiment involving aerial drones to fight mosquitoes.
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SpaceX Grasshopper rocket successfully takes off and lands vertically
The Grasshopper rocket that you see in action in the video above is is a 10-story high test rocket that successfully completed its first test flight as part of the Space X project, taking off from a test field in Texas. The rocket can maneuver itself sideways and stay in place in the air 250 meters from ground level, before making a safe return to the launch platform by touching down vertically, too – thanks to its quartet of hydraulic-controlled steel and aluminum landing legs.
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Martin Aircraft commercial jetpack is scheduled to arrive in 2014
Martin Aircraft jetpack
Martin Aircraft claims it will have a jetpack ready for sale starting next year. NPR talked with Martin Aircraft CEO Peter Coker to get the details on the jetpack, which is expected to fly as high as 8,000 feet and hit ground speeds of 35 miles per hour. Unfortunately, it’s a bit big to call a pack and it’s not technically a jet, but let’s not bother ourselves with semantics when the future is at our doorstep. (Video)
Continue reading… “Martin Aircraft commercial jetpack is scheduled to arrive in 2014”
Researchers develop short-range wireless communication between battery-free devices
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX9cbxLSOkE[/youtube]
Engineers at the University of Washington have developed a new “ambient backscatter” wireless communication scheme that allows two devices to communicate with each other by reflecting ambient TV and cellular transmissions — batteries not required.
Researchers levitate nanoscale diamonds with a laser beam
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPHJyaUDiVI[/youtube]
University of Rochester researchers recently demonstrated how beams of light can actually levitate nanoscale diamonds. And while they’re not actually suggesting that we construct a light-driven hoverboard made of the precious gems, the things we might be able to do with floating diamonds are pretty cool in their own right.
Continue reading… “Researchers levitate nanoscale diamonds with a laser beam”
National Geographic uses robots to photograph lions
National Geographic has always been know to take stunning photographs of wildlife. Now a pair of new robotic assistants, currently at work for National Geographic, are taking the lion’s share of the risk away from photographers.
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Spiri: A programmable quadcopter lets developers focus on building airborne apps
Spiri is a programmable quadcopter that’s been designed as a platform for airborne app creation. It’s also autonomous, meaning you don’t have to have mad piloting skills yourself just to test whether your neighbor spy app works. And even if your neighbor gets annoyed and throws a rock at it, Spiri can take a few knocks (thanks to reinforced carbon fiber ribbon protecting its body/blades).
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Robot plants can learn how to grow just like the real thing
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GALHb-b5060[/youtube]
Soon, plants may have robotic counterparts. Barbara Mazzolai from the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa and colleagues tips that grow by unwinding material and a mechanism to reduce friction when penetrating the soil. The artificial system will be equipped to detect gravity, water, temperature, touch, pH, nitrate and phosphate.
Continue reading… “Robot plants can learn how to grow just like the real thing”
