Lizard-inspired robot can swim through granular material

Lizard-inspired robot can swim through granular material: "

When the sandfish lizard wishes to escape predators, it can actually dive beneath the surface of the sand, and then swim through it. Inspired by the sandfish, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created an undulating robot that can likewise swim through a granular medium. While that medium has so far consisted of quarter-inch plastic balls in a lab setting, the team hopes that their robot – or one of its descendants – could someday be used to tunnel through debris to rescue earthquake victims...
Continue Reading Lizard-inspired robot can swim through granular material

Tags: Biomimicry,
Disasters,
Earthquake,
Georgia Tech,
Robots



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"

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Lubricheck will let drivers know when their oil needs changing

Lubricheck will let drivers know when their oil needs changing: "

Imagine if every time you bought a pair of socks, you automatically threw them out after six months, regardless of their condition. While you would certainly always have newer socks, you would also likely end up throwing away quite a few pairs that could have lasted a while longer. When it comes to changing the oil in our vehicles, most of us do take the “every X miles” approach, however, as there’s no easy way of telling if that oil really needs to be changed ... or is there? The designers of Lubricheck claim that their device will save money and minimize discarded oil, by analyzing samples of engine oil and letting drivers know if it’s still good...
Continue Reading Lubricheck will let drivers know when their oil needs changing

Tags: Car Care,
Engine,
Maintenance,
Oil



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"

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Rand McNally's TripMaker RVND 5510 GPS tailored for RVs

Rand McNally's TripMaker RVND 5510 GPS tailored for RVs: "

With RV's generally used to take their drivers off their beaten tracks, a GPS is pretty much an essential piece of kit on the dash of such vehicles. Aside from dealing with unfamiliar routes, RV drivers also face their own specific route requirements that drivers of smaller vehicles don't have to deal with – as any RV driver who has found themselves at the end of a dead end road and having to carry out a 27 point turn will attest to. While there are a number of GPS units designed for larger vehicles, including trucks, Rand McNally says its new TripMaker RVND 5510 is the first GPS navigation device designed specifically for RVers. ..
Continue Reading Rand McNally's TripMaker RVND 5510 GPS tailored for RVs

Tags: GPS,
Navigation,
Recreational vehicle,
Travel



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"

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Firebird intelligence gathering aircraft makes pilots an optional extra

Firebird intelligence gathering aircraft makes pilots an optional extra: "

Although the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as Global Hawk and Raven for military information gathering has increased sharply in the last decade due to the maturation and miniaturization of enabling technologies, conventional piloted aircraft can still be a better option depending on the mission at hand. Northrop Grumman has unveiled a new intelligence gathering aircraft called the Firebird that falls into the category of an Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) with its ability to be flown robotically or with a human pilot on board...
Continue Reading Firebird intelligence gathering aircraft makes pilots an optional extra

Tags: Aircraft,
Military,
Northrop Grumman,
Reconnaissance,
Surveillance,
UAS,
UAV



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"

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The Radiopool Thereglyph: a poor man's Theremin made from a talking dinosaur game

The Radiopool Thereglyph: a poor man's Theremin made from a talking dinosaur game: "

Ever since a chance encounter with the new soundscape produced by a short-circuited toy amplifier in the 1960s, Reed Ghazala has been randomly exploring audio generation in compromised electronic devices such as talking games and toys. He has written a book on the subject, teaches others to bend circuits, and has created experimental instruments for many well-known artists including Tom Waits and Peter Gabriel. His latest work started life as an educational dinosaur game – which was broken apart, rewired and rebuilt, and then introduced to a plasma globe to become the Radiopool Thereglyph...
Continue Reading The Radiopool Thereglyph: a poor man's Theremin made from a talking dinosaur game

Tags: Electronics,
Music,
Synthesizer



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"

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iPhly lets users fly RC airplanes using their iPhone

iPhly lets users fly RC airplanes using their iPhone: "

Part of flying radio-controlled model airplanes involves using big, expensive handheld control units. In the same way that iPhones are taking the place of things like debit machines, cycling computers and meat thermometers, however, a new iPhone/iPod touch system could also make such controllers ... well, perhaps not a thing of the past, but no longer a necessity, either. It's called iPhly, and it's just about to hit the market.
..
Continue Reading iPhly lets users fly RC airplanes using their iPhone

Tags: Aircraft,
Flying,
iPhone,
Radio Control



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"

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Suntour Swing Shock brings suspension to commuter bikes

Suntour Swing Shock brings suspension to commuter bikes: "

OK, so you’ve got the single-speed, skinny-tired messenger-style bike for bombing around town while also looking hip ... that’s a good start, but what piece of functional bling can you add to further identify it as the urban assault vehicle that it is? Well, the folks at SR Suntour would probably tell you to swap your old school rigid fork for their Swing Shock suspension fork for commuter bikes. Depending on whether you’re more of a gadget-lover or a purist, you’ll either think it’s clever, or an abomination...
Continue Reading Suntour Swing Shock brings suspension to commuter bikes

Tags: Bicycles,
Suspension



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"

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Bee venom used to create ultra-sensitive explosives sensor

Bee venom used to create ultra-sensitive explosives sensor: "

Not only do bees play a vital role in agriculture by pollinating plants, but it now turns out that they may help keep us from getting blown up. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have shown that bombolitins, which are protein fragments found in bee venom, can be used to detect single molecules of nitro-aromatic explosives such as TNT. If used in sensors at locations such as airports, those sensors would be much more sensitive than those currently in use...
Continue Reading Bee venom used to create ultra-sensitive explosives sensor

Tags: Explosives,
Insect,
MIT,
Security



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"

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