New Developments in Consumer Robotics

The development of robotics into the consumer market has been expanding in many directions in the last decade. Fueled by some of the same algorithmic technology as computer applications that allow users to download utorrent files and customize their mobile devices, modern robotics continues to accelerate. Recently, consumer robotics took another turn and this time it involves kissing.

Artificial intelligence researcher Hooman Samani, who has been exploring a new field known as “Lovotics”, recently released his latest iteration which is called “Kissenger,” a miniature Skype-enabled computer that simulates the feeling of a kiss. The way it works is that a small synthetic pig with a pair of rubber lips is plugged into your company via a USB cord. When you or your partner, on the other end of the line, kiss the lips of Kissenger it will create a second kiss for your significant other. The technology behind Kissenger ranges from the practical to the bizarre, featuring a virtual mouth that simulates the act of kissing and touch sensitive lips that detect trends in kissing patterns.

While this may sound incredibly strange, Samani claims it’s part of an effort to make advanced robotics cater to human relationships and emotions. He thinks inventions like Kissenger will not only make intimacy more convenient for long distance couples, but that they will evolve the relationship between humans and machines. He and Lovotics have also created what they called a “Mini-Surrogate,” which is a doll-shaped robot that simulates a child or pet while also facilitating various telecommunications applications.

These aren’t the only recent dalliances into consumer robotics, or even kissing robots. A Japanese grad student recently created what he calls the “kissing box,” which transmits tongue movements between devices, so that the user can kiss people over the Internet.

Fortunately, not all robotic inventions entail kissing. A slate of new consumer robotics from CES involve more utilitarian functions. Romibo, for example, is a robotics collaboration project that involves crowdsourcing a robot into existence for the purposes of therapy, education and recreation. PerMMA is a personal mobility appliance that uses state of the art technology like robotic arms and teleoperation in order to grant people with disabilities more movement and independence. Finally, Myoma is an interactive rehabilitation system for stroke victims that seeks to combine a person’s own natural biological signals with a proprietary neuro-robotic technology.

As we can see, the field of robotics is running the gamut of innovation, catering to various forms of recreation, emotions, physical needs, and medical applications. At the very least, we can rest assured that no matter how advanced our robotics operations get, they won’t making kissing obsolete any time in the near future.

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The end of L and R markings is near, as new earbuds know in which ear they’re inserted

A Japanese research team has come up with a set of prototype headphones that detect which ear they've been inserted in, then changing the channel accordingly, so users don't have to check first.

The one thing we all do before putting on a pair of headphones is check we’re putting the correct ‘bud in the correct ear, either with the little L and R markings, or by using another visual clue such as an in-line microphone to check which is which, thus ensuring the stereo separation is heard as the artist and audio mixer intended.

It’s a tried-and-tested but decidedly low-tech solution, however a Japanese team of researchers at the Igarashi Design Interface Project have come up with an far more high-tech alternative.

They call them Universal Earphones, and there’s a proximity sensor fixed to each earbud that knows which ear it has been inserted in, then adjusts the channel accordingly. With a 30mm detection zone in which to find either your ear or clear air, they work in a similar way to your phone’s proximity sensor.

That’s not all either, as another sensor is used to see whether both earbuds are being used by the same person, and if not, both the ‘buds get a mono signal. Why? So you don’t get just one side of a stereo track when you’re sharing a pair of earphones with another person.

Future plans for the Universal Earphones include a feature where the ‘buds know they’ve been removed from your ears, and pausing the music until they’re re-inserted, or even playing one track through the right earphone and another through the left.

At this stage, the Universal Earphones are in still in development and according to the BBC, there are no firm plans to mass produce them. However, the promo video reveals they would cost less than $1 per pair to manufacture, which could see them being snapped up in the future.

Of course, if you’re the sort of person who doesn’t check to make sure your headphones are in the correct ear, this won’t be of any interest. Just a quick question though, how can you be so blasé?

                            

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Nokia accidentally leaks an international white Lumia 900?

Did Nokia accidentally reveal a white Lumia 900 on Facebook? If so, where is it going to be released, as without the AT&T branding, it could be about to make its international debut.

Yesterday, Nokia made a lot of noise about the impending release of a white Lumia 800 Windows Phone handset, trumpeting its arrival on its Conversations blog and on its official Facebook page.

A subsequent snap of the virginal phone posted to Facebook has revealed something the previous pictures did not. It’s a forward facing video-call camera, and as we all know, the Lumia 800 doesn’t have one.

However, the Lumia 900 does. Except this phone doesn’t have the AT&T branding found on the currently US-only Lumia 900, leading many to believe the phone could be making its international debut soon. If so, it won’t be coming with its 4G LTE radio, as such services are still a rarity elsewhere in the world.

The Lumia 900 has never been confirmed for launch anywhere else, but has regularly appeared and quickly disappeared from various European online retailer’s websites since then. It has also been speculated that an international version of the Lumia 900 would be released under the name Lumia 910, a phone said to have a 12-megapixel camera instead of the 8-megapixel found on the 800 and 900.

Initially expected to be part of Nokia’s grand return to Mobile World Congress, this week the existence of the Lumia 910 has been refuted by Nokia’s imaging expert Damian Dinning, who tweeted that it “didn’t exist.”

So, is this phone the Nokia 800, 900 or a Europe-bound 910? Whichever it turns out to be, the white polycarbonate body looks absolutely flawless, something Nokia themselves say was extremely difficult to achieve. They call it “extreme product making” and admit the crisp color is the result of two years work.

White phones aren’t for everyone, but Nokia’s attempt is sure to win plenty of new fans.

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Windows 8's public beta, is the Start button going the way of the taskbar?

As we draw closer to the Windows 8 public beta this month, we've come to learn many different details of what Microsoft is cooking behind the scenes in the new OS, which is expected to debut in final form by the end of this year.

The latest tidbit, it's being reported that in the most recent Windows 8 build leaked to the web, Microsoft has tweaked the traditional desktop mode by removing the signature Windows orb button from the taskbar.

Traditionally known as the Start button, this quick access menu debuted in Windows 95 and has remained a central piece of the operating system's user interface since. The button was stylized as an orb in Windows Vista and Windows 7, and on earlier builds of Windows 8 it'd been replaced by a plain looking square that went in line with some of the new UI elements and Metro interface language.

Functionality will remain however - or at least that's how it's working on the leaked build - but instead of clicking on a button you need to move your mouse over the bottom left corner of the screen and the Start menu will pop up. Who knows, maybe the change makes sense and it simply works best like this once you get used to it.

Nonetheless, it's evident the primary focus will be on the Start screen (Metro-based dashboard), leaving the traditional desktop view as a necessary leftover interface as most applications will be depending on it when the OS launches.

Other new and upgraded elements of Windows 8 that have been uncovered in the past few months include changes to Explorer, mobile broadband and WiFi connection interface enhancements, new refresh and reset options, a smoother setup experience, built-in device synchronization, and more.

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How to harvest electricity from cockroaches

It’s the chemical within the cockroach that powers a particular reaction to squeeze out some measurable amount of electricity. “Maximum power density reached nearly 100 microwatts per square centimeter at 0.2 volts. Maximum current density was about 450 microamps per square centimeter.” How it’s possible to harvest electricity from cockroaches? Learn more after the break.

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Next iDevice from apple

With all the iDevices found in the market from iPhone, iPod Touch, iPads to Macbooks, do you think there’s still lacking? Something that will control these iDevices and Macs remotely. Something that will connect these devices altogether and make it as one? Well, I don’t think so, not until ADR Studios released their new concept. Introducing, the new iWatch2 concept. A new technology which will allow Apple users to control Apple Devices right at their own wrist.

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The Future of Smartphones from the World of Concept Phones

Ever since the birth of science fiction in the 19th century people have enjoyed predicting what the future holds for technology. While some forecasts from several decades ago can seem quite laughable now they still managed to get a lot of things right. While the concepts in this 1960s prediction of the future may all sound familiar, the hardware still seems stuck in a bygone era. One thing that this video didn’t predict was Apple’s revolutionary concept of producing stylish looking gadgets.


With modern computers and Photoshop it is easier than ever for future enthusiasts to offer their vision of the coming technological landscape – and it is also easier for them to make their creations much more convincing. Perhaps these concepts will seem quite laughable in a few decades time, but for the moment they offer us a glimpse of some of the things we might be able to expect on our mobile phones in the coming years.

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