Hasta La Gadget!

Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a cooking simulator that combines a conventional frying pan with modern technology. I know, right? Cooking isn’t hard at all! Or so my siblings tell me every time I complain that there’s nothing to eat. Don’t you just turn the fire on, put some stuff in and wait?

The simulator is practically a video game system. It utilizes a projected display and a force feedback system to help the user with his pseudo-cooking. It also simulates the weight and state changes of the ingredients. When the user moves the pan around, he’ll feel and see the virtual meat and vegetables move around, and eventually they’ll change color just like the edible thing.

I think it’s not too practical as it is, but I am looking forward to the researchers’ vision of augmented reality cooking.

[via DigInfo TV]

I’ve always wanted to play with R/C aircrafts, but even with my “easy to fly” AR.Drone 2.0, I find myself crashing the thing into walls and the ceiling indoors. Thanks to some impressive work by MIT’s Robust Robotics Group, we might someday be able to fly autonomous planes that are so smart that they can avoid obstacles on their own.

By using a special set of algorithms to calculate the plane’s trajectory, as well as its state (i.e. location, orientation, velocity and acceleration), the fixed-wing plane is able to fly quickly through cramped quarters, avoiding obstacles with ease. In fact, this plane can fly within centimeters of obstacles at a high rate of speed without crashing. The plane uses a laser rangefinder, accelerometers and gyroscopes to figure out its state, and a hugely complex series of computations to navigate through its environment.

While autonomous helicopters and quadrotors have been around for a while, a 2-meter-wide plane that can negotiate confined spaces with aplomb poses a much greater challenge, as it cannot hover, go sideways or make up arbitrary motions like those other aircraft. At this point, it appears that the system requires at least a rough, pre-existing 3-D map of its environment to work properly, but I’m sure with time they can figure out a way for the environment to be mapped in real-time as well. Kinect, anyone?

At this point, MIT isn’t specifying the exact applications for their design, but beyond military and rescue operations, I REALLY want to see a consumer version so I can stop crashing my AR.Drone.

Most people are already going the paperless route. It began with more personal stuff, like sending notes and messages digitally instead of through paper. It eventually expanded to the corporate world, where communications and memos are sent via email instead of through actual paper memos.

But bringing that printing mentality back to life, albeit in a small way, is the mPrinter. It’s a project by Andy Muldowney that’s currently up for funding on Kickstarter.

Similar to the (much more expensive) Berg Little Printer, It’s basically a small analog printer that’ll print anything you command it to, from text and doodles to Sudoku grids and weather reports. USB-only mPrinters hook up to your computer via USB cable, while Wi-Fi-capable mPrinters contain built-in web servers that can connect to your network.

The mPrinter will also come with an iOS and Android app that will let you use the quick print option, manage your mPrints, and take advantage of the fun ‘doodle’ feature.

A minimum pledge of $80 will get you one USB-only mPrinter, while the Wi-Fi one requires a minimum pledge of $125. Back the project and find out more about it on the mPrinter Kickstarter page.

Haro was made more than a few appearances on Gundam’s anime episodes and video games, but now it has landed on earth – as a vacuum cleaner. So that’s probably not the most extravagant of appliances that it can be manifested in, but it’s better than nothing, right? Plus, vacuums are actually pretty useful, anyway.

The Haro robot vacuum is actually the product of a collaboration between Sharp and Gundam Front Tokyo. The vacuums will be based on the Sharp Cocorobo and will be available in two refreshing colors: green and pink – though it wasn’t practical to make a spherical-shaped vacuum, since that wouldn’t fit under your furniture.

These snazzy-looking robotic vacuums are equipped with Cocoro Engine artificial intelligence and come with speech recognition features. Just say the word, and the Haro robotic vacuum will do your bidding.

It’s also fitted with a camera and LED lights, and comes with remote-controlled maneuverability that allows you to control it using your smartphone.

The Haro robot vacuum will be on display at the Gundam Front Tokyo in Odaiba Tokyo, so if you’re in the area, drop by and check it out.

[via New Launches]

Whether or not you support the investment in military technology, you have to admit that DARPA comes up with some amazing technologies. A recent DARPA project is the Captive Air Amphibious Transporter (CAAT), which works much like a tank, except it floats on water.

Using air-filled pontoons attached to tank-like treads, the CAAT can drive across the surface of water or swamps at a high rate of speed. When out of the water, the amphibious vehicle can drive directly onto shore – even onto uneven surfaces. The vehicle is designed as part of DARPA’s Tactically Expandable Maritime Platform, which is designed to help support disaster relief from offshore ships. So I imagine these would be brought in on larger boats, and then drive into shore. It’s an impressive sight when you see it in action:

At this point, what you’re looking at here is a 1/5th scale prototype of the CAAT, and it’s not clear if it will eventually make it into full-scale production.