Hasta La Gadget!

Sure, we’ve seen rats control other rats, but that won’t give us a legion of mind-controlled creatures to unleash upon an innocent public, will it? Harvard Medical School may unwittingly assist with solving our (rather misguided) plight, as it just experimented with a system that lets a human mind trigger actions in a rat’s motor cortex. The test had sensor-equipped humans watch a screen that flashed in sync with their EEG brain patterns for visual stimulation; as soon their attention shifted to controlling the rat, they triggered an ultrasonic pulse that twitched the rodent’s tail. There’s a few problems with the implementation beyond the obvious lack of autonomy for the poor target creature, though. The rat’s anaesthetized state likely affected the results, and the system isn’t currently sophisticated enough to map specific thoughts to corresponding actions. The Harvard team is working to refine the technology, however, and there may be a day when we can satisfy our megalomania… or at least, put the Pied Piper on notice.

Filed under: Science, Alt

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Via: New Scientist

Source: PLOS (PDF)

Harvard University has pushed its soft robot concept in strange directions, but an exploding robot? That takes the cake. A new three-legged, silicone-based variant of the robot is filled with methane and oxygen that, when jolted with electricity, explode and trigger violent pressure that pushes the limbs off the ground. As you’d imagine, the results weren’t exactly timid during testing — the example robot jumped over 30 times its body height, and it would have jumped higher if not for additional tubing holding it down in the lab. The power easily eclipses that of pure air, and could be vital to rescue robots or other public safety machines that could very literally leap to someone’s aid. Don’t anticipate exploding automatons on the streets anytime soon. We’ll just be glad that, if they do arrive, they’ll be trying to help us rather than kill us.

Filed under: Robots, Science

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Via: Gizmag, New Scientist

Source: Wiley Online Library

Featuring four towering limestone columns and classic Flemish-bond brickwork, the century-old Mackay School of Mines Building at the University of Nevada, Reno, has long served as a bastion of Silver State history. Named after Irish immigrant and “Comstock Lode King” John Mackay, notable touches such as a cast bronze statue designed by Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum just outside the building helped it earn a spot in the National Register of Historic Places. Within its oak doors, however, are the makings of an intriguing experiment that’s decidedly more new school. Like a mini museum, a collection of 3D-printed models are displayed within the building’s sunlit, three-story atrium — attracting a mix of students and teachers. Even more popular than the displays of plastic gears and molecule models, however, are the two 3D printers that made them: a professional-grade Stratasys uPrint SE Plus and a hobbyist 3DTouch machine.

Continue reading The future of higher education: reshaping universities through 3D printing

Filed under: Misc, Science

The future of higher education: reshaping universities through 3D printing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harvard researchers have spent the past five years developing a robotic bee, and while it may never serve as a backup for whatever’s wiping out colonies across the country, it could serve as an inconspicuous alternative to spy drones. Particularly now that they’ve figured out how to steer the tiny winged bots during flight. More »

A typical robot does not know that you must never shake a baby. And a typical robot just doesn’t have a tender touch. But now scientists at Harvard have developed a robotic tentacle so gentle that it can wrap around flower without breaking it. More »