Cockroach Looks Like a Jawa: Lives in a Skincrawler

Anyone on Tatooine can tell you that Jawas are annoying pests. They wander around collecting scraps and selling droids and are just generally everywhere. Meanwhile, on Earth, it turns out that we have our own Jawa pests.

jawa cockroach
This species of cockroach – called the lucihormetica luckae – looks just like a tiny Jawa, but there’s no droid selling here. I wonder if George Lucas was a bug collector and this was his inspiration.

Sadly, the bugs might be extinct now. They were only recently discovered, living inside a volcano in Ecuador. The problem is that the volcano erupted back in 2010, and they haven’t been seen since. They just need tiny blasters.

These cockroaches look adorable – especially when they glow in the dark. Bet you never saw a Jawa do this…

glowing jawa cockroach

Wait, doesn’t that look like EVE from WALL-E?

[via Motherboard via Kotaku]

Harvard University’s robotic insect takes its first controlled flight (video)

Harvard University's robotic insect takes its first controlled flight video

There’s hardly a shortage of animal inspired robots, but few are as tiny as Harvard’s autonomous RoboBee. The robotic insect has been around for a while, but researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering only recently managed a minor breakthrough: controlled flight. Using new manufacturing and design processes, the team has managed to keep the coin-sized bug aloft by independently manipulating the robot’s wings with piezoelectric actuators and a delicate control system.

“This is what I have been trying to do for literally the last 12 years,” explains Professor Robert J Wood, Charles River Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “Now that we’ve got this unique platform, there are dozens of tests that we’re starting to do, including more aggressive control maneuvers and landing.” There’s more to be done, however. The tiny machine still requires a tether for power and control, and researchers are still studying nature to suss out how insects cope with flying through wind and the elements. Eventually, the team hopes to outfit the RoboBee with lightweight batteries, an internal control system and a lighter chassis. For now, however, they’re just happy to learned to steer. Check out the insect in action after the break.

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Source: Harvard

Fly on the Wall Smoke Alarm Buzzes into Your Home to Alert You to Fire

Who says smoke alarms need to be nondescript beige boxes? Helsinki designer Paola Suhonen sured doesn’t think so, with her unique smoke detector that looks like a gigantic house fly.

lento fly smoke detector 1

The Lento Smoke Alarm from Finland’s Jalo works just like any other smoke alarm, though you use the entire case of the alarm to silence the alarm or to test it, which is much nicer than trying to deal with that tiny pushbutton on most alarms. I wonder if you could use a fly swatter to turn it off.

lento fly smoke detector colors

I also like how it mounts to the ceiling using 3M tape instead of screws – it’s sort of like when a fly gets stuck in one of those gooey fly traps.

lento fly smoke detector ceiling

[via StrangeLine via Design You Trust]

Festo BionicOpter Robot Dragonfly Makes Quadcopters Look Clumsy

Automation company Festo loves showing off its technologies and expertise by creating robot versions of animals. We’ve featured the company’s SmartBird before, and you may have also seen its AirPenguin in action. Now the company has released information about its latest pet project, the BionicOpter.

festo bionicopter dragonfly robot

With the BionicOpter, Festo set out to replicate the flying capabilities of the dragonfly. The company says the insect is unique in that it can move in all directions, glide, hover, turn and accelerate quickly and even fly backwards. By replicating how dragonflies use their wings, the BionicOpter ends up being more versatile than a plane, helicopter or glider.

The robot has an aluminum body and carbon fiber wings. It has one external brushless motor and eight motors that handle the movement of its wings. Speaking of which, the robot can orient its wings vertically or horizontally as needed, just like the real deal. The BionicOpter can fly on its own but it can also be controlled remotely. All of that in a machine that weighs only 175g (approx. 0.39lbs.).

If you ask me the best feature of the BionicOpter is that it has a gracefulness to it that I previously thought could only be exhibited by a living creature. Check out Festo’s report (pdf file) if you want to learn more about the robot.

[via Slash Gear]

Mantis Ridable Hexapod Robot: Insecticon

Last year we heard about a group of students planning to build a ridable hexapod. Now we get to see what such a robot could look like, albeit from a different inventor. This is the Mantis, an all-terrain hexapod built by Matt Denton of Micromagic Systems. The 2 ton robot is powered by a 2.2L diesel engine and can be operated using its on-board controls or remotely via Wi-Fi.

mantis ridable hexapod by matt denton

The unit we see here is actually the second version of the robot; Matt said he’s been working on Mantis since 2009 using private funding. I hope his benefactor is a superhero.

That touchscreen control panel looks sweet. Matt should make Mantis Mk.III a hexapod hexacopter. Check out the Mantis website and Facebook page for more info on the robot.

[via Hacked Gadgets]

LEGO Taxidermied Insect Collection is All About Bugs and Bricks

Some interests are pretty morbid. For instance, I’ve always wondered just what kind of person would want to become a coroner or an undertaker. It’s just weird to me. The same thing applies to people who collect bugs and display them. Seems pretty gruesome to me. I’m just not that fascinated with dead things. However, dead bugs in LEGO? Yeah, I can see how that could be neat.

lego insects

Insect fans are about to have their bug-loving nerd minds blown by these “taxidermied” LEGO insects. Each detailed LEGO insect was hand-made by Siercon and Coral and put into shadow box insect display cases.

lego insects 1

Now this is insect taxidermy that I wholeheartedly approve of.

lego insects2

Head over to flickr to see the entire collection of LEGO creepy crawlies.

lego insect 4

[via IT LEGO via Obvious Winner]

The Ethiopian Caterpillar – Robot Bug of the 19th Century

I’m always mesmerized by the intricate craftsmanship found in antique automatons. I think it’s something about the fact that people could build robotics without any electrical or electronic components that is truly amazing. One of the more incredible automatons to pop onto my radar screen of late is this mechanical caterpillar that dates back to 1820.

ethiopian caterpillar

The Vers de Sois caterpillar was apparently created by Swiss clockmaker Henri Maillardet nearly 200 years ago. This detailed, jewel-encrusted caterpillar can actually crawl across a flat surface when wound up. Check it out in action:

Sure, it’s a bit noisy, but still impressive, no? Well, all of this incredible miniature automation doesn’t come cheap though. The Vers de Sois caterpillar recently sold at auction for over $415,000(USD). I think I’ll stick with my HexBugs for now.

[via Worldtempus via Neatorama via Richard Kadrey via Gizmodo]

HexBug Nano V2: A Habitrail for Robo-Bugs

First there was the HexBug. Then there was the HexBug Nano. Now there’s HexBug Nano V2. Those creepy-crawly little self-propelled robots are back, and they’re better than ever. The latest iteration of these little robo-insects now has the ability to wriggle around not just on your tabletop, but actually climb.

hexbug nano v2 2

The new HexBug Nano V2 can be set into a hamster-like maze and then can scurry about both horizontally and vertically. Naturally, you’ll want to buy not just the critters, but some of the bug maze kits for your insects to take up residence in as well. It’s not clear if they’ll function on other smooth vertical surfaces, but they navigate these see-through pipes with ease.hexbug nano v2 1

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Alt-week 10.13.12: is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice

Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days.

Altweek 101312 is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice

Are you reading this? Seriously, are you? Sure, we know you think you are, but what if you’re just a sub-feature of a complex computer program. A sprite, nothing more than the creation of software. The problem with this question is, how would you ever know? You wouldn’t, right? Well, not so fast there. Turns out, maybe there is a way to unravel the matrix (if there is one). It’ll come as no surprise, that this is one of the topics in this week’s collection of alternative stories. Think that’s all we got? Not even close. We’ll explore the truth behind cloning dinosaurs, as well a rare performance by singing mice — all before dinner. Or is it really dinner? This is alt-week.

Continue reading Alt-week 10.13.12: is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice

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Alt-week 10.13.12: is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Musical Spider-Bot Will Keep You up at Night

I’ve got enough problems with spiders. They just creep me out. I can handle the occasional daddy long-legs or jumping spider, but giant spiders – forget about it. And giant metal robot spiders are the stuff of my worst nightmares.

giant spider robot 1

This particular giant metal robot spider measures almost 7 inches across, and can even play a tune – thanks to the built-in vintage music box on its back. It plays a warbly version of the nursery favorite Frère Jacques, which is sure to add to the creepiness factor as you keep one eyeball on it while you sleep at night.

giant spider robot 2

It was created by Catherinette Rings and Daniel Proulx and can be found over on Etsy for $700(USD). While that may seem like a lot of money for a robot that can’t actually move – it’s a small price to pay to know exactly what your bad dreams will be about for the rest of your days