We’ve seen androids that have crossed the uncanny valley in terms of their face. But what about their other parts? Well, thanks to 24-year old Nobuhiro Takahashi, you can scratch realistic butts off of that list. Takahashi has invented Shiri, a mechanical butt that responds to touch.
Shiri – Japanese for buttocks, and my prime proof in my theory that Apple Japan was facepalming when they heard the iPhone personal assistant’s name – has three main parts: a silicon skin, a pair of actuators and a microphone. The actuators serve as Shiri’s muscles while the microphone senses how the skin is touched. Stroke it and it will clench its cheeks; spank it and it will quiver. Yes this is very creepy, thanks for asking.
Takahashi says he invented Shiri because he’s aware that humans don’t just communicate verbally; we also have physical reactions or expressions. Takahashi also said that Shiri is a great starting point because our butts have large muscles and thus make more visible movements. I hope for his own sake that his friends and family believed him. Seriously though, I assume the rest of the world is now behind Japan in robotics, amirite?
[via Daily Mail]
We all know how China has an iron grip in the sporting event known as table tennis, or in its other moniker, ping pong, and chances are no other country will be able to match China’s strength in this sport anytime soon, and in the longer term future as well. Having said that, count on scientists in China to come up with ping pong robots that are capable of executing a serve and even make a return thanks to the clever implementation of computer ‘eyes’ as well as hydraulic arms. Needless to say, each of these robots will need integrated high-powered computers to be able to perform the complex calculations when it comes to making a return.
Landmines that were dropped many decades ago in certain countries during times of war are still active – and concerted efforts are still being made so that no one else gets maimed. British students have come up with a robot that was built using recycled materials in order to detect underwater mines, now how about that? A total of seven students from the University of the West of England are behind the design and construction of this massive 20,000 pound underwater robot, using nothing but regular household junk, an Internet router and spare parts from cars.
Cancer is considered to be a four letter word to many, and some say that it is a death sentence. Do you agree? I have had family and friends fall to the scourge of cancer over the years that passed by, and they do say that detecting cancer early enough is one of the most effective methods of stopping this disease in its tracks. Enter this Hamilton robot which is capable of changing the way early detection and treatment of breast cancer happens, doing so within months. It is currently being tested on patients, and inventor of the Hamilton robot, Dr. Mehran Anvari, said, “Women in Hamilton will be one of the first to have access to it. Its accuracy is extremely high. We hope it will enhance care.”
