Hasta La Gadget!

Researchers with the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies are working on a virtual therapist that appears lifelike and is aimed to help those who need some type of counseling but aren’t yet ready or able to see a live worker. In addition, the digital shrink, because of the way it is designed, can be used to monitor the minute details of a person’s body language over time, helping a live counselor monitor progress.

The virtual therapist is designed to look as much like a real human as possible, with realistic body movements and facial expressions similar to those you’d observe from a live in-person counselor. The therapist “observes” its client by means of a webcam and a gaming sensor that is mounted above the display, with the person’s various movements, facial expressions, and other such shifts being recorded in relation to the corresponding question.

The information that is gathered from the “clients” are fed into a computer where the virtual therapist’s software lies. Such data is used to aid the software in guiding the virtual shrink in how it should approach clients and what questions it should ask, and how it should interpret the body language of clients that respond to the questions.

For example, a certain tone of voice and facial movement, such as an aversion of eyes or a brief smile, all indicate different mental aspects of the client, and can help the virtual therapist pin-point whether the person is suffering from depression, anxiety, or other such disorders. One big purpose of the virtual therapist is in PTSD cases, helping soldiers address the issue and proceed towards live counseling.

The center responsible for the work spends a lot of time collecting data from hundreds of military personnel, helping provide the data needed for the software to eventually identify the signs of PTSD. Other experiments being carried out by the researchers include the creation of a 3D human face hologram, and virtual full-size human projections that interact with real humans.

SOURCE: BBC News

Researchers create virtual therapist with webcam and game sensor is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Back in the 1980s, I always wanted a set of those Simmons electronic drums – not because I had any idea how to play percussion, but because they just looked cool and geeky. Of course, now I look back and think they were pretty silly looking. Still, I always enjoyed the sound of electronic drums. While I suppose I could go buy a fancy drum machine, but I rather like the way this kit looks instead.

Designed by Dr. Bleep, the Bleep Drum Kit is an Arduino-based electronic circuit that generates percussive sounds. It offers four different sounds, along with pitch control for two of them. You can also record and play back sequences with the Bleep, by simply tapping them out. Its sampled sounds are decidedly lo-fi, but that’s what I love about it. Here, check it out in action:

Since the code for the Bleep Drum is provided, you can hack in your own .WAV samples, or with a little bit of work, you could probably control it via MIDI too.

You can order the Bleep either in Kit form for $60(USD), or if soldering is above your pay grade, you can go for the pre-assembled version for $85. Both are available over on Bleep Labs website.

Insects have some pretty amazing eyesight. Unlike humans, where we only have two single-lens eyes, insects have a larger array of eyes that offer a wider field-of-view. Scientists have obviously been studying these kinds of eyes for a long time, and now that we’re at a certain point with technology, engineers are wanting to artificially replicate insect eyes using cameras.

European researchers have developed what they call the Curved Artificial Compound Eye (CurvACE), which is a camera system of sorts that replicates what most insects see, providing a full 180-degree view from side to side, as well as a 60-degree view from top to bottom. These sorts of camera systems could be used in security cameras and drones in the future, but their main use will be detecting surroundings rather than capturing surveillance footage.

Of course, this isn’t the first camera inspired by insect eyes. Just earlier this month, we reported on a group of scientists building an insect-inspired camera system that consists of a half-dome of multiple camera lens that provide one high-resolution image when combined. However, that one only provides a 160-degree field of view, rather than the complete 180-degree viewpoint.

As you can see from the photo above, the CurvACE is a U-shaped camera consisting of multiple strips of camera lens, with approximately 15 lenses on each strip. Below this array of camera lenses is an array of photodetectors, which will give drones the detection power they need to monitor their surroundings and detect incoming threats.

You can also see that the camera system is smaller than a coin, so it’ll be able to fit in a variety of smaller areas without taking up space, so it shouldn’t be a burden adding these on to drones. But taking a closeup look at one of these makes you wonder how in the world it could possibly be smaller than a coin, but science can do some pretty amazing things.

VIA: Gizmag

SOURCE: CurvACE

CurvACE insect eye camera gives drones 180-degree view is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Don Vitenzo invented a new type of quadcopter that’s sure to stoke the imaginations of kids and perhaps even vehicle makers. It’s called B, and it’s a remote-controlled quadcopter and car in one.

I know what you’re thinking. The answer is no, the wheels don’t tilt to a horizontal level when you command the B to fly. It doesn’t transform or anything and just flies as it is. But that’s all right; less moving parts means its less likely to break down. Speaking of which, Vitenzo designed B to be durable. Its body is made of polycarbonate and its wheel housing and propellers are very flexible.

The B also has a 2,200mAh battery that’s good for up to 15 minutes of rolling and flying. B is also equipped with a 720×1280 camera and it uses microSD cards (up to 32GB) to save video.

Floats like a butterfly, rides like a car. Buzzes like a bee. Peeps like a perv. Okay this is getting out of hand. Pledge at least £125 (~$190 USD) on Kickstarter to get a ready-to-assemble B kit.

[via The Verge]

B is a new invention that combines a ground vehicle with a quadcopter, allowing it to take off anywhere to go above obstacles, using the design of the quadcopter to provide instant lift and landing.