Hasta La Gadget!

This sounds like a far more horrible idea than it actually is. Read on.

Researchers recently presented their work on a robo-chair for infants that was fitted with a Wii balance board. The chair would allow rugrats to move about by simply leaning to where they want to go. Collisions were avoided via a sonar system built into the chair.

Sounds like a recipe for injured babies protected only by their own rolls of sloth-borne blubber, right? But actually it’s a techno-hack that could do a lot of good for special needs children.

The chair was developed for infants with mobility issues such as spina bifida or cerebral palsy by allowing them to explore surroundings that would otherwise be off-limits to them. The paper presented at the recent RESNA conference (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) states that “Children with physical disabilities and restricted mobility have been
found to demonstrate increased dependence, frustration, depressed
motivation, lack of curiosity, and a lack of confidence.” Giving these ankle-biters the ability to explore may help with these emotional issues that can stem from physical shortcomings.

via PopSci

Note: this is not a practical hack. It’s something to file under “mountain climbing,” as in the only reason to do it
is because you can.

All you need to do is completely fill a piece of paper with graphite pencil. This turns any sheet into a conductive surface. Then you ground your hand with an anti-static strap and allow an Arduino to convert the data into mouse coordinates.

Like I said, not the world’s most useful trackpad (in addition, it is also a bit messy). But it is a cool concept and a minor accomplishment of basement engineering. It’s also a concept that, if taken a few steps further, could create the basis for turning nearly any object into a computer interface.

Video after the jump.

via hack-a-day, afrotechmods

Everyone hates Apple products. That’s why there’s so much documentation of people going to great lengths to torture and destroy them.

While I don’t have any hard data, I imagine the vast majority of Apple products are purchased for the express purpose of destroying them as soon as they are unboxed.

Some might think this is a waste of time and a not-inconsequential amount of recession-era money. But those people would be wrong, I can think of very little that would be more important.

That’s why I would like to personally nominate giving a Congressional Medal of Honor to graphic artist Michael Tompert for his collaboration with photographer Paul Fairchild who wisely chose to purchase various forms of Apple gadgetry in order to (artistically) eviscerate them.

The end results are actually pretty striking and strangely beautiful. If the point of art is to create something that’s captivating while making choices no one else has thought to do before, then these guys are winners at the game of art.

The series was part of a display of large briefly shown at San Francisco’s Live Worms Gallery.

More images after the jump.

via Cult of Mac, Fubiz; images via both

In 2003, LA-based graffiti writer, publisher, and activist TEMPT1 was diagnosed with the degenerative neuromuscular disease ALS (aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease). The disease has left him almost fully-paralyzed, except for his eyes. He has since teamed up with the Not Impossible Foundation and Graffiti Research Labs to create the Eyewriter, an open-source project that will allow users to control what a machine draws using only the movement of their eyes.

I’ve never been a huge fan of graffiti art, but knowing that an image like this was created only using the movement of an eyeball is beyond impressive.

Eyewriter 2.0 made its debut at the recent 2010 Cinekid festival in Amsterdam. The technology combines the Eyewriter software with the ROBOTAGGER, an industrial arm that is able to replicate human-like marks on a huge scale. (Video after the jump)

The Eyewriter project not only aims to develop this technology as a low-cost communication tool for those whose physical bodies may otherwise be impaired, it is also a shining example of how a group of artists, hackers, and assorted techno-folk can create an impressive piece of technology outside of a corporate setting.

And that’s hopeful for so many reasons.

Duct tape. Is there anything it can’t do?

I am convinced that duct tape is the stuff that allows civilization to
continue unabated and that which keeps the very earth from falling in
upon itself. Duct tape can fix broken hoses; seal cracked windows; tape
wires together; repair leaks in tires and inner tubes; remove warts (yup); and I
assume, tape ducts together–though as far as I know, nobody ever uses
it for that.

For its latest feat, duct tape takes on its most profound challenge: laptop
sleeve. Duct tape has long been known as a durable and fashionable
makeshift textile. But it took until now for someone to utilize DT for a
laptop accessorizer and protector. And duct tape has, as it always does, performed flawlessly.

This sleeve is easy to put together
and costs a fraction of some store-bought sleeve. And since it is made
of duct tape, you know that it will never fail you.

It needs no
warranty. It is duct tape.

via instructables