drag2share: A Shape-Shifting Colander You Can Get Excited About

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-shape-shifting-colender-you-can-get-excited-about-1583489266

Ten years ago, London-based designer Ran Merkazy starting an unusual project. He started designing a better colander. Inspired by geometry and origami, Merkazy eventually came up with a folding, hanging, pouring, steaming, straining device that your kitchen needs.

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drag2share: SpaceX Dragon V2 can seat up to seven passengers, use thrusters to land on solid ground

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/29/space-x-dragon-v2/

SpaceX's Dragon capsule has been taking cargo to the International Space Station since 2012, but it's done so lacking the chops to shuttle humans into orbit. The firm's just unveiled the next generation of the spacecraft, dubbed Dragon V2, to remedy that, and it's designed to do much more than carry people. The new craft is reusable, can hold up to seven passengers and is designed to allow for swapping crew space for additional cargo. What's more, the vessel is able to land on solid ground with the accuracy of a helicopter -- as opposed to splashing down at sea -- without parachutes. Using eight SuperDraco thrusters, engines 3D-printed from a superalloy, the Dragon V2 can blast out enough force (16,000 lbf for each engine) to slow itself down for a landing on terra firma.

According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Dragon V2 will make its first voyage with humans by the end of 2016. In the meantime, the capsule and its engines still have to undergo more testing. Once its making regular flights, Musk expects the capsule to endure 10 launches without major refurbishing. When its past that threshold, it's likely that only its heat shield will need servicing. Presumably, once the shield is repaired, the craft can endure another 10 trips before needing another major tune-up.

In the event of an emergency during launch, Dragon V2 can use its SuperDraco engines to abort at any time during its ascent. Typically, that kind of escape option is only available during the first few minutes of flight. When it comes to mishaps while landing, Musk's new vessel can land itself even if two of its thrusters aren't operating. If an engine-driven touchdown is out of the question, the capsule can rely on parachutes to slow it down for an ocean splashdown.

So, how much will a launch for NASA or other customers cost? As low as $20 million. According to Musk, the new Dragon is part of SpaceX's goal to make spaceflight so affordable that there are hundreds -- and eventually thousands -- of craft hurtling towards space every day. If you want a private trip, you'll have to start saving pennies.

Filed under: Transportation, Science

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drag2share: This augmented reality motorcycle helmet could save your life

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/30/augmented-reality-motorcycle-helmet/

"I was in early morning traffic when an inattentive driver hit me from behind and I was thrown from my motorcycle." Ryan Shearman, founder and CEO of Fusar Technologies, tells me at Augmented World Expo 2014. It's the kind of thing that could happen to any motorcyclist -- and indeed, happens too often -- but it also served as a spark of inspiration. "It started the wheels turning in my head: how can I make motorcycle riding safer?" His answer was to build a better helmet.

Shearman calls his smart helmet the Gaurdian; it's a DOT approved brain bucket with an Android board, two wide-angle cameras and bits and pieces from an Epson Moverio. "What it is, is a fully integrated and connected device that motorcyclists can wear that allows them to have a full cognitive awareness of what's going on around them." The Epson optics provide the rider with a detailed heads-up display, filling their view with data from the rear view camera, their current speed and navigation information.

"It also has video recording capabilities," he told me. "Everything is recorded passively, but in the event that an accident is detected, that footage is locked into hard memory. It effectively has a black box feature built in." It sounds like a great feature, but Shearman obviously wants it to be used as infrequently as possible. The helmet's software package is being designed to monitor the cameras for potential hazards -- if all goes well, the final product will be able to alert the driver of a dangerous situation before it becomes an accident. He also plans to add voice control to future prototypes.

The models Shearman brought to AWE were pretty beat up, but with good reason: the entrepreneur has been riding up and down California's Pacific Coast Highway all week, shooting footage for his company's upcoming Kickstarter video. The company plans to launch its crowdfunding imitative by mid July, and wants to have the Guardian on the market in about a year. Hungry for a safer helmet? Check out the firm's website at the source link below.

Filed under: Transportation

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Source: Fusar

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drag2share: Velociraptor-inspired robot can run almost as fast as DARPA's Cheetah

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/30/velociraptor-robot-kaist/

There's a new robot that's almost matched Cheetah's speed record, but it wasn't designed after another speedy cat. Instead, it takes cues from something more terrifying: a velociraptor. The two-legged machine named Raptor was created by scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, who've even outfitted it with a tail like the extinct reptile's for balance. In its current form, it can go as fast as 28.58 mph (46 km/h), just a bit slower than the famous mechanical cat's max speed of 29.2 mph (47 km/h). Compared to DARPA's robotic cat, though, Raptor's technology is a lot simpler, even using ordinary springs as tendons to be able to run fast more effectively. Right now, Raptor's confined to running on a treadmill like Cheetah's older iterations, but its creators hope to make it more stable so it can run on any surface without a tether. Once that happens, all it'll need is a velociraptor suit for the KAIST researchers to start their own (hopefully safer) Jurassic Park.

Filed under: Robots

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Via: CNET, SlashGear

Source: IEEE

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drag2share: Google's cutesy cars are a 'serious threat' to the auto industry, says GM

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/29/google-vs-gm/

There's no doubt about it: for a company that makes most of its money from web ads, Google knows how to make an adorable self-driving car. The search giant's automotive prowess isn't going unnoticed by the industry's more established players, either. Mark Reuss, GM's executive VP of global product development, told recently told Bloomberg that he could see Google becoming a "serious competitive threat" in the motoring realm.

Yes, that seems like a "well, duh" confession to us too, especially now that Google will roll out at least 100 of those cutesy, two-seater prototype cars for some real world testing later this year. It certainly doesn't hurt that California's Department of Motor Vehicles just gave a thumbs up to self-driving car tests on public roads, a decision that'll take effect in September. Of course, Google can only become a competitive threat if it wants to be, and it's still unclear just how it plans to bring these motors to market. A separate Google Motors division? A slew of partnerships with existing manufacturers? Our crystal ball is on the fritz, and car crafters aren't quaking in their boots just yet. Reuss noted that "anybody can do anything with enough time and money" - Google's definitely got plenty of the latter, but major auto makers haven't just been sitting on their laurels. GM and Nissan both have self-driving car projects underway in China and Japan, respectively, while Volvo has been testing its own on the open roads of Sweden.

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Source: Bloomberg

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