Archive for the ‘Bionic’ Category

Meet “Han” the Ultra-Realistic-Looking Robot Bust… And a reminder that we’re all doomed.

Monday, April 27th, 2015

Hanson Robotics (no the “MmmBop” band hasn’t regrouped and out to destroy us with robots blaring their only memorable song as retribution) has been hard at work creating our future robot overlords in the form of…um…us.

Recently on display at the AsiaWorld Expo in Hong Kong, Han’s fiberglass bust is covered in a new, extremely life-like rubber compound called Frubber which if fitting since Han was created by an ex Disney Imagineer who’s now looking to take things to a whole new level of interactivity and realism.

Han is able to interact on a limited level with humans and can understand and carry on very basic conversations with those near him. Besides Han’s incredibly realistic expressions based on the conversation that he’s having, sensors in his eyes actually help him look directly into the soft, squishy soul of any human he’s actually speaking with.

Back in 2013 we featured another post about Roboy that had also been created by Hanson Robotics and is just as terrifying as Han.

In either case (as well as all the other similar robots Hanson Robotics has produced) let’s just be glad that Hanson Robotics is focused solely on robot heads….

Heads that, fortunately for us, don’t have legs…

Unless, of course, they get introduced to Boston Dynamics…

Because the thought of a Boston Dynamics Cheetah with a Hanson Robotics Face mounted on it would be a sign we should just prepare ourselves for the end.

[RocketNews24]

Posted in Android, Bionic, Robot, Robots | Comments Off on Meet “Han” the Ultra-Realistic-Looking Robot Bust… And a reminder that we’re all doomed.

Drummer Rocks Amazing Drumming Prosthetic

Thursday, March 6th, 2014

As the mechanical components that make up robotic prosthetics shrink, they’re integrating more easily into the lives of those that need them.

Drummer Jason Barnes built his own crude drumming hand but, after meeting an engineer who felt he could create something much more, Barnes now sports a pretty incredible robo-drumming arm. Using a technique called electromyography, the device responds to electrical signals as Barnes flexes his bicep. A secondary attachment for another drumstick was added that actually listens to what Barnes is playing and responds by playing along with what it’s hearing!

Giving talented people like Jason Barnes the ability to continue doing what they love and what they’re talented at is a fantastic way to get physically challenged people back to what they do best…

n this case it’s also the heralding of a whole new future for band battles.
[New Scientist]

Posted in Android, Bionic, Cyborgs, Experiment, Future, Robots | Comments Off on Drummer Rocks Amazing Drumming Prosthetic

DARPA Develops Telescopic Contact Lens

Friday, June 28th, 2013

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is one of the many joys associated with getting older. New generations of AMD sufferers won’t have to worry about that in the rapidly approaching future.

DARPA has funded the development of contact lens that operates like a millimeter-thick telescope. Using something along the lines of magic, the wearer of the contact will be able to switch between normal vision and magnified vision with the help of liquid crystals and ridiculously small, precisely engineered mirrors.

Basically you’ll be wearing the mechanical focusing rings of a standard still-photo camera that’s been flattened incredibly thin while retaining its functionality.

It’ll still be a while before these things trickle down to the average consumer but if you were to ask some of the future consumers if it was worth the wait? Pretty sure the answer would be a “Yes”.

[Gizmodo]

Posted in Bionic, Eyeball, Technology | Comments Off on DARPA Develops Telescopic Contact Lens