Unlike many people fear that computers will overtake humans, Ray Kurzweil states that robots will merge with humans, robots the size of cells which can do the job way more efficient than our actual cells. An example on this are respirocytes; robots the size and functions of a red blood cell, but way more efficient (movie).
Respirocytes are able to store 1.51 billion oxygen molecules, 100% of which are accessible to the tissues. In contrast, our blood cells store about 1 billion of red blood cells and only 25% is accessible to the tissue. Replacing 10% of your actual red blood cells will enable you to do an Olympic sprint for 15 minutes without taking a breath or allows you to stay underwater for four hours.
In his TED-talk Kurzweil calls this 2020 technology. Many major steps have been made within the field of nanotechnology and Respirocytes are quite likely to be actually manufactured someday. Hence, we may anticipate some new doping scandals world records at the Olympics of 2020.
Related: Voyage of the bacteria bots, How biotech will drive our evolution, Craig Venter: catalyst of evolution, Build a better being.
Exmovere Holdings, a biomedical engineering company, is focused on government and consumer applications for healthcare, security and mobility. This company developed Exmovere Chariot a self-balancing, hands-free, motorized wearable wheelchair that enables both disabled and non-disabled people to move around in an upright position.
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A future in which prosthetic patches prevent bodies from aging? Or a sexists view on femininity in robotics? Read the rest of this entry »
Let the robots do the dirty work! This real-life Wall-E Recycling robot, part of the $3.9 million DustBot research program that is trying to improve urban hygiene, collects trash and measures atmospheric pollutants. He – or is it a she? – can also identify residents, and sort their trash into organic, recyclable, or waste.
The robot is nimble enough to navigate where conventional gas-guzzling garbage trucks cannot. The one on the picture is still in the prototype phase and robots aren’t legally allowed to roam around without human guidance in Peccioli, Italy. But who knows — some day soon you may see a friendly green robot zipping garbage down your street.
Via The Guardian. See also: Ladybug cleans the toilet, Killer Robots, the order Electrus.
Robots are penetrating our homes… disguised as cats? On July 30, Sega Toys releases an el-cheapo simulation cat toy for robot cat lovers with allergies or pet-unfriendly apartments. It’s made to look, feel, and act just like a Norwegian Forest Cat. It runs on four AAs and will retail for about $100.
We are unsure whether the kitten can talk, what its fur is really made of – rabbits perhaps? – and if there is also a version available with a vacuum cleaner integrated. Nonetheless, it is another schoolbook example of nextnature disguising itself as oldnature in order to gain acceptance.
Via Tokyomango. See also: Steam Horse, Designer Pets, Epidermits – the tissue engineered toy, Lifestyle Pets, Is your cat infected with a computer virus?, Robot costumes, Babybunny – stuffed pets as toys. Thanks Tinkebell.
We are anxiously waiting for the robot that makes the sushi, but at Squse, they have created the hand that can carefully place the delicacies in a box without crushing them. Could this invention mean the end of the factory worker? Of course not. They can all be retrained to manufacture robotic arms… Read the rest of this entry »
Festo Bionic Learning Lab demonstrates their new technologies inspired by nature. Another step towards artificial pets replacing extincted animals, or just an exposé of scientific ability?
Related: Flying Penguins | Alavs | Snake Robots | Robo-carp | Beach Animals | Rotating Skyskraper
Meet KOBIAN, the humanoid robot that is not only able to walk about and interact with humans, but uses its entire body in addition to its facial expressions to display a full range of emotions.
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Quote Eric Horvitz: “After finishing my doctoral work, I returned to Stanford Medical School to finish up the MD part of my MD/PhD. During one of my last clinical rotations, I stopped to take an elevator up to a surgical unit. While waiting for the elevator, a large washing-machine-sized robot—a unit that had then been recently introduced at Stanford Hospital to pick up and deliver x-ray films—pulled up along side me. After waiting patiently together, we both entered the elevator. As the door closed, the robot began to whir and then quite rapidly spun around 180 degrees to re-orient itself for exiting.
The large spinning robot nearly knocked me down in the elevator. It was somewhat frightening to be trapped in an elevator with little clearance for a massive spinning robot.
I recall being somewhat concerned about what might happen if a fragile patient, walking along with an intravenous pump, or a medical team with a patient on a gurney, entered the elevator with the robot.
Several years later I came back to Stanford Hospital with my family for the birth of my niece. I was carrying my son past Labor and Delivery, when I noticed that elevator from my past life. Now, posted over the elevator was a sign stating: “Please Do Not Board the Elevator With The Robot.”
Note that in 2008/2009 human resourcefulness still rules over science.Via
boingboing.net | Related:
Ladybug cleans the toilet
This new 3D webcam with two cameras spaced approximately as far apart as human eyes is our anthropomorphic object of the week. Can you feel it, watching you?
The little brother sends two offset images to a computer. Software processes the images according to how they’ll be viewed: the camera comes with five sets of blue-red 3-D glasses for use with ordinary monitors, but the software can also output images in the format used by new 3-D displays. The device is compatible with Skype, AOL Instant Messenger, and YouTube. The anthropomorphic design provides you with the slightly uncanny feeling of being observed constantly.
