Junk food can be addictive

clipped from current.com Junk Food as Addictive as Heroin - Rats Say clipped from dsc.discovery.com Binging Rats Get Hooked on Junk Food Oct. 21, 2009 -- Junk food elicits addictive behavior in rats similar to the behaviors of rats addicted to heroin, a new study finds. Pleasure centers in the brains of rats addicted to high-fat, high-calorie diets became less responsive as the binging wore on, making the rats consume more and more food. The results, presented October 20 at the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting, may help explain the changes in the brain that lead people to overeat. clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Junk food as 'addictive as drugs' Eating junk food can be addictive clipped from www.express.co.uk JUNK FOOD 'AS BAD AS HEROIN' clipped from www.mnn.com Junk food junkies Chowing down on junk food makes rats act like heroin addicts. clipped from www.scripps.edu Paul Kenny

Concrete Mushrooms

clipped from www.inhabitat.com Concrete Mushrooms: Transforming Abandoned Bunkers Into Eco Hostels There are reportedly over 750,000 abandoned concrete bunkers scattered throughout Albania, remnants of Communist dictator Enver Hoxha and his policies of paranoid xenophobia. Now graduate students Gyler Mydyti & Elian Stefa have developed a plan called Concrete Mushrooms that would ‘invert the meaning’ of these structures by turning them into a network of habitable eco-hostels, cafés, gift shops and more. clipped from blog.concrete-mushrooms.com The Project “Concrete Mushrooms” is a project initiated as an idea for research by two Albanian graduate students at Politecnico di Milano, and the purpose was to emphasize the appreciable assets of Albania such as bunkers which are vast in number and across all the rich and beautiful landscape of Albania. clipped from www.cafebabel.co.uk Albania: polit-tourism between coves and concrete beach bunkers clipped from www.youtube.com clipped from blog.concrete-mushrooms.com The Documentary While the documentary is being worked on, please enjoy the trailer! clipped from blog.concrete-mushrooms.com Pictures:

PETMAN Boston Dynamics Walking Robot

clipped from www.bostondynamics.com

PETMAN - BigDog gets a Big Brother

clipped from www.youtube.com

PETMAN Prototype

Biped robot that balances dynamically using a human-like walking motion. It is a close relative to BigDog, sharing elements of the mechanical design and control.

clipped from singularityhub.com

With Petman’s ability to withstand a a decent kick or hit from the side while walking it is clear that robots are now capable of balance and control that nearly matches a human on flat terrain. In the next decade we can expect bipedal humanoid robots to conquer more than flat terrain, and also to bump up their speed to full out running. Robots that not only match, but exceed human ability to walk and run in your lifetime? Yes – that is assuming you have another 10, maybe 20 years ahead of you!

clipped from www.geek.com

PETMAN has been developed for use by the US Army to help test chemical protection clothing. It performs realistic human-like heel-toe walking at up to 3.2mph and is capable of being pushed without falling over. It can also crawl and do a range of other movements soldiers may perform so as to ensure testing covers the full range of scenarios for the suits.

Reusable Rocket Plane

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com Reusable rocket plane soars in test flight Prototype craft built to showcase proprietary advanced launch technologies A reusable rocket plane has made a successful test flight from New Mexico's Spaceport America — a prototype craft built to showcase proprietary advanced launch technologies. The small unpiloted vehicle soared into New Mexico skies on Oct. 10, making use of launch services provided by UP Aerospace of Denver, Colo. clipped from www.space.com clipped from www.space.com Voorhees said that the purpose of the test flights is to take a look at tackling the ground and launch operations for responsive space needs. That includes advancing leaner, less-costly, and more rapid launch-to-space capabilities. The craft is a prototype, Voorhees said, a demonstration and data-gathering experiment. "We're trying to understand various technologies of systems and how they play together," he added.

eRinGo - Future Cycle

clipped from www.inhabitat.com eRinGo EV is a Spinning Ring Car for Two Iranian CG artist Mohammed Ghezel has conceived of a vehicle sure to give you the spins with this eRinGo concept, a drum/ring-shaped electric vehicle that features two steering wheels for double the fun. The tilting vehicle may look topsy-turvy at best, but it’s not the first ring spinning craft we’ve seen! clipped from www.yankodesign.com Rolling Down The Hill eRinGo is predictably this rotund vehicle that can go from a one-wheel car to a three-wheeler, depending upon the deep curves you wish to take. The main central wheel balances the car while in motion, and its panels house the electric motors and other machinery of the car. The two-seater has two steering wheels, allowing either of the drivers to take control. Naturally when one steering is being used, the other gets locked. Two smaller-side wheels get deployed intuitively to stabilize the car when parking or hitting the curves. clipped from www.wired.com eRinGo EV Concept Is a 3-Ring Circus clipped from www.coroflot.com Mohammad Ghezel Overview Portfolio Profile Activity clipped from www.coroflot.com clipped from www.coroflot.com clipped from www.coroflot.com

ARGUS-IS DARPA's Gigapixel Camera

clipped from thefutureofthings.com DARPA's New High Resolution Camera The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is developing a camera with unprecedented resolution, of 2.3-gigapixel. The new camera should be able to create super-wide aerial photos, and is built primarily for surveillance purposes, as part of the Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance - Imaging System (ARGUS-IS) program. clipped from www.darpa.mil IPTO | Programs | Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance - Imaging System (ARGUS-IS) Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance - Imaging System (ARGUS-IS) Mission: The mission of the Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance - Imaging System (ARGUS-IS) program is to provide military users a flexible and responsive capability to find, track and monitor events and activities of interest on a continuous basis in areas of interest. clipped from spie.org The ARGUS-IS consists of three major subsystems: gigapixel sensor, airborne sensor processing, and ground processing.

Sony's prototype 360° 3D display

clipped from www.boingboing.net Sony unveils new 3D display In Tokyo today, Sony unveiled a 3D display that can be viewed from any direction. No glasses required, and several users can see the 3D images simultaneously from various angles. clipped from www.physorg.com The cylindrical display case is 27 cm tall with a base of 13 cm in diameter, and features a 96 by 128-pixel resolution that looks better than might be expected. The screen displays 3D objects including a cartoon character, car, globe, and people. Sony created these objects either in 3D on a computer or by taking photographs of them from various angles. The result is that the objects appear to have depth, and can be viewed from any angle on the horizontal plane by walking around the display screen. clipped from www.youtube.com clipped from www.youtube.com clipped from www.t3.com Sony's Japanese press site is teasing us of a video reveal of the 3D system, which will show off the gadget in more detail on October 22. That's this Thusrday, if you're reading this LIVE, when Japanese tech show Digital Content EXP0 2009 kicks off in the land of the bizarre.

Autoliv's second generation Night Vision

clipped from www.autoliv.com Night Vision clipped from nv2media.com What is Night Vision 2? Autoliv's second generation Night Vision, being introduced on the 2009 BMW 7-series, adds the world’s first advanced Pedestrian Detection capability. Night Vision 2 (NV2) uses far infrared technology to see pedestrians, animals and the road ahead in total darkness. NV2 tracks all pedestrians when they are 10-100 yards ahead of the vehicle. A visual alert occurs on the navigation display (or available head-up display) when pedestrians are in danger of being hit. Read more (pdf file) clipped from www.wired.com Go to the Dark Side With BMW Night Vision “The new system is like an extra set of eyes — a very complex processing unit is constantly monitoring video of the road ahead,” says Stuart Klapper, night vision business director at Autoliv. clipped from www.youtube.com BMW Night Vision video city scene clipped from www.youtube.com BMW Night Vision video Moose clipped from wardsauto.com Night-vision camera in bumper of BMW 7-Series.

Kite Gen Wind Power

clipped from www.metaefficient.com MetaEfficient Reviews The Guide To Highly Efficient Things Kite Gen – The Future Of Wind Power? Wind power holds great promise as a clean energy source, but current windmill generators aren’t appropriate for all locations. Italian firm Kite Gen hopes to change that with its innovative new generator designs, which use “kites” to capture strong high-altitude winds. clipped from www.youtube.com clipped from www.kitegen.com Home Technology Details Wind data Environmental concern FAQ Who we are Kite Gen Research Investment Products Kite Gen Stem Kite Gen Stem Off-shore Kite Gen Carousel News Links Reviews Materials Blog Large wings, driven by a high-tech control system based on avionic sensors, fly at high altitude, harvesting the energy of powerful winds, much faster and constant than those available to traditional wind mills. clipped from kitegen.com KiteGen Stem with the machinery dome KiteGen Stem with the machinery dome KiteGen Carousel Aria200 KiteGen Carousel 50

Technocel PowerPak Portable Battery and Home Charger.

clipped from www.technocel.com PowerPak™ PORTABLE BATTERY AND HOME CHARGER IN ONE UNIT clipped from www.techfresh.net Technocel has recently announced their latest innovation, the Technocel PowerPak, which is actually an all-in-one portable battery and home charger. The gadget will replace all your gadget’s chargers with a single universal solution that will safely recharge and power your USB devices at home, in the car, at the airport, or anywhere else. clipped from gadgets.softpedia.com Technocel Introduces Its PowerPak Double Charger The patent pending technology will probably replace all the chargers available today, with a single universal solution that will power safely all of the USB devices in a home, car, airport and just about anywhere else. miniUSB has already been said to become the standard charging plug for mobile devices, so I don't see why not. The best thing with this type of charger is that you'll be able to unplug it from the outlet and it will still keep charging your devices while you're already on the go.

Morphologically disturbed

clipped from www.designfederation.net The Bugs of Cornelia Hesse-Honegger clipped from www.wissenskunst.ch Biography Cornelia Hesse-Honegger, scientific illustrator and science artist, was born in 1944 in Zurich, Switzerland. For 25 years she worked as a scientific illustrator for the scientific department of the Natural History Museum at the University of Zurich. Since 1969 she has collected and painted leaf bugs, Heteroptera. Her watercolors are exhibited internationally at museums and galleries. Her work is an interface between art and science; it plays witness to a beautiful but endangered nature. Since the catastrophe of Chernobyl in 1986, she has collected, studied and painted morphologically disturbed insects, which she finds in the fallout areas of Chernobyl as well as near nuclear installations. As a result of her studies, she is convinced that in clipped from butdoesitfloat.com Morphologically disturbed

Live Luggage

clipped from www.technovelgy.com Live Luggage Ready To Roll LifeLuggage is a power-assisted form of baggage; a 12V NiMH rechargeable battery pack supplies power to the wheels when the handle is gripped and the bag is tilted. clipped from www.mrgadget.com.au Live Luggage – World’s First Power Assisted Suitcase Imagine not having to strain your body with a heavy suitcase through the airport or while going upstairs? This is where Live Luggage shines. It is the world’s first power assisted suitcase. clipped from en.liveluggage.com PA Series Luggage - Because the world is not flat clipped from en.liveluggage.com clipped from en.liveluggage.com Flat motor technology built into the wheels (Standard charger included) Anti-gravity handle putting 85% of the weight over the wheels clipped from en.liveluggage.com Hybrid PA Series Bag clipped from en.liveluggage.com clipped from en.liveluggage.com Soft ballistic nylon case with removable lap top and weekend luggage bags Multi bag design allowing owner to check in whole bag or the flexibility to remove two pieces and treat as hand luggage Anti-gravity handle putting 85% of the weight over the wheels

Cockroach-inspired robot

clipped from blogs.zdnet.com Resilient cockroach-inspired robot survives large falls, dashes off IEEE Spectrum writes of a small resilient robot created by Paul Birkmeyer and Prof. Ronald Fearing at the Biomimetic Millisystems Lab at UC Berkeley. Aptly called DASH (Dynamic Autonomous Sprawled Hexapod), the six-legged insect-inspired robot can reach speeds of 1.5 meters per second and is flexible/strong enough to be dropped from a height of 28 meters without breaking. A single DC motor powers the legs and a small servomotor to slightly deform the robot’s body, allowing it to make turns. clipped from robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu Prototyping Folded Robots Step 1: The Drawing Step 2: Cutting the Flexures Step 3: Flexure Layer Insertion Step 4: Laminating Step 5: Cutting the Outlines Step 6: Releasing the Parts Step 7: Pre-folding Linkages Step 8: Final Assembly Example Structures SMA Driven Crawler Motor-Driven Hexapod Micromechanical Flying Insect Prototyping using other Materials

WikiReader -- Wikipedia In Your Pocket

clipped from blogs.zdnet.com ZDNet WikiReader: Over 3 million Wikipedia entries in the palm of your hand clipped from www.informationweek.com Wikipedia, Now In A Dedicated Mobile Device Open source mobile company Openmoko has released WikiReader, a portable electronic version of Wikipedia. With its monochrome touch screen and the form factor of a sandwich, WikiReader won't be mistaken for an iPod touch. This despite the fact that it's the product of former Apple designer Thomas Meyerhoffer, more recently known for his surfboard designs. clipped from www.openmoko.com From day one, our goal was to give physical form to Wikipedia, one of the most interesting aspects of the Internet, so people can bring it with them everywhere they go. We want to promote personal growth and the ability to enjoy those unexpected moments when curiosity strikes. WikiReader is our gift for those who have the openness to experience life and the willingness to be changed by it.

Drawings as a lie detection tool

clipped from www.newscientist.com CSI: Doodle – lie detection through art No lie detector is anywhere near foolproof, and existing techniques, including polygraph tests and brain scans, have the added drawback of requiring specialised, expensive equipment, says Aldert Vrij, a forensic psychologist at the University of Portsmouth, UK. clipped from abcnews.go.com Vrij wondered whether asking someone to draw a scene might work instead: as liars have not had direct visual experience of what they are describing, they might draw a scene differently to someone who was actually there. clipped from www.port.ac.uk Psychology Prof. Aldert Vrij clipped from www3.interscience.wiley.com Drawings as an innovative and successful lie detection tool Aldert Vrij 1 *, Sharon Leal 1, Samantha Mann 1, Lara Warmelink 1, Par Anders Granhag 2, Ronald P. Fisher 3 clipped from neuronarrative.wordpress.com N e u r o n a r r a t i v e If You Want to Catch a Liar, Make Him Draw Using the “sketching the agent” result alone, it was possible to identify 80% of the truth tellers and 87% of the liars – results superior to most traditional interview techniques.

Fukitorimushi a Floor-Cleaning Robot

clipped from www.crunchgear.com Fukitorimushi: Panasonic’s creepy cleaning robot (video) The so-called Fukitorimushi (”wipe-up bug” in Japanese), a cleaning robot of a very special kind, has been around for quite a while now. But what was showcased recently during a tech exhibition in Tokyo was the newest version. clipped from www.pinktentacle.com Fukitorimushi: Autonomous floor-wiping robot [Link: Tokyo Fiber '09 Senseware Guide (PDF)] clipped from tokyofiber.com clipped from www.youtube.com Cleaning robot, Wiping Cleaner Fukitorimushi : DigInfo Wiping Cleaner FUKITORIMUSHI Related Links : - http://www.teijinfiber.com/english/pr... - http://tokyofiber.com/en/ (TOKYO FIBER '09 SENSEWARE) clipped from www.technovelgy.com Fukitorimushi Floor-Cleaning Robot - An Inchworm Dust Mop Fukitorimushi is an autonomous floor-cleaning robot; it uses a super-absorbent nanofiber cloth to grab dust that vacuum cleaners (like that old Roomba you've been using) leave behind. Fukitorimushi’s body is covered in Teijin’s Nanofront cloth, which is made of polyester filament fibers measuring 700 nanometers in diameter clipped from www.teijinfiber.com

Rolltop: Flexible OLED display laptop

clipped from jkontherun.com Rolltop: Most Amazing Prototype Notebook Yet clipped from gizmodo.com Unfurl The Rolltop (The Flexible OLED Display Laptop)! clipped from www.youtube.com Future Designer laptop - ROLLTOP //Diploma Thesis// The device of the flexible display allows a new concept in notebook design growing out of the traditional bookformed laptop into unfurling and convolving portable computer. By virtue of the OLED-Display technology and a multi touch screen the utility of a laptop computer with its weight of a mini-notebook and screen size of 13 inch easily transforms into the graphics tablet, which with its 17-inch flat screen can be also used as a primary monitor. On top of everything else all computer utilities from power supply through the holding belt to an interactive pen are integrated in Rolltop. This is really an all-in-one gadget. clipped from www.thedesignblog.org Rolltop: Flexible OLED display laptop for the users on the go clipped from www.orkin-design.de

SpiderBot

clipped from www.haaretz.com WATCH: The Israeli robot who wants to be Spider-Man Spider-Man's agility recently inspired students in the robotics department at Ben-Gurion University to create a robot that can move like the superhero. The robot's prototype, which recently took its first steps in a video posted on YouTube, is called Spiderbot. clipped from web.bgu.ac.il Laboratory of Industrial Mechatronics and Robotics clipped from www.youtube.com SpiderBot - The Final Movie SpiderBot- An underconstrained cable suspended robot capable of maneuvering from one stance space to another by clinging to new contact points. Motion analysis of an underconstrained cable suspended mobile robot

Armadillo Aerospace Lunar Landers

clipped from www.wired.com An Armadillo Shoots For the Moon A Texas team is the first to qualify for the top prize in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge after flying its moonship twice in two hours to simulate a moon landing. The aptly named company, Armadillo Aerospace, is one of three teams in the hunt for the $1 million award. clipped from en.wikipedia.org Lunar Lander Challenge The Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge is a competition funded by NASA's Centennial Challenges program. The competition offers a series of prizes for teams that launch a vertical takeoff/vertical landing (VTVL) rocket that achieves the total delta-v needed for a vehicle to move between the surface of the Moon and its orbit. clipped from www.armadilloaerospace.com Armadillo Aerospace is a leading developer of reusable rocket powered vehicles. We are focused on VTVL (vertical takeoff, vertical landing) suborbital research and passenger flights, with an eye towards eventual paths to orbit. clipped from www.armadilloaerospace.com 2008 Lunar Lander Challenge media clipped from www.armadilloaerospace.com 2009 Lunar Lander Challenge Level 2 media clipped from www.youtube.com clipped from www.youtube.com clipped from www.youtube.com

Thought Controlled Robots

clipped from dvice.com Robo-One Tournament shows off thought-controlled robot We now have more proof from the front lines of robotics research that the upcoming sci-fi epic The Surrogates is simply an early look at the very real near future. Created by indie-tinkerer Taku Ichikawa of the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo, this new robot actually responds to the thoughts of its master. clipped from mdn.mainichi.jp Robo-gladiator guided by operator's thoughts ready to rumble TOYAMA -- There will be some new and nasty competition this year here at the 16th Robo-One robotic gladiatorial tournament: a warrior robot steered by its controller's neural signals. clipped from www.popsci.com Control a Robot with Your Mind A sensor-equipped skullcap detects electrical signals to let a patient control a robot by thought alone Honda's new Brain-Machine Interface helmet gives you the power to communicate telepathically with humanoids. It reads your thoughts by measuring changes in electrical current and blood flow in the brain. clipped from www.youtube.com