Category: News

AR Glasses Restore Sight to the Blind

projectglass01As I’m sure most readers are aware, blindness comes in many forms. It’s not simply a matter of the afflicted not being able to see. In fact, there are many degrees of blindness and in most cases, depth perception is limited. But as it turns out, researchers at the University of Yamanashi in Japan have found a way to improve depth perception for the visually challenged using simple augmented reality glasses.

The process involved a pair of Wrap 920 ARs, an off-the-shelf brand of glasses that allow their wearer to interface with their PC, watch video or surf the internet, all the while staying mobile and carrying out their daily chores. The team then recorded images as seen by the wearer from the angle of both eyes, processed it with a quad-core Windows 7 machine, and then merged the images as they would appear to the healthy eye.

AR_glassesEssentially, the glasses perform the task of rendering a scene as it would be seen through “binocular vision” – i.e. in 3D. By taking two images, merging them together and defining what is near and what is far by their relative resolution, they were able to free the wearer’s brain from having to it for them. This in turn allowed them to interact more freely and effectively with their test environment: a dinner table with chop sticks and food in small bowls, arguably a tricky meal to navigate!

Naturally, the technology is still in its infancy. For one, the processed imagery has a fairly low resolution and frame rate, and it requires the glasses to be connected to a laptop. Newer tech will provide better resolution, faster frames per second, and a larger viewport. In addiiton, mobile computing with smartphones and tablets ought to provide for a greater degree of portability, to the point where all the required technology is in the glasses themselves.

posthumanLooking ahead, it is possible that there could be a f0rm of AR glasses specially programmed to deliver this kind of vision correction. The glasses would then act as a prosthesis, giving people with visual impairment an increased level of visual acuity, bringing them one step closer to vision recovery. And since this is also a development which will blurring the lines between humans and computers even more, it’s arguably another step closer to transhumanism!

Source: Extremetech.com

DIY Prosthetics on Demand

DIY_prostheticThe field of prosthetics has seen some rather stark and amazing developments in recent years. And considering the rise in DIY cybernetics, biohacking and 3D printing, it was just a matter of time before a bunch of hobbyists found a way to create their own. And that’s precisely what Ivan Owen and Richard Van, a special effects artist and a woodworker, have managed to do.

Despite living hundreds of kilometers from each other, these two men managed to collaborate on the creation of an artificial limb. And in an especially heartwarming twist, they did it on demand for a South African boy named Liam who war born without fingers on his right hand. For some time, they had been working together to create prosthetics relying only on their general know-how and technology that is available to the general public, all the while keeping tabs on their progress and sharing it with the general public through their blog comingupshorthanded.com.

DIY_prosth_LiamAfter stumbling onto this website, Liam’s mother contacted Ivan and Richard and asked if they could create an artificial hand for her son. They obliged and, using a 3D printer, bits of cable, bungee cord returns and rubber thimbles, the two men collaborated over the internet to make it happen. And not only have they changed the life of young Liam, who is capable of doing things he never thought possible, they now hope to do the same for others looking for low-cost prosthetic alternatives.

For years, these two had been working on a “Robohand” together, in part due to the fact that Van As lost his right hand fingers in a woodworking accident. But until now, they had not considered the wider implications of their work. And after talking to Liam’s mom and seeing the difference it made in Liam’s life, they have set up a fundraising page are take requests for people looking for devices or who are interesting in offering help. Thanks to the open-source nature of the project, a number of improvements have already been made to their designs, with more sure to follow.

bionic_handsIn addition to showcasing the trend of DIY device-making and open-source development, this is also good news for anyone in the market for an artificial hand or limb and who does not have $10,000 kicking around. That’s the standard price for a prosthetic these days, which despite incredible leaps in terms of sophistication have not gotten any cheaper! But with the right know-how, and some technical assistance, a person can find their way to a cheap, printed alternative and see similar results.

Overal, prosthetics offer people the opportunity to restore mobility and retain their independence. And now, thanks to the internet and 3D printing capabilities, they can manufacture these devices independently. The power to restore your own mobility is in your own hands… Interesting, and one might even say cosmically convergent!

Rock on Liam! You’ve got a great mom and some talented friends. As for the rest of you, be sure to check out this video of the 5 year old boy in action with his new prosthetic hand.

Source: IO9.com, comingupshort.com, fundly.com

NASA Engine Will Take Us To The Moon (And Beyond)

NASA_Moon1For almost a year now, NASA has been discussing plans which will eventually culminate in a return to the Moon. Initially, such plans were kept under wraps just in case NASA found itself in a budget environment that did not favor renewed space exploration. But since the 2012 election, and the re-election of President Obama, NASA publicly announced its plans, confident that the budget voted on in 2010 (which included lucrative funding for them) would continue.

And now, NASA has been unveiling the tools that will take us there and beyond in the coming years. Far from simply shooting for the Moon for the first time in decades, NASA’s plans also include manned missions to Mars, and exploratory missions which will take it out to Jupiter and the outer Solar System. And since they are thinking big, its clear some budget-friendly and powerful tools will be needed for the job.

jx-2rocketAbove, we have the latest. It’s called the JX-2, a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine is the modernized version of the J-2, the engine that NASA used in the late-’60s and early-’70s to thrust humans beyond low Earth orbit. With the conclusion of the Apollo program, these babies fell into disuse. But with the upgrades made to these new versions, NASA hopes to send people back to the Moon, and a few places beyond.

Of course, there are other noted improvements in NASA’s arsenal that will also come into play. For starters, the J-2 was part of the general assembly of the Saturn V rocket, the mainstay of the space agency’s fleet at the time. In the years to come, NASA will be deploying its new Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV).

NASA_marsThe SLS is NASA’s next-generation rocket, a larger, souped-up version of the Saturn V’s that took the Apollo teams into space and men like Neil Armstrong to the Moon. According to NASA spokesmen, the SLS rocket will “incorporate technological investments” and “proven hardware” from previous space exploration programs.” Essentially, this means that projects which have been shelved and retired have been updated and incorporated to create a rocket that can do the job of sending men into deep space again.

The Orion MPCV, on the other hand, is the module that will sit atop the SLS, carrying its crew compliment and delivering them to their destination once the rocket has put them into space and disassembled itself. Announced back in September of 2011, the SLS and MPCV constitute the largest and most powerful space rocket system ever built by a space agency.

No date has been given as to when the SLS and MPCV will be sent into space, courtesy of the new JX-2 rocket engine. But NASA claims there will be a launch sometime next year. As for the Moon, well, we’re waiting on that too, but it’s clear that with Mars slated for 2030, a manned mission to the Moon is sure to happen before this decade is out.

In the meantime, check out the infographic on the new rocket system below, and keep your eyes on the skies! We’re going back, and this time, we mean to stay!

nasa-spaceship-mpcv-orion-capsule-comparison-apollo-shuttle-infographic-110525b-02

Sources: IO9.com, (2), Space.com

The True North: Strong and Zombie Free!

"Cerrrrveaux!" said the Quebecois zombie
“Cerrrrveaux!” said the Quebecois zombie

Last Wednesday, during question period in the House of Commons here in Canada, a rare and interesting thing occurred. It came when in response to a disaster relief scenario, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird assured the House of Commons that Canada remains a zombie-free zone. One has to wonder if he was holding something back though, like maybe it remains free for the time being, as in, that could change soon?

For some time now, governments and health agencies around the world have been using zombies as a way of teaching about disaster preparedness and disease control. So the fact that it is now making its way into mainstream politics shouldn’t come as a surprise. The exchange began when Winnipeg New Democrat Pat Martin raised the matter of a recent Quebec government disaster planning exercise that used B-movie templates of an invasion of the “living dead” as its premise.

zombies_houseofcommonsTongue planted firmly in cheek, Martin said “I don’t need to tell you, Mr. Speaker, that zombies don’t recognize borders.” He then went to ask if the foreign minister was working with our American partners “to develop an international zombie strategy so that a zombie invasion does not turn into a zombie apocalypse?”

Baird, in an equally cheeky manner, responded by saying he was “dead-icated” to the matter, and that “Under the leadership of this prime minister, Canada will never become a safe haven for zombies, ever.” And steering back to a conventional conservative talking point, he was sure to add that the NDP’s fictional carbon tax would raise the cost of zombie-related emergency provisions —including monster trucks — for all Canadians.

zombies_huntingNaturally, the exchange became an immediate hit on Twitter and other social media, with one user suggesting we check the Senate for any sign of zombies. Ha! And personally, I’d say that if a zombie outbreak had to happen, it out to take place in the Great White North because Canada would be prepared. Not only does this country have a plethora of firearms and a long tradition of hunting, we would be sure to regulate the process and make sure it was done right.

What’s more, our universal health care would be on hand to ensure that everyone still uninfected was tended to, and those that got bit were mercifully quarantined. We may be hunters and gun enthusiasts, but were not impolite! And if we didn’t succeed in killing all the zombies before summer was out, we could just sit back and let the cold weather take care of them.

zombies_canhunterBoy its good to know these people get paid the wages they do to discuss this sort of stuff doesn’t it? I feel safer already! Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go stockpile canned goods and ammunition…

Source: CBC.ca

Mercury Mapped for the First Time

mercury_mapMercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System and has the closest proximity to our sun. As a result, it’s one of the most neglected when it comes to scientific study. While Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn have been probed and photographed in exquisite detail during the space age, the closest planet to the Sun has had to make do with a few flybys from the Mariner 10 spacecraft in the early 1970s.

However, that is now changing thanks to NASA’s Messenger spacecraft. In addition to confirming the existence of ice and organic molecules back in November, the probe has also transmitted thousands of images of the planet over the past year. These have allowed NASA personnel to construct the first high-resolution maps of the planet, its own high-resolution maps, down to the scale of kilometers.

Global Map Of Mercury From Messenger.According to David Blewett, a scientist at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University and part of the Messenger team, part of the reason it has taken more than 30 years to revisit the planet since the Mariner 10 flybys was because a lack of public interest. Messenger, he claims, has changed all that. Speaking ahead of a briefing on Friday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston, Blewett had this say:

“Messenger has revealed Mercury to be a fascinating, dynamic and complex world. We know now that it is an oddball planet. It’s the smallest of the eight planets but has the highest density. The interior structure is different than the other planets. The geologic surface is different to the moon and Mars. The surface composition is enigmatic because … it consists of rock types that we don’t have much experience with. It has a global, Earth-like magnetic field, Venus and Mars do not.”

messenger_mercuryThe new global map is an enhanced image that shows the different compositions of rocks on the surface of Mercury by color-coding them. The more orange areas are volcanic plains while the make-up of the rocks in the deep blue areas is unknown. Though Messenger was able to detect an abundance of individual elements on Mercury’s surface – including iron, titanium, sulphur and potassium – without rock samples to study, scientists cannot determine the exact compounds or minerals in which those elements are arranged.

But the biggest surprise came on the surface, where there was an abundance of relatively volatile elements such as potassium and sulphur was seen to be very high. Most of the models for the formation of Mercury predict that these elements should have evaporated away during the planet’s formation. So in addition to learning more about its surface features, scientists are now presented with the opportunity to study and learn more about the planet’s early history as well.

But of course, much of that information and research are going to have to wait for future generations of Rovers. These are likely to be similar in nature to Curiosity, in that they are remote controlled, networked robots with internal labs. But unlike those currently combing the Red Planet, these ones will have to be able to withstand surface temperatures in excess of 400 C and some dangerous surface activity. Hard to know exactly when NASA will be rolling any of those out, but the simplest answer is, not too bloody soon!

Check out the video of Mercury’s new color map as it rotates to show its fully-detailed surface. And FYI, this bit of breaking news has become my 900th post! Woohoo!

Source: gaurdian.co.uk

Star Wars Meets Mortal Kombat!

diamond-light-saberHere we have a video game concept that was proposed by Studio Gigante for the Xbox gaming system. Merging Mortal Kombat/Street Fighter style fights with Star Wars characters and lightsaber moves, the idea never made it to the production line. In fact, until the other day, no one outside of those who worked on it knew this proposed Star Wars combat game even existed.

But thanks to a recent tweet by Josh Tsui, currently of Robomodo and co-founder of the studio that made it, the demonstration video is now making the rounds. As the demo shows, it was a game that was meant to incorporate lightsaber duels, Force moves and some limited hand to hand fighting. You played as your favorite character within various Star Wars settings and, presumably, made you way up to the boss (smart money said it was either the Emperor or Yoda, depending on whether your character was good or evil).

Why he chose to do it on Valentines Day is anybody’s guess, but I’m thinking that might just be coincidental. Nothing says love like a simulated lightsaber in your gut!

DARPA’s Next-Generation Spygear!

super-soldier-in-repose Remember how not that long ago some researchers were able to produce a new breed of dissolving electronics? Well as it turns out, there are those who want to find a way to militarize this technology. Those people are the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), who are looking to create a breed of “suicide sensors” as part of what they call the VAPR (Vanishing Programmable Resources) program.

As it stands, war zones are often littered with “sophisticated electronic microsystems” that create enticing opportunities for adversaries to collect, study and reverse-engineer their enemy’s technology. And since it’s not practical for advanced armies to pick up all their microscopic gear when they withdraw from an area, it would be nice if there was a way to push a button that would cause all of those deployed electronics to dissolve, destruct or biodegrade.

super_soldierOf particular interest is the “degradation” involving implants in a soldier’s body. Given DARPA’s efforts to develop super soldiers – enhanced with bionic limbs, cybernetics, and implantable sensors and medical devices – future armies will run the risk of seeing that technology fall into enemy hands whenever a soldier is killed or taken prisoner. Here especially, a super soldier would be inclined to see their advanced bio-implants to break down and be irretrievable.

In order to accomplish this, it will be inviting a number of companies to a Virginia conference to kick around ideas for creating what it calls “triggered degradation.” In a recent interview with Wired, program manager Dr. Alicia Jackson expressed the goal of the program as follows:

“VAPR will focus on developing and establishing a basic set of materials, components, integration, and manufacturing capabilities to undergird this new class of electronics defined by their performance and transience.”

VAPR_imageSometimes the hardware will be pre-programmed to self-destruct and in others biodegrade into the surrounding environment. In other cases, such as where human implants are concerned, the electronics will be triggered to dissolve into a liquid. In this last respect, DARPA is already making headway, as they demonstrated last year with a super-thin electronic circuit made out of silicon and magnesium could be fabricated to dissolve in liquid.

Naturally, DARPA concedes that things are not quite where they need to be for everything to work. As they stated in part of the VAPR press release, “key technological breakthroughs are required across the entire electronics production process, from starting materials to components to finished products.” But of course, where there is a will – and unlimited funding – there’s usually a way.

Source: Wired.com, DARPA.mil

North Korea’s Video Game Propaganda

nkvideogamesIt’s no secret that North Korea uses all means at its disposal to indoctrinate its citizens to share the same world view. Intrinsic to this is the idea that the West is evil, South Koreans are their pawns, and that the north is bastion of “proletarian freedom” that must triumph over them all. Even if it does find itself cornered, embargoed, run by loons, and wasting most of its GDP on displays of nuclear might.

And on tool which is coming to light is the use of cartoonish-style violent video games. Unlike the military parades and the cult of the leader, these are by comparison a bit crude. Actually, they are very crude, and will no doubt remind most westerns of their Nintendo or Sega gaming system, with a few exceptions where flash media games are concerned. But overall, the point is clear: when it comes to video games, North Korea is seriously behind the times!

uriminzokki-posterFor starters, there is Uriminzokkiri, a web portal that pushes North Korean propaganda from the country’s central news agency. It’s based in China, but is apparently controlled from the North Korean capitol of Pyongyang. So basically, the government was forced to outsource its web-based needs to a neighboring country that is ostensibly allied and far more advanced. A tell-tale sign for sure!

In any case, on Uriminzokkiri, there are a handful of flash games you can play on your computer. Some examples include “Treasure Key”, where the player navigates a crudely animated maze and is forced to deal with enemies such as George W. Bush (rendered as a rat) and Japanese politicians who are his monkeys. The ultimate goal is to collect all the keys and in so doing, unify Korea.

Then there is “Hang A Traitor”, where players attempt to hang a noose around the moving icon of South Korean conservative politician Lee Hoi-chang. That is rivaled by “Beating Up Rat LMB”, where players get to beat up the image of the current South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, apparently to death!  And that’s all topped off with games like “Fly Swatting” and “Hitting South Korean Politicians”, where players simply swat of hit (whack-a-mole style) images of South Korean politicians and George W. Bush.

twominuteshateI’m put in mind of the Two Minutes of Hate. Anybody else getting that vibe? What’s more, I’m wondering how often they choose to update these games. Are North Korea’s authorities aware that Dubya hasn’t been president for four blessed years? And of course, there’s the pathos I feel for all those souls who are forced to live in this kind of environment, where hate is fostered and the means used to do so are so very crude, ugly and transparent.

I look forward to the day when the last Stalinist regime on Earth joins its brethren on the ash heap of history and the people are permitted a look at how their southern cousins live. I also hope they have an easier transition that some of their Eastern European counterparts. But then again, after all they’ve endured, any change is likely to be painful!

Source: kotaku.com

Asteroid Misses Earth, Again!

asteroid_DA14Well it seems that Earth has survived yet another close shave with an asteroid. This time around, the object in question was a celestial body known as DA14, a rock measuring 45 meters (150 feet) in diameter and weighing in at 130,000 metric tons in mass. Discovered last year by astronomers working out of the La Sagra Sky Survey at the Astronomical Observatory of Mallorca, this asteroid performed the closest fly-by of Earth ever observed by astronomers.

Basically, the asteroids passage took it within Earth’s geosynchronous satellite ring, at a paltry distance of 27,000 kilometers (17,000 miles). That may sound like its still pretty far away, but to give you a sense of scale, consider that Earth’s geosynchronous satellite ring, which the asteroid passed within, is located about 35,800 km above the equator. So basically, this asteroid was closer to you than the satellite that feeds your TV set. Scared yet?

asteroid_DA14pathNaturally, NASA was quick to let people know that DA14’s trajectory and orbit about the Sun would bring it no closer to the Earth’s surface than 3.2 Earth radii on February 15, 2013. In a statement released in advance of the asteroid’s passage, they claimed:

“There is very little chance that asteroid 2012 DA14 will impact a satellite or spacecraft. Because the asteroid is approaching from below Earth, it will pass between the outer constellation of satellites located in geosynchronous orbit (22,245 miles/35,800 kilometers) and the large concentration of satellites orbiting much closer to Earth. (The International Space Station, for example, orbits at the close-in altitude of 240 miles/386 kilometers.). There are almost no satellites orbiting at the distance at which the asteroid will pass.”

However, they were sure to warn satellite operators about the passing, providing them with detailed information about the flyby so they could perform whatever corrections they needed to to protect their orbital property. All in all, we should be counting our lucky stars, given the asteroid’s mass and size. Were it to have landed on Earth, it would have been an extinction-level-event the likes of which has not been seen since the age of the dinosaurs.

In related news, NASA was quick to dispel notions that this asteroid was in any way related the recent arrival of the meteor above the Urals in Russia. In a statement issued earlier today, they said the following:

“According to NASA scientists, the trajectory of the Russia meteor was significantly different than the trajectory of the asteroid 2012 DA14, making it a completely unrelated object. Information is still being collected about the Russia meteor and analysis is preliminary at this point. In videos of the meteor, it is seen to pass from left to right in front of the rising sun, which means it was traveling from north to south. Asteroid DA14’s trajectory is in the opposite direction, from south to north.”

Good news! We’re not witnessing the End of Days just yet. Take that Apocalyptics! Don’t you people get tired of being wrong? (fingers crossed!)

Source: IO9.com, NASA.gov, (2)

Meteorite Explodes Over Russia

meteorThis morning, many Russians caught an astonishing site as a meteor passed over the town of Chelyabinsk just east of the Ural mountains. The resulting sonic boom shattered thousands of windows, left an estimated 500 people injured and thousands more shaken. What’s more, many people caught the entire thing on tape, watching in awe as the meteor graces the atmosphere during daylight hours, setting the sky on fire and then letting loose a massive thunderclap.

Although there were no confirmed deaths, the full extent of the damage has yet to be fully assessed. And while some believed that the lights were caused by a meteor shower, others believe that it was a single meteor that cut across the sky and exploded in the atmosphere. The explosive force shook the town’s buildings, and it seems as though the 6000-square-foot roof of a Zinc Plant collapsed. Some residents are even saying that fragments of the meteor rained down on the town.

And though there is no definite connection between this meteor strike and asteroid DA14, which passed Earth by today, it is notable that they happened within a day of each other. But just in case people are worried, now might be a good time to remind them that by all reliable accounts, DA14 is expected to miss Earth entirely. Good news for those of us planning on getting up tomorrow morning, alive and uncharred!

Check out this compilation video of the meteor appearing in the sky and the explosive lights show which followed:


And just in case you need a sense of how loud it was, check out this video of the sonic boom:


Source: IO9.com, CBC.ca