A Robot That Can Run 50 mph?

DARPA, in association with the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) and partner MIT’s Robot Locomotion Group, have just created a ground breaking robotic leg design while developing the robot, FastRunner.  FastRunner may be capable of reaching speeds as high as 50 mph based on the design.  The robot stands at 4 foot and 66 pounds and the leg design will make the bird more agile and capable of running on different types of terrain.  There is still a lot of work to be done before the bird can be deployed but designers are making significant strides, pun intended, with the FastRunner development and are very hopeful of success.

Opportunities for the FastRunner could be obviously used for the military theatre and natural disaster areas to recover victims as well as finding lost hikers in the vast wilderness.  What if the robot could carry other robots such as snakes which are already developed to swim through debris and inspect the inside of pipes.  These snakes could be teamed with FastRunner for search and rescue missions and deployed into areas where maneuvering is dangerous for humans.  Snakes would have their own cameras and could be called back remotely to the bird when their task was completed.

Imagine the possibilities for practical application.

FastRunner

http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/military-robots/this-is-what-darpas-robot-ostrich-will-look-like

http://www.gizmag.com/darpa-fastrunner-robotic-ostrich/20494/

State of Consciousness

Scientists have long debated what constitutes consciousness in people thought to be in persistent vegetative states (PVS).   Now, a cheap and mobile EEG device has been developed that has detected signs of consciousness in three people thought to be in PVS.   The device uses electrodes placed on the scalp to sense electrical activity in the brain.

Researchers tested the device out on 16 patients and out of those 16, three patients showed activity when given a command.  When told to wiggle their toes, activity showed in the region that controlled that action.  It clearly showed that they understood and could respond accordingly.

What a break-through in being able to communicate with patients and have them actively involved in their own therapies.   From there, a brain-computer interface might even give patients even greater ability to communicate skills via a computer with a brain controlled cursor.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-11/new-portable-eeg-method-can-detect-consciousness-those-thought-be-vegetative

Let Your Feet Keep You Talking

Who knew a brisk walk could extend the battery life of your Smartphone?

With the InStep NanoPower, you can get in shape and power your portable devices.  A special electricity-producing cushion positioned inside the soles of a pair of shoes can convert some footstep power into several watts of electricity.  

Throughout a single day, energy produced by walking around gets stored in a small battery in the sole and provides enough electricity for a pedestrian to extend their smartphone’s battery life, for a soldier to extend his portable power needs in the field, or for someone in a developing nation without electricity to power a night’s worth of LED home light use.

This sounds good but I wonder if your feet will ever get hot from the battery.  It could bring new meaning to "blazing a trail."

http://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/gadgets/footfalls-for-phone-calls