Archive for the 'Rise of the Machines' Category
DARPA’s Robotics Challenge
April 11th, 2012Via: IEEE Spectrum: IEEE Spectrum got an early look at the Broad Agency Announcement, known as BAA, the solicitation document that DARPA is making public today. Here are the most relevant bits: • GOAL: The goal of the new program is to “develop ground robotic capabilities to execute complex tasks in dangerous, degraded, human-engineered environments.” […]
A New Microchip Knows Just Where You Are, Indoors and Out
April 10th, 2012Via: MIT Technology Review: Broadcom has just rolled out a chip for smart phones that promises to indicate location ultra-precisely, possibly within a few centimeters, vertically and horizontally, indoors and out. The unprecedented accuracy of the Broadcom 4752 chip results from the sheer breadth of sensors from which it can process information. It can receive […]
Military Researchers Zapping Brains to Make Better Snipers
April 8th, 2012Better snipers? *pfft* You’ll need this technology to help you make sense of all the information on your Heads Up Display: Via: The Week: Over the past few years, however, it’s become increasingly clear that applying an electrical current to your head confers similar benefits. U.S. military researchers have had great success using “transcranial direct […]
Children Perceive Humanoid Robot as Emotional, Moral Being
April 6th, 2012I’m posting this more for its comedic value than because I think it’ll happen anytime soon. My four-year-old son, left to his own devices, would destroy that bot inside of ten minutes. His goal wouldn’t be to destroy it; he just wants to figure out what makes machines go. If he had access to screw […]
Google Begins Testing Its Augmented-Reality Glasses
April 5th, 2012Here we go… Via: New York Times: If you venture into a coffee shop in the coming months and see someone with a pair of futuristic glasses that look like a prop from “Star Trek,” don’t worry. It’s probably just a Google employee testing the company’s new augmented-reality glasses. On Wednesday, Google gave people a […]
U.S. Draws Up Plans for Nuclear Powered Drones
April 3rd, 2012Via: Guardian: American scientists have drawn up plans for a new generation of nuclear-powered drones capable of flying over remote regions of the world for months on end without refuelling. The blueprints for the new drones, which have been developed by Sandia National Laboratories – the US government’s principal nuclear research and development agency – […]
And Now… Degrees in ‘Drone Studies’
March 29th, 2012Via: The Daily: America’s newest college major may well be Drone Studies. Amid a worldwide boom in unmanned aerial vehicles, a handful of U.S. colleges have begun offering classes and even four-year degrees for students looking for jobs in the fast-growing field where even newcomers can earn six-figure salaries. Jeb Bailey, 28, who has taken […]
The Rise of the Machines, as Told by Workplace Safety Signs
March 29th, 2012Via: io9: Come the robot uprising, one of the first orders of business on the insurgents’ agenda will be to breathe life into the world’s most dangerous pre-existing mechanical equipment. Fortunately for those who like to plan ahead, the vast majority of today’s hazardous machines feature warning labels that clearly illustrate all the ways that […]
U.S. Could Fly Spy Drones from Australian Territory
March 28th, 2012Via: Chanel News Asia: Australia said Wednesday it may allow the United States to use its territory to operate long-range spy drones, as part of an increased US presence in the Asia-Pacific that has rankled China. Washington and Canberra could also reportedly station US aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered attack submarines in the western Australian city […]
Hitachi Surveillance System Can Recognize a Face From 36 Million Others in One Second
March 24th, 2012Via: Mashable: Face-recognition technology is rapidly evolving as evidenced by this new surveillance camera system. It can not only recognize specific faces, but is able to compare a single face to 36 million others in just one second. The system, made by Hitachi Kokusai Electric and reported by DigInfo TV, was shown at a security […]
