iTray : Your food will come flying to you!!

As a way of easing the burden on waiting staff, it’s an idea that could certainly get off the ground.

British restaurant chain YO! Sushi has launched what it says is the world’s first flying tray, a kind of airborne waiter capable of delivering food to tables faster than the more traditional leg-equipped variety.

What is  iTray?

The so-called iTray (check it out in the video below), which is apparently capable of reaching speeds of up to 25mph, took off from the kitchen of the restaurant’s flagship store in London over the weekend.

How does it work?

Essentially a modified quad-copter , the flying machine is controlled by an iPad, with a member of staff tilting the tablet to control its movement. It features two built-in cameras so the ‘pilot’ can accurately guide the food-laden tray to diners’ tables before flying it back to the kitchen.

One customer who received his food on the iTray was evidently impressed. “When I ordered the burger, I didn’t imagine it was going to come flying across, into my face, on a tray,” he said, adding, “It was amazing, it was the weirdest thing.”

Speaking of food flying into faces – with customers constantly coming and going, not to mention those making their way to and from the bathroom, you might think the iTray is an accident waiting to happen, but thus far we’re happy to report that no iTray-diner entanglements have been reported. Presumably the tray flies well above the heads of diners, though if it hits a wall on its way to a customer, it could result in a bowl of miso soup landing on your head.

YO! Sushi boss Robin Rowland said the iTray was unveiled as part of the launch of a new rice burger.

“YO! Sushi is about delivering a new concept in an unusual and exciting way,” Rowland said. “The iTray concept came from our thinking of how are we going to show people how light and exciting and fun this food type is.”

If the flying tray proves popular with diners and doesn’t lead to any unfortunate accidents, it could be rolled out to its other stores next year.

YO! Sushi, which currently has more than 70 restaurants worldwide, was the first in the UK to introduce the conveyer-belt sushi system popular in Japan and also uses robotic trolleys to serve up drinks to diners.

To let you get a feel for how they look in action, here is a video showcasing iTray  on Youtube.

Powertrekk fuel cell charger : Charge your devices with water!!

Did your mobile run out of charge just when you were stranded in an unknown place without any electricity?

Well now you can recharge your mobile using water!!Yes, you heard it right, using water.

Researchers in Sweden have developed a new technique where you can charge your devices anywhere without electricity, provided there is a water source nearby. Just add a spoonful and get instant power, anytime anywhere. 

What is PowerTrekk fuel cell charger?

Handy for anyone who spends time away from electricity, the small, lightweight PowerTrekk could power critical devices for warfighters and aid workers deployed to remote areas of the world, Fox News reported. 

Developed by a team in Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology and made by MyFC, it's the world's first water-activated charging device that powers using fresh or salt water, the developers claimed. It can extend battery life up to 3 watts. 

So if you take an iPhone, the charge would be enough for between 25 and 100 per cent of its battery capacity. Any convenient water can be harvested for power, from a kitchen faucet through to a puddle in the jungle. 

Solar charging can be affected by the weather and the position of the sun, of course, and not hugely helpful if your urgent power shortage hits at night. Water charging isn't hindered by these external factors. Even in a desert, a spoonful of water from your thermos can give you power. 

How does it work?
The new device leverages the team's more than 15 years of research on micro fuel cell technology and small flat Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells at the Department of Applied Electrochemistry at KTH. 

To use the PowerTrekk charger, you fill-up water compartment with about one tablespoon, close the lid and connect it to the electronic device with a USB cable. It starts charging automatically as the water inside interacts with a small disposable metal disc causing hydrogen gas to be released. 

When the gas combines with oxygen it converts chemical energy into electrical energy. While in many ways fuel cells are similar to batteries, they are different in that electrodes do not become consumed making them finite. 

Instead provided water and air is provided to the electrodes, these fuel cells will run. Very green power, water vapor is the only by-product. 

Currently, Powertrekk works with devices like cell and smartphones, digital cameras, iPods and GPS. The company is looking into developing their fuel cells to function for larger devices like laptops.

To let you get a feel for how they look in action, here is a video showcasing Powertrekk fuel cell charger on Youtube.

WorldKit-Turn any surface into touchsreen with just a hand gesture!!

 Ubiquitous, gesture-controlled interfaces are one step closer to reality, thanks to a new system developed at Carnegie Mellon University. WorldKit lets you create interactive apps on any surface just by waving your hand. The project was announced by the university on Thursday.

Scientists previously have shown that a depth camera system, such as Kinect, can be combined with a projector to turn almost any surface into a touchscreen. 

What is WorldKit?

Instead of being tethered to your hardware, WorldKit is designed to make access to computing instant and mobile by making the world your touchscreen. Right now, the system involves a ceiling-mounted camera and projector that record hand movements and then project onto the surface of your choice. Some potential uses include TV remote controls, which can be accessed by rubbing the arm of a sofa, or calendars that can be swiped onto doors.

Researchers at the university's Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) used a ceiling-mounted camera and projector to record room geometries, sense hand gestures and project images on desired surfaces.

How does it work?

Robert Xiao, an HCII doctoral student, said WorldKit does not require such an elaborate installation. "Depth sensors are getting better and projectors just keep getting smaller," he said. 

"We envision an interactive 'light bulb' — a miniaturized device that could be screwed into an ordinary light fixture and pointed or moved to wherever an interface is needed," he said. The system does not require prior calibration, automatically adjusting its sensing and image projection to the orientation of the chosen surface.

The system currently allows for things like buttons, multitouch drawing (akin to a whiteboard), and counting the number of object within an interaction “bubble.” The existing prototype still has limited resolution and input dimensions, but hardware advances and future research could allow voice commands or even interaction in free space rather than on surfaces. 

Users can summon switches, message boards, indicator lights and a variety of other interface designs from a menu. Ultimately, the WorldKit team anticipates that users will be able to custom design interfaces with gestures. 

Future Work:

The findings will be presented at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, in Paris. In the future, users should be able to design their own interfaces with WorldKit. 

Robotic telepresence : Sit at home and travel at the same time!!

Today’s most advanced videoconferencing equipment, installed in dedicated meeting rooms, delivers startlingly vivid images and sounds from afar. It can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to equip each room, however, and in most offices many fruitful meetings happen informally, in people’s offices or at the water-cooler. Now a new and radically different approach to videoconferencing is helping overcome both shortcomings.

What is Robotic telepresence?

“Robotic telepresence”, as the technology is known, allows  people to move virtually through a distant building by remotely controlling a wheeled robot equipped with a camera, microphone, loudspeaker and screen displaying live video of its pilot’s face.

Telepresence robots cannot match the audio-visual fidelity of a good, large-screen videoconferencing installation, with its carefully calibrated lighting, eye-lines and audio. But the robots cost much less and are more flexible. They give their pilots the freedom to converse with anybody at the remote location—rolling over to the desk of a colleague, say, or accompanying a busy boss on her way to a meeting—rather than limiting communication to a specific time in a special room. Proponents of the technology say that by placing a remotely controlled embodiment of yourself in another location you can nurture your contacts, increase your influence and assert your authority.

Where it can be used?

Telepresence robots are not just for office workers, however. They also let home buyers tour distant properties virtually, allow doctors to conduct bedside consultations from afar and provide a cheap way to patrol workplaces at night. Oculus, a robot used mostly for security patrols, is essentially a set of wheels for a laptop running Skype videoconferencing software which can be controlled using a smartphone. Made by Xaxxon Technologies, based in Vancouver, it costs $290. Some globe-trotting parents have even begun using robotic telepresence systems to stay in touch with their children at home.

Robotic-telepresence technology for hospitals is now so good “it’s like being at the bedside”, says Antonio Marttos, a doctor who uses robots to visit gunshot and bombing survivors in Brazil, Haiti, Iraq and elsewhere, from his base at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. But it’s expensive.

But the greatest commercial opportunity lies in boosting workplace productivity, says Tim Lenihan, head of strategy for Anybots, a manufacturer based in Santa Clara, California. Bosses can keep employees on their toes by embodying themselves in a robot to cast an unexpected eye around the office from home or the road, he says. To point to things, pilots can use a laser pointer mounted on the QB, the firm’s two-wheeled, ramp-climbing robot, which costs $9,700. (While moving, the QB balances by continuously rolling under its centre of gravity—like balancing a broom in the palm of your hand.)

Telepresence robots are gradually getting cleverer. Some, like the Oculus, automatically dock themselves to a nearby charging station when battery power is low. Others can synchronise themselves to users’ schedules, autonomously rolling into a given meeting at a particular time, for example. But the sensors needed for the robot to be able to navigate on its own can be expensive. The autonomous version of PeopleBot, a telepresence robot made by Adept Technology of Pleasanton, California, costs $32,000, in part because of the on-board infra-red and laser-mapping kit.

The future:

“The next stage in the evolution of telepresence robots may be to give them limbs”

The next step for telepresence robots may be to give them limbs—not to manipulate distant objects, but to make the robots more expressive. The pilot’s arm movements are sensed using a motion-capture device such as the Microsoft Kinect, and then relayed to the distant robot. A forthcoming $300 stationary robot called Wobot, designed by Dr Hsu at Yuan Ze University, makes arm gestures to express its controller’s happiness, surprise or disgust.

A telepresence robot sheathed in rubbery skin is being sold to researchers by Japan’s Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International. Resembling an androgynous and legless child with short, handless arms, Telenoid, as it is called, is essentially a large humanoid phone. The idea is that lonely grandparents “feel the human presence” of relatives who speak through it while remotely moving its head and other body parts, says the project’s leader, Hiroshi Ishiguro. But this creepy robot is unlikely to catch on outside Japan, says Timo Kaerlein, a German researcher who studied Telenoid on a visit to Kyoto. One observer described it as a nightmarish, fetus-like “demon-spawn”. By comparison, having your disembodied boss drive up to your desk for a quick chat seems reassuringly normal.

To let you get a feel for how they look in action, here is a video showcasing Robotic telepresence on Youtube.

Plastic to oil conversion: Cleaner earth with plenty of fuel

The days of dumping trash into overcrowded landfills may be over. Just as you would not dump gold, diamonds, or hundred dollar bills into garbage bins, you soon will hesitate to throw out your plastic water bottle, as the once typical trash is taking on a whole new value. New developments in technology seem to have done the unfathomable—and scientists have now found a means to turn plastic pollution into oil.

What is plastic to oil conversion:

Scientifically referred to as “Thermal Depolymerization” the depolymerization process reduces complex organic materials—usually biomass plastic—into light crude oil. Scientists originally based this process of the geological processes they believed produced fossil fuels. Utilizing pressure and heat, the process breaks down the long chain polymers of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon, decomposing them into short-chain petroleum hydrocarbons.

Ultimately, the process runs off the principle that plastic was once oil, and should be easily converted back to oil, and utilized as fuel instead of material. Amazingly, plastic holds a higher energy value than just about any other type of waste.

The Japanese company Blest created one of the first machines to convert plastic into oil, and they are introducing their discovery to the planet by educating children in impoverished nations to utilize the technology in their villages.

The Technology:

The easy to use machine uses a temperature-controlled electric heater which converts the plastic into gas without burning CO2. This is a revolutionary technology for impoverished countries, which can use the oil to fuel their stoves, boilers, generators and even as fuel for their cars.

There does not seem to be a downside to this technology, as the invention runs off of twenty cents worth of electricity, with little environmental ramifications. While the machine is currently limited to processing polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene, it holds the promise of an eco-friendly source of oil, and a dramatic cut to our landfill waste.

The Global Effect:

In a world where the price of oil is always going up, the gross layer of smog is always thickening, and the garbage dumps are perpetually growing larger trash mountains, it is this type of invention which will put a dent in our over consumption, by consuming our own bi-products as non-hazardous fuel. 

 To let you get a feel for how they look in action, here is a video showcasing Talking shoes on Youtube.

Air writing gloves: Write your words on air!!

As people of the 21^st century, we’re constantly typing, texting and tapping on the 15 different technological devices we all now own.

Screens are getting bigger, buttons are getting smaller and nearly every device utilizes sensitive touch-screen technology.

It’s no wonder why websites like “Damn You Auto Correct” and “F You, Auto Correct” have a plethora of new, hilarious conversations daily.

This is just one reason why computer scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany have created an alternative to texting. They hope this new method—which was reported in Discovery News on March 4—will minimize typing errors and make communication more convenient.

What are air writing gloves?

The new method is called “air-writing” and it is exactly what it sounds like— writing letters in the air.

When the wearer of the gloves draws letters in the air with their hand, the system can identify which letters are being drawn. Those letters are converted into digital text, which could then be input into an email, text message, or any other type of mobile app, 'Gizmag' reported.

The Technology:

The glove developed by a team of computer scientists at Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is equipped with accelerometers and gyroscopes that detect hand movements.

The system then identifies which letters are being drawn and converts them into digital text, which can then be wirelessly entered into an email, text message or other mobile apps.

Once it is determined that letters are indeed being drawn, the computer then sets about identifying the individual letters.

The programme incorporates statistical models of the unique signal patterns for every letter in the alphabet, and can account for differences in individual writing styles.

It can also recognize approximately 8,000 words, along with complete sentences. According to the original report,  Amma’s model currently has an 11 percent error rate. However, once the system learns to recognize the user’s personal writing style that number drops to 3 percent.

Future Work:

Christoph Amma, who developed the technology, now hopes to miniaturize the sensors to the point that the glove could be replaced by something less impractical to everyday use, such as a wrist band.

Amma also envisions the hardware being incorporated into a Smartphone - in that way, a single hand-held device like a cellphone could be used both to detect hand movements, and to process the data.

Walking house : A house that can move around!!

Houses are normally fairly stationary objects, and that's not considered a bad thing. But innovation never stands still, and a new prototype house that can walk on six legs has been built .

What is walking house:

The house is ten feet high, powered by solar panels, and is outfitted with a kitchen, toilet, bed, and wood stove. Last week, the house, a collaboration between MIT and the Danish design collective N55, took a journey through Cambridgeshire in England as part of an art project at the Wysing Art Center. Designed to move at the muscle speed of a human, the house walked at about five kilometers an hour around the 11-acre campus. Some of the features of this walkable house are that they come with a kitchen, a composting toilet, a system for collecting rain water, one bed, a wood stove for CO2 neutral heating, a rear opening that forms a stairway entrance, and six legs.

The Technology:

Samuel Kronick, an MIT student, designed the legs and wrote the software so that the house can move.

"Leg systems require a software algorithm to calculate the position of each articulated element based on the desired location of the foot," says Kronick. "This process is called inverse kinematics (IK). IK algorithms are fairly well-developed for rotary joint systems, like servo-based hexapod walkers, but since we came up with the tetrahedral legs, I had to write my own IK system."

The six legs provide high stability even over unpredictable terrain. And, with high motor function, the house can turn left and right, move forward and back, and even change height as needed. Kronick says the walking house is a first of its kind, although there have been Russian folktales that describe walking houses. N55 says the walking house is meant to be an ecological concept that is not harmful to the environment and inspires nomadic excursions.

Specifications of the Walking House:

• Height: 3.5 meters
• Width: 3.5 meters
• Length: 3.72 meters
• Weight: 1200 kg
• Max speed: 60 meters/hour
• Plating and framework wood and plywood
• Legs made of steel and mechanical components
• 12 linear actuators
• solar panels
• micro windmills
• polycarbonate plates
• interior equipment

Future Plans:

Kronick says he would love to test the walking house in Africa with a herd of elephants, and has ideas about an amphibious version that can float on water as well as walk on land.

"We plan to make the house walk well and reliably enough that you could program a set of GPS waypoints via the onboard computer, remotely from an iPhone or over the internet through a Google Maps interface or similar, and have the house follow that path," he says.

To let you get a feel for how they look in action, here is a video showcasing Walking House on Youtube.

Google's shoes: Shoes which can talk and motivate!!

The internet giant and unofficial owners of the universe, Google, recently unveiled a pair of talking shoes at the South by Southwest Interactive Conference, and we have to say, they’re kind of cool.

What are Google’s talking shoes?

"I am killing you."

So said the tired foot to the head!

This is just one scenario I envisage with the latest -- and perhaps most imaginative -- product coming out of Google.

This Adidas sneaker which talks  enjoys a microcontroller on the tongue. I know many people who could certainly use one of those.It has so many many technical goodies whose result is that it monitors all the things that are happening down below and then expresses them to you in words. Yes, through a microphone.

But there's more. As the nice Google spokesperson described it, the shoe uses data to adopt "a personality," something Google strives for in all of its products.

If you start running and the shoe has an athletic personality, it will cheer you on. But if it has a lazy personality, it will get upset with you for being athletic.

There is something vividly beautiful about wearing a shoe that is, at heart, as substitute lover.

It has a personality. It whines, it nags, it praises. And, unlike your lover, the only thing you need to feed it is data.

The technology:

Google's talking shoe includes an accelerometer, gyroscope and Bluetooth capability to connect to your smartphone, so that it can measure your activity levels and movement; the speaker on the shoe allows it to spit out one of 250 pre-recorded phrases that either praise your hustle and bustle or rag on your laziness. The shoe's voice was designed to be a bit snarky and sarcastic and to have a memorable personality-- perhaps in homage to a certain assistant on another company's smartphone.

The connected shoe isn't a totally novel idea, of course: Nike has long made sneakers with sensors in them to measure your workouts. A shoe with a personality, however, that actually speaks to you in a human voice, is a bit of a novelty.

The company was letting visitors try out its new talking-shoe concept, with a custom-made microcontroller (along with assorted SparkFun pieces) on the tongue of a pair of Adidas. Above that is a circular speaker that provides feedback based on your movement (detected by internal accelerometers and gyroscopes, along with pressure sensors in the sole). The shoe will then give you aural feedback, based on how you're moving.

So, why hack up a perfectly nice pair of black high-tops? Google's giving the shoes character, using Bluetooth to sync up to your smartphone and "using a series of 'if and statements,' to give your shoes personality." So, some shoes will laud you for getting off the couch and others will encourage your lollygagging.

And when will I be able to wear it?

 Again, while the company has the blessings of Adidas, we're not going to see this on the market as such, though the Google spokesperson we talked to told us the company may be looking to open-source the information, so you can just make your own.

To let you get a feel for how they look in action, here is a video showcasing Talking shoes on Youtube.

Martin Jetpack ---Fly your way to work and everywhere else!!

The future is going to be pretty awesome. Each one of us will have our own personal jet pack. Instead of a long, slow daily commute, we'll zip straight to work at 100 mph, skimming along the tree tops. Family vacations will include jet pack trips to scenic locations unmarred by roads.

What is Martin Aircraft jetpack:

The Martin Aircraft jetpack is the first commercially available jetpack. The Jetpack achieves  30 minutes of flight time and is fueled by regular premium gasoline, though you will undoubtedly earn some disbelieving stares at the petrol station. Since it has been built according to ultralight regulations no FAA recognized pilot's license is required to fly one in the U.S., though this will depend on a country's specific requirements. However, despite being significantly less complex than a helicopter to fly as pitch and roll are controlled by one hand, thrust and yaw by the other, Martin Aircraft won't let anyone take receipt of their jetpack before completing their specially-developed Martin Aircraft Company approved training program. The pilot must also weigh between 140-240 lbs..

The Technology

The Jetpack is constructed from carbon fiber composite, has a dry weight of 250 lbs (excluding safety equipment) and measures 5 ft high x 5.5 ft wide x 5 ft long. It's driven by a 2.0 L V4 2 stroke engine rated at 200 hp (150 kw), can reach 8000 ft (estimated) and each of the two 1.7 ft wide rotors is made from carbon / Kevlar composite.

There is always risk associated with flying so Martin Aircraft has been careful to equip the pack with redundant systems that will take over in the event that the main system goes down. If a crash-landing is required, a pilot-operated toggle will rapidly fire a small amount of propellant deploying a ballistic parachute (similar to a car airbag) which will allow the pilot and jetpack to descend together. It also has an impact-absorbing carriage, patented fan jet technology and 1000 hours engine TBO (Time Between Overhaul). Small vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOL) are not subject to the same limitations as other helicopters and fixed wing aircrafts but Martin Aircraft have built it to comply with ultralight regulations and therefore suggest it as at least as safe to operate, and claim it is the safest of all jetpacks yet built.

How can you get your hands on one?

After nine prototypes Martin Aircraft have an accurate expectation for how much a jetpack will cost, and suggest that at $86,000 it is pitched at the level of a high-end car. As sales and production volume increase they expect this to drop to the price of a mid-range car. A 10% deposit buys you a production slot for 12 months hence; progress payments are made during manufacture with final payment due on delivery. Details and a deposit contract are available from their Martin Aircraft's website.

And when will I be able drive it to work?

Again it's a waiting game as currently air traffic control technology is not yet advanced enough to cope with jetpacks, but the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is developing "highways in the sky" technology - 3D highways based on GPS tracks. Initial tests have been positive but the technology is unlikely to be implemented for another 10 years yet so for the meantime initial use will remain recreational as with jet-skis, snowmobiles and ultralights. Until then we'll keep waiting and watching the sky.....

To let you get a feel for how they look in action, here is a video showcasing Martin Jetpack on Youtube.