This Painting Robot Constantly Adjusts Its Style to Create Masterpieces

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-painting-robot-constantly-adjusts-its-style-to-cre-731305977

E-David isn't the first industrial robotic arm that's been re-programmed to paint. There have been many similar creations before it, but they've all worked sort of like elaborate photocopiers, perfectly recreating a digital image stored in memory. What sets e-David apart is that it's the first robot painter that constantly adapts its technique and brush strokes as it works based on what it's seeing through a camera pointed at its canvas.

Robot arms are designed and built to perfectly reproduce the same movements again and again, so in the past it's been hard to classify what a robot painter produces as 'art' since technically it's just reproducing a digital image. But using the feed from a camera, the software that powers e-David continually analyzes the paint strokes that have been added, deciding where to put the next stroke based on where shade or light needs to be added to perfect its masterpiece.

And with 24 shades and five different brushes at its disposal, e-David has created some stunning pieces so far. Because the robot hasn't spent much time exploring the real world, it still needs to be fed an image to use as inspiration for its creations. But thanks to its unique artistic approach, the results are always unique—to the point where we wouldn't be surprised to see e-David get its own gallery showing, or eventually go crazy and cut off one of its microphones. [The Creators Project via Notcot]

Read More...

Summary only...

Outbound calls from desktop Gmail are back, with free calling to the US and Canada

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/09/outbound-calls-from-desktop-gmail-are-back-with-free-calling-to/

Today Google has brought back the ability to make phone calls from desktop Gmail, Google+ and via its Chrome extension, and also announced that calls to the US and Canada are free (from countries where Hangouts calling is available. The feature disappeared when Google introduced its new Hangouts setup, but a post on the Gmail blog claims that now it's better than ever. According to the company, "Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice," with making and receiving calls just the beginning. For now, users can enjoy new features like adding multiple phone numbers and video participants to the same call, and using sound effects from the Google Effects app. Current Hangouts users should see a new phone icon in Gmail, or a "call a phone" menu item in Google+ and the Chrome extension.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Comments

Source: Gmail Blog

Read More...

Summary only...

Murchison Widefield Array goes live, will study the sun, space junk, the early universe and more

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/09/murchison-widefield-array-goes-live/

We hope IBM's hardware is ready to chew through the feast of data it's going to receive, as the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope is officially open for business science. Located in the outback on the same site as the Australia SKA Pathfinder, it's one of three "precursor" programs that'll help steer future development of the extra powerful Square Kilometer Array. The MWA low-frequency telescope has plenty of work to be getting on with, and some of its first tasks include gazing into the sun to observe solar flares, storms and other activity, as well as scanning the Milky Way for the likes of "black holes and exploding stars." It'll also look into the tracking of hazardous space garbage using FM radio waves that are lost to the void, and explore the early life of the universe as far back as 13 billion years. According to Curtin Un! iversity 's Professor Tingay, the MWA's commendable work ethic (read: data quality) means we could see initial results from some of these projects "in as little as three months' time."

Filed under: Science, Alt

Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Researchers say new development could give artificial skin a wider range of senses

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/09/artificial-skin-range-of-senses/

We've seen a number of efforts to build a better artificial skin, or "e-skin," over the years, and a team of researchers from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology now say they've made a breakthrough that could lead to some of the most sensitive e-skin yet. The key development is a new type of flexible sensor that would not only allow the artificial skin to detect touch, but humidity and temperature as well. Those sensors are comprised of gold-based nanoparticles that are just five to eight nanometers in diameter and laid on top of a substrate -- in their research, the scientists used PET, the type of plastic you'd normally find in soda bottles. That substrate conducts electricity differently depending on the way it is bent, which means researchers can adjust its sensitivity just by increasing its thickness. As you might expect, this is all still in the early stages, but the researchers see plenty of possibilities for the future, from bringing a sense of touch to artificial limbs to using the same technology to monitor stress on bridges.

Filed under: Science, Alt

Comments

Via: PhysOrg

Source: American Technion Society

Read More...

Summary only...

A Hotel Full of Secret Rooms Invites an Epic Game of Hide-and-Seek

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-hotel-full-of-secret-rooms-invites-an-epic-game-of-hi-718156776

The Suitcase House Hotel is the perfect place to hide out. It has an entire network of rooms hidden beneath the floorboards, like an architectural Swiss Army knife. Check out these amazing hiding places—or, as the hotel probably refers to them, the places where you brush your teeth and sleep.

Created by Hong Kong-based architect Gary Chang, the beautiful fortress is nestled in the hills near the Great Wall. The long, narrow Chinese hotel uses space in really interesting, unconventional way, with a series of undetectable compartments hidden under notched floorboards that open to reveal different programs. Pull up one of the convertible pieces, and you'll find sinks and a bathroom. Remove another, and there's a library and a study. Another conceals a sleeping chamber, and another, a sauna. These pneumatically-assisted panels make the space infinitely configurable for events and lodgings. This diagram shows the different ways in which you could change up the suitcase house:

So while your conventional hotel uses regular old vertical doors as entrances to rooms, the Suitcase House has its doors located horizontally on the floor. It would definitely make for a competitive game of hide-and-seek. [DesignBoom]

Read More...

Summary only...