Electroadhesion: How Does That Grab You?

It's no secret that robots are fast taking over a variety of different manual labor jobs.  Yet their fine motor skills could use some refinement other than "clutch that thing" or "use suction to grab that thing."  Now, a new company is developing a means for robots to snag things using the principles of static electricity (which actually has uses other than rubbing your feet on the carpet to shock someone or sticking a balloon to your hair.)

According to theverge.com, the GrabIt company has created mechanical "hands" that use electrostatic attraction to lift and relocate objects.  Electrodes embedded on the gripper's surface or in its flexible "fingers" use the forces to delicately deliver everything from sheets of glass to crates.  Even particularly fragile tech items like an iPad are safe in static electricity's grip, and bruisable items like fruit or poppable bags of chips are also no problem for "electroadhesion."

One version of a GrabIt robot's grip ability.  It's bigger, flatter brother can pick up large crates.
(Image courtesy grabitinc.com.)

With no reconfiguration of gripper parts needed (as traditional grabber/sucker robots might require), the possibilities for electroadhesion are vast.  Check out GrabIt's website for a variety of videos of what their technology is capable of.  The machines' electrostatic surface area generates and maintains a great deal of well-dispersed power, making larger objects as easily handled as smaller or more delicate ones. The technology could even be applied to conveyor belts for an added level of factory security.

Best of all, the electroadhesion technology requires less power than traditional gripper robotics.  The GrabIt 'bots don't require expensive vacuum tubes or pumps, which is nice not only on the wallet but also on the ears (this technology is considerably more quiet than other types of grippers.)  It's small enough to be useful at home, but strong enough for factory work.  Could one of the most useful pieces of future robotics be a technology that's basically just giving everything an electrostatic hug?

Everything can use a little grabbing sometimes.
(Image courtesy thebusinessofrobotics.com.)

Can't Do Math? With This App, Your Problem Is Solved

Even some of the world's most intelligent minds balk when it comes to making numbers work.  Math equations filled with letters and strange symbols just don't add up for some people.  Now, for the numerically-challenged, a new app has been invented to be your own personal number-cruncher.

According to einfolive.com, the PhotoMath app works by analyzing a picture that you take of a printed equation.  It then shows you step-by-step how the equation should be properly dealt with, demystifying the mathematical process so that the user eventually may be able to apply the same principles sans smartphone.

For those without "A Beautiful Mind", now you can fake it.  Russell Crowe not included.
(Image courtesy theguardian.com.)

The process PhotoMath uses is called Optical Character Recognition.  First, it scans the desired text.  Then, it filters and enhances the equation's text, removing anything not required for the solution by extracting the equation's features.  Finally, the characters will be recognized by the app, and solved as you follow along.

The app works on a variety of math problems, including regular arithmetic, fractals, decimals, exponents, roots, and simple linear equations.  It cannot currently solve equations that are hand-written, but is able to deduce text coherently from standard printed pages.

PhotoMath works on Windows and iOS phones, with an Android version launching in 2015.  Ironically, the PhotoApp's amazingly useful features were created by MicroBlink, who were otherwise involved in developing photo recognition software that many malign as invasive and creepy when used for surveillance.  At least one good thing has come out of this cyber-scrutiny:  the ability to teach a useful life skill in simple steps.  If only all of technology's evil plans had such a good side.

It's basically this, except inside your phone.
(Image courtesy theoldrobots.com.)

Space Station Sunday: Spacewalks, Part III

Good morning, space fans!  Here's what's been up (260 miles up) this week.

A successful spacewalk, the third in as many weeks for the current ISS crew, was completed on Wednesday.  According to nasa.gov, Russian cosmonauts Max Suraev and Alexander Samokutyaev, who are both EVA (extravehicular activity) veterans, spent 3 hours and 38 minutes outside the ISS.

Cosmonaut Maxim Suraev has got this spacewalking thing down.  And up.  And sideways.
(Image courtesy nasa.gov.)

The two cosmonauts took photos, jettisoned old experiments and equipment, and collected samples for analysis of a mysterious growth on the exterior of the Russian modules (the substance is thought to be microbes or propellant residue...no word on alien gardening projects yet.)

Even if the substance did prove unpleasant, it's likely nothing the ISS astronauts haven't dealt with already.  Samples of MRSA, e.coli, and salmonella are among the pathogens that get studied in microgravity (where their structure and growth may be altered.)  Certain behaviors the diseases exhibit during their stay on the ISS could lead to different discoveries in combating them back on earth.

Speaking of back on earth, the unmanned SpaceX Dragon capsule (which had ferried supplies to the ISS in late September) has been returned to sender, chock full of completed science experiments.  It splashed down in the Pacific Ocean some 300 miles west of Baja, California, on Saturday afternoon.

"AIR MAIL!"  The SpaceX Dragon leaves the ISS, bound for Baja.
(Image courtesy nasa.gov.)

The Dragon, which had carried up a Rapid Scatterometer (for use in earth science monitoring) as well as a 3D printer, carried back gear that was just as important.  An arugula plant growth study was undertaken to examine how plants might be grown to optimum nutrient-density in microgravity environments (which could be a big help on future long-distance spaceflights.)  Another experiment, the Rodent Research-1, aided in the understanding of how microgravity affects various biological functions. 

Sam Scimemi, director of the International Space Station division at NASA Headquarters, stated, “This mission enabled research critical to achieving NASA’s goal of long-duration human spaceflight in deep space...Investigations in the returned cargo could aid in the development of more efficient solar cells and semiconductor-based electronics, the development of plants better suited for space, and improvements in sustainable agriculture.”

Even more good gear is expected to reach the ISS soon, with the launch of a Cygnus spacecraft aboard an Antares rocket on Monday.  The Cygnus, an unmanned cargo craft developed by NASA-contracted Orbital Sciences Corp., will launch from the Wallops flight facility in Virginia, bearing nearly 5,000 pounds of payload.  According to NASA, it contains "science experiments, crew provisions, spare parts and experiment hardware."  It will arrive next Sunday after a "grapple" with the ISS's Canadian-made robotic arm, the "Canadarm", manned by astronauts Reid Wiseman and Barry Wilmore from the ISS cupola (that's the cool room with all the windows.)  This Cygnus upholds a NASA tradition of being named for a previous astro-adventurer, and is thus dubbed the SS Deke Slayton, after the Mercury 7 astronaut and Apollo-Soyuz Test Mission crewman.

More news to follow next week, as the Cygnus and other cargo vehicles arrive!  Maybe one of them will ferry up a delivery of some well-deserved Halloween candy, like a reverse trick-or-treat.  Until then, watch this space!  

The view from the ISS cupola, as captured this week by astronaut Alexander Gerst.
The green glow is the aurora borealis, which Gerst said was "completely engulfing us" before the sun appeared.
The captivation of the cupola is constant, for obvious reasons.

Shots Fired? New "Yardarm" Device Reports Police Weapon Use And Location In Real-Time

Police violence, no-knock raids, SWAT invasions, traffic stops gone wrong...all sorts of issues seem to arise these days between citizens and those who supposedly "serve and protect."  Weaponry, which has been made available to local police departments on an unprecedented scale, plays a major role in this.  Since America's glorious Constitution isn't about to let guns go out the window for police nor citizens, it's imperative that a middle ground be reached where our taxpayer-endorsed police forces can be held accountable for their firearm actions with official evidence (and the "body cameras" seem to keep mysteriously losing batteries.)  So, meet the Yardarm.

The Yardarm chip, shown in green, is a witness who can't lie.

Currently in development in Silicon Valley, the Yardarm is a startup venture that could start a serious new trend of keeping cops in check.  Installed in the butt of a pistol, the Yardarm's Bluetooth sensor connects to an officer's smartphone, then notifies police dispatchers when and where an officer carries, draws or fires their weapon.  It can even deduce the direction of the discharge, which could be important later in court for all parties involved.  In the officers' aid, it could help alert dispatchers when a cop is under fire but cannot immediately radio their situation or location.

Yardarm's website states their technology is "designed to seamlessly integrate into existing computer aided dispatch (CAD) and real-time crime center (RTCC) solutions", which provide maps for a dispatcher to track progress on. This could enable more accurate data regarding crime-infested areas and ultimately prove safer for everyone.

Unfortunately, there are no current plans to make Yardarms for nightsticks.

Fresh Crops From Water Drops: Spilling The Dirt On MIT's Soil-Free CityFarm

With city populations escalating abundantly, it's a challenge for futuristic farmers to figure out how to feed everyone with fresh ingredients.  Now, researchers at MIT believes they have solved this quandary, using an innovative new system that they call CityFarm.

As reported by nationswell.com, the soil-free CityFarm project uses hydroponic (water flow) and aeroponic (water misting) systems to grow a collection of crops, leaving the price tag and messiness of soil out of the urban equation.  Inventor Caleb Harper constructed a 7' by 30' plastic box in which he uses "pre-made weather" and is able to constantly monitor the plants' development, which is prodigious.  Thanks to the artificial light and carefully-calibrated plant care, CityFarm can grow enough food for 300 people in a single 30-day cycle.

Not only is the farm efficient and bountiful, it also saves resources.  CityFarm's method of growth uses up to 90% less water than conventional methods.  Harper believes eventually this could lead to a 98% reduction in agricultural water usage (making it ideal for water-deprived areas), as well as escalated nutritional value from the lack of pesticides and other soil contaminants.  CityFarm currently grows tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs in their successful style.

Pesky pesticides have nowhere to hide, as the plants' roots are fertilized with nutrients in water.
(Image courtesy tribeawesome.com.)

“No one has proven an economically viable model for these kind of plant environments,” says Harper. “What I’m trying to do is kind of be the Linux for these environments — the person that creates the common language for this new area of food production.”

Harper's plans don't stop at just the idea of the farm being like programming for a computer.  He actually wants to create a program, in conjunction with MIT, that will act as "plant operating system software."  This could be launched at other locations, such as an upcoming new attempt in Detroit, or it might help to regulate CityFarm's new plans to build vertically.  A similar project is already underway in Japan.  According to their website, CityFarm's technology combines their hydroponics/aeroponics with "novel environmental, diagnostic and networked sensing, control automation, autonomous delivery and harvest systems, data driven optimization and reductive energy design." Their high tech management along with their high yield of crops could be extremely beneficial for people living in any environment.

The CityFarm website proudly extolls their multifaceted workforce, including "engineers, architects, urban planners, economists and plant scientists." If other cities and towns can adopt CityFarm's "grow it HERE and eat it HERE" mentality, a host of jobs as well as tasty meals will be aiding the new urban infrastructure. Who knows what ideas such a locally-laudable system may spout next?

A serious salad bar is brewing at MIT.
(Image courtesy mitcityfarm.com.)

Re-Up Your Pup: Clone Your Pet And Be Best Friends Forever!

It's a question that's been on humanity's mind since the success of Dolly the sheep.  What if man's best friend (or some genetically-accurate approximation thereof) could stay with him for the duration of the human's longer life?  Now, thanks to cloning, you may be able to have a couple of copies of Fido to follow you through life's long walk.

According to businessweek.com, the Sooam facility in South Korea is the world's only doggie-doubling company, where for $100,000 your precious pooch can live on.  It only requires a somatic cell sample from the original donor dog, which scientists cryogenically freeze while a surrogate dog is prepared for pregnancy.  Immature ovum (oocytes) are flushed from the prospective parent-dog, then the somatic cells are injected into the ennucleated (nucleus-removed) oocytes.  The donor cells and egg are fused by electricity into a new embryo, and then implanted into the surrogate.  Shortly thereafter, your best friend is back!

Fresh piles of wrinkles...it's like reverse plastic surgery!
(Image courtesy nature.com.)

The process, which was perfected by geneticist Dr. Hwang Woo Suk, has been applied over 550 times since Hwang's first successful attempt in 2005.  Specialty dogs like Tibetan mastiffs and capable police dogs are popular pups, but next year the Sooam company will be expanding to help grow other animals like beef cows and pigs.  The process is the same one that was used to create Dolly the sheep in 1996 (as well as a veritable ark of animals since), and the patent for the process is leased to Hwang from the US company ViaGen.

A whole squad of murderdogs can be yours!
(Image courtesy sciencefocus.com.)

The Sooam team is currently able to produce 150-200 cloned critters per year, and has captivated clients from veterinarians to Middle Eastern royalty.  One customer even missed his Catahoula leopard dog Melvin so much that he had two of his doting doggies recreated.  However, it is not just canine companionship that drives the company.  Sooam regenerates dogs for scientific testing as well, creating critters with diabetes or Alzheimer's disease so that testing and research may alleviate these diseases (while operating in the comfortable confines of a well-controlled experiment.)

No cure has yet been found for the common pug.  They're just always going to be goofy like that.
(Image courtesy dogintonpost.com.)

Hwang doesn't want to stop at just a few species, either.  He has been working to clone rare animals like tigers and ibex, and possibly even to reboot extinct creatures like a woolly mammoth (whose frozen cells he believes could be made to gestate in a surrogate elephant.)  And of course, there's the ultimate goal: a handmade human.  “We will keep knocking on the doors,” Hwang says, “not only in South Korea but also in other countries, until we can continue our human stem cell research.”

While the pets are pleasant, there's a world of creatures to concoct.  So how long until we can have disciplined domestic dinosaurs instead of dogs?

Until then, this will have to do.
(Image courtesy amazon.com.)

McRobots: Fast Food To Become Automated?

Some people worry about immigrants taking jobs from citizens.  Others know that the next big threat to employment might not be found in different humans, but similar robots.  That's right, automated androids might be serving you Big Macs in the near future.

This is already a thing in Japan (of course.)

As reported by aei-ideas.org, the time has come for robots to replace humans for repetitive, easily-customizable customer service work.  Ordering by touchscreen isn't just for internet goodies anymore - it'll soon be a fast-food feature.  Can full automation be far behind?  With food service workers currently campaigning for an unlikely $15/hour (when Obama can't even cajole the minimum wage up to $10.10), a company like McDonalds may be inclined to roll with robots from a cost perspective alone.  Robots don't need smoke breaks, bathroom breaks, meals or vacation (to say nothing of lawsuits and strikes.)

They ARE good at organizing...their messages are tough to follow, though.

The Wall Street journal confirmed this, saying, "By the third quarter of next year, McDonald’s also plans to fully roll out new technology in some markets to make it easier for customers to order and pay digitally and to give people the ability to customize their orders, part of what the company terms the “McDonald’s Experience of the Future” initiative." Automating the ordering, if not the production process, will be the first step in the switch. The company has already rolled out "ordering kiosks" in various locations such as Vienna, Austria, according to Forbes.

While McDonald's is (unfortunately) not yet busy hiring MIT to make them a burger-bot Terminator that cooks fries with its laser eyes, many food-prep devices already exist (including for the major food groups of burritos and pizza.)  Can automated Happy Meals be far behind? And what will become of the McD's fry jockeys then? If they all lose their jobs, be sure not to send them to a bar helmed by robot mixologists like Monsieur. Because that could easily spark a neo-Luddite fervor, if not the beginnings of an android apocalypse (okay, food service robots can't fight back, but they can burn your pizza or put pickles on your burger, and that's nearly just as bad, right?)

To be fair, the McBots have been warning us about this since the 1980s.
(Image courtest dailytech.com.)