Posts by: Tim Hornyak

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Robot roller skates less bulky than Segway

Tim Hornyak | Nov 30, 2009

(Credit: Tim Hornyak)

Researchers in Japan are developing robotic roller skates as a new form of personal mobility.

Toshinobu Takei of Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) demonstrated his "Unit-type Micro-Mobility" device at the 2009 International Robot Exhibition (iRex) in Tokyo this week.

We haven't seen too many gadgets like these, but what with the plethora of prototype personal vehicles like Honda's U3-X unicycle in Japan lately, they aren't surprising.

The prototype skates are actually mechatronic versions of "takeuma", which are old-school bamboo stilts that kids used to play with in Japan before their lives were consumed by cell phones and video games.
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Eneloop Stick Booster for powering mobile gadgets

Tim Hornyak | Nov 13, 2009

(Credit: Sanyo)

Sanyo is introducing a portable USB recharger that can power mobile devices, such as the iPhone, that require a higher current for charging.

The Eneloop Stick Booster, part of the same family of power products as the USB Solar Panels, comes with two rechargeable Eneloop AA NiMH batteries.
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Filed under: Gadgets, Mobile Phones, Music & Play
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Try these puzzlers if you're bored with your watch

Tim Hornyak | Nov 12, 2009

(Credit: Tokyoflash)

Tokyoflash's latest series of slick designer wristwatches features lightweight aluminum construction, LED lights, and maddeningly confusing time displays.

The Kisai series inherits the qualities of previous incomprehensible Tokyoflash timepieces such as the Fire and the Pleasure Seeker, namely that users must spend hours deciphering their alien time-reckoning systems.

They certainly put one's brain to work. The Sensai model (right), which weighs 72g and sells for about US$233, tells the time after a button on its right side is pushed. The button first initiates a circular animation of colored LEDs.

When the animation stops, the hour is shown according to the number of red LEDs. So far, so good. When it comes to minutes, things get tricky.
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Hoya's robotic firefighter

Tim Hornyak | Oct 08, 2009

(Credit: Hoya Robot)

South Korea's Hoya Robot is developing a mini firefighter helper bot that can enter burning buildings to conduct reconnaissance and check for people.

The Firefighters Assistant Robot can apparently operate for up to 30 minutes in fires, and can withstand temperatures up to 320 F. It can also survive falls of more than 6 feet. It's water-resistant, as seen in this experiment video.

It may look like a tank up close, but the bot can nearly fit in the palm of your hand and weighs only 3 pounds.
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Filed under: Future Tech
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Robotic floor tiles that follow your footsteps

Tim Hornyak | Oct 01, 2009

(Credit: tokyofiber.com)

Japanese professor has created robotic floor tiles that anticipate a user's steps and automatically position themselves beneath his or her feet.

The wheeled, moving tiles are covered with a proprietary fiber called Kuralon EC. Developed by Japanese textile maker Kuraray, it incorporates nanometal composite technology.

Attached to the tile like a carpet, two layers of the electrically conducting fiber detect foot pressure. The tile then sends information about the user's predicted step to a computer controlling tile positions.

University of Tsukuba professor Hiroo Iwata developed the infinite walking surface as an artistic display, which was showcased at the recent Tokyo Fiber '09 Senseware exhibition.
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