RoboScooter moves toward production

At last week's Systems, Cities, and Sustainable Mobility summit in Pasadena, Calif., Raul-David Poblano of MIT announced that the RoboScooter is moving toward commercial production. The RoboScooter, developed by the MIT Media Laboratory, Sanyang Motors, and Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute, is an electric scooter designed for cities.

The goal of the program is to provide clean transportation for congested urban areas. RoboScooters would sit in charging racks at key points in cities. Users could swipe a credit card, get a scooter, and ride it across town, bringing it to another rack. Once the RoboScooter is put back in a rack, the user's credit card deposit gets returned. There could also be a nominal rental fee. MIT suggests putting GPS chips in the scooters to keep track of them.

The scooter uses in-wheel motors to save weight and space, while making the energy transfer to the wheel more efficient. Because of this design, the RoboScooter can be folded, making them easier to store or drag up stairs. A prototype of the RoboScooter met a positive reception at the Milan Auto Show last year.

Via Crave CNET (Source: Green Car Congress)

No PDA? Tattoo your to-dos

Here at CNET, many staffers can't bear the thought of life without their Treo, Blackberry, or iPhone. But for those who haven't jumped into the digital era, here's a new take on the old-fashioned to-do list written on the back of your hand.

With the To-Do Tattoo, you can write out your shopping list and then transfer it to your hand (or other body part of choice), where you know you won't lose it, drop it, or have it unexpectedly run out of battery life at the grocery store.

The To-Do Tattoo comes with an ink gel pen and 12 temporary tattoo lists to help you get inked and get organized.

Via Crave CNET

A vacuum that sucks it for insects

Whatever happened to the good old days of fly swatters or even yesterday's rolled-up newspaper? The Japanese, of course, are masters of chindogu or unuseless inventions. So suck it up for this insect vacuum. We're just not such how effective a sucker this 2,839 yen (US$24.50) gizmo is since it relies on pneumatics (read: Compressed air). Not to mention there aren't any clear instructions on what to do with the poor bug once it's trapped inside the tube. The more important question is whether this weapon of mass destruction will do the trick with those nastily huge Asian flying cockroaches. We've seen grown men reduced to screaming like little girls when encountering these winged spawn of Satan. Die, sucker, die.

Via Plastic Bamboo

Love Tub--the ultimate Valentine

Yes, we're already sick of Valentine's Day talk, too, but this is one gift that will put those red VAIOs and pink nanos to shame. We're talking a full-scale Love Tub here. The in candy-apple red "Amore Bay" is a limited-edition hot tub that's ready for suburban romance, from its built-in stereo and "hydronomically" designed seats to its mood lighting and landscape etching, according to BornRich.

There are no TVs or recliners involved (bummer), but we suppose those are the sacrifices of love. "All that's left for you to do is download Marvin Gaye or Babyface on the Amoré Bay's iPod-friendly stereo," suggests Dimension One Spas. What, no Barry White?

Via Crave CNET

Roll it out for the USB Roll-Up Drum Kit

Frankly, it's far more satisfying to whack a full-sized drum kit than a sliver of soft plastic that claims to reproduce the real thing. However, coming from Hong Kong e-tailer Brando, nothing is sacred in the tech space. So (drum roll, please), get ready for a rollout of the USB Roll-Up Drum Kit (US$42).

We're assuming that sensitivity on this is almost nil since it resembles a mouse mat far more than a working instrument. However, if you're aspiring to be a drummer on a budget, this could be a (temporary) solution. Otherwise, if all you really want is to feel like a rock superstar, we'd suggest getting the far more elegant and fun-filled Guitar Hero III game for the PC or any of the game consoles.

Via Gadgets Club

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