Are you having the guts to play with fire? Hmm…, if you don’t mind to look by other like a freak and would do anything to stand out from the crowd, then you might want to build this powerful R/C steam turbine tank.

This R/C steam turbine tank is a very instructable project made by crabfu. Actually, it built based on an R/C machine that is carrying flammable gas (That’s why we should watch out with it, as you’re playing with fire here). It able to produce extremely high steam pressure, which is capable of causing fire alarm to be responded on it!

In order to handle this “hyper fire monster”, you must pay proper attention, or you’ll be suffered with blisters on your finger, or even get your house burnt down instantly! Read the rest of this entry »

We always have the common thought that larger raindrops fall faster than smaller raindrops, as they have a greater terminal speed. Talking about the terminal speed, it’s the speed when the downward force of gravity is same as the upward air resistance.

In order to proof it’s wrong, two physicists, professors Alexander Kostinski and Raymond Shaw from Michigan Technological University, co-authored with Guillermo Montero-Martinez and Fernando Garcia-Garcia at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, have already discovered that the common sense about the raindrops are wrong!

The fantastic four have performed the research, by gathering rainfalls data at the Mexico City campus of the National University of Mexico. During the three years research, they’ve gathered more than 64,000 raindrops using optical array spectrometer probes and a particle analysis.

After long and detailed experiments, they’ve made the conclusion that some smaller raindrops can fall faster than bigger ones. To be honest, these small raindrops have the ability to fall faster than their terminal speed. This means, they have the momentum to fall incredibly faster than drops that size and weight are supposed to be able to fall.

“We need to first understand the rain formation processes and be able to calculate the amount of rain, before we want to forecast weather or rain accurately,” said Mr. Shaw.

It seems that the weathermen have always been overestimating the amount of raindrops in the weather forecast. [sciencedaily]

In nowadays, the Department of Narcotics Control normally using the American Pit bull terriers to detect the drugs and weapons. Well, there is nothing wrong to use the dog as the drugs/weapons detector, but at first, you have to make sure that the dog is well-trained since it’s still a little puppy!

The University of Sheffield has cooperated with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to invent the new type of robotic ferret, which is capable to detect drugs, weapons, explosives and any illegal immigrants that being concealed in cargo containers instantly!

The robotic ferret is a very sophisticated robot, where is fully-equipped with a suite of sensors that few times more comprehensive and sensitive than any currently employed in conventional cargo scanners.

Thanks to the advent technology in laser and fibre optic, it’s possible for the robotic ferret to detect tiny particles of different substances.

The robotic ferret is a fascinating robot, and it will attach itself magnetically on the top of the steel freight container, once it placed inside it. In addition, it will scouring and seeks out any suspicious items, and then sending the streaming data back to its controller within seconds!

This robotic ferret is currently undergoing the final testing phase, it will be launched into the market and available in few years from now…[sciencedaily]

Is anyone here who love Segways? Well, Segways is a very cool and stylish transport, but it’s way too big, especially for the children!

If you want your children to have some fun, but you’re afraid that they might get injured playing the skateboard or rollerblade, then this iShoes is your idea choice here!

It’s very simple to operate the iShoes, where all you have to do is simply strap them onto your shoes. With the handheld control, you’re able to travel at speeds up to 13.5 mph (21.6 km/h). By pushing the handheld button, it allows you to accelerate or braking down instantly.

To be honest, the iShoes’ rider needs to have a certain amount of skill, if they want to ride on the iShoes. It’s very easy to learn, as most people are mastering it, after a few times of practices.

By the way, when the iShoes’ rider wants to make a turn, they have to slowing to a stop, turning and continuing. However, for the experienced riders, they can easily make turn with a skiing style, which is placing one leg forward and steering with it, without having to slow down the speed!

The iShoes run on rechargeable Lithium batteries, where it can go 2 to 3 miles or 30 minutes of casual riding on a single charge.

Therefore, for those who love stylish and sophisticated stuffs, this iShoes is definitely a cool collectible. [http://www.theishoes.com]

The advent in technology field has been created many miracles, which it seems hard to be achieved in the past.

By the way, have you ever heard about this stuff, “Multiferroics” before? No matter you’re hearing it for the very first time, or you’ve been involved with it, you got nothing to lose to know it better here, isn’t it?

For your information, multiferroics are the unique combinations of electric and magnetic properties, where can constantly coexist. They are potential cornerstones in future magnetic data storage and spintronic devices. It provides a simple yet faster way to turn their electric and magnetic properties on and off simultaneously.

Ramamoorthy Ramesh, one of the renowned professors in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Physics at UC Berkeley have successfully demonstrated that by just using a simple electric fields, we are able to create, erase or even invert p-n junctions in a calcium-doped bismuth ferrite film!

He claimed that the next generation of computers is going to be smaller, faster and more versatile than today’s devices. It can be easily achieved, especially if the manufacturers applying the multiferroics method into the computer field! [sciencedaily]

The progression of robotics technology in nowadays is in leaps and boundaries, where the robots are getting smaller and intelligent than ever before!

Since the size of a robot has significantly decreased, the ratio of its surface area to its volume increased. When the robots get smaller, friction in their moving parts can become a major source of energy loss.

Hence, it’s a biggest challenge to build a smaller, lighter yet faster moving robot. Guys, let’s meet the small yet robust robot, “Prototyping Folded Robots”.

To be honest, even with the SCM process, those very small robots can still be difficult to design or build. In order to avoid the costly errors in the early stages of design, you have to create a scaled analog to the SCM process using commonly available materials. By simply performing the scaled process, it enables you to go from a design on paper to a functional scaled prototype in within 20 minutes or shorter! ‘

By the way, you’ll need the following components to build the prototyping folded robot:

• Laser cutter,

• Posterboard,

• Glue stick or hot mount adhesive,

• Polyester film,

• 2D CAD software (It can be Solidworks or CorelDraw).

In this project, you have to draw or sketch the two dimensional drawing. Then, cutting the flexures, insert the flexure layer and laminate the parts. After it, you must cut the outlines, releasing the parts and pre-folding linkages.

Lastly, it’s time to assemble all the parts into one piece. Ta Da, now you have the prototyping folded robot! Hopefully, you’ll have some serious fun with it. [berkeley]

Vladimir Shalaev, Robert Burnett and Anne Burnett are the amazing trio from Purdue University who created a new type of invisibility cloak. It claimed much simpler than previous design and works for all colors of the visible spectrum, which making it possible to cloak larger objects than before.

According to Shalaev, the new broadband design is a simpler device that based on a “tapered optical waveguide”. By the way, waveguide is representing established technology, including fiber optics that being used in communications and other commercial applications.

Since the new technology enabled the researchers increase the cloaked are of broadband, thus it offers a brighter hope of cloaking larger objects in the near future!

Shalaev and the research group promised that there would be a more advent broadband cloaking technology before the end of this year. So, let’s crossed our fingers and wait for the good news. [sciencedaily]

In the past, it’s impossible to combine the medical and technology fields together. However, thanks to the advent technology, most of the impossible mission becoming possible, especially in this bizarre 21^st century!

The concept, “Cell Phone as a Platform for Healthcare” had been worked out since few decades ago. However, due to the lack of technology, it has been postponed for a very long time.

Today, a group of talented computer engineers from the Washington University in St. Louis are invented the minimalist approach to medical care and computing. They’d successfully combined the USB-based ultrasound probe technology with a smartphone, which is enabling a compact, mobile computational platform and a medical imaging device that is only the size of a palm!

The fantastic duo, William D. Richard, PhD. WUSTL associate professor of computer science and engineering and David Zar, Richard’s colleague have made commercial USB ultrasound probes that compatible with Microsoft Windows mobile-based smartphones.

For enabling the commercial USB ultrasound probes work with smartphones, the duo had to figure out the way to optimize every aspect of probe design and operation. They need to overcome those consequences that might happen, from power consumption and data transfer rate to image formation algorithms.

With the new USB ultrasound probes, it’s possible to build smartphone compatible USB ultrasound probes, especially for imaging/scanning the kidney, liver, bladder, eyes, prostate, uterine, vascular, veins and arteries! Read the rest of this entry »

One day, you’re walking or driving down the street. Everything seems to be so boring and ordinary like any other days… Suddenly, your vision were being attracted and stumbled on a telephone pole!

Holy crap, you cannot believe of what you’re seeing here, as there’s a big insect-shaped robot climbing on the telephone pole! You’re starting to freak off and get panic attacked, as you thought it’s some kind of robots invasion, just like the Terminator Salvation did!

Ok, guys! Wake up and it’s time to back to the reality world. You’re thinking too much, as the robot you’ve seen climbing on the telephone pole is RiSE Version 3 prototype.

For your information, the RiSE Version 3 climbing robot is one of the finest creations of Boston Dynamics and the University of Pennsylvania. The main purpose of the RiSE project is to build a bioinspired climbing robot, which is having the unique ability to walk on land or climb on vertical surfaces.

Maybe the outer appearance is unattractive, but this RiSE Version 3 climbing robot can climb at almost the rate of one foot per second! Believe it or not that this RiSE Version 3 main function is to search and surveillance operations as well as ad hoc networking on the telephone poles!

Well, it looks like this little buddy is going to substitute the telephone pole workers’ position very soon in near future…[link]

Sometime, it’s a fun experience riding the motorcycle or a scooter and hovering through the neighborhood or downtown! You’re not only can feel the fresh air, but it can also help you to save much money too, as you can slip through the road easily, while the other vehicle drivers have to waste they time stuck in the middle of traffic jam!

However, there’s still a downside for the motorcycle/scooter drivers! Every time, when you’re arriving at a traffic light, you might get stuck in front of it. You’re wondering, “Is there any trick to overcome this problem?” Yep, it did. For your information, this method can help you save time, gas and frustration.

Have a closer look on the above figure. This is called “Inductive loop” and it’s a traffic detector. In order to make the red light turns into green light faster, you have to ensure that your motorcycle/scooter is in the rectangle box. The only problem is your motorcycle/scooter size is not big enough and it cannot trigger the traffic light to turn into green immediately!

Well , here’s the small trick. All you need to do here is to attach a neodymium magnet to the bottom of your motorcycle/scooter with epoxy paste or screw (I personally recommended you to use the screws).

Yep, you’re done with it! Go and have a ride with your motorcycle/scooter. This time, you won’t have to encounter with any red traffic light anymore. By the way, would you mind to give me a ride? Lol [source]