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How we built a less-explodey lithium battery and kickstarted the EV revolution
For the final installment of Hitting the Books for 2023, we're bringing you an excerpt from the fantastic Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization by Ed Conway.
Curiosity rover snaps a detailed look at sand dunes on Mars
In its trek around the surface of the Red Planet, the Curiosity rover reached the sand dunes it already ogled from afar. While that may not sound all that exciting, these images the vehicle captured along its journey provide the first detailed look at the Martian dunes for further study. The image above is a wheel track on the "High Dune," part of the larger "Bagnold Dunes" that lie on the northwest side of Mars' Mount Sharp. The rover will scoop up and sieve sand samples to be analyzed with Curiosity's own onboard lab equipment.
Making music in a Kinect-powered sandbox (video)
Tucked away under a tent at Expand 2014 was perhaps the coolest exhibition on the show floor: Sand Noise Device, a literal interactive sandbox experience. No, this isn't a new Grand Theft Auto; it's powered by hacked gaming tech, though, including an Xbox 360 Kinect sensor and a PlayStation Eye camera. Watching it in action immediately brought memories of Xbox 360 classic Geometry Wars to mind, actually. A ring radiates out from a center origin point, and when it hits the glowing, multicolored pucks (that are tracked for position by the PS Eye), a series of particles start shooting outward.
Stone Spray research project wants to print bridges with sand, solar power
Envious of your pet hermit crabs' 3D-printed domicile? Maybe you should cast your green eyes upon the Stone Spray project, an Eco-friendly robot printer that's exploring the viability of soil as a building material. Although making actual buildings is a bit out of the robot's reach, its team has managed to print a series of scaled sculptures (such as stools, pillars and load-bearing arc structures) out of sand, soil and a special solidification compound. The machine's jet-spray nozzle seems to have an easier time constructing objects over per-existing scaffolding, but the team is striving to design structures that don't require the extra support. "We want to push further the boundaries of digital manufacturing and explore the possibilities of an on-site fabrication machine," the team writes on the project's homepage, citing makeshift printed bridges or an on-beach canopy as possible applications of technology. If the Earth itself doesn't make a green enough building material, consider this: the Stone Spray robot can be powered by solar energy alone. Check it out in all of its sand-sculpting glory in the video below.
Boston Dynamics lies down with BigDog, gets giant fleas (video)
Remember what it was like when you first fell in love with Boston Dynamics' rocky terrain traversing BigDog robot? Get ready to fall in love all over again. Meet the Sand Flea, a plucky little 11-pound robot that can jump a mind-boggling 30 feet in a single bound, while an on-board stabilization system helps make landings a bit smoother. The RC four-wheeler's development is being funded by the Army's Rapid Equipping Force. Your move, iRobot. Check out some rad video of the big-wheeled 'bot after the break.
Google dives deep to bring underwater photos of the Great Barrier Reef this September
Your next trip to the Great Barrier Reef could be from the comfort of your home now that Google's partnered with Catlin SeaView Survey, the University of Queensland's Global Change Institute and the Underwater Earth organization to document this amazing ecosystem. Equipped with a special underwater camera capable of withstanding depths of 328 feet, the survey aims to photograph 50,000 shots in 360-degree panoramic view and incorporate them into Google Earth and Google Maps. Dubbed "Google SeaView," it seeks to open opportunities for increased conservation as well as a free look for wanna-be world travelers who can't afford a plane ticket down under. As an added perk, the collected data may also be used to help future ship captains navigate through the treachery of the intricate coral highways. Check past the break for more info on the survey and plenty of footage teeming with aquatic wildlife.
Sony Alpha A77 caught sunbathing on a beach, courtesy of mysterious YouTuber (video)
Look away now if you're desperate for a beach holiday, because the above video features a Sony camera chilling out in the sand, before some lucky fella picks it up for a quick snap of the calm sea. Now, the clip doesn't actually indicate which model this camera is, but the video uploader -- with a fresh account hosting just this one video -- simply wrote "Sony Alpha A77?" in the title, along with "Taiwan" in the description. Our gut feeling tells us that this leak comes straight out of Sony's Taiwanese PR team, who's keen to show off this mysterious camera's quick autofocus in live view mode (presumably there's a translucent mirror inside to enable this), as well as its sand-friendly body. That said, the folks should really get that Zeiss lens inspected -- as pointed out by Sony Alpha Rumors, we seriously doubt it shares the same level of protection as the body. Poor thing. Focusing on the camera again: we only get to see its back, but this alone is enough to prove that we're looking at a never-before-seen model from Sony -- while it sports a similar swivel screen as the A55's (whereas the A560 and A580 only have tilting screens), it also has a different set of buttons. In fact, said button layout is identical to that on the transparent prototype manhandled by Pocket-lint back in March! Combining these factors together, we say this A77 teaser is pretty legit. Now, how about a date and some prices for this 24 megapixel beast, Sony? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: The original video's been taken down, but fear not, as we've already thrown in our backup copy. You're welcome.
Solar Sinter solar-powered 3D printer turns sand into glass, renews our faith in higher education (video)
Where would we be without the world's graduate art projects? In the case of Markus Kayser's Solar Sinter, we might never have seen the day when a solar-powered 3D printer would turn Saharan sand into a perfectly suitable glass bowl. Well, lucky for us (we suppose) we live in a world overflowing with MA students, and awash in their often confusing, sometimes inspiring projects. Solar Sinter, now on display at the Royal College of Art, falls into the latter category, taking the Earth's natural elements, and turning them into functioning pieces of a burgeoning technology. Solar Sinter uses the sun's rays in place of a laser and sand in place of resin, in a process that is perhaps more visually stunning than the results. See for yourself in the video after the break.
Sand-swimming robot gets vertical manipulation via doorstop-shaped head (video)
So it looks like a half-stuffed sock -- and it is, sort of -- but this sandfish-inspired search and rescue robot has the potential to change the way machines maneuver through disaster zones. Playing off its previous endeavors, a team of Georgia Tech researchers has designed a wedge-shaped head to manipulate the vertical movement of its sand-swimming invention through "complex dirt and rubble environments." By mimicking the pointy snout of the sandfish lizard, and attaching it to the body of its robot -- which sports seven servo-powered segments stuffed in a latex sock and sheathed by a spandex "swimsuit" -- the team found that subtle changes in the positioning of the robot's head made for drastic differences in vertical movement. When it was placed flat on the horizontal plane, the robot descended; when it was inclined above seven degrees, it ascended. For now, the robotic sandfish has been relegated to swimming in a sea of tiny yellow balls, but it's slated to dive into a pool of debris in the name of research soon. You can check out a rather dry description of the project in the video after the break.
Dry water absorbs greenhouse gases, boggles the mind
Apparently, something called dry water has been kicking around since 1968, although it wasn't until recently that scientists at the University of Hull and, later, the University of Liverpool, have begun to take it seriously. It's made by encasing a water droplet in sand that's been modified to be hydrophobic -- that is, it won't absorb water, giving this "water" the consistency of powdered sugar. There seem to be a gazillion potential uses for the stuff, all of which our friends who are chemical engineers will undoubtedly find fascinating, including: soaking up carbon dioxide (it's three times more effective at absorbing the greenhouse gas than "wet" water), storing methane, and as a catalyst to speed up production of succinic acid, which is used to make a wide array of drugs, food ingredients, and consumer products.
Glowing Pathfinder Bugs installation puts the 'Minority Report' interface to good use - in a sand box (video)
Nestled among the various booths at SIGGRAPH 2010 visitors got to check out a unique installation called Glowing Pathfinder Bugs. Created by Squidsoup and Anthony Rowe, this interactive art piece uses projectors to place "bugs" made out of light in a sandbox, coupled with a 3D gesture-based interface that allows people to pick up, move, and even breed the creatures. The system even takes the topography of the sand itself into consideration: altering the sand will alter the bug's path. It's nice to see someone put an interface technology to good use for a change! Video after the break.
World Sand Sculpting Championship holds special surprise for Sony fans
Sony took some time to promote the PS3 and PSP at Korea's first annual Invitational World Sand Sculpting Championship. We're impressed by how the sand PS3 simply towers over these Asian girls. As we ponder the incredible manpower used to create these massive sand recreations, we can't help but think to ourselves ...There's a Invitational World Sand Sculpting Championship???
Nokia 6555, now in "sand"
Back when we were young'uns, red was red, blue was blue, and that's the way we liked it. Nowadays, everything needs a fancy name, and not even the simplest of colors are spared. Take AT&T's new 6555 shade, for example: it can't just be brown or beige. Heck, we'd even be cool with ochre. But no, Nokia has to get all fancy on us with "sand." Okay, okay, we're just messing around, sand's a fine name, and you can pick up the 3G flip's newest color now for about $50 on contract. Supremo Red, on the other hand...[Via phoneArena]
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 3.5
At last, we have a conclusion to the Sand series. Episode 3.5, also directed by PG Provenzano, while short, answers all the questions from earlier episodes.While two of the Colonists are struggling for control of the weapon that was previously aimed at Gwen, the third works on releasing her. As she is freed from her sleep state, the weapon goes off, killing one of the explorers. With another knocked out, the third searches for something on his body. Read on for more about the story conclusion ...
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 3
We're down to the last two episodes of the Sand saga. In Episode 3, directed by PG Provenzano, we learn that the mysterious lady's name is Gwen. The Colonists find her in a sleep chamber, but she communicates with them through a video screen nearby. She explains that the war for sunlight saw many victims, including her family.As a scientist, she knew how to solve the problem, but she misjudged. Scion City's water crystallized and turned to sand. When one of the Colonists decides to avenge the death of the citizens, the others attempt to take him down. Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion to the story!Read on for more tidbits about the filming of the series ...
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 2
The plot thickens as Episode 2, directed by Trace Sanderson, of the series sheds more light on the downfall of Scion City. The citizens relied on the sun for power, but when a great darkness came over the island, they only had one hour of it per day. Some colonists fled to the outer asteroids, which is where the group of explorers, whom we now know to be part of the founding Interstellar Colonists, came from. This led to two factions being formed in order to horde the energy. The Augmentationists, or Auggies, converted their cars into armor, and the Immersionists, or Mershers, became human machines that merged their bodies with SciTek. However, neither side won, as they lost all sunlight.One of the colonists is still having a sense of deja vu and is determined to rescue the mysterious lady. With their vehicle destroyed, the only thing they can do is go further down ...Read on for more facts about the series ...
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 1
If you're just tuning in, we've been following the storyline of Scion City in Second Life. So far, they've discovered a vehicle that allowed them to uncover a transmission device. A mysterious woman transmits a message to them, but it is not yet clear what she wants ...Episode 1, directed by Michael Verdi, sees one of the explorers doubting that any life could exist below the sand. The transmission device begins playing the commercial for Scion City, which gives them the idea that if they unearth the structure, they'll have enough power to save their colony. After a bit of digging, they find a vehicle with a skeleton in it, and a hatch that leads to something. When they struggle to open it, an explorer decides to use the vehicle they found in Episode 0 to help. Did they survive the crash? What's inside the hatch? Tune in tomorrow for more of the story!Read on for more trivia about the films ...
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 0
Yesterday on Cinemassively, we introduced you to Scion City. Today, we're showing the first episode of Sand, a Second Life series that looks deeper into the mystery of the island. In this clip, directed by Douglas Gayeton, a group of, what I can only assume are, treasure hunters discover a strange vehicle buried in the sand. One of them takes the others on a joyride, but they crash into some kind of pole. It is there that they uncover a transmission device that tells them of Scion City. Well, readers of Massively, it's time to put our thinking caps on and dig for clues in Scion City! If you've seen anything out of the ordinary, leave a comment, or let us know that you submitted a video of your findings. If you're interested in learning more about what they're looking for, visit their website.Read on to find out how the lipsyncing was done ...
Zen and the Art of Mushroom Maintenance
20-year-old craftster Tiffany indulged her boyfriend's love of sand and Mario by joining the two with a themed zen garden. Since this will be a birthday present, she took extra care to decorate the lid with wood cut-outs that she painted and glued atop one another for a "3D look." If her beau doesn't run wildly around the room for 15 seconds after unwrapping this, knocking over everything in his path while sounding out "Starman" music, we'll be disappointed.Opening the box reveals Mario and friends, as well as a playground of sand to rake patterns into. Tiffany plans to eventually add blocks painted with question marks and possibly other elements. Might we suggest a miniature green boot? Enjoy your fleeting invincibility and somersault past the post break for more photos.
Research shows live bacteria can lessen earthquake damage
Bacteria aren't lookin' too shabby these days, aiding in digestive health and even moonlighting as a fuel source. Recent studies also show that the use of live bacteria could very well solidify deep, sandy soils that make for treacherous grounds when an earthquake strikes. The new findings hint at a promising alternative to the use of bonding epoxy chemicals, which can boost toxicity levels in soil and water. The mighty microbe, Bacillus pasteurii to be exact, essentially transforms loose sand back into sandstone by depositing calcite (calcium carbonate) throughout the grains, fusing them together. Buildings sitting atop soils treated with the bacteria are predicted to experience considerably less devastation than those on the loose soil that tends to liquefy beneath them in the event of a quake, typically resulting in collapse. The research, partially being developed at UC Davis, is restricted to the lab at the moment, however plans to scale up are on the table. So the next time all you coast-dwellers fall violently ill from some ratfink bacteria, remember that his cousin might save your apartment, or even one day, your life.[Thanks, Sid]
