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Miniature robotic camera backpack shows how beetles see the world
After creating tiny sensor backpacks for bees, researchers from the University of Washington have built a more advanced model for beetles. Dubbed “a GoPro for beetles,” the robotic backpacks carry a tiny steerable camera that can stream video at 1 to 5 fps and pivot up to 60 degrees.
VW considers making an electric Beetle
VW's nostalgia-driven EVs might not be limited to the ID Buzz. VW chairman Herbert Diess told Autocar that his company is seriously considering development of an electric Beetle. And it's not just because EVs are considered the future of transportation, either. Diess noted that a Beetle EV would, paradoxically, be "much closer to history" -- as the company's new electric platform (MEB) is very flexible, it could return to the rear-wheel drive of the original model. That theoretically raises the possibility of reviving the original's front storage space, too.
Most 2016 Volkswagen cars can avoid crashes and talk to your phone
You normally have to spring for higher-end cars to get semi-autonomous features that could save your hide, but Volkswagen is aiming to make them relatively commonplace. The automaker has started shipping its 2016 model line, and most of it will at least make crash avoidance features an option, if not include it as a matter of course. The majority of Golf, Jetta and Touareg models will have the choice of smart cruise control and emergency braking technology that could keep you out of an accident even if you can't react in time; they're standard on Executive trim levels for the CC and Touareg. You'll also find a lane departure system on the CC, Golf, and Touareg, and parking assistance on the Golf.
Thieves beware: future ATMs will spray foam that helps track stolen cash
ATM thieves are increasingly focused on digital heists, but many of these robbers still prefer old-fashioned currency. They may want to think twice about stealing cash in the future, though, as ETH Zurich has developed a chemical defense system that both deters theft and helps track ill-gotten goods. Based loosely on bombardier beetles, which produce acid to spray attackers, the technique creates a defensive surface on an object (say, a cash box) using film layers filled with hydrogen peroxide and manganese dioxide. Break the surface and you trigger a reaction that covers everything nearby in hot foam -- by itself, enough to ruin the day of any would-be purloiner.
Volkswagen iBeetle integrates the iPhone through a dock, an app... and that's it
Many see Apple and Volkswagen as two peas in a pod given their similar marketing, even if previous talk of collaborations amounted to little more than speculation. That purported dream team will soon become real through the iBeetle, an adaptation of the modern VW Bug designed with a little help from Apple. Don't get your hopes up for a tie-in on the level of VW's iPad-friendly Bulli concept, however. The integration mostly amounts to an iPhone dock as well as a car-optimized iOS app that can play music, read messages aloud, take photos and augment the instrument cluster. It's a solid idea, especially when a large number of us already use our smartphones this way, but it isn't very adventurous -- the iPhone won't coordinate extensively with the center stack, unlike smartphone-aware infotainment platforms such as GM's MyLink or Ford Sync. We'd still take a close look at the iBeetle when coupe and convertible models reach US dealerships in early 2014, but it may be best for those already bent on getting some fahrvergnügen from their next ride.
Volkswagen E-Bugster Concept is an electric bug that wants to go fast
The new new Beetle might have gotten more macho in its latest incarnation, but that didn't stop Volkswagen from upping the ante with the E-Bugster Concept. Don't let those serious looks fool you, as its wielding a comparatively anemic electric drivetrain donated from the upcoming Blue-e-emotion Golf. That's 114 horses tasked with hauling a 695 pound lithium-ion derrière, which in its hatchback donor took a languid 11 seconds to hit 60MPH. It's got respectable range though, as it'll roam for nearly 100 miles before requiring a 120, 240 or 400V tether -- with the latter replenishing 80 percent of its battery in a scant 30 minutes. That kind of onboard choice we like, but next time lets withhold the visual drama unless we really mean business. Okay?
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will offer item upgrades
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will feature an item upgrade system, as revealed in the above Gamespot interview with Nintendo of America's Bill Trinen at Comic-Con. After 13 minutes of discussing the game's art style and motion controls, Trinen drops the bomb about the shield, explaining that while Link begins with a traditional shield, he can craft different ones throughout the game by combining rupees with artifacts left behind by defeated enemies. Trinen said upgrades will apply to Link's beetle, shield and "other items," which we guess would include his sword, bow, whip and slingshot, but probably won't be applicable to the game's graphics.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: of pedal-powered submarines and soda-powered fuel cells
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. This week, California saw a tremendous boost for solar power as the nation's first solar thermal plant in two decades was approved for Kern County. We also saw several incredible new approaches to generating alternative energy as researchers took crucial steps towards tapping the skies for lightning power and scientists unveiled a fuel cell battery that can be powered by soda. And if you can barely contain yourself at the prospect of pop-powered batteries, relax -- a team of scientists is also working on using urine to create low-cost fuel cells. This week we also watched green transportation take a plunge beneath the sea as French engineers unveiled an awesome pedal-powered submarine. Our neighbors to the north also broke news as students at the University of British Columbia embarked upon a record-setting trip across Canada in an electrified VW Beetle and three Canadian schools announced plans to create a car out of cannabis - hopefully it doesn't go up in smoke. Finally, we took a (sobering) look at the havoc that poor public transportation planning can wreak: a massive traffic jam in China that extended for more than 60 miles and 9 days. Speaking of students, here are a few projects to get you energized for the coming school year: a German tank armory was recently transformed into an ultra-modern solar-powered school, and we showcased some of the world's most incredible student-built structures. In other news, we brought you two dispatches from the realm of wearable tech - a new energy-harvesting film that could wire your wardrobe and a line of clothing that lets you send and receive phone calls. Can you hear me now?
Volkswagen Beetle converted to run on methane headed for the UK streets
Meet the Bio-Bug, a custom modded Volkswagen Beetle which has been converted to run on biogas -- fuel created from human waste. The process of conversion isn't brand new, but this will be the first automobile fully converted to run on biogas in the United Kingdom without any loss of performance. In fact, the car is so reliable that its makers believe it can "blow away" electric vehicles, and that consumers won't even notice the difference. The Bio-Bug is a regular old 2 liter VW convertible modified to operate on both gasoline and compressed methane gas: once the methane runs out, the car reverts back to running on gasoline. The cars run on so little methane that just one regular sized sewage plant could run a car (or cars) over 95,000,000 miles per year. Developed by GENeco, a sustainable energy company in the UK, the Bio-Bug is going into a trial period, and the company plans on converting its entire fleet if successful.
Giant mechanized rhinoceros beetle makes its Japanese TV debut
While it's certainly not all that uncommon to see giant robots wandering the streets of Japan, it looks like even the jaded folks on the Japanese TV show "Nanikore Chin Hakkei" were impressed by this massive beetle robot built by an Ibaraki man, who apparently spent a full 11 years toiling away at it. Of course, it's not a fully autonomous robot (thankfully), but it is able to be controlled from afar with a truly impressive remote control, or from the inside, which is fully kitted out with a spaceship-style cockpit and plenty of seating for passengers. It also isn't quite able to fully stand up on all those legs, which are instead used to pull it along the ground as some wheels provide a bit of extra assistance. Still, it's quite a sight to behold, and we can't think of a single reason why you wouldn't want to check out the video after the break -- unless, of course, you hate things that are awesome.[Via NerdwithSwag.com]
Cyborg beetles commandeered for test flight, laser beams not (yet) included
Remember that DARPA initiative from a few years back to create cyborg insects? With funding from the agency, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have managed to control a rhinoceros beetle via radio signals, demonstrated in a flight test shown on video at this week's IEEE MEMS 2009 conference. A module placed on the arthropod uses six electrodes affixed to the brain and muscles to commandeer its free will. The device weighs 1.3g -- much less than the 3g payload these guys can handle, and with enough wiggle room to attach sensors for surveillance. Ultimately, scientists say they want to use the beetle's own sensors -- namely, its eyes -- to capture intel and its own body energy to power the apparatus. Keep an eye on this one, we expect it to play a major role in the impending robots vs. humans war.[Thanks, Mimosa]
Atari 1500XL laptop mod: the best of 80's tech in a convenient modern form factor
Sure, we've got quite a few laptops kicking around the Engadget HQ, but we'd chuck them all in a heartbeat for a shot at this Atari 1500XL custom-built laptop from German modder Beetle. No expense was spared to give this thing an authentic look and feel, including the guts of three Ataris, a 1050 disk drive, 1027 printer, 1010 cassette player and a PC keyboard. Ben Heck might've done it first, but he's got some catch up to do on the aesthetics. Once Beetle gets an EV-DO card modded in there, our liveblogging experience will never be the same. There's video after the break.[Via technabob]
Japanese arcade game driving beetle extinction
"Gotta catch 'em all" has taken on a new meaning with a recent Japanese video game craze helping to drive the real-life extinction to the a subspecies of Turkish beetle. The Times Online reports that the popularity of bug-collecting arcade game Mushiking (King of the Beetles) is leading Japanese fans to import a million of the insects as pets each year, decimating the indigenous population."All we want to do is end the trade in our stag beetles," said Nazim Sonmez, chairman of the Amanos Environmental Protection Association. "They are being collected for economic reasons rather than research purposes. The stag beetle is under threat of extinction. It must be stopped."Bug collecting is a long-standing tradition in Japan that has appeared in games from The Legend of Zelda to Animal Crossing, but Mushiking has raised the activity to a national craze to rival Pokemon. The Sega arcade unit engages players in a rock-paper-scissors style battle of digital insects printed on collectible cards, more than 160 million of which have been printed to date.
LG announces VW Beetle PMP: colorful, not much storage space
Volkswagen may have a crush on Apple -- you'll recall the "buy one Fox get one iPod free" iFox promotion -- but it seems that LG is the DAP manufacturer with a little thing for the German automaker, announcing a Beetle-themed PMP at the Seoul Motor Show. Like the efficient little car that inspired it, the unnamed flash player sports front and rear badges, comes in one of three primary colors, and only features enough "trunk space" (2GB or 4GB) for your shorter trips -- road warriors should look for an 8GB luxury vehicle or hard drive-based media SUV. Codec support is lean but adequate, with MP3, WMA, OGG, MPEG-4, and WMV 9 files playable through headphones and/or on the 2.6-inch LCD, resolution unknown. Also a mystery are price, release, and availability, so VW fans will have to continuing getting their fix from the I-Playaz Beetle-shaped DAP speaker or jet-powered bug for the foreseeable future. [Via Everything USB]
Jada Toys' I-Playaz Volkswagen Beetle DAP speaker
To say that adding another iPod speaker system to the mix would be overkill is a gross understatement, but when the sound machine is housed within a chromed-out Volkswagen Beetle, we can't help but notice. For those who already ride dirty in that pimped out shopping cart and rock that gold microprocessor around your neck, Jada Toys' I-Playaz VW Beetle is sure to get your motor running. Sporting brobdingnagian spinning rims, 3.5-millimeter audio input / audio output jacks that double as an aftermarket exhaust system, built-in speakers, "multicolored lights," and an on / off switch to flip those block rockin' beats on at a moment's notice, this Chub City toy can shake, rattle, and roll to the rhythm of your favorite cuts. The car "moves and shakes to the beat" when your iPod (or DAP of choice) is pumping tunes through it, and there's even an built-in jam in case you want to boast about your toy while the 'Pod recharges. Although this isn't quite as fly as driving your riced-out Honda Civic around with a PSP, the bling factor here is surprisingly high for just $29.99, ya heard?[Via iLounge]
