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Microsoft built a robotic air hockey table to show off Windows 10
Microsoft is more than a little proud that a version of Windows 10 runs on tiny, embedded PCs -- proud enough that it's willing to make clever devices to show this off. The folks in Redmond have built a robotic air hockey table whose virtual player is powered by a diminutive MinnowBoard Max running Windows 10 IoT Core. It's simple (it largely depends on an overhead camera to track the puck), but it's good enough to keep up with at least some shots, as you'll see in the video below. You aren't about to buy this table in a store -- it'd need to keep up with a ruthless human rival, for starters -- but it's proof that modern Windows can find its way into some very unusual places.
Breaking: Dog plays iPad Air Hockey
Sure, you've probably seen the video of a cat playing around with an iPad by now, but what about our other four-legged friend? Well, wonder no more, because Pixel the dog has now stepped up and shown cats how it's really done by not only playing Air Hockey on an iPad, but winning. Video after the break.
First Look: Air Hockey for iPad
I started watching this video on YouTube and, within seconds, my son was almost magically drawn into my office, staring transfixed at the screen. "This is air hockey?" he asked. "Yes," I replied. "I want it," he said. "It looks fun." My enthusiasm is slightly more tempered, but I think that this is a brilliant choice for an iPad game. I'm hoping that the game will properly use portrait mode for all uses, regardless of what the video looks like, and that there will be, both, two-player on one device, and the over-the-air Bluetooth support shown on the iTunes description page. For that matter, it would be great to be able to play against a fake opponent, although that is not listed as part of the product description. According to Bryan Duke of Acceleroto, Air Hockey will sell for $0.99 on the iTunes Store. There's a free "Gold" version as well.
Paid apps now live in webOS App Catalog, Air Hockey comes first
The first paid apps are finally starting to filter into Palm's App Catalog, giving us all another great reason (after our daily caffeine fix has been properly handled, of course) to blow a buck or two every day of our lives. First up is none other than Air Hockey, an app genre that seems to be taking every platform by storm -- we never really thought that the true Dynamo experience could translate well to a couple of fingers on a phone's display, but we're just $1.99 away from finding out for sure. [Thanks, Joe]
Panasonic's 103-inch plasma repurposed as multitouch air hockey table
With VIZIO and Pioneer jumping out of the plasma game, we can totally foresee sales of Panasonic's 103-inch PDP skyrocketing. All kidding aside, a startup arcade would be ludicrous to not shove one of these into the center of the action. What you're looking at above is a mutltitouch air hockey table, made possible by Panny's ginormous plasma and a U-Touch overlay from uicentric. The table was on display over in Amsterdam at ISE 2009, and quite frankly, we're intensely envious of the attendees who were able to blow off some steam by grabbing a game on this. Obligatory video is just past the break.
GEF robot stomps even the most prolific air hockey players
Remember that GEF robot Nuvation showed off late last month? Yeah, apparently that thing is bad ass. Designed by General Electric Fanuc (GEF) and programmed by Nuvation Research, this thing has been able to crush any human opponent that dared step up to its 32-bit automated ways. In fact, it can typically score around three times as many goals as even the mightiest Earthling, and while folks have been smart enough to find loopholes in the 8-bit software, this guy is pretty much invincible when running the real deal. Need more video? You're just one click away.[Via Slashdot]
Nuvation shows off air hockey-playing robot
While robots are still quite a ways away from being able to challenge humans in sports like soccer, it looks like at least one company has managed to create a robot that's able to prevail in one somewhat athletic activity: air hockey. According to Nuvation, its otherwise unassuming robot arm here can not only hold its own against its human opponents, but beat them about 90 percent of the time. That, as you might have guessed, is done with the aid of an optical sensor that's programmed to follow the conveniently shiny puck and react like an old air hockey pro. Still skeptical? Check it out in action in the video after the break.
Airhockey Over a Distance
If you think video conferencing is reserved for stale meetings that serve little purpose aside from burning up your time, Airhockey Over a Distance aims to ice that perspective. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) created the table (or should we say, "tables") to showcase the "power of advanced networking" and joins a host of other wild ways to get your game on. The table plays like your average air hockey match, except the opponent's half is in another location, and replacing your ferocious counterpart is a screen with a live video feed of him / her and a fancy puck-ejecting system. Sensors at the midway point of the table detect the angle, speed, and trajectory of the not-exactly-oncoming puck, and instructs the mechanism how and where to fire the disc -- you slap it back, and the same sequence happens on your compadre's end. Because this was crafted solely to show the wonders of "computer-mediated human-to-human interaction," there's currently no plans to take this prototype into sports bars or internet cafés, but one question still remains: what happens if the puck gets hung at center ice?
Who runs GDC? Air Hockey Ninjamaster runs GDC! (Update 1)
This photograph comes from Suite Night, a Thursday night GDC ritual in which conference sponsors lease out rooms in the neighboring Fairmont hotel the better to ply conference attendees with food and alcohol. So who is this fellow? We don't know. Andrew "Android" Jones, concept artist for Nintendo's Metroid series. He was far too intensely focused on remaining the reigning champion of Suite Night air hockey to answer our questions as to his identity. His laser focus, flashy garb, and completely over-the-top air hockey moves, however, give us some clues as to his genetic stock: one part Antonio Banderas, one part Bruce Lee, one part Brian Boitano, two parts ninja. More photos after the "continue" link, below.
