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Watch the US Navy's swarm of robotic boats take to the sea
Overwhelming numbers can help win a sea battle, but sailors are far too valuable to simply throw away -- and the US Navy knows it. To that end, it recently tested a swarm of robotic gunboats that work in tandem to either protect a main warship or surround the enemy. As you can see in the video below, they're very well coordinated. The vehicles' Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing (CARACaS) lets them both operate independently while sharing their paths and radar data with each other, keeping them both out of each others' way and aware of any potential threats.
Cirque du Soleil turns drones into dancing lampshades
Before quadrocopters become the four-winged horsemen of the robopocalypse, we're quite happy making 'em dance for our entertainment. A new artistic collaboration between the ETH Zurich university and Cirque du Soleil isn't your standard swarm show, though, imagining a more intimate relationship between man and machine. "Sparked" is the short film born out of this partnership, featuring the talents of several pre-programmed quadrocopters, one human performer and zero special effects. Rather than a technical demonstration, it's a story of a lonely lamp-maker and the (seemingly) inanimate creations that fill his workshop. We won't spoil any more of it for you, so head past the break for the full film, as well as an explanation from the creative and technical minds behind the project about how it came to pass.
Feedback Loop: UI annoyances, remotes and speed-reading apps!
Happy Saturday! Welcome to another edition of Feedback Loop! This week we're talking about those minor user interface quirks that just really grind our gears. Once you're done letting the hate flow, find out whether or not speed-reading apps are worth your time and let people know if you actually use your smartphone as a remote. So get comfy and grab some coffee. Then tell us what works for you and get some advice from fellow readers.
Foursquare 8.0: All things reconsidered
Who was not a happy camper when Foursquare suddenly decided to take their self-named app, rip the fun part -- check-ins -- out of the app, and put it into a new app named Swarm? Me, that's who. It really torqued me off that an app that I had enjoyed for years was suddenly breaking into two apps. Hell, that's almost as bad as what Facebook did, forcing users to load another app (Facebook Messenger) to do something they'd always been able to do from within the iOS Facebook app. Well, the new Foursquare app, AKA version 8.0, arrived today, so I decided to take a hit for the team and install it. The first thing you notice is the new Foursquare logo, kind of a pink (er, magenta) stylized "F" -- apparently meant to represent a pin on a map -- on a background of expanding grey circles. That takes a bit of getting used to, since the original Foursquare branding was seared into my brain. But I can adjust... What Foursquare has done by splitting into two apps is kept the fun of checkins and social with Swarm, and then vastly improved discovery of restaurants, stores, and other locations with the Foursquare app. When you fire up Foursquare for the first time, the app tells you that with the first splash screen. Swarm is meant, according to that splash screen, to "teach" Foursquare about the places you like the most. A Twitter conversation revealed that some users think the onboarding process for Foursquare was too long and detailed. I'm assuming that these people were logging into Foursquare for the first time and not previous users, since all I got was a few helpful screens explaining new features before being asked to do some simple configuration. To begin with, you are asked to "tap a few things you like". If you've been a Foursquare user for years like I have, the company has a lot of ideas about what kind of things you like. For me, I started by tapping on pulled pork sandwiches, steak, IPAs, bistro, bison burgers, fireplaces, burritos, fajitas, and more. You can add more "likes" later on, so it's not really important to spend a lot of time on this starting out. Next, Foursquare comes up with nearby recommendations. Not surprisingly, two places that I enjoy for a really good pizza (one traditional NY style, the other just plain amazing), were near the top of the list. Foursquare also displays a list of places recommended by people who I follow. Along the bottom of the new app are buttons for finding a place, "Here" for getting information about the place you're at and also shunting you to Swarm to check in, "Tips" from people you either follow or who have similar tastes, and a profile button. By the way, when you're moved over to Swarm for the check-in, the top of the screen turns blue and displays a notification to tap it to return to Foursquare. The two apps are nicely integrated in that manner, switching seamlessly with a tap. The Tips button provides a way to save tips so that you're reminded when you're near or at a place. For example, if I choose to save a tip about some good fish tacos at a smoothie place nearby, whenever I'm near there I'll be reminded. The Profile button shows how many tips you've left, how many followers you have and how many people you follow, as well as telling you how much of an expert you are in terms of various tastes by how many tips you've left. No matter what screen you're looking at, there will always be a small blue "leave a tip" button in the upper right hand part of the screen that looks disturbingly like the icon for Microsoft Word for iPad. Tapping the Foursquare button in the upper left corner of the screen lets you add tastes, follow people, and otherwise personalize your Foursquare settings. Foursquare now provides a list of people you may wish to follow based on your contacts, Facebook friends, Twitter pals, and Instagram buddies. It recommended that I follow Apple "lost co-founder" Ron Wayne on Foursquare... So yeah, I'm still a bit peeved that Foursquare decided to split into two apps. But after seeing just how much more functionality is in Foursquare 8.0 and Swarm, and how well the two apps work together, it's time for me to eat a bit of crow (hence the image at the top of the page). I think they really did know what they were doing. Forgive me, Foursquare, for ever doubting you! But Facebook and Facebook Messenger? I'll never forgive Mark Zuckerberg's minions for splitting a perfectly fine instant messaging feature out of Facebook ... at least this week.
Say goodbye to Foursquare check-ins tomorrow
OK, I'm depressed. For years, I've enjoyed using Foursquare to check in at restaurants, airport gates, hotels, and even my own home. During that time, I became "mayor" at a number of different locations and loved getting the occasional badge for doing something awesome like checking at 30 different BBQ restaurants or 50 different microbreweries. Well, that all changes tomorrow when Foursquare will become more of a discovery app, forcing those of us who have loved using the app for check-ins to move to the company's Swarm app instead. If you've used Foursquare regularly over the past few months, you've seen the not-so-subtle changes. First, it seemed almost impossible to get a mayorship, mainly because they had dropped the feature. Next came the almost daily suggestion to download and install Swarm. And now, check-ins will be moving to Swarm tomorrow, meaning that you really do need to download the free app. Foursquare obviously didn't consult with users before making the move to two apps, one for discovery and one for check-ins. Swarm currently has about a one-and-a-half star rating out of five stars on the App Store, and Foursquare -- which used to be one of the more popular location-oriented social networking apps -- is now down to about two-and-a-half stars, primarily because users are upset with what the company decided to do. Take a look at some of the comments in the App Store reviews: I'm not sure the Foursquare Labs folks thought this one out very well. For those who want a single app to perform check-ins, see what your friends are up to, and even get ratings and tips for places you're thinking about trying, you might need to consider just using Yelp or -- God forbid -- even Facebook. For myself, I'll give Swarm a try, but I have a bad feeling that one of my favorite apps -- Foursquare, which took top billing in my social networking iPhone folder -- is going to get deleted soon along with it.
From Dodgeball to Swarm, Foursquare seeks to move beyond the check-in
On May 1st, 2014, Foursquare announced that after nearly five years, it'd be splitting its app in two. The main Foursquare app still exists, but its focus is now on location discovery and local recommendations, thus positioning it as a competitor to Yelp and Google. If you want to check in to a place to let your friends know where you are -- you know, the idea that Foursquare was based on -- you'll now have to use a brand-new app called Swarm. Debuting today, Swarm is described as a sort of social heat map that tells you where your buddies are in relation to you. It inherits a lot of the more social aspects of Foursquare, like mayorships and insights into your whereabouts (like if you've gone to the pub five days in a row this week). In many ways, Swarm represents what Foursquare used to be -- a location-based social platform that encourages you to meet people in the real world. It's an app category that Foursquare practically invented. It's also one it can't rely on.
Swarm inherits Foursquare's social roots, tells you where your friends are
In an effort to focus more on local search and finding you the best restaurants in your area, Foursquare recently announced that it would splinter off the social aspect of its app -- the part where you check in and find out where your friends are partying -- to an entirely separate one called Swarm. Today, that app is officially live in both the Apple App Store and Google Play. I had a chance to try it out for a few days, and while it looks very different from its progenitor with its bee-inspired design and bright-orange hue, many of the social features remain the same. All your Foursquare contacts are ported over, and you can check in to a location just as you would before. Similarly, you can view a list of your friends' recent check-ins, and you're able to heart or leave a comment on them as per usual.
Foursquare goes Oprah: You're a mayor and you're a mayor
When Foursquare announced plans to split check-ins off into their own app last week, it didn't reveal too many details on how the finer points -- like Mayorships -- would factor in. Well, starting today, those virtual offices are safe until Swarm launches next week. Once the new arm of the location-based outfit rolls out, it will handle those accolades in addition to insights (five weeks in a row at breweries, for example) and allow you to afix stickers to notable check-ins. In what Foursquare is calling Mayorships 2.0, you compete only with your friends to hold office at your favorite coffee shop -- not the fella that sits in the corner all day, every day. Of course, this means that venues can have multiple Mayors, which means you're likely to see fewer faux political-based discounts. Bummer.
Foursquare unleashes Swarm: a separate app for check-ins
Foursquare is taking a page from Facebook and splitting its app in two. Soon the main app will be focused purely on search, reviews and finding places to get a decent meal. A second offering, Swarm, will focus more on the social aspects and give users an easy way to see where their friends are and quickly make plans with them, without having to send a separate text message. Basically the check-in, the heart and soul of Foursquare, is getting its own separate app. If you ask the company, it was a tough decision to split their efforts in two, but the truth is that it has failed to evolve as quickly as other sharing services. Simply checking-in to a location is no longer enough, especially when Facebook, Google+ and Yelp all have some form of the feature built in. Swarm narrows the focus to create a truly location-based social platform, not unlike Dodgeball -- the service created by Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley before it was snatched up by Google.
Swarm robots perform classical 'scores' inside Georgia Tech's GritsLab (video)
The folks at the Georgia Robotics and InTelligent Systems (Grits) Lab at Georgia Tech have been hard at work for some time now researching swarm robots. A portion of said work deals with tasks that require a group of hi-tech gadgets to individually reach a location and a specific time -- much like the mobile landing platform that we saw last year. The group is given a "score" and must determine how many of the Khepera robots are needed to meet the goal, assigning specific roles and determining the shortest route to hitting their targets. One particular demo that we saw involved the swarm bots playing a projected piano of sorts to perform a short snippet of Beethoven's "Fur Elise" -- internal cameras, special "hats" and cameras mounted around the room lend a hand in carrying out the assigned duties. Musical performance is just one of the projects underway in the GritsLab. A real-world scenario involves the use of swarm robots for convoy cover. Using Parrot AR.Drones alongside the diminutive machines that we saw in action, researchers are looking at ways in which UAVs can be deployed to investigate and eliminate threats to convoys on the ground. This allows for the convoy to take an alternate route if needed while remaining under the watch of at least one UAV. For a look at the aforementioned classically scored action, jump down past the break to take a gander.
Swarming quadrocopters complete trial recon mission for Japanese police (video)
Formation-flying quadrocopters have already given us hours of entertainment, but now they've also accomplished something serious. Earlier this month, mini choppers developed at Japan's robot-loving Chiba University assisted in an emergency drill that simulated an explosion at a chemical plant. Four machines and a host computer (shown off after the break) used spherical markers, image processing and a heck of a lot of math to autonomously scan the site for survivors. The researchers claim the exercise went "very well" and that the local police force would like to "introduce this system" for genuine reconnaissance. That could include monitoring volcanic eruptions or inspecting power lines, but alas there's no mention yet of using quadrocopter swarms to sneak up on yakuza.
Robotic quadrotors' training now complete, proven with razzle-dazzle Cannes show (video)
We've watched our potential quad-mech overlords from KMel Robotics evolve from agile solo acrobats to worker bees to deft synchronized performers. It seemed only a matter of time before they would hunt down Sarah Connor en masse -- or take the show-biz world by storm. Fortunately for us, the tricky flyers chose to embrace their flamboyant side at a tour-de-force 16-quad lightshow in Cannes, where they opened the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors' Showcase. The soaring automatons pulled all their past tricks out of the bag, flying precisely with mirrors to bounce lights from below, all timed to dramatic music --which they also had a hand in controlling. The sparkly treat awaits right after the break.
Acrobatic quadrocopters hunt in packs, seduce you into submission (video)
We've kept a pretty stern eye on the development of GRASP Lab's quadrocopters, and with good reason it seems, now that the four-bladed aerial ninjas have even more alarming abilities at their disposal. In the video after the break, watch them hold a variety of complex formations like it's no thing -- even while on the move. The 'copters can also take flight, or resume position, after being thrown into the air, navigating real world obstacles with deft fluidity. It's part of University of Pennsylvania's Scalable sWarms of Autonomous Robots and Mobile Sensors project (conveniently SWARMS for short), which is responsible for developing the air-born acrobats' new grouping skills. They say it's an attempt to replicate swarming habits in nature, though we're not convinced.
Khepera swarm robots learn to build a mobile quadrocopter landing platform (video)
Last we saw the Khepera swarm robots from the Georgia Robotics and Intelligent Systems lab, they were just beginning to learn how move in formation and spell out "GRITS" on the floor. Well, these bots are growing up fast. The lab's latest video shows a group of four of the robots following a leader, and arranging themselves to form a mobile landing platform for a hovering quadrocopter -- a feat they manage to make seem easy. What will they think of next? We're a little scared to ask.
PSN Summer Sale drops prices on Scott Pilgrim, Pac-Man CE DX, and more next week
If your PlayStation Plus membership is still active next week, you'll be privy to some deep, deep discounts between July 12 and July 19 thanks to Sony's PSN Summer Sale. If your membership has lapsed, you'll still get discounts, but only one "deep" worth. Sony announced the 11 games that will form the basis of the sale, including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Shank, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, Chime Super Deluxe, the Move-enhanced port of Dead Space: Extraction, and more. Plus members will save 50% off the normal price, while everyone else will grab a nice 30% discount. Check out the full list after the break. If you see anything you like, we suggest going and purchasing a PSN card to pay for it, on account of ... recent events.
Harvard's Kilobot project does swarm robots on the cheap (video)
We've certainly seen plenty of swarm robots before, but few of those are cheap enough to let you easily build something that can truly be called a "swarm." These so-called Kilobots developed by Harvard's Self-organizing Systems Research Group, however, can apparently built for just $14 apiece, and can each be assembled in just five minutes to boot. Despite that low cost, the bots are still capable of plenty of swarm-like behaviors, including the ability to follow the leader, disperse in an environment, put on a synchronized LED light show. Head on past the break for a pair of videos.
Decoy swarm has the potential to protect attacking jets with hundreds of drones
MALDs (miniature air launched decoys), for those of you not up on your wargadgets, are a cross between cruise missiles and aerial drones -- a hybrid used to protect attacking jets by confusing or distracting the enemy during combat. Various branches of the US military have been using them for years, but now one company's figured out a way to unleash hundreds of 'em, creating a veritable drone swarm. Defense contractor Raytheon has developed a system that ejects MALDs from a cargo aircraft, sending clusters of eight missiles into the air, at which point they initiate the standard wing deployment and engine ignition sequence. And, according to Wired, the company is considering putting sensors and warheads inside future MALDs, which would make these swarms more intelligent and, you know, explosive. PR after the break. [Image credit: Raytheon via Wired]
European PSN releases for March 30
PSP owners rarely get the sweeter end of the deal in these European PSN updates, but this week they've pulled in a pretty sweet haul. Sure, the PS3 still gets Chime Super Deluxe, Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime, Swarm and Moon Diver -- but PSP owners get The 3rd Birthday, Aedis Eclipse: Generation of Chaos and all the deals. Check out the full list after the jump! Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Swarm review: Tough crowd
I'd like to think of Swarm as a playful, overtly sadistic embodiment of the phrase, "like lambs to the slaughter." That's a confusing message, because the game casts you in the role of both the shepherd, who must guide an oblivious blue flock to the end of the level, and the slaughterer, who extracts a real benefit from every minced-up minion. The swarmites are clearly designed to be extinguished -- and to extinguish even the smallest blip of sadness or guilt you might feel upon seeing them crushed, burnt, electrocuted or disintegrated in one of the many death traps scattered across the universe's least hospitable planet. Their eyes project no intelligence, their doughy bodies are devoid of gross internal organs and there's not a single personality in a group of 50. They look like stupid, disposable jelly beans. You'd think that the game would invite you to revel in their torture, what with all the "death medals" you unlock and an ever-increasing online counter that keeps track of all the splattered simpletons. A good score is crucial to advancement in Swarm, and the only way you'll get one is by building up a time-sensitive multiplier that's fueled by point orbs or sacrificed swarmites. If your blue blob is racing across the screen and you don't see any points, you're encouraged to steer a peripheral peon off a cliff or into a fire. It's like swerving your car through a puddle to soak a roadside pedestrian -- it's a dick move, but it's a guilt-tinged delight and on your way.
Swarm trailer proves that one can be more intimidating than 50
With Swarm available today, Ignition and Hothead have released one last trailer demonstrating exactly who the target audience is for the downloadable multi-character platformer: sadistic children. Sadistic children aged 12 or older, of course -- thanks, PEGI.
