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Robot bees can crash into walls without taking damage
Tiny robotic fliers aren't exactly durable at present, but they may be tough critters before long. Harvard researchers have developed a RoboBee that uses soft, artificial muscles (really, actuators) to fly without taking damage. The robot can smack into walls, crash-land or even collide with fellow 'bees' without getting hurt. Soft-muscle fliers have existed before, but this is the first with enough power density and control to hover -- that is, it's not just flying wildly.
Bees with tiny sensor backpacks could help farmers track crops
Farmers can use drones to monitor their fields, but they have their limits when they can rarely fly for more than 20 to 30 minutes at a time. University of Washington researchers might have a smarter way: recruit some insect friends. They've developed sensor backpacks that are light enough (about 0.0035 ounces) and efficient enough to ride on a bumblebee, but capable enough to collect data for seven hours at a time over relatively long distances. You wouldn't have to replace packs very often, either, as they could just fly into their hives to wirelessly recharge and transmit data.
Tiny MIT chip helps bee-sized drones navigate
You may have seen drones that behave like bees, but drones the size of bees are another matter. How do you help it navigate when virtually any conventional computing power would be too heavy and power-hungry? Make it incredibly tiny, that's how. MIT scientists have developed a new navigation chip, Navion, that's small enough (about 0.03 square inches) and power efficient enough (24mW) that it can fit in a honeybee-sized drone, yet powerful enough to process camera images at 171 frames per second.
ICYMI: Dolphins speak in sentences and brand new bee species
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Scientists in the Ukraine say they tracked bottlenose dolphins and found that they speak in up to five-word sentences and politely listen to each other before responding. Since dolphins are pretty much the coolest thing on the planet (Japanese horror show notwithstanding), we are excited about the latest dolphin intelligence findings.
Harvard University's robotic insect takes its first controlled flight (video)
There's hardly a shortage of animal inspired robots, but few are as tiny as Harvard's autonomous RoboBee. The robotic insect has been around for a while, but researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering only recently managed a minor breakthrough: controlled flight. Using new manufacturing and design processes, the team has managed to keep the coin-sized bug aloft by independently manipulating the robot's wings with piezoelectric actuators and a delicate control system. "This is what I have been trying to do for literally the last 12 years," explains Professor Robert J Wood, Charles River Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "Now that we've got this unique platform, there are dozens of tests that we're starting to do, including more aggressive control maneuvers and landing." There's more to be done, however. The tiny machine still requires a tether for power and control, and researchers are still studying nature to suss out how insects cope with flying through wind and the elements. Eventually, the team hopes to outfit the RoboBee with lightweight batteries, an internal control system and a lighter chassis. For now, however, they're just happy to learned to steer. Check out the insect in action after the break.
Honey, at home: Philips urban beehive shrinks your ecological footprint, increases holes on belt
It's a first-world issue: running out of honey when we need just a little more to sweeten up that bowl of oatmeal or cup of coffee. What we need is a constant supply of the golden stuff, and Philips has thankfully come up with this urban beehive to provide precisely that. It's the latest addition to the company's germaphobe-unfriendly "microbial home" concept. The system is half flowerpot, half hive, with bees able to travel between flower pollination and your domestic honey factory their honeycomb house. Honey can be 'tapped' from the base, with a smoking system in place to "calm the bees" before opening the hive. Now, if Philips could fashion something to keep us in a constant supply of maple syrup, then maybe even bakery dreams have a future, after all. %Gallery-139021%
HTC Wildfire reviewed in CDMA-packing, Alltel-branded guise
HTC didn't bother to announce this when it said the Wildfire would be coming to some regional American carriers in the fourth quarter, but it turns out Alltel -- the tiny bits left of it in the wake of the Verizon acquisition, that is -- is one of those carriers, and Android Central put aside a little time to check it out. Build quality is said to be reasonable (as you'd expect from an HTC device) albeit a bit on the plasticky side, the camera's decent, and the load of Android 2.1 is refreshingly close to stock -- but the deal-breaker is that ridiculously low-res QVGA display, something we took issue with in our look at the GSM Wildfire earlier this year as well (this CDMA version is the phone rumored as the Bee, by the way). All told, not bad for $30... but when you consider that the HVGA LG Optimus T is hitting T-Mobile for the same price, HTC might have to do better than this in the low-end war. [Thanks, Delon H.]
HTC Bee spied by way of firmware?
Remember how the HTC Lexicon / Merge render leaked -- accurately, may we add -- via a firmware updater? Well, it seems we might have another one here. This time around it's allegedly the HTC Bee, a device previously rumored to contain a Qualcomm MSM7625 core, Froyo, a 5 megapixel camera, and a 3.2-inch QVGA display -- in other words, a CDMA Wildfire (or a CDMA Aria with QVGA in place of HVGA). The ROM from whence the image came has Alltel branding on it, and considering the specs, we wouldn't be surprised if the microscopic Alltel footprint left behind after Verizon's acquisition seriously might be inline to pick this up. The Wildfire hasn't exactly generated buzz like wildfire across the pond... but then again, in a sea of WVGA beasts, it's hard for a little guy like this to catch a break, isn't it? [Thanks, shellshock]
HTC Spark, Bee and Lexikon specs outed: one WP7 and two Froyo devices coming soon
Another day, another HTC leak. This time we're seeing some juicy specs for three upcoming devices, courtesy of notorious ROM leakster 911sniper (who appears to be buddies with Conflipper). First up is the cutely-named Bee that sounds pretty much identical to the entry-level Wildfire in Europe, except for the pre-loaded Android Froyo (as opposed to Eclair) and the Verizon-bound Qualcomm MSM7625 chipset. Next we have another Froyo handset dubbed the Lexikon, which comes with a more impressive package: 800MHz MSM7630 world-phone chipset, 512MB of RAM, and a QWERTY keyboard presumably under the 3.8-inch 480 x 800 screen. Apart from the much lower clock speed here, this could very well be the Android slider we saw earlier this month. Finally, we round off with the WP7-donning Spark that we've probably spotted before -- here we have the good ol' 1GHz Snapdragon silicon (but not the CDMA2000 flavor as we speculated), 512MB of ROM and RAM each, 3.7-inch 480 x 800 display, and a 5 megapixel camera. Phew! After all this, we best be off to bed -- do wake us up when there's a release date.
Artificial bee eye gives diminutive robotic air drones wider range of vision
We'd bother telling you up front that it also gives them a new sense of purpose, but you're already versed in how the impending Robot Apocalypse is going to go down. Wolfgang Stürzl and his best buds over at Bielefeld University in Germany have just published a report detailing how an artificial bee eye could improve the vision of miniature robots -- ones that fly, in particular. By using a catadioptric imaging system, which captures an image using both mirrors and lenses, they were able to utilize a single camera to capture a full 280-degrees of vision, and a lowly internal computer is able to stitch the two panes together in order to create a usable image that humans can interpret. The idea here is to provide more sight with less space, bringing us one step closer to actually having our very own 'fly-on-the-wall' moment. Comforting, no?
German airports use honeybees to test air quality
You could get one of those fancy gadgets to monitor air quality as you trundle about your neck of the woods, but if you're more concerned for the environment's well-being than your own, all you apparently need is an active beehive. Eight German airports are presently using honeybees to test the air for toxins by shipping their honey to a local lab -- and for four years running, that honey's tested just fine. Last year, Dusseldorf International Airport produced 200 jars of the stuff. We wouldn't pay extra for airport honey, mind you, but we suppose we'd give it a try...
NSF awards Harvard $10 million for robot bees (video)
When we heard that the National Science Foundation awarded $10 million to Harvard to make a swarm of robot bees, our first thought was: "We could do it for half the price." Then we remembered that the university has been down this path before, including its robot fly program (whatever happened to that thing?) and might be the better choice after all. What does the NSF and Harvard hope to get for all that time and money? Aside from insight into such areas as distributed intelligence, robotic flight, and energy storage, a swarm of these bad boys could be tasked to do anything from battlefield spying to pollination (which might be necessary, with the way that real bees are vanishing at such an alarming rate). The RoboBee project is slated to run for the next five years. Video after the break. [Via Switched]
Omlet Beehaus is a plastic beehive for the urban conservationist
Natural England needs you, dear urbanite, to put on your conservationist hat -- and beesuit, by the looks of it -- and start taking care of a small bee colony. Because, as you already know, you can't have healthy plant life without healthy insect populations to sustain it. At this point, a lot of us might be intrigued -- after all, who doesn't find the idea of homemade honey and a houseful of killer bees appealing? And all would indeed be well, but for the £465 ($790) price of the beekeeping unit, which renders the entire idea the exclusive preserve of the very wealthy and very bored and leaves us poor nature lovers looking on helplessly. Like a bee trying to fly through a window.[Via PhysOrg]
Bee.One electric car to be tiny, cheap, and cute
British start-up Bee has just dropped some details on its forthcoming uber-affordable electric car, the One. This five-door affair will have a top speed of around 80 miles per hour, with a maximum range of 200 miles before needing a recharge. The car will run on two battery packs stowed under the floor, and will be easily swappable in case charging stations start popping up all over the U.K. The One will also have a constant 3G connection for management and performance system software monitoring and updates. The most exciting detail about the car, however (besides its adorable attitude) is likely to be its pricepoint: £12,000 ($17,700) plus the recent government subsidy of £5000 ($7400) for electric car purchases will bring this puppy down to about £7,000 -- or just over $10,000. Sure -- it's not Tata-cheap... but this one's electric! The One is scheduled to go into production during 2011 with an initial run of about 12,000 vehicles. One more render of the car after the break.
Breakfast Topic: Sorry about your nerf
I like Trixter's "silly idea" over on WoW Ladies. She says she came home the other day to a boyfriend bummed out by the Curse of Tongues nerf, and wished she had a greeting card for the occasion. Something, we'd guess, like "Sorry about your nerf. Hope you pwn soon." Funny. Which got us thinking: what other kinds of greeting cards might come in handy for WoW players?"It's a proto-drake! Congrats on your new mount!""Our condolences on your recent ninja attack. Here's wishing you all the best loot in the future.""Thanks for all your help with the raid-leading! You're the best!""Will you BEE our Tank?" (And there's a picture of a bee on it.)Ok, so those aren't that great. But what other ideas might Hallmark be interested in if they were designing a new line of greeting cards for you to give out to fellow players afflicted by what happens in Azeroth?
Zombees case will stay in your head, in your head
We had no idea that we needed a new system case adorned with undead bees before today, but this latest creation from craftster Mimi helped us identify that missing vital component of our gaming life. She has also created a similar pouch with a Kokeshi doll theme, which you can fawn over in our gallery below.Mimi's pricing for the two items have a bit of sting of them -- £13.99 each (approx. $27.70), plus shipping from the UK -- but it's to be expected with a lovable honeycomb print like this. In addition to inside pockets and popper closures, the cases feature soft felt lining to keep your DS Lite cozy. Really, it's the zombee's knees.%Gallery-28263%
WowWee's radio-controlled Barry B. Benson flying Bee
What do you get when you cross the FlyTech Dragonfly with Jerry Seinfeld? Well, if you're WowWee and Dreamworks you get a radio-controlled Barry B. Benson, star of the upcoming Bee Movie animated release. 6x AA batteries provide enough juice to propel the $50 critter "close to 18 miles an hour." Unfortunately, it will likely possess a range of just 30-feet like its Dragonfly cuz when it lands in October.
E307: SMG developer walkthrough - Honey Bee Galaxy
Of all the scenes we spotted in yesterday's Super Mario Galaxy trailer, the ones that excited us most were the moments we saw our mustachioed protagonist bedecked in his bee and Boo outfits. Tears of joy came to our eyes, salty with the nostalgia of Super Mario Bros. 3's frog suit, raccoon leaf, and other fondly-remembered power-ups.GameTrailers has a six-minute developer walkthrough of Honey Bee Galaxy, explaining the game's two-player mechanics and Mario's bee apparel along the way. Buzz past the post break for the video honeypot and an awkward clip in which Mario gropes a distressed queen bee.See also: Hands-on with Super Mario Galaxy
Cellphones are dangerous/not dangerous, bee-friendly edition
As the saga continues, we've got yet another flip-flopped story rolling through in regard to the toxicity (or not) of cellphones to our environment. Just under a fortnight ago, a report based on an (admittedly lacking) research study claimed that Colony Collapse Disorder within bees was being encouraged by cellphone radiation. As expected, the researchers began living a life filled with Q&A sessions about the data, and now the "truth" is coming out. Essentially, the scientists are claiming that their data was "misinterpreted," and that the study actually looked at DECT phones and base stations, which transmit a "different frequency than mobiles." Furthermore, another member chimed in and boldly stated that their "studies cannot indicate that electromagnetic radiation is a cause of CCD." So that settles it -- until the next round of bickering begins, of course.[Via Guardian]
AT&T launches TXT Bee to bring parents into the texting loop
While texting is (slowly) becoming more widely recognized in schools, and more quickly understood in general conversation, some of the elder generation still isn't exactly familiar with the lingo. In an (admittedly bizarre) attempt to bring parents and children together (and create a bit of buzz), AT&T has launched a TXT Bee in various high schools across the nation which pits "five parent-teen teams against one another in a series of wireless communication exercises." The events, which began at West Orange High School in West Orange, New Jersey, are a "component of AT&T's TXT2Connect campaign," and purportedly assist grown-ups to connect with their offspring (and rack up that monthly bill) in a way that they were previously confused about. Of course, it'd take money to actually get people to come out and participate in these things, so it makes sense that the teams are competing for a $5,000 scholarship and a $5,000 donation to their high school care of AT&T. So if you're just tense with anticipation about such a riveting experience coming your way, high schools in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Florida, and Texas will get their chances over the next few months.[Via TheWirelessReport]
