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Electrostatic sheets promise super-light exoskeletons
Of all the reasons exoskeletons aren't widespread, weight is one of the biggest. Even the slickest designs still tend to need bulky machinery. Not at Carnegie Mellon University, however -- its researchers have developed an exoskeleton clutch mechanism that barely weighs anything. Their Electroadhesive Clutch, as the name suggests, relies on electrostatic adhesion between specially coated electrode sheets to control spring movement. At 0.05 ounces per pair, it's 30 times lighter than existing clutches, and uses up to 750 times less power. Even if you had hundreds of clutches, the robotic assistance would take a huge strain off your body. And did we mention that there's three times as much torque density?
I didn't listen to a pair of $55,000 headphones
I was supposed to try out Sennheiser's new Orpheus headphones yesterday. Priced at $55,000 and a decade in the making, they're a reimagining of the company's 1990 model of the same name. But just as I put their opulent band over my head, before even a single note had played, the prototype headphones stopped working. I was crestfallen. But the more I think about it, the more it doesn't matter.
Disney project turns the human body into a stealthy speaker (video)
There are already devices that transmit sound to your body without speakers. But what if your body was the speaker? Disney Research has just explored that possibility through its Ishin-Den-Shin project. The experiment amplifies mic input and sends it back as a high voltage, low current signal that turns objects (including humans) into electrostatic audio sources that can't be heard over the air. Touch someone's ear while holding the mic, for example, and you'll deliver a private broadcast. Disney hasn't said if will build Ishin-Den-Shin into any products, but the technology is simpler than what we've seen in electrostatic speakers or headphones; don't be surprised if it pops up elsewhere.
Disney's REVEL could turn the whole world into a tactile touchscreen (video)
Disney Research think it can go one better on Tactile and Haptic touch displays by using electrical fields to add sensation to nearly anything you can touch. Using Reverse Electrovibration, REVEL works by strapping an electrostatic signal generator to your body, so when you come into contact with an object on the same electrical plane, that low-level field can be altered to create friction. It's hoped that the technology could revolutionize touchscreens, add a whole new level of feeling to augmented reality and help blind people feel their way around. There's a video after the break, but be warned, it's light on the sort of cartoony hijinks you'd normally expect from the House of Mouse.
Chilly Chair uses static electricity to raise your arm hair, force an 'emotional reaction' (hands-on video)
Hiding in the back of the SIGGRAPH Emerging Technologies demo area -- exactly where such a project might belong -- is a dark wood chair that looks anything but innocent. Created by a team at the University of Electro-Communications in Toyko, Chilly Chair, as it's called, may be a reference to the chilling feeling the device is tasked with invoking. After signing a liability waiver, attendees are welcomed to pop a squat before resting their arms atop a cool, flat metal platform hidden beneath a curved sheath that looks like something you may expect to see in Dr. Frankenstein's lab, not a crowded corridor of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Once powered up, the ominous-looking contraption serves to "enrich" the experience as you consume different forms of media, be it watching a movie or listening to some tunes. It works by using a power source to pump 10 kV of juice to an electrode, which then polarizes a dielectric plate, causing it to attract your body hair. After signing our life away with the requisite waiver, we sat down and strapped in for the ride. Despite several minutes of build-up, the entire experience concluded in what seemed like only a few seconds. A projection screen in front of the chair lit up to present a warning just as we felt the hairs jet directly towards the sheath above. By the time we rose, there was no visual evidence of the previous state, though we have no doubt that the Chilly Chair succeeded in raising hair (note: the experience didn't come close to justifying the exaggerated reaction you may have noticed above). It's difficult to see how this could be implemented in future home theater setups, especially considering all the extra hardware currently required, but it could potentially add another layer of immersion to those novelty 4D attractions we can't seem to avoid during visits to the amusement park. You can witness our Chilly Chair experience in the hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-162116%
Rumor mill: Will the new iPad have a tactile display?
Remember Senseg's tactile touchscreen displays? Well, last December the company showed off a screen that used an electrostatic field to simulate friction and textures on the glass. Such technology was a couple of years away from being commercially viable, but there's a tiny glimmer of a chance it might be the new killer iPad feature. Pocket-lint spoke to a company rep who cryptically said that the company wasn't making any statements until "after Apple's announcement." Why would they issue any statement tied to today's Apple news? Could it connect with a remark made back in June 2011 to Trusted Reviews, that Senseg had partnered with a "certain tablet maker based in Cupertino?" Maybe that line in Apple's invitation to today's event is another clue: "We have something you really have to see. And Touch." After all, Siri was announced at the "Let's talk iPhone" event, so it wouldn't be the first time the company places vague hints under our noses. Still, we have but a few hours left to wait until we really know what's coming, so join us for the live announcement later today.
Senseg's tactile display gets demoed on a tablet, products anticipated within 24 months
We've seen Senseg's tactile display technology demoed on a few different devices in the past, but CNET has now gotten a quick look of the company's latest tech on a tablet, along with some additional word on its future. As with previous prototypes, the screen doesn't rely on any moving parts as some other tactile displays do, but instead employs an electrostatic field-based system that allows different parts of the screen to produce varying degrees of friction. As Senseg notes, that opens up a number of interesting possibilities for gaming, as well as other applications where you may not always want to look at the screen. Of course, that tablet is still very much a prototype, but Senseg's Dave Rice says that he's "optimistic" we'll see actual products using it "within the next year," although he notes that could extend to 24 months. See the video after the break or at the source link below.
NASA's Cassini can hear it when lightning crashes on Saturn
Some folks can fall asleep to the calming pitter patter of gentle rain. Yeah, we're not those people. But we could be swayed into a somnolent stupor if those sounds came from epic storms -- on Saturn. Captured by NASA's Cassini probe last March, this 11-second clip of AM radio-like electrostatic is actually the agency's first glimpse into storm activity on the planet's Northern Hemisphere. Alright, so we admit the recording's more of a weak 'snap, crackle and fizzy pop' than outright terror-inducing awe, but still these are the noises of another world. Would it help if we told you this storm's been raging since December 2010 and hasn't shown any signs of stopping? Shocking, we know. It's not all doom and gloom, though as the folks behind Cassini think this is simply a sign of impending summer. So basically, it's spring break at the saturnine Señor Frogs. Check the source for a sample of otherworldly rumbles.
Students build 3D computer interface using copper, felt, and lots of moxie
Always on the lookout for bigger and better ways to faux-scratch a record with your PC, these students at Northeastern University have developed a human-computer interface that utilizes copper pads and our beloved theory of electrostatics. This little devil is able to track the position of a user's hand in three dimensions, without attaching markers to the body or requiring the user to hold some sort of controller. We can think of a couple theremin players that would love to get their hands on one of these things (Mike Love, we're looking at you). But don't take out word for it -- peep the video below to groove along with these dudes as they literally rock the (virtual) bells, play some organ, and even do a little fingerpainting.
MartinLogan goes fully powered with its Feature loudspeaker
We're longtime fans of active fully powered loudspeakers primarily because they allow the manufacturer to get the best sonics by optimizing the speaker-amplifier integration and also they make cabling the system up a little nicer, too (interconnects are thinner and more flexible than speaker cables in our system). So MartinLogan's move to putting a 150-Watt amp in its Feature LCR (wall-mountable, too) speaker to power up the electrostatic membrane, dome tweeter and dual 5.25-inch woofers should be good for the target high-end audience -- great sound, a tidy install and we imagine at $1695 each, a nice margin for MartinLogan. You didn't think you were going to get into electrostats on the cheap, did you?EDIT: MartinLogan is keeping us honest -- "active" would imply an adjustable crossover, which these speakers do not have; so "fully powered" it is!
MartinLogan celebrates 25th anniversary with flagship CLX speakers
MartinLogan, the name synonymous with electrostatic speakers, is celebrating its 25th anniversary by launching the flagship CLX speaker. Here's what to do if your golden ears find the sound of the company's panels let down by the integrated conventional cones in other models: come on back down to Earth (we think ML's marriage of cones and panels is great) and audition the CLX. This beast packs one 57-inch membrane for the high frequencies and another one for the lows. put it all together and you get 100-pounds of speaker that use low-mass films to cover a 56 - 23,000-Hz range. No, it doesn't spec out at the magical 20-Hz, but if that figure is all that's important to you, then you won't appreciate what these are about; besides, a little bird tells us these pair up quite nicely with the company's Descent subs. The CLX will show up in June at $20,000/pair (in a variety of finishes), but act soon and you can get on the list for the 25th Anniversary Limited Edition for $25,000. More eye candy in the gallery; sorry, no ear candy. %Gallery-21513%
MartinLogan unveils Spire hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker
No stranger to electrostatic speakers, MartinLogan is giving audiophiles an awful good reason to rid their wallet of $8,495 (per pair) with the all new Spire floorstanders. Each powered hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker includes a 10-inch aluminum cone woofer and 200-watt high-resolution amplifier which produces bass down to 29Hz. You'll also find a 35Hz equalization knob for low-end calibration, the firm's own rigid AirFrame and the curvilinear XStat electrostatic transducer. As expected, such fine pieces are available in a plethora of shades -- Black Ash, Dark Cherry, Natural Cherry, Maple, Birds Eye Maple, Wenge, and Rotary Cut Bubinga -- and those not satisfied with dropping "only" $8.5k can free themselves of even more Benjamins by dreaming up a cabinet hue of their own. One more look after the jump.[Via eCoustics]
