Inflatable
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In & Motion's Ski Airbags aim to save your spine
If there's one thing that terrifies a downhill skier, it's probably the risk of making an awkward landing on rock-solid ice. That's the issue that French company In & Motion is looking to solve with the Ski Airbag Vest. It's essentially a wearable airbag that'll inflate to prevent people from denting their organs should things go wrong. It's here at CES that the firm is showing off the technology for the first time, and if you're in the skiing fraternity, it might just be the gadget to save your life.
US Navy tests first 11-meter missile-firing sea drone (video)
Advances in unmanned military tools and vehicles have come on leaps and bounds, but, until now, we haven't seen a weapon firing drone operating in the seas. A recent test taking part offshore near Maryland saw several missiles launched from a new remote-controlled inflatable-hulled ship. While the Navy has used drones before for mine clearing and other defensive tasks, the small boat (similar to that pictured above) is the first experiment to involve true offensive capabilities. The almost zodiac-like craft has been an ongoing project over recent years, and contains a fully automated system which the Navy calls a "Precision Engagement Module" which uses an Mk-49 mounting with a dual missile launcher manufactured by Rafael. The hope is that such vehicles could patrol the coastline, or serve as a first defense against pirates, and other such small, fast-moving seafaring dangers. If you want to catch it in action, head past the break for the video, but don't be fooled. While it might look like a series of misses, the Navy claims this is just a trick of the camera angle, with all six missiles apparently making contact.
iRobot's AIRarm prototype bot has an inflatable arm for manipulating objects, was built at DARPA's behest
iRobot may be best known for its household automatons, but the company's expertise goes far beyond circular bots built for sweeping and scrubbing floors. Its Warrior and 110 FirstLook bots are built for the military, and now the Advanced Inflatable Robot (AIR) arm model is joining its armed forces brethren. The AIRarm prototype is essentially a Packbot whose metal arm's been replaced with an inflatable version able to lift four times its own half-pound weight. That might not seem like much, but considering most rigid robot arms can only lift a fraction of their own weight, it represents a sizable gain in strength-to-weight ratio. Plus, the arm can get stronger by simply dialing up the air pressure. As an inflatable limb, it can also operate delicately around meatbags -- just as the air pressure is increased for strength, it can be decreased when in close proximity to people so as not to injure them. For its prototype effort, iRobot's going to get a $625,000 contract from DARPA to continue the AIRarm's development, and you can see a bit of what that money will buy in the video after the break.
CTA Digital unlocks your Nintendo 3DS's inflatable race car potential
Forget about Sony and Microsoft. The Wii U? Ha! Everyone knows inflatable race car add-ons are what E3 2012 is all about. CTA Digital is leading the way, doing for the 3DS what it did for the Wii before it, letting players clip their portable console into the giant peripheral's steering wheel. The Inflatable Sports Car is also Wii compatible, for those who are bi-console. You can pick one up for $40 on Amazon, foot pump included. Shoes, clearly, are optional.
Life-size inflatable Portal turrets: the secret to a sophisticated home
There are plenty of shows on HGTV that will try to convince you their opinions on decorating are the end-all, be-all definition of tactful home decor, but that just ain't true. In fact, we doubt any decorating show currently broadcast today would recommend these new life-sized inflatable Portal turrets from Think Geek, even though they're clearly the coolest.At $24.99 a pop, these 40-inch replicas can add a touch of sophistication to literally any room in your house, provided said room isn't located in the vacuum of space -- these are inflatable, after all. Best of all, these helpful sentries aren't produced in limited quantities like some other Portal merchandise we've seen lately, which means your only decorating limitation is the depth of your wallet. Remember, nothing says class like the incredibly specific smell of inflatable plastic toys.
Ant-Roach inflatable robot can carry a family, scare the kids (video)
This 15-foot inflatable pneumatic beast is a confusing mix of child-like inflatable wonder and cold, brutal, robopocalypse-beckoning science. The Ant-Roach (half-anteater, half, er, roach) is still a concept device, with inflatable actuators on the legs doing the heavy lifting -- apparently up to 1,000 pounds. Manifolds are peppered along the beast's underbelly, with a microcontroller obeying its soft-stomping orders by wireless signal. While it battles for our inflatable robot affections, you can check it (just about) conquering shallow water right after the break. P.S. We'd be remiss if we didn't point out that the same lab has also developed an inflatable robot arm. Check it out after the break as well.
Dean Kamen files patent application for an inflatable, illuminated wind turbine
Inflatable wind turbines may not be an entirely new idea, but prolific inventor Dean Kamen has detailed one of a slightly different sort in a recently published patent application. In addition to generating energy for general use, the turbine would also be able to power a set of LEDs adorning the turbine itself, which could be used to display advertising or other information using a persistence of vision effect. The application even suggests that multiple turbines could be linked together and synchronized to form one large billboard. Of course, it is still just that, a patent application -- but it is assigned to Kamen's DEKA company, so it may not be quite as far off from reality as some other applications.
Crapgadget: 'money to burn' edition
Gadgets can radically alter our lives -- they can save us time and money and improve our health. And then there's the crapgadget, a breed of technology seemingly designed for little more than draining our already microscopic bank accounts. But hey, it's your money, and if you want to spend it on, say, an inflatable outdoor movie theater, a speaker shaped like a tiny bird, or a case for your iPhone with a terrifying fake beetle attached, that's your call. If you need us, however, we'll be recovering from our solo table tennis game by fanning ourselves off with our smartphone. Check out the latest craptastic roundup below, and be sure to vote for your (least) favorite.
Ford's inflatable seat belts headed to Explorer in 2010, other whips in due time (video)
Inflatable seat belts. At a glance, that doesn't seem like such a bad idea after all, particularly for those rear seat passengers who aren't blessed with two huge bags or air right in front of their chest. We're guessing the top brass at Ford feel pretty much the same way, as the outfit has just announced that these very devices will be making their debut in the next-generation Ford Explorer before rolling out across the fleet. Of course, Lexus is also planning to shove these into its ultra-luxurious LFA (which will probably make a grand total of 14 wealthy owners feel really, really safe), but it's tough to tell which vehicle will hit the showroom first. Jump past the break for a vid.
Video: NASA rockets inflatable heat shield 124 miles up, deploys it successfully
Space is mighty cool and the Earth's atmosphere isn't particularly hot either (most of it, anyway), but when you transition from one to the other a lot of friction can be generated. NASA typically uses gas-generating ablative shields for smaller orbiters and of course everyone is familiar with the silica tiles on the bottom of the space shuttle, but now it's tested a rather more lightweight and compact option: an inflatable shield. It's comprised of layers of silicon-coated kevlar fabric that, at least for this initial test, inflates in 90 seconds and forms a sort of saucer shape that's just perfect for keeping MUFON's phone lines busy. There's a dizzying video of it being blasted out of the atmosphere just after the break, and we think you'll be seeing plenty more of this tech deployed on future martian landers and the like.[Via Gizmodo]
Open Air Cinema brings its 16x9-ft projection screen to market
Open Air Cinema's seasonal timing on bringing out its 16x9-ft inflatable projection screen is a bit off, but who knows -- maybe picking one up now will give you something to look forward to once the ground thaws. Or, be our guest and set up what's billed as "the largest screen available for backyard use" in the snow, call the neighbors over and break out the hot cocoa. For $999, you'll get a 220-inch screen that should put an end to any arguments about who has the biggest TV, and -- mercifully -- a blower that will inflate the rig in seconds so you can spend time getting the projector (not included) set up "just so." We figure that if you're going to be outside, you might as well splurge on the largest screen, but there are also 12-foot and 9-foot versions available for $599 and $449, respectively.
E Ball's inflatable golf simulator saves you greens fees
Never mind paying absurd quantities of cash to have some swing analyzer tell you how you'll never be like Tiger -- just pick yourself up one of these concoctions. E Ball's inflatable golf simulator not only consumes your entire backyard, it takes you back to those glory days of frolicking at the fair with your BFF, and it even allows you to practice your game in less-than-flawless weather. The device enables amateurs to work on their driving and putting, all without having to fetch balls afterwards or deal with the embarrassment of completely hacking it up in front of your more seasoned pals. It looks as if you'll have to ring up E Ball in order to get pricing details, but we don't envision this one coming in cheap.[Via OhGizmo]
The iBig Box inflatable "Ipod" player makes us long for the sweet release of death
We don't really know what to call it as the name convulses between the iBig Box, the iBoombox, and "Inflatalbe" Boombox on the product page. Regardless, somebody out there has single-handedly put the "ass" back into plastic. The only features listed besides inflatable are a pair of speakers and what we presume to be a line-in connection for the "Ipod" and any other portable media player. Oh, and a weight of exactly 12.00. $60 if you dare.[Via NewLaunches]
Jelly click: it's an inflatable mouse, not a whoopee cushion
For the individual first on the waiting list for inflatable garb (and the average traveler looking to trim down that carry-on), the Jelly click is quite the dream come true. Granted, it seems as if this blow-up critter is merely a concept at the moment, but that's not to say some unorthodox peripheral company out there won't grab hold of the idea and run with it. In case you couldn't piece it together based on the photo above, this mouse lays perfectly flat for intercontinental jaunts, but a few light puffs turns it into a tool your hand can really get along with -- until it brushes up against a sharp object, that is.[Via Yanko Design]
WaveBreaker: the electric, inflatable jet-ski
Nah, the WaveBreaker probably won't provide the kind of thrills that a jet-powered kayak would, but riding around on this thing is a lot less likely to leave you maimed. This electric, inflatable watercraft comes loaded with a 600-watt motor, weighs 66-pounds, and touts the ability to scoot around for "45 to 75 minutes" before needing a recharge. Of course, we hope you weren't planning on picking one of these up for racing, as the 6.21mph top speed may hurt your chances at victory. Reportedly, this bad boy is slated to arrive in America later this month for the low, low price of $499 -- just steer clear of Cypress knees and stray fish hooks, ya heard?[Via Gizmag]
NASA develops inflatable lunar habitat
As much as we wish this was some type of anti-gravity bouncy castle, NASA's current experiments with inflatable structures are intended for slightly less entertaining implementation on the moon, where crews will use them as outposts for research, testing, storage, and living. NASA's contractor, ILC Dover, has presented a capsule-like prototype that's 12 feet in diameter and made of multilayer fabric. It's currently being evaluated for emerging technologies such as flexible structural health monitoring systems, self-healing materials, and radiation-protective materials. In addition, they showed a connecting smaller inflatable structure that served as a demonstration airlock. To justify these solutions, the team's next step is to perform studies comparing inflatable and rigid structures for crew habitats.The modular airtight inflatables are favored for being lightweight and adaptable, and if all goes well, the first extended-stay lunar missions could start as early as 2020. [Via Primidi]
Yet another Loco Roco contest
I probably shouldn't tell you guys about these contests. Why? Because that means the odds that I'll win become smaller! Drats! But still, it's our responsibility at Loco Roco PSP Fanboy to tell you about things like this. Head over to the US PlayStation.com site and enter for your chance to win one of five prize packages, containing two Loco Roco inflatables, a Loco Roco branded T-shirt and a copy of Loco Roco. See also: Loco Roco umbrella sells for $67 Love Loco Roco? Buy the shirt
Happy Loco Roco contest news & sad soundtrack news
How much do YOU love Loco Roco? The game's now available in stores and VH1 is giving away this huge inflatable figure, and other prizes, to fans of the game. All you have to do is send them a picture of LocoRoco in the "real world" (riding the train, in a diner, etc.), and you can use any method you want: PhotoShop, cardboard figures, creating a real LocoRoco from the primordial ooze you have stored in the freezer. See all the contest details. In other Loco Roco news, GamesRadar has confirmed our fears that a Loco Roco soundtrack CD won't be made any time soon. That didn't stop GamesRadar from hosting a few of the songs on its servers. Check out creatively titled songs like Black Song, Blue Song and even Green Song. Wow. See also: Who sings the Loco Roco song?
Float-a-Pet inflatable collar helps track, save dog's life
While the list of random junk humans can affix to their canine companions is embarrassingly long, we have seen a few meaningful accessories that can prevent dogs from straying too far from home. Jed Berk's latest prototype has apparently wrapped as many beneficial aspects as he thought possible into what outwardly appears to be a run-of-the-mill pet collar (with a NOS tank strapped on for good measure). But the Float-a-Pet -- as the name so aptly implies -- has a few hidden tricks that presumably act to give you the upper hand in locating your pet after it makes a mad dash for that "bump in the night," or makes a not-exactly-premeditated splash into a body of water. The collar sports flexible solar cells that gather energy during the day, and are used to power light-emitting LEDs when a low-light environment is detected. Aside from turning Fido into a light show, a secondary function of the "Swiss Army knife of dog collars" is to automatically inflate around your pet's neck if the integrated "humidity sensor" tips off the built-in CO2 cartridge. You'll probably be happy to know that if your dog takes a plunge at night, not only will the collar inflate as advertised, but it will supposedly activate the blinking LEDs as well to help catch your eye while it wades to safety. Although this hasn't escaped the testing phase just yet, we can definitely envision serious dog aficionados snapping up this extra precaution for their precious pet, but if your canine has a thing for sticking its head way down in the water bowl while replenishing fluids (and this humidity sensor is a bit too sensitive), it could end up in some deep water of a very different kind.
