jumping
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Paraswift climbs buildings, jumps, lives to tell the tale (video)
Looks like not even our parachuting jobs are safe from the robot onslaught. Disney Research and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have joined forces to bring the world Paraswift, a plucky little robot with a penchant for scaling buildings and a thirst for thrills. The team recently posted some video of the 'bot, which can climb a wall, deploy a parachute and then coast relatively safely to the ground. Paraswift is more than just a mechanical thrill-seeker, however -- the machine has a built-in camera that can be used to record footage for use in 3D models. Death-defying video after the break.
Carnegie Mellon robot jumps up, jumps up and glides down (video)
We can handle the imaginary terror of UFOs and nightmarish, flying mammals. But, robots that can jump like a human and then glide like a colugo? Now you're just filling Mr. Spielberg with even more sci-fi, end of days fodder. Carnegie Mellon researchers Matthew Woodward and Metin Sitti have crafted a prototype jumping and gliding bot at the university's NanoRobotics Lab that springs into action using a pair of human knee-like joints. The automated hi-jinks don't end there either, as the duo's invention then spreads its legs to catch some air and glide on back to terra firma. The project isn't just some bit of engineering whimsy; the team plans to adapt this tech for use in "unstructured terrain" -- i.e. non-level, wargadget territory. For now, this lord of the leaping gliders can reach comfortable human-sized heights of up to six feet. Give it some time, however, and we're sure this lil' android'll give Superman a bound for his money. Click on past the break for a real world demo.
Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content
Just a few weeks ago, I was invited to attend Trion Worlds' Gamer's Day in San Francisco to get some hands-on time with a couple of the company's upcoming titles, including Rift: Planes of Telara. If Rift seems to have come out of nowhere, that might be due both to the acquisition of EverQuest II veteran Scott Hartsman to head the project as executive producer, and to a clever name change meant to reflect the team's shift in development focus. In fact, that shift in development focus is precisely what I was at Trion's studio to test -- I got to check out the Rifts themselves in all their glory, in the context of the greater dynamic content system that the developers are so excited about. Massively's writers have been able to play and report on character creation and the starting areas of Rift several times over the last year or so, including earlier this summer at E3. But until today's embargo lift (coinciding with the reveal at Gamescom), no one had quite seen the fabled planar invasions and takeovers in action. Now we have.
The Daily Quest: Idle thoughts
Here at WoW.com, we're on a Daily Quest (which we try to do every day, honest) to bring you interesting, informative and entertaining WoW-related links from around the blogosphere. Vol'jin is obviously thinking about something very important. Maybe he's just analyzing plans for the upcoming liberation of the Echo Isles. Or maybe he's thinking about the sheer joy of punching Garrosh in the snoot. Or maybe he's just pondering which is better, cake or pie. Deep thoughts there, Vol'jin -- let's take a look around and see what everyone else is thinking about: Bible of Dreams is thinking about civility, and how it applies to World of Warcraft. The Pink Pigtail Inn has a lot of good thoughts about jumping in game and why people do it. World of Warcraft Philosophized shares some thoughts on group quests and Kantian ethics. Is there a story out there we ought to link or a blog we should be following? Just leave us a comment, and you may see it here tomorrow! Be sure to check out our WoW Resources Guide for more WoW-related sites.
The Mog Log: Each answer I give you will only lead to more questions
This column may or may not contain any real answers. But it will contain a lot of emotionally satisfying climaxes, and maybe even bring back parts from columns that we've already finished. Unfortunately, there's no way to continue the analogy without making it sound like I was disappointed with the end of a certain well-known television show, which I wasn't. So let's move straightaway to the newest collection of questions and answers about Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. (And if we could get an island in the latter? That'd be awesome. Just saying.) Kaio asked: "What purpose does it serve to jump on top of roofs or jump off mountians with no consequence?" I've got to say that I do tend to fall with the camp that allows jumping. It's not a deal-breaker if I can't, but it's similar to people complaining about the pretty-line maps found in Mass Effect 2 and Final Fantasy XIII. Sure, it's not like it restricts much of your practical movement, but the fact that the choice is there makes you feel as if you could go anywhere you want. That having been said, it sure seems odd that every single character in most games is able to leap to Mario-like heights without even a warm-up stretch, right?
Mirror's Edge coming to the iPhone
EA has announced that they're bringing Mirror's Edge, the inventive "first-person jumper" title that intrigued gamers last year, to the iPhone and iPod touch via the App Store. I was disappointed to see that it's not actually just a straight port (it would be interesting to see how the topsy-turvy platformer would fare with some gesture and accelerometer input), but instead it's more of an isometric platformer. In fact, the screenshots kind of remind me of Canabalt, though this will probably be more complex, with occasional combat and a story. Looks like it'll be fun, especially for Mirror's Edge fans looking for a little extra gameplay before the eventual sequel comes out. The game boasts 14 levels run by the game's original protagonist, Faith, and while there's no price mentioned yet, I'm guessing EA will start it out around $6.99, and then probably bring it back down to $4.99 once sales level off. Gallery: Mirror's Edge (iPhone)
ROPID the adorable humanoid can jump 3-inches into the air, sweep you off your feet
It's been a while since we've seen a humanoid robot this size do anything very new or interesting -- mostly they seem busy with their slow-mo dance moves -- but the new ROPID bot by Tomotaka Takahashi, the man behind Panasonic's Evolta bots, not only has a few new tricks up its plastic sleeves, but has personality to spare. The bot can rotate its upper torso, which seems to help immensely in keeping it balanced while jumping, running and skipping around. It's still the tried-and-true "bent knees" method of balance, but ROPID is "rapid" enough to make it look almost lifelike. The movements are expressive enough, but with some slightly articulated hands and a moving mouth, ROPID ups the adorable-ness factor over some of its nuts and bolts counterparts. ROPID can also respond to a few voice commands and speaks as well. Takahashi designed and built the bot himself, which makes us wonder what we've been doing with our lives that's so-very-important for the past couple of decades. Video of ROPID in action is after the break. [Via Plastic Pals]
Video: Precision Urban Hopper leaps over fences, makes enemies cringe
It's only been a few months since we heard from the whiz kids over at Boston Dynamics, and honestly, we've been waiting on pins and needles to see what miracle would emerge from its labs next. Said outfit has just been awarded a contract by Sandia to build the next generation of the Precision Urban Hopper, which will be a four-wheeled jumping robot that can navigate autonomously. When it rolls into battle, it'll also be equipped with a single jumping leg, giving it the ability to hop over fences, giant humans, Gort or anything else that's 25 feet tall. Best of all, testing and delivery is scheduled for late 2010, so if you were planning on getting on our bad side, you should probably have a look at the video past the break. Chances are you'll be second guessing that urge.[Via TG Daily]%Gallery-72917%
Earthrise developers explain dodge game mechanics in PvP
We're curious about how Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic 'sandbox' MMO from Masthead Studios, is shaping up, especially after the preview of the game we got at GDC 2009. Fortunately the game's creators have been running a Question of the Week forum category, explaining some of the game mechanics involved with playing Earthrise.The latest QOTW deals with dodging in combat, something we've been wondering about, given that Masthead Studios previously stated they don't want players hopping around incessantly out on the battlefield. Jumping will of course be used to avoid damage or cross distances at a quicker pace but, if their original intentions hold true now, jumping and perhaps dodging will be tied in with abilities. Earthrise community manager Moll answers this question: "Will attacks and skills that do damage from a distance have instant effect or will a target perhaps be able to see it coming and have a slim possibility to dodge it completely?"
Robot that can jump twenty-five feet in the air coming to the US military
Boston Dynamics -- which previously made a robot called the BigDog -- has been enlisted by Sandia National Laboratories (a US government-funded lab) and DARPA to make a new, hopping robot. Called the Precision Urban Hopper, the robot's goal will be to be capable of jumping over large obstacles in city combat situations. It will boast one extremely tough leg to assist it, in addition to its four wheels. The Hopper is supposedly going to be able to jump 25 feet in the air once completed. So far, only a very small prototype (pictured above) is finished, but Boston Dynamics is due to present its next model sometime during 2010.
Forum post of the day: Tick Tock
I knew I couldn't be the only quirky person in WoW. Talonhunter of EU-Tarren Mill's thread on the general forums helps me feel a little bit better. He asked what people's "ticks" are, citing "Every time I engage a mob, I strafe a few steps to either side," and "When I have done a brief dismount, to gather something or likewise, I always run a few steps before I get back on my mount again."There are some things that seem odd, but actually appear to be common. Some examples include jumping when charging or when summoning a flying mount, obsession with repairing gear, and checking out what every linked item looks like. I have some of the habits mentioned in the thread, and a few others:
Grasshopper-inspired Jollbot rolls, collapses, jumps, won't mutate and attack Chicago
You know how the saying goes: "You've seen one grasshopper robot, you've seen 'em all." Well, actually, the one pictured above, called the Jollbot, is something kind of off the beaten path, even for grasshopper bots. The creation of PhD student Rhodri Armour at the University of Bath (yeah, the resort town with the natural hot springs), this robot is pretty multi-talented. Designed to be adept at handling multiple types of terrain, the Jollbot can jump up to a half meter in the air to avoid obstacles, but its spherical "cage" shape also allows it to roll in any direction. The robot uses electrical motors and stores energy in its skeleton. Just before a jump, the Jollbot collapses in on itself, then releases its energy in the jump. Armour theorizes that future versions of the machine could be solar powered. To see the robot in all of its glory, you'll probably want to check out the video after the break.[Via TFOT]
Air-driven robotic legs hop, skip and jump
Though we've certainly seen robotic legs that like to get their jump on, a team of researchers at the University of Tokyo have assembled a new two-legged creature that can actually spring up about 50-centimeters on its own -- and land gracefully. The creation is part of a larger project aimed at creating humanoids with cat-like (or just human-like, really) reflexes that can better assist the elderly when used as caregivers. Moreover, this hopper relies on air-driven artificial muscles rather than electric motors, and while we're not sure it could hang with Ronaldinho, it can boot a fútbol when asked.
Leaping robots could embark on interplanetary exploration
Just as ASTRO and NextSat get ready for decommissioning, a duo of lightweight leapers are getting geared up to take the proverbial next step from testing to interplanetary exploration. Jollbot and Glumper, crafted by a group of mechanical engineers from the University of Bath, could provide solutions to "traveling across rough terrain, such as climbing stairs and jumping fences, that normally create obstacles for wheeled and walking robots." The machines utilize biologically inspired mechanisms that enable them to clear heights of up to 1.17-meters and capriole forward about two-meters at a time. Researchers are hoping to equip the devices with solar panels in order to keep them juiced up and ready to pounce at a moment's notice (you know, in case a stray asteroid comes zipping in), but there's been no plans made yet to get devices such as these launched into orbit.
Jumping up and down
Are you a jumper? I am.Some people just do it all the time. The easiest simple move in the game-- every character can do it at almost any time-- is to hit the space bar and jump. And some people do it constantly.Of course it drives some others nuts. 9 times out of 10, there's probably something better you could be doing than jumping-- even in an instance, you could be crafting, or summoning, or drinking for mana, or organizing the groups, or getting food and water ready, or organizing your bags. Why are you jumping? Stop it, you're giving me a headache!Then again, I jump all the time. Usually, it's actually to signal impatience-- if I'm ready for a pull and we're not pulling, I'll start with the jumping. And if I ever feel helpless-- I've been spell interrupted, or I'm silenced, or in PvP, where there's nothing for me to do while I'm sitting stealthed defending by a flag. Some times when I'm surrounded and getting murdered in PvP, I'll jump just for the heck of it, like a last laugh against death (sometimes I even do the /laugh emote at the Paladin that's tearing me apart). Or sometimes I'm raidleading and I want to get the raid's attention. There are lots of good reasons for jumping around.But many times, there's not, and I do it anyway. Are you a jumper?
