Transport
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Ion propulsion engine could take you to Mars in 39 days
Ready for some interplanetary exploration? We've had the force shields, currency, and refuel stations all sorted out for a while, and now here come the ion thrusters we've been missing to make manned trips to Mars really viable. Currently, a return journey to Mars can take up to two years, with crew members having to wait a full year for the planets to realign, but with ion propulsion -- which uses electricity to accelerate ions and produce small but longevous thrust -- ships can get there within a reasonably tight 39-day window. Ion propulsion rocket engines were first deployed successfully by NASA in the Deep Space 1 probe in 1998, and the latest iteration's successful Earth-bound testing has led to plans for a flight to the moon and use on the International Space Station as test scenarios for the technology. It's all still very much in the early stages, of course, but should all that testing, checking, and refinement bear fruit, we might finally have a whole new world to colonize and sell sneakers on. [Thanks, Davis]
Video: TOTO robot catches tennis balls, hopes for a deeper purpose in life
Fido conked out for the evening? Your youngster not really into "playing catch" at age 14? Enter TOTO -- a brilliant robotic contraption conceived at Reinhold-Würth University -- that can absolutely act as a suitable replacement. Short for Tracking of Thrown Objects, the camera-equipped system views and tracks incoming objects, and once said object is within catching range, it clamps down in order to grab hold. Eventually, the inventors would love to see the machine have an impact within a manufacturing facility, but considering just how effective conveyor belts have been over the past few scores, we'd say it has its work cut out for it. Video's after the break, and it's worth checking out.[Via PlasticPals]
Heathrow taxi pods become a glorious, driverless reality
Finally, we are in the future -- Heathrow Airport is rolling out those driverless pod taxis it announced two years ago, and they look just as adorable as ever. The ULTra Personal Pod cars are fully automated battery-powered pods that zoom around at up to 25mph on a special road network, and can transport four passengers and their luggage between Heathrow's Terminal 5 and its business car parks. If, like us, you have a thing for retro-futuristic design, you'll do well to check out the gallery below, complete with interior shots, and there's also a video after the break. Enjoy! [Via BoingBoing Gadgets]
Honda's color-changing speedometer to drive out bad driving habits
So, you've a lead foot? What of it, right? Honda's hoping to make that bad little habit vanish by using the tried and true guilt trip method, or more specifically, the Ecological Drive Assist System. For starters, the technology's ECON Mode works with the CVT and engine to "support more fuel-efficient driving." The real kicker, however, is the color-based "guidance function" -- drive like a granny, your speedo lights up green, drive a little wilder, and things get a bit blue, and if you toss fuel economy to the wind and let 'er rip, expect a full-on blue screen and the voice of God to come thundering through your sound system instructing that those horses be held. The EDAS should appear in the automaker's Insight hybrid as early as Spring 2009, though there's no word if it'll be standard equipment on the rumored S3000.
MIT developing autonomous wheelchair that listens when you speak
Oh MIT, do the wonders that come from your halls ever cease? Yet another remarkable development is emerging from the fabled institution, and this time it's an autonomous wheelchair that can remember important places in a given building (read: the hospital ward, your house, the local arcade, etc.) and then take you there on command. In other words, the voice recognizing chair could understand phrases of direction, such as "head to the kitchen," and it would take on the burden of navigating the halls while letting the rider chill. The researchers are implementing a system that can learn and adapt to the individual user, and in the future, they'd like to add in a collision-avoidance system and mechanical arms to help patients lift and move objects. Say, can regular joes / janes buy these? We're totally feeling this over the Segway.[Via medGadget]
Getting around in LotRO: a transportation guide
Ahh, the beautiful lands of Middle-earth. Diverse and mysterious, from rolling green hills to foreboding swamps to lofty peaks, it all encourages you to just get out there and see it -- so pack your lembas bread and hit the trail! Oh, what's that you say? It's going to take forever to walk from one end of Middle-earth to the other? Of course it is! Thankfully, there are a range of options available for traversing the lands, and we'll go over them in this guide so that you can explore every nook and cranny that Lord of the Rings Online has to offer.
OWLink's HD Digital Light Link solves your wiring conundrum
Details are extraordinarily light right now, but the little we do know about OWLink's latest content distribution system has certainly got our attention. Known only as the HD Digital Light Link, this system apparently enables users to run their audio (digital / analog), video and control signals down a single fiber optic cable that can easily be tucked under baseboards. The setup is reportedly HDCP-compliant and can carry your information for 1,000-feet without issue, and just in case you were curious, the ultrathin cable can indeed be painted to match surroundings. We're still waiting on a price / release date (and a photograph not totally ruined by a flash), but when we receive any of the three we'll be sure to pass it along.
PS Audio's prototype CD transport pretends to be cool
There's nothing we love more (okay, that's an exaggeration -- but barely) than blatant overkill, and this here prototype from PS Audio fits that description to a T. Granted, we fully expect audiophiles to blindly stand up for this thing -- even though no one outside of the company has a clue just how incredible (or not) the innards actually are -- but here's the skinny. This not-yet-named CD transport reportedly transfers audio tracks from standard CDs onto internal memory for as long as the disc remains inside; apparently, this design "nullifies any jitter" and "other possible audio degradation." Theoretically sound as this logic may be, we can think of quite a few other ways to listen to music stored on flash memory (or similar) without spending $2,000. Who knows though, maybe that wood is incomprehensibly exotic.
Garmin intros the nvi 750, 760, and 770 GPS units
Garmin has unloaded some big GPS guns in your direction -- taking the form of the nüvi 750, 760, and 770 -- and life as we know it will never be the same. According to those "in the know," the new units feature settings which allow you to store up to ten commonly (or uncommonly) used routes, plus the little 4.3-inch-widescreen-havin' guys will also sort routes for multiple destinations -- a feature which has been lacking in past models. The 700-series also gets upgraded here-and-there by way of added information like speed limits for highways and interstates, and a unique feature which helps you find your car in mall parking lots by marking the spot in which the nüvi was removed from the car. All three of the new units provide an FM transmitter for broadcasting voices and music to your stereo, and the 760 and 770 models include Bluetooth support, so you can rock extra-safe, hands-free driving when you're making your next big excursion. The nüvi 750, 760 and 770 will be available in the 4th quarter of 2007 for $642.85, $857.13, and $1071.42, respectively.[Via GPS Tracklog]
BMW Hydrogen 7 is unveiled as first for luxury performance space
While plenty of car manufacturers have been working hard to bring hydrogen-based vehicles to the everyman, it seems BMW has been taking an alternate tact, and instead got bizzy squeezing a hydrogen drive into a 7 Series model. The car's engine can run on either hydrogen or gasoline, and includes tanks for both. You can manage around 124 miles on hydrogen and an additional 311 miles on gasoline, which should cut down on the whole "stranded in the middle of nowhere since there aren't enough hydrogen stations yet" situation. Performance is passable, at 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds, but this ain't no Tesla. The switch between power sources is performed automatically at the push of a button, and the car will be produced in a limited series for selected users, meaning you probably won't even have a shot at one. All the same, it's good to see alterna-fuel vehicles getting so close to reality -- and BMW seems convinced that in reality, the future won't just play host to compact boringcars.
Toyota unveils advanced collision detection technology
Toyota has unveiled two new collision detection systems slated to make its way into new Lexus LS models shortly: first, an NEC built IMAPCAR chip which constantly monitors the rear of vehicle and will warn the driver if the car behind them is about to hit them by flashing the car's hazard lights, and will then automatically move the headrest forward to protect the driver's neck, reducing the likelihood of whiplash. We can't imagine that the hazard light warning is really worth it, since giving drivers 0.5 seconds to jam on the gas isn't exactly a practical solution to the problem of rear shunts (and what about false positives?), especially when accelerating could cause another collision, or end up provoking the second collision detection system: Toyota's new, forward facing collision detection system. Aided by a stereo camera, the new front system is capable of picking out child sized objects, an improvement over previous systems that could only detect something car sized. When an object is detected, the car will warn the driver by tightening the seat belt, and then slowing the car automatically if the driver does not respond, possibly invoking the rear collision detection system, again. You see our point? If you'd feel uncomfortable handing complete control of your car over to a computer, imagine for a second what it would be like to decide between your own instincts and that of the car's in the crucial moments before a potential accident.
The Land Walker robot hits the market
If having your own personal life sized Gundam model just isn't glamorous for you, we're thinking the Land Walker may just fit the bill. Last year we caught wind of Sakakibara Kikai's terrorizing mobile robot, but figured it was just another fantastic use of scrap metal and spare time. Apparently Masaaki Nagumo, the machine's inventor, thought otherwise -- the 3.4 meter tall robotic transporter is reportedly now on sale (made-to-order, of course) in Japan for about 36 million yen. For us Americans pondering this investment, that's over $300,000, and it's highly unlikely this 1 ton beast would get through customs even if the company were offering shipment outside of Japan. Although it's not likely to catch any robotic villains (nor bicyclists, actually) at 1.5 km/h, there's always the dueling guns that are locked and loaded with squishy pellets to show them you mean business. Outrageous though this bot may be, we're sure a few of you are still thinking over a purchase, so maybe the five minute demonstration after the break can help you pull the trigger.
