US Navy developing 'Star Wars' robot to fight fires

A version of C-3PO - the lovable 'Star Wars' robot which appeared on the big screen 35 years ago, is being developed by the US Navy to fight shipboard fires.

The robot has been named as Autonomous Shipboard Humanoid (ASH) by the Naval Research Laboratory, which claims it will be able to walk in any direction, keep its balance at sea and go through narrow passageways and up the ladders.

Naturally it'll have all sorts of sensors and cameras and will be able to see through smoke but maybe not through the walls.

It will also be able to respond to human gestures and hand signals.

ASH would be able to throw propelled extinguishing agent technology (PEAT) grenades, and use hoses and fire extinguishers.

The planned Navy robot is a follow-on version of Virginia Tech's CHARLi-1 robot, which was founded and directed by Virginia Tech professor Dennis Hong.

"It is walking now and will start testing on a Navy ship early next year," the Washington Post quoted Hong as saying.

"But that does not mean that it is complete - it still needs a lot of things done," such as "protection against heat and flames . . . sensors, navigation, fire fighting behaviours.

"It still has a long way to go until it can actually be deployed for fighting fires but it will one day," he added.

Eye movements can be your new Password

Soon, eye movements can be your new password

Taking cue from iris scans used in UID in India, researchers are developing a new biometric system that can identify people by the way they flicker their eyes while looking at a computer screen.

Oleg Komogortsev, a computer scientist at Texas State University-San Marco, is making use of the fact that no two people look at the world in the same way .

When looking at a picture, different people will move their eyes among points of interest in different sequences, researchers observed.

Even if two people trace the same paths, the exact way they move their eyes differs, the 'LiveScience' reported.

"We are seeing there are enough differences so we can talk about this as a biometric," Komogortsev told TechNewsDaily.

A biometric is a measurement of something on the body - fingerprints, for instance - used to identify people.

Computer scientists all over the world are studying biometrics for crime solving, for border security, and just as a high-tech way to sign into smartphones, tablets and other devices.

Komogortsev's research is in its earliest stages and needs years of work before it might show up at airports, high-security workplaces or even home computers.

However, he thinks eye movements could be part of the next generation of a more established biometric iris scans, which are already used in some airports and private companies, and in a countrywide ID effort in India.

Previously, researchers showed that crooks could fool an iris scanner with printed contacts, or by holding up a high-quality printout of the correct person's eye in front of the scanner.

Komogortsev hopes adding an eye-movement sensor could prevent this type of counterfeiting.

"The strength of our method is it can work together with iris [scanning]," he said.

Komogortsev's system records eye movements and analyzes two features. In one, the system measures "fixations", the times when people linger their gaze over a point on screen.

In another, it measures "saccades", the swift movements the eye makes when it flies between points.

His system considers both the exact path that people's gazes take and the fixations and saccades they make along the way.

From those movements, the system calculates unique properties about people's eyes, including the force their eye muscles use and other properties about the fat and flesh around the eye and the eyeball itself, Komogortsev said.

UID is an initiative of Unique Identification Authority of India of the Indian government to create a unique ID for every Indian resident.

Samsung vs Apple iPhone 5

Samsung unveils Galaxy S3 mini to compete with Apple iPhone 5

Samsung Electronics has unveiled a new version of Galaxy S3 smartphone - the Galaxy S3 mini - to better compete with Apple's newest smartphone iPhone5 .

The Galaxy S3 mini is a compact version of the flagship Galaxy S3, with a 4.0-inch Super AMOLED display. The screen size is smaller than the 4.8-inch Galaxy S3, but the same as Apple's iPhone5. 

Galaxy Note2, the new phablet model launched by Samsung, has a 5.5-inch screen.

Except for the screen size, the compact version held most features of the Galaxy S3. The mini model is powered by 4.1 Jelly Bean, the latest version of Android operating system, featuring a 1GHz dual-core processor.

"The Galaxy S3 introduced a new concept of smartphone that has proven hugely popular around the world. We're now delighted to bring its revolutionary design, intuitive usability and intelligence to the Galaxy S3 mini in a more compact form," said Shin Jong-kyun, head of Samsung's IT & mobile communications division.

S Voice, the language recognition software, allows users to unlock the phone, play favourite songs or organise schedule with simple voice command.

With Smart Stay feature, the the Samsung Galaxy S3 mini's camera tracks users' eyes and keeps the screen lit as long as the users are looking at it.

World’s smallest gun

World’s smallest gun is highly concealable, triggers fears

What you’re looking at is the world’s smallest revolver. It may look like a toy, but stick a few miniature bullets into the .7 inch barrel and it becomes a fully functional firearm.

At two inches (5.5 cm) long and weighing under an ounce (0.7 oz), the SwissMiniGun C1ST is a highly sought after collectors item. Making the parts and assembling the gun requires the skill of a master craftsman, all of which are trained at jewelry and Swiss watchmaking. Thus about only 100 are handmade each year, with each order customized to the client’s specifications, including the option for a special model made of 18k gold. Adding the double-action .09 caliber six-shooter to your collection will run you at least $6,705.

“We are producing in very small quantities – perhaps 25 gold guns and 100 steel guns a year, and there is a six month waiting list to get one,” SwissMiniGuns owner Paul Erard told the Daily Mail. “We will make whatever the customer wishes for. The most expensive version we have sold cost £30,000 and was covered in diamonds and came with a gold chain.”

However, the fact that a firearm this tiny actually works makes gun regulators quite nervous. For instance, the bullets are so minis cue that firing a cartridge essentially smashes the bullet, making them impossible to trace to the original model. And being that it fits in the palm of your hand or inside your shoe, it’s also highly concealable. U.S. gun laws prohibit firearms that can slip by undetected at airports and require that working guns come with a barrel that’s at least 3 inches long. Needless to say, the C1ST has been banned in the US and the UK.

But Erard has derided such fears surrounding the C1ST as simply irrational. In an interview with the Daily Mail, he pointed out that the gun packs only a tenth the firepower of some air guns. “Since September 11 there has been a lot of paranoia in America”, he said. “It is ridiculous. Why would criminals want my gun when you can go out and buy a Kalashnikov there already?”

A close analysis of the gun’s mechanics shows that while concerns over the C1ST’s ability to inflect physical harm might be a bit overblown, it isn’t entirely unwarranted either. According to HowStuffWorks:

The SwissMiniGun’s 2.34mm-caliber ammunition travels just under 400 feet per second. Its bullets pack a punch of about 0.71 foot pound of energy [source: SwissMiniGun]. By contrast, the Remington 300 Ultra Mag round carries 4,220 foot pounds of energy with it [source: Remington].

On the other hand, according to the United Kingdom’s House of Commons, it takes at least one foot pound of force to inflict a penetrating wound, like a gunshot injury. Anything less (like the force delivered by SwissMiniGun cartridges) “is incapable of penetrating even vulnerable parts of the body, such as the eye” [source: House of Commons]. But ballistic experts claim that even when fired at close range, a projectile with less than a foot pound of force can still penetrate the skin — especially the eye.

In the meantime, Erard is working on designing a second gun that would meet U.S. standards.

Electric folding bicycle

An electric folding bicycle?

Both electric bikes and folding bikes have become increasingly popular in recent years, but understandably, bikes that combine both of those concepts have been rather in short supply.

But the developers at Item Desarrollo de Producto, a Spanish design consultancy, seem to have found a solution to the problem in their Neo Volt line of e-bikes. The 20-inch compact concept bike folds in two different ways - both for easy transportation as well as for optimal storage in small spaces like car trunks.

The bike’s battery is integrated into its frame and can be removed for charging. Between the battery and a 250-watt motor, the bike can get more than 56 miles on a charge.

According to Item Industrial Design, the bike is a great fit for urban settings and commuting, where elevators, subways, car trunks, and city driving require bikes to be versatile and adapt well to changing situations.

Nike SportWatch

Nike+ SportWatch GPS: Pacesetter

Need a personal trainer? The Nike+ SportWatch GPS won’t bark at you like a military drill instructor, but it does promise to motivate you and measure your progress along the way.

The digital watch keeps track of calories burned, pace and distance just like the exercise machine at the gym, but it will also — crucially — remind you when it’s time to run.

While you’re out, it will offer motivation to keep you going. And once you get back, a web-based interface uses the data from the built-in TomTom GPS sensor to show you on a map where you’ve been. You can also see your performance in various graphs and charts and set goals for the next go, if you’re so inclined. (The brave can share them with others.)

All you have to do is lace up and get moving. But don’t worry — it’ll remind you.

The Nike+ SportWatch GPS is available from the company’s online store as well as various sporting goods stores. $169.

Innovation

‘Ironman’ suit could help paraplegics walk

Robert Markowitz / NASA

NASA project engineer Shelley Rea demonstrates the X1 Robotic Exoskeleton for resistive exercise, rehabilitation and mobility augmentation.Photo Date: 6/1/2012Location: B32A, Room 1000Photographer: Robert Markowitz

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powered armor suit could help paraplegics walk, according to NASA researchers who designed the device to keep astronauts in shape on flights to Mars.

The 57-pound X1 suit is worn over a person’s body and can be used to either assist or inhibit movement of the leg joints. 

Inhibit mode provides the resistance astronauts need for a workout while idle for months-on-end in a spaceship bound for Mars or doing time on the International Space Station. 

In reverse mode, the exoskeleton works with the wearer, providing stability and movement assistance. This could be used to help paraplegics walk on Earth. 

Other potential applications for the X1 include rehabilitation, gait modification, and offloading weight from the wearer to the exoskeleton.

This isn’t the first exoskeleton built. In fact, this August a British woman paralyzed from the chest down in a horse riding accident took home a robotic exoskeleton that enables her to walk. 

And Raytheon has been working on its Exoskeleton for the military for several years which will help soldiers in the field gain super-human strength. 

The X1, however, is more comfortable, easier to adjust, and easier to put on than other exoskeleton devices, according to preliminary studies on the technology at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. 

The exoskeleton is currently in the research and development stage. Future improvements may include additional joints in the ankle and hip areas for greater movement.

The suit is a spinoff technology from NASA’s Robonaut 2 project, a humanoid robot currently getting its first workout on the International Space Station.