Nanotech skin patches, expressive robots and a house built around tree top out this weekend's gallery.
1. MondriPong!
Credit: Kristiana Hansen
Artist and programmer Kristiana Hansen took a challenge issued last week to the next level. The challenge came from the B3ta creative community and it asked its followers to turn a famous work of art into a video game. Someone turned a Piet Mondrian painting into Pong. Inspired by the gif, Hansen made the game playable. Click here to play.
2. Solar Plane
This hybrid plane is on its way to making history with the first zero-carbon trans-Atlantic flight. The Erole gets its power from a combination of solar power and biofuel created from microalgae. Raphael Dinelli, a French scientist, yachtsman, and pilot will be in the cockpit during the flight, which will take off from North America and fly east to France months ahead of the Solar Impulse, which is in Hawaii at the moment.
3. Electronic Dog Collar
Kyon's new pet collar is packed with technology to keep an eye on your dog or cat. It has GPS, Wi-Fi, accelerometer, a heat sensor, and a water sensor to mention a few. An LED display shows contact information for the owners if someone finds your missing pet. Get in on the Kickstarter before time runs out.
4. Lincoln Navigator
Lincoln's new Navigator SUV made waves at the New York Auto Show. It has go-wing doors on either side that open fully to allow passengers in and out, large displays in the head rests, six adjustable chairs and an organizational closet in the rear to store clothes and shoes for those long day trips. Naval-inspired details like teak wood help the Navigator live up to its name.
5. Graphene Patch
This transparent prototype patch could save a life. It's made of graphene and designed to monitor blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Embedded sensors track body temperature and the pH/chemical composition of the wearer's sweat. That data is transmitted wirelessly to a smartphone app and a program that computes whether or not medication is necessary. If it is, the patch's microneedle array administers the correct dosage.
6. Nano Textiles
Self-cleaning textiles are on the horizon. Scientists at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, have developed a method for growing nanostructures onto cotton threads that spontaneously clean themselves. All that's required is light, which activates electrons in the nanostructures that degrade grimy organic molecules.
7. Assistive Robotic Suits
Panasonic is working on robotic exoskeletons designed to provide support for industrial workers. The AWN-03 automatically senses the user's motion when he or she lifts a heavy object. When that happens, motors rotate gears that assist with the lift, taking pressure off the lower back. See a video here.
8. Liam
Where do old iPhones go? In the hands of Liam the robot, that's where. The machine is designed to take apart old phones and separate the parts for recycling. See a video here.
9. Expressive Robot
Sophia the robot was on display at the SXSW conference in Austin, Tex. Designed by Hanson Robotics, she is creepily lifelike. She has patented skin, cameras in her eyes, voice recognition software, and can emulate more than 62 facial expressions. Here's a video.
10. Tree Grows in House
Why cut down a tree to make room for a house when you can build your house around the tree? A. Masow Design Studio showed off plans to do just that. They've come up with a glass house that wraps around an entire tree. It was commissioned by a 38-year-old businessman and will be built in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The home gives new meaning to the word "treehouse."
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