Archives: ‘Sci/Tech’ Category

Aimulet LA: award-winning eco design

05 Oct 2006

Aimulet LA --

The 2006 Good Design Award for Ecology Design goes to Aimulet LA, a batteryless, light-activated handheld audio communication device with an outer shell made from molded bamboo. The environmentally friendly communication terminal was designed by the Information Technology Research Institute at Japan?s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).

The name "Aimulet" is derived from the word "amulet" plus the letter "i," which denotes "intelligent," "interactive" and "infrared," as well as "ai" (which means "love" in Japanese and refers to Aichi prefecture, the location of the 2005 World Expo). The initials "LA" stand for none other than Laurie Anderson, whose Walk Project installation for the 2005 World Expo featured the Aimulet LA. Visitors to the installation used the device to receive audio messages as they wandered the site.

Aimulet LA is designed to be held up to your ear like a cellphone. When you stand over special LED emitters set into the ground, Aimulet LA receives the light signals via an array of spherical micro solar cells (called Sphelar by manufacturer Kyosemi) set into the bottom of the handset. Aimulet LA translates the signals into audio messages that are transmitted through a tiny speaker in the device. In Laurie Anderson's installation, visitors used Aimulet LA to listen to poems in four different languages as they strolled through a Japanese-style garden.

According to AIST, the technology at work in Aimulet LA can be put to use in public spaces such as outdoor exhibits and events, amusement facilities, train stations and parks, where it can be used in interactive media or entertainment. In addition, the low cost of the device means it could also double as an entrance ticket, annual pass or ID card.

The Good Design Award judges gave high marks to Aimulet LA's design concept for its ingenious blend of new technology and natural materials. The device also earned points for its lack of external power source, a factor that contributes to the creation of a battery-free environment. Being light-activated also makes it highly versatile, and its use of bamboo makes it easily recyclable and environmentally friendly.

This award marks the first time for AIST to receive a Good Design Award in Ecology Design. AIST previously received a Good Design Award for Paro, the cuddly seal robot recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most therapeutic robot.

Check out the Good Design Award page for more amazing designs.

[Source: AIST press release, AIST paper (English, pdf format)]

Pre-quake alarm gives 20 seconds to duck and cover

26 Sep 2006

NTT's earthquake alarm system --

NTT is developing a device that provides advance warning of earthquakes seconds before they strike by relying on data from a nationwide system of seismometers put in place by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The sensors detect an earthquake's primary waves ("P-waves"), which travel more quickly and are much weaker than the lower-velocity secondary waves ("S-waves") that cause the major damage associated with earthquakes.

When the sensors detect P-waves, data about the timing and strength of the coming S-waves is instantly delivered to the earthquake alarms via NTT's fiber optic network, notifying the users in their homes before the S-waves strike. The time difference between the arrival of P-waves and S-waves depends on the distance from the epicenter, so locations farther from the epicenter can receive warnings much more in advance than those near the epicenter. Unfortunately, people located directly above the epicenter, where the earthquake is at its strongest, are unlikely to receive any advance warning at all.

The TV commercial for the device (as well as the extended web version, now on YouTube) shows a mildly touching dramatization of the device at work.

The commercial focuses on a female college student who is majoring in home economics and living at home with her parents. When home alone, the girl spends most of her free time in the kitchen honing her cooking skills by preparing dishes like goya kinoko champuru, an Okinawan stir-fry made with bitter gourd, mushroom and eggs. The kitchen is equipped with an NTT earthquake alarm.

The first time the earthquake alarm sounds, the girl goes into a mild panic, squandering her 20-second warning by wondering where to set the dish she is holding. She finally crawls under the dining table and all is well.

The next time an earthquake comes, she is prepared. The alarm sounds and the mechanical voice informs her that a magnitude 3 earthquake will strike in 20 seconds. As the countdown begins, she calmly turns off the stove, opens the patio doors, and crawls under the table. The voice instructs her to protect herself from physical harm until the shaking stops, advising her not to run outside in a panic. The voice then instructs her to make sure the gas is turned off and evacuate to a safe place once the quake has passed. Finally, the voice instructs her to pay attention to the information provided by the mass media and the local authorities, again reminding her to remain calm.

Later, the girl's mother calls to check on her. Having cooked a great deal of food, the girl tells her mother to come home hungry. Later they will feast.

Luckily for all, the earthquake was only a magnitude 3 affair, unlike the monster that struck Kobe back in 1995.

I have fortunately never seen the need to duck and cover during an earthquake and I don't know how well I would fit under my dining table, but nonetheless it would be nice to have a 20-second warning before the Big One hits.

[Further reading: Asahi Shimbun (English)]

Robot cats seeking new homes

25 Sep 2006

Yume-Neko Smile --

Stacks of boxed feline robots manufactured by Sega Toys, called Yume-Neko Smile ("Dream Cat Smile"), await their fate on the shelves of Tokyo toy shops. While the cats bide their time staring listlessly through the clear plastic windows of their temporary dwellings, Sega Toys steps up its efforts to find homes for them with a new TV commercial.

According to the Yume-Neko Smile homepage, the cuddly robot makes a suitable alternative for anyone unable to keep a real cat. Five sensors at different locations on Yume-Neko's body allow you and the cat to engage in tactile communication. Pet Yume-Neko Smile on the head and it starts purring and flicking its tail around. Stroke its back and it starts to get sleepy. Yume-Neko also likes it when you touch its cheek, and it apparently enjoys being flipped over on its back to have its chest stroked. The cat gets mad when you touch its tail, though, so be careful!

[Link: Yume-Neko Smile homepage]

(See also -- Video: Yume-Neko Smile, Part II)

Monsters gather in Tokyo, get X-rayed

22 Sep 2006

Monsters invade Tokyo --

This October, Japan's National Science Museum (Ueno, Tokyo) will host an exhibit of monster-related cultural artifacts, including the mummies of a mermaid and tengu (long-nosed goblin), as well as a selection of items documenting other traditional Japanese monsters like the kappa.

Scheduled to run from October 17 to November 12, the exhibit will feature about 100 historical items concerning legendary beasts and apparitions (yokai) from the Edo period to the present day. The exhibit is organized by the National Science Museum and the Ikimono Bunkashi Gakkai, whose members include Imperial Prince Akishinomiya.

On September 19, experts armed with state-of-the-art equipment began taking X-rays of the mummified tengu and mermaid, which belong to the Hachinohe City Museum in Aomori prefecture. The specimens, both of which are about 30 centimeters long, are commonly believed to be artistic creations made sometime during the first half of the 19th century. The tengu is believed to be an elaborate sculpture whose materials include paper, the head of a monkey and the body of a bird. The mermaid, also regarded as a sculptural work, is believed to consist of a wooden upper body attached to the tail of an actual fish.

The exhibit will feature the X-rays of both creatures.

[Source: Kyodo via Weekly Teinou Bee Woman]

Intelligent wheelchair sees all

21 Sep 2006

SOS: Stereo Omnidirectional System --

On September 20, Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) unveiled an intelligent wheelchair that relies on an omnidirectional camera for a view of its surroundings, avoids collisions with people and obstacles, and knows when something is wrong with the chair's occupant. Developed with the cooperation of the National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, the new technology is expected to improve the safety and security of electric wheelchairs for the disabled and elderly.

While the increased prevalence of electric wheelchairs has improved the mobility of persons with serious disabilities, they have also resulted in an increased number of collisions and accidents. To boost wheelchair safety, AIST engineers incorporated elements of intelligent automotive systems, which are capable of calculating the risk of collisions before they happen and automatically applying the brakes when necessary.

The prototype wheelchair is equipped with a camera system -- interestingly dubbed Stereo Omnidirectional System (SOS) -- whose 360-degree field of vision has no blind spot. Relying on the camera images, the chair detects potential hazards that arise while in motion and decelerates or stops accordingly. The chair also checks the occupant for signs of abnormality (unusual posture) and is equipped with a function that allows the occupant to control the chair by gesturing (pointing). Check out the AIST press release for videos of the chair in action.

The wheelchair is currently equipped with a function for transmitting the camera's color video via wireless LAN, and AIST is investigating the possibility of enabling the video to be delivered via cellular phone and providing support for remote-control functions. AIST will soon subject the prototype to rigorous testing and continue upgrading the functions.

This intelligent wheelchair technology will be demonstrated at the 2006 Home Care and Rehabilitation Exhibition scheduled for September 27 to 29 in Tokyo.

[Sources: MYCOM Journal and AIST press release]

Robot beauty goes skin-deep

19 Sep 2006

Honey Doll --

In a move that could provide a crucial boost to our robotic friends struggling up the near side of the Uncanny Valley, major cosmetics manufacturer Kao Corporation and a Keio University research team led by robotics professor Takashi Maeno have developed an artificial skin that feels just like human skin.

Skin, the largest organ of the human body, consists of a soft layer of tissue (dermis) covered by a tougher protective layer (epidermis). The artificial skin developed by Kao and Keio mimics the feel of human skin with a 1-cm thick "dermis" of elastic silicone covered by a 0.2-mm thick "epidermis" of firm urethane. Countless tiny hexagonal indentations etched into the urethane epidermis provide it with a very realistic texture.

In a series of unscientific tests, 10 out of 12 people who touched the skin thought it felt like human skin, while equipment designed to measure the mechanical properties of skin confirmed the artificial skin had characteristics resembling human skin.

The skin was unveiled earlier this month at the 24th Annual Conference of the Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ) at Okayama University. While Kao plans to use the artificial skin in the development of new cosmetics, Professor Maeno sees potential applications in the field of household robotics, where there are many opportunities for human-robot interaction.

[Source: Yomiuri Shimbun]

Fujitsu develops “invisible” barcode

15 Sep 2006

FP Code -- On September 13, Fujitsu unveiled a new type of "invisible" barcode, called FP (Fine Picture) code, which allows data to be embedded directly into color print photographs. FP code consists of a series of faint yellow lines -- said to be invisible to the naked eye -- which are overlaid on the photograph during the printing process. Once encoded, a photograph can retain its original quality while serving as an "object hyperlink" to websites that users can access via mobile phone.

To use FP code, users must first download special free software to their camera-equipped phone. Then, when the camera is used to take a picture of an encoded photograph, the code is sent to a server where it is converted into URL data, which is used to connect the user's mobile phone to the corresponding website. Text, video and audio content can then be delivered directly to the user's phone.

The first examples of FP code will reportedly begin to appear in Japanese catalogs and magazine advertisements as early as October. If FP code is what Fujitsu claims it is, we may soon bear witness to the disappearance of unsightly barcodes and QR code (2D code) from print material.

One thing, though. If FP code is invisible, how will anyone know where to point their camera?

[Sources: Asahi Shimbun and Fujitsu press release]

Robot pony: Sega’s new dream pet

14 Sep 2006

Dream Pony from Sega Toys Dreaming of owning a pony, but anxious about taking on the necessary responsibilities? Fret no more, there's an alternative. By the end of the year, Sega Toys will begin selling a life-sized robotic pony.

The 1.2-meter tall, battery-operated Dream Pony (Yume-Kouma) is outfitted with sensors that enable it to react to its environment. Pet the pony's neck and back and it shakes it head and moves its ears and tail in appreciation, just like the real deal. Dream Pony also responds to audio and visual stimuli with a whole repetoire of reactions -- including an anxious-sounding whinny when the room becomes dark and a jerk of the head in response to a sudden loud noise. Dream Pony also comes with a plastic carrot that it attempts to eat when held in front of its face.

Unfortunately, though, Dream Pony lacks the appeal of a real pony primarily because its legs do not move. (Come on, what do you expect for 68,000 yen/$US600?) No moving legs means no joyrides through the hood, so you can cross it off your list of alternative modes of transportation. But as long as you weigh less than 36 kg (80 lb), the pony should be strong enough to support your weight.

Dream Pony, whose sales are expected to reach 10,000 units per year, is the latest beast in Sega's Dream Pet (Yume-Petto) series of virtual pets, 800,000 of which have been sold to date. Another of Sega's recent mechanical pets is the popular Dream Cat Smile (Yume-Neko Sumairu), previously known as Near Me (Nyaa Mii is a Japanese play on words mimicking the sound a cat makes). There is a fantastic video (.wmv) on the Near Me homepage (near the bottom) that is worth a look. Another video of Dream Cat Smile can be found on YouTube here. The fluffy white feline is priced at just over 8,000 yen (US$70).

Sega Toys has made significant progress in carving out a market for alternative pets for families unable to keep real animals, and the company is now developing virtual dogs and birds to capitalize on the rising demand for "healing" pet robots. Blade Runner, here we come.

[Source: Fuji Sankei]

Fishing with nanotech

13 Sep 2006

STROMMajor vacuum equipment manufacturer ULVAC has announced plans to enter the fishing tackle industry with a new type of lure featuring a nanocoating applied with special vacuum technology. The high-tech lure, called STROM, will go on sale online in October.

Relying on a vapor deposition polymerization technique used in semiconductor manufacturing, an optical coating is formed over the entire glossy surface of the lure. The ultrathin optical coating has a high degree of light transmission, giving the lure an iridescent "holographic color" that changes according to the viewing angle.

Fishing lures typically use motion and color to attract the attention of fish, and they often feature decals and paint designed to reflect sunlight. These conventional lures are only capable of reflecting light in one direction, though, putting them at a distinct disadvantage when compared to STROM.

In tests, anglers using STROM caught 4 times as many fish as those using other commercially available lures. The company claims the lure appeals to freshwater fish such as trout, as well as to reef-dwelling saltwater fish such as rockfish.

ULVAC's initial plans are to roll out two types of STROM lures -- one weighing 2.4 grams and one weighing 3.7 grams. The lures will be priced at 3,000 yen ($US25) and will only be available online. The company hopes to sell 6,000 units.

"Now, even beginners can enjoy lure fishing," says the president of Tigold Corporation, the ULVAC subsidiary handling sales.

[Source: Fuji Sankei]

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