Archives: ‘Sci/Tech’ Category

Pi calculated to a record 2.5 trillion decimals

18 Aug 2009

Pi --

Researchers in Japan have calculated pi to over 2.5 trillion decimal places, more than double the previous world record set in 2002.

Led by University of Tsukuba professor Daisuke Takahashi, the research team performed the calculation using a massive parallel processing (MPP) supercomputer called the T2K Tsukuba System, which consists of 640 high-performance computers clustered together to achieve processing speeds of 95 teraflops (95 trillion floating-point operations per second). The supercomputer calculated pi to 2,576,980,377,524 decimal places in 73 hours 36 minutes.

By comparison, it took the previous record holders about 600 hours to perform their calculation (over 8 times longer than it took the T2K Tsukuba System). The previous record was set in 2002 when researchers from Hitachi and the University of Tokyo calculated pi to a little over 1.2 trillion decimal places.

The University of Tsukuba researchers, whose stated primary objective was to test the reliability and speed of their supercomputer, have submitted their results to the Guinness Book of World Records for official recognition.

[Sources: Asahi, Yomiuri]

Stuffed body of Hachiko (& other notable canines)

17 Aug 2009

The large and varied collection of stuffed and mounted animal specimens at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo includes several famous canines.

Hachiko at National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo --
Hachikō

The preserved body of Hachikō -- Japan's most famous dog -- is on display on the second floor of the museum's Japan Gallery wing. An Akita dog born in 1923, Hachikō is remembered for his deep loyalty to his owner. While his owner was alive, Hachikō would greet him at the end of each day at Shibuya station when he returned home from work. The man died in 1925, but Hachikō kept his daily routine, faithfully waiting for his owner every evening at the station for 10 years until he died in 1935. Hachikō's permanent presence at Shibuya station attracted widespread attention, and his legendary faithfulness became a national symbol of loyalty. [More]

* * * * *

Jiro at National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo --
Jirō

On display next to Hachikō is the preserved body of Jirō, one of two Sakhalin Huskies famous for surviving a year in Antarctica after being abandoned during a failed scientific expedition to the South Pole. In February 1958, a Japanese survey team stationed in Antarctica left their base after extreme weather conditions prevented a replacement team from reaching the site. Thinking they would return soon, the team left 15 Sakhalin Huskies chained up at the unmanned base. However, due to fuel shortages, nobody was able to return for nearly a year. When the next survey team returned to the base in January 1959, they found that two of the dogs, Tarō and Jirō, had miraculously survived the ordeal. [More]

* * * * *

Kai ken at National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo --
Kai Ken

Alongside two of Japan's most celebrated canines is the preserved body of an anonymous Kai Ken (a.k.a. "Tora Inu" or "Tiger Dog"). The Kai Ken is a rare breed of dog considered to be the most ancient and purest dog breed in Japan. Developed centuries ago in the isolated district of Kai (Yamanashi prefecture), the breed was used for hunting boar and deer. The Kai Ken breed was designated a national treasure in 1934. [More]

* * * * *

Canine at National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo --

Canine at National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo -- Canine at National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo --
Other canine specimens on display at National Science Museum

* * * * *

Honshu Wolf, Japanese wolf, at National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo --
Honshū Wolf

On display in the museum's Global Gallery wing (third floor) is the preserved body of a Honsh? Wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax, or Nihon Ookami), one of two extinct species of Japanese Wolf (the other is the Hokkaido Wolf). This species, which once occupied the islands of Honshū, Shikoku and Kyūshū, is thought to have become extinct due to a combination of rabies and human eradication. The last known Honshū Wolf is believed to have died in 1905 in Nara prefecture, though the exact date is disputed (and sightings are still reported occasionally). The stuffed specimen at the National Science Museum is one of five known to be in existence. [More]

* * * * *

Canine at National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo --
Tasmanian Wolf

Another rare specimen on view is the Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus, a.k.a. "Tasmanian Wolf" or "Tasmanian Tiger"), a large carnivorous marsupial (not a canine) native to continental Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, which is believed to have gone extinct in the 1930s (though sightings are still reported). Here is some footage of what is believed to have been the last living Tasmanian Wolf, filmed in 1933. [More]

Video: Rescue robot (does not eat people)

11 Aug 2009

Although it may look like a nefarious machine with a taste for human flesh, this robot is actually here to help.


+ Video: Robot rescues victim from radioactive environment

Operated by the Tokyo Fire Department (TFD), the machine is designed to extract disaster victims from areas too hazardous for human rescue workers. The robot uses pincer-like hands to lift victims onto a built-in conveyor belt that pulls them inside until they reach safety.

The remote-controlled device appears to be a compact version of TFD's Robo-Q rescue robot, which is also equipped with cameras and sensors that enable it to see through smoke and measure environmental conditions such as concentrations of combustible gas.

Tangible hologram projector

06 Aug 2009

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a holographic projector that displays three-dimensional virtual objects you can feel with your bare hands.


+ Video

The system consists of a Holo display (developed by Provision Interactive Technologies), a pair of Wii Remotes that track the position of the user's hand in front of the screen, and an "Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display" unit that shoots focused ultrasonic waves at the hand to create the sensation of pressure on the skin.

By controlling the movement of these focused ultrasonic waves -- which can produce up to 1.6 grams-force of pressure within a 20-millimeter-wide focal point -- the projector can recreate virtual objects that seem to have physical mass. In the video above, the projector displays a tangible virtual bouncing ball, raindrops, and a small creature that runs around on the user's hand.

The tangible hologram projector is now on display at SIGGRAPH 2009 in New Orleans.

[Link: Touchable Holography (PDF) via @GreatDismal]

Bioengineered mouse tooth

04 Aug 2009

Japanese researchers have grown the first-ever fully functional bioengineered tooth inside the mouth of a mouse.

Bioengineered tooth germ grows into mouse tooth --
Grow new teeth - Mouse shows off bioengineered molar (glowing green)

The bioengineered tooth, which was grown in place of a lost molar, has the same properties of the old tooth and is strong enough to allow the mouse to chew food normally.

To create the new tooth, the researchers -- led by Tokyo University of Science professor Takashi Tsuji -- took epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells (about 50,000 each) from a mouse embryo and cultivated them together in a collagen-based medium to create a tiny tooth bud -- a mass of tissue that has the potential to develop into a tooth.

They then implanted the 0.5-mm tooth bud into the jawbone of an adult mouse in place of a lost tooth. After 37 days, a new tooth sprouted, and after 50 days, it had grown to the same height as the adjacent teeth. The bioengineered tooth has the same hardness as ordinary teeth and it contains blood vessels and nerves, making it sensitive to external stimuli and pain, according to the researchers.

This research is expected to advance the development of "tooth regenerative therapy," which may one day allow doctors to replace diseased or damaged teeth with bioengineered teeth grown from stem cells such as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. This type of treatment could ultimately eliminate the need for dentures and false teeth.

[Source: Yomiuri, PNAS]

Mini-humanoid robot with iPhone head

28 Jul 2009

A robot hobbyist has developed an application that lets the iPhone 3GS function as the brain and face of a miniature humanoid robot.


+ Video

The body of the robot -- named "Robochan" -- consists of a Kondo KHR-2HV humanoid. The iPhone head, which attaches to the body via the dock connector, displays various facial expressions while functioning as the controller. Using Robochan's iPhone interface, the user can program it to function as an alarm clock, dance to music, and perform other moves based on user interaction.

Incidentally, Robochan's leek-spinning dance (and the infectious music) is a reference to the old Loituma Girl Internet meme, which began as a simple Flash animation showing a Bleach anime character (Orihime Inoue) twirling a leek to the traditional Finnish folk song "Ievan Polkka."

Video: Robot baseball

24 Jul 2009

To demonstrate the latest advances in high-speed industrial robot technology, researchers at the University of Tokyo have pitted a baseball-pitching robotic arm against a mechanical batter with a near-perfect swing.


+ Video

The robot pitcher consists of a high-speed, three-fingered hand (developed by professor Masatoshi Ishikawa and his team from the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology) mounted on a mechanical arm (developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology). With superb control of nimble fingers that can open and close at a rate of up to 10 times per second, the robot can release the ball with perfect timing. Precise coordination between the fingers, hand and arm allow the robot pitcher to hit the strike zone 90% of the time.

The robot batter is an upgraded version of a machine that Ishikawa's team developed in 2003.

In the demonstration -- which was designed to showcase the speed at which multiple high-speed industrial robots can respond to external circumstances and perform activities together -- the researchers placed the robot pitcher 3.5 meters (11 ft) away from the mechanical batter. The pitcher's 40-kph (25-mph) sidearm throws posed little challenge to the batter, whose 1000-frame-per-second camera eyes allow it to see the ball in super slow motion as it approaches. The robot batter has a near-perfect batting average when swinging at pitches in the strike zone.

To make future contests more interesting, the researchers plan to increase the robot pitcher's throwing speed to 150 kph (93 mph) and teach it to throw breaking balls and changeups. In addition, they plan to train the robot batter to repeatedly hit balls to the same target.

[Source: Mainichi]

Robot chic: HRP-4C droid goes bridal

22 Jul 2009

HRP-4C, a female humanoid robot created by Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), made her first professional runway appearance at a fashion show in Osaka today.

HRP-4C robot in wedding dress -- HRP-4C robot in wedding dress --
Here comes the robot bride -- HRP-4C models a wedding dress

The chic robot, who stands 158 centimeters (5 ft 2 in) tall and weighs 43 kilograms (95 lbs) with her batteries installed, wore a wedding dress by designer Yumi Katsura.

HRP-4C robot in wedding dress -- Although much less hurried than her flesh-and-bone catwalk peers, the HRP-4C strolled smoothly up and down the 10-meter runway, struck various poses, and gazed sidelong at the delighted audience.

The positive response of the crowd shows the robot may have a future in entertainment, just as her creators suggested at her unveiling in March. At that event, they claimed HRP-4C's realistic looks had the potential to draw crowds at amusement parks and promotional events.

Developer Kazuhito Yokoi, who appeared at today's fashion show in a tuxedo, expressed his wishes for the robot's future. "We hope she can work in fashion and entertainment," he said, staring pensively at the stage.

Then, as if seeing his creation in a bridal gown had stirred his emotions, he added, "Like the father of a bride, I feel both happy and sad."

[Source: Chunichi]

Video: Moon shadow races across Earth

22 Jul 2009


+ Video

Japan's Himawari-7 (a.k.a. MTSAT-2) weather satellite has beamed back a series of images of Earth captured during the solar eclipse earlier today. Taken at 15-minute intervals from an altitude of 36,000 kilometers (22,400 miles), the satellite images show the dark shadow of the Moon racing east across Asia and into the Pacific.

[Images via Japan Meteorological Agency]