Tag Archives: Diginfo

Tokyo’s IBIS robot promises cheaper surgery, throws shade at da Vinci (video)

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Tokyo's IBIS robot promises cheaper surgery, throws a shade at da Vinci video

"Anything you can do, I can do cheaper," says the Tokyo Institute of Technology while jabbing a rude elbow in the ribs of Intuitive Surgical. The Japanese institute is showing off IBIS, a surgical robot that is expected to cost between a third and a tenth of the $2 million it takes to buy one of Intuitive's da Vinci droids. Unlike its electrically powered American rival, IBIS is pneumatic, making it significantly cheaper and able to provide force feedback to surgeons when the arms touch something. The engineers behind the 'bot are hoping to produce a practical version within the next five years, and we're already thinking about inviting both machines along for a fight at Expand 2020. In the meantime, you can catch IBIS in action in the video after the break.

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Keio University’s Kinect-based Haptic VR system lets you roll your own face flat (video)

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Keio University's Kinectbased Haptic VR system lets you roll flat your own face

A research team at Keio University has built a fun haptic virtual reality system that enables you to manipulate pictures with a rolling pin. A vertically mounted Kinect takes a 3D image that is then displayed on the projection surface. Using the rolling pin, the image can be rolled over and flattened as if it was dough -- with a series of motor cranks inside the implement to replicate the necessary feedback so you can feel what it'd be like to iron out your own face. It's been designed as a modern-day update to the penny-squashing machines you found in theme parks, except with slightly more grotesqueness. You can watch the face-mashing in glorious color after the break.

Continue reading Keio University's Kinect-based Haptic VR system lets you roll your own face flat (video)

Keio University's Kinect-based Haptic VR system lets you roll your own face flat (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brain wave meter knows what you’re thinking, so get your mind out of the gutter (video)

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Brain scanner knows when you are sleeping, knows when you're awake, knows when you've been bad or good so be good for goodness' sake

A team from Keio University has built a brain scanner that knows when you're stressed, sleepy or interested. Resembling John McEnroe's headband, the device examines the frequency rather than the type of waves your noggin produces. That data, combined with the team's algorithm enables your thoughts and feelings to be examined in real time. Advertisers might want to use the tech to learn what holds our interests, but there's probably plenty of better uses we could think of -- you can come up with some yourself when you watch the footage after the break.

Continue reading Brain wave meter knows what you're thinking, so get your mind out of the gutter (video)

Brain wave meter knows what you're thinking, so get your mind out of the gutter (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHK working on Hybridcast interactive TV platform (video)

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NHK is working on Hybridcast (an entirely different system to the Hybridcast 3D-delivery setup it demonstrated last year), a system that uses the internet to make vanilla TV broadcasts interactive. It works by pushing HTML5 overlays to your tablet and TV, so you can play along with quiz shows or follow a travelogue from the comfort of your couch. The company is planning to build a set-top-box with the technology ready for sale next year, with integrated TVs hoped to arrive from Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sharp and Mitsubishi shortly afterward. You can see what the residents of Japan can expect by watching the video after the break.

Continue reading NHK working on Hybridcast interactive TV platform (video)

NHK working on Hybridcast interactive TV platform (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Visualized: Shopping bag crash helmet protects your head, not your image (video)

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The Grappa is a tote-style shopping bag that you can wear on your head (once it's empty) during a natural disaster. It's less insane than it sounds, because the base of the bag is made from the same EPS foam found in hard-hats, and is rated to cope with falling debris at least as well as similar emergency hoods already on the market. Constructed with the cheapest materials possible, each unit costs around 1,000 Yen ($12) with the hope that companies will buy them, slap a logo on the side and hand them out as a promotional tool that could save plenty of lives. Bet you feel guilty for laughing at the picture now, don't you?

[Thanks, Don]

Continue reading Visualized: Shopping bag crash helmet protects your head, not your image (video)

Visualized: Shopping bag crash helmet protects your head, not your image (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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