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Future Tech - Prototypes and other cool stuff.

Waka LakaWaka Laka Riding the stuffed UnicornIf ya know what I mean.Registered User regular
I'm always flicking around the net and reading tech mags looking for cool stuff that inventors make, or make better so I decided to make a Future Tech thread -

Basically if you find anything that is pretty damn awesome, whether it be a car that drives on water, some crazy military suit that takes a million bullets or a TV that projects into your brain or something, post it here and post pics and general information about it.

I'll get the (possibly mechanical and able to shoot lazorz) ball rolling with these little items, they may not be completely new, but it's sort of a start.

Moller Skycar

Wikilink

Official Page

Moller Skycar Takeoff Video

The Moller Skycar is a prototype personal VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft — a "flying car" — called a "volantor" by its inventor Paul Moller, who has been attempting to develop such vehicles for many years.

The design calls for four ducted fans - the propellors being covered which is safer and efficient at low speeds.

The craft claimed to be currently under development, the M400, is purported to ultimately transport four people, however single seat up to six seat variations are planned to be engineered. It is described as a car since it is aimed at being a popular means of transport for anyone who can drive, incorporating automated flight controls. The driver should only input direction and speed, no pilot knowledge being required. The Skycar might use a system like the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) in 3D "crowded" airspace areas.

Further, developers claim that by using eight inexpensive Wankel rotary engines - compared to jet engines, its price will eventually fall close to that of a quality car, even if at the moment the price for the first units is expected to be close to USD$1 million. Prices are expected to drop when the vehicle is put into greater production.

Microsoft Coffee Table

Article About the Coffee Table

Full Presentation of Microsoft's Coffee Table

In an era when computers get ever smaller and more portable, it seems almost a throwback, but software giant Microsoft hopes a £5,000 coffee table bristling with technology could be the next big step forward.
Surface, a table-style PC with a touch-sensitive screen, was unveiled in California today amid claims that it could revolutionise the way we work.

The machine replaces a traditional mouse and keyboard with its advanced screen. Using a so-called "multi-touch" interface, people can move items around in front of them with their fingers or write on the table using a pen.

The device, which measures 75cm (30in) across, may echo some of the earliest computer games built into the surface of pub tables, but Microsoft hopes it can form the start of a new generation of computers.
"We are creating more intuitive ways for people to interact with technology," said Steve Ballmer, the chief executive of Microsoft.

"We see this as a multibillion-dollar category, and we envision a time when surface computing technologies will be pervasive, from tabletops and counters to the hallway mirror."

The Surface table can interact with other devices such as mobile phones, music players and digital cameras.

Users can place compatible gadgets on the table and have the computer recognise them wirelessly, a move which could allow people to download pictures from their camera by sitting the device on the tabletop.

Waka Laka on

Posts

  • xraydogxraydog Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Boston Dynamics' BigDog is one of the most advanced robots I've ever seen. And a little scary.

    http://www.bostondynamics.com/content/sec.php?section=BigDog

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=mpBG-nSRcrQ

    There are more videos on youtube than just than one.

    xraydog on
  • GihgehlsGihgehls Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Cool thread. I don't have the links handy, but the d30 company has been in the news for their new ballistics material. Its one of those Silly Putty-like materials that is flexible or even liquid until impact, at which point it hardens into a protective layer.

    Edit: btw, it is the Microsoft Surface, not Microsoft Coffee Table.

    Gihgehls on
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  • Waka LakaWaka Laka Riding the stuffed Unicorn If ya know what I mean.Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    xraydog wrote: »
    Boston Dynamics' BigDog is one of the most advanced robots I've ever seen. And a little scary.

    http://www.bostondynamics.com/content/sec.php?section=BigDog

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=mpBG-nSRcrQ

    There are more videos on youtube than just than one.


    Thats the stuff I'm looking for. Totally god damn sweet. That guy giving the bot a swift kick and it correcting itself is very nice.

    Waka Laka on
  • GorgeeenGorgeeen __BANNED USERS regular
    edited October 2007
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyzVtTiax80

    Check out this robot. Self Replicating, Self Repairing. Highly scalable. The test video only shows a couple of them, but you could easily make thousands of copies of them and they would all be aware of each other and would replicate and repair themselves constantly, never being destroyed, and moving over time. Incredible shit.

    Gorgeeen on
    No god damnit! The sheriff is a nig*Church Bells*r!!
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    Pensies are "just kinda ugly" any way you slice it.

    Or don't slice it.
  • Waka LakaWaka Laka Riding the stuffed Unicorn If ya know what I mean.Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    More Cool tech that helps Paraplegic/Disabled people or those with no physical problems who want to turn their light on with their mind... lazy bastards.

    Braingate Neural Interface System

    pic_braingatepipeline1.jpg

    The BrainGate Neural Interface System is currently the subject of a pilot clinical trial being conducted under an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) from the FDA. The system is designed to restore functionality for a limited, immobile group of severely motor-impaired individuals. It is expected that people using the BrainGate System will employ a personal computer as the gateway to a range of self-directed activities. These activities may extend beyond typical computer functions (e.g., communication) to include the control of objects in the environment such as a telephone, a television and lights.

    The BrainGate System is based on Cyberkinetics' platform technology to sense, transmit, analyze and apply the language of neurons. The System consists of a sensor that is implanted on the motor cortex of the brain and a device that analyzes brain signals. The principle of operation behind the BrainGate System is that with intact brain function, brain signals are generated even though they are not sent to the arms, hands and legs. The signals are interpreted and translated into cursor movements, offering the user an alternate "BrainGate pathway" to control a computer with thought, just as individuals who have the ability to move their hands use a mouse.

    Cyberkinetics is further developing the BrainGate System to potentially provide limb movement to people with severe motor disabilities. The goal of this development program would be to allow these individuals to one day use their own arms and hands again. Limb movement developments are currently at the research stage and are not available for use with the existing BrainGate System. In addition Cyberkinetics is developing products to allow for robotic control, such as a thought-controlled wheelchair.

    In the future, the BrainGate System could be used by those individuals whose injuries are less severe. Next generation products may be able to provide an individual with the ability to control devices that allow breathing, bladder and bowel movements.

    The BrainGate Neural Interface System is an investigational device. It is not approved for sale and is available only through a clinical study.

    Waka Laka on
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    GM HyWire.

    Hydrogen car, completely electronic. Awesome driving mechanics too (changing the driving side, etc).

    GM_Hywire.jpg

    You can even remove the body of the vehicle, and switch it with another (i.e. change it from a sedan to an SUV). Fucking awesome.

    Shadowfire on
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  • VeegeezeeVeegeezee Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Waka Laka wrote: »
    Microsoft Coffee Table

    Article About the Coffee Table

    Full Presentation of Microsoft's Coffee Table

    In an era when computers get ever smaller and more portable, it seems almost a throwback, but software giant Microsoft hopes a £5,000 coffee table bristling with technology could be the next big step forward.
    Surface, a table-style PC with a touch-sensitive screen, was unveiled in California today amid claims that it could revolutionise the way we work.

    The machine replaces a traditional mouse and keyboard with its advanced screen. Using a so-called "multi-touch" interface, people can move items around in front of them with their fingers or write on the table using a pen.

    The device, which measures 75cm (30in) across, may echo some of the earliest computer games built into the surface of pub tables, but Microsoft hopes it can form the start of a new generation of computers.
    "We are creating more intuitive ways for people to interact with technology," said Steve Ballmer, the chief executive of Microsoft.

    "We see this as a multibillion-dollar category, and we envision a time when surface computing technologies will be pervasive, from tabletops and counters to the hallway mirror."

    The Surface table can interact with other devices such as mobile phones, music players and digital cameras.

    Users can place compatible gadgets on the table and have the computer recognise them wirelessly, a move which could allow people to download pictures from their camera by sitting the device on the tabletop.

    There's a pretty big community of do-it-yourself-ers involved in building their own versions of these. A search for "DIY multitouch" brings up most of the big ones, including some links to open-source libraries for touchscreen contact patch tracking. I'm working on building one that operates on the same principle as these guys'.

    Veegeezee on
  • Waka LakaWaka Laka Riding the stuffed Unicorn If ya know what I mean.Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    SoloTrek XFV

    solotrek_main.jpg

    A Silicon Valley aerospace company has announced that it has achieved an important milestone while testing its paradigm-shifting new product, SoloTrek XFV. The full-scale SoloTrek proof-of-concept prototype aircraft produced over 100 percent take-off power and thrust for the first time in its development program, thereby validating earlier predicted performance. "This sets the stage for tethered-hover testing to begin in the mid-to-late summer timeframe," said Michael Moshier, chief executive and chief technical officer.

    SoloTrek is an open-air VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft that will transport a person in an upright and standing position for up to two hours. Using readily available fuel, SoloTrek is predicted to attain speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour and is designed to operate easily in and out of extremely confined areas.

    High-power system testing is currently underway at Millennium Jet's Sunnyvale headquarters. "We instrumented the aircraft with strain gauges and secured it to the ground," said Moshier, "then we were able to bring the engine, drivetrain and ducted fans up to about 105 percent take-off power and thrust without exceeding 75 percent throttle. Achieving this critical milestone demonstrates that SoloTrek can generate sufficient take-off thrust while maintaining an adequate power reserve. It also proves the capability of the vehicle's gear boxes and drive shafts to perform well under high load without overheating or noticeable vibration."

    I see people using this to do fly by insults.

    ***whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII "YOUR MOOOOooom sucks diiiiiiick!"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrr***

    Waka Laka on
  • Disco BanditDisco Bandit Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    That BrainGate thing is awesome.

    Disco Bandit on
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  • TubularLuggageTubularLuggage Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Not as cool as some of the other stuff here, but it'll probably be in the hands of consumers a lot sooner.
    Holographic Versatile Discs. An optical disc with a capacity of 3.9 TB on a single layer.
    They're also thinking of using a version of the tech for affordable flash cards in the 100+GB range.
    Hvd_disc.jpg

    TubularLuggage on
  • ZombiemamboZombiemambo Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Waka Laka wrote: »
    SoloTrek XFV

    solotrek_main.jpg

    A Silicon Valley aerospace company has announced that it has achieved an important milestone while testing its paradigm-shifting new product, SoloTrek XFV. The full-scale SoloTrek proof-of-concept prototype aircraft produced over 100 percent take-off power and thrust for the first time in its development program, thereby validating earlier predicted performance. "This sets the stage for tethered-hover testing to begin in the mid-to-late summer timeframe," said Michael Moshier, chief executive and chief technical officer.

    SoloTrek is an open-air VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft that will transport a person in an upright and standing position for up to two hours. Using readily available fuel, SoloTrek is predicted to attain speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour and is designed to operate easily in and out of extremely confined areas.

    High-power system testing is currently underway at Millennium Jet's Sunnyvale headquarters. "We instrumented the aircraft with strain gauges and secured it to the ground," said Moshier, "then we were able to bring the engine, drivetrain and ducted fans up to about 105 percent take-off power and thrust without exceeding 75 percent throttle. Achieving this critical milestone demonstrates that SoloTrek can generate sufficient take-off thrust while maintaining an adequate power reserve. It also proves the capability of the vehicle's gear boxes and drive shafts to perform well under high load without overheating or noticeable vibration."

    I see people using this to do fly by insults.

    ***whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII "YOUR MOOOOooom sucks diiiiiiick!"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrr***

    Aside from fly-by "Your-mom" jokes, I have to ask what purpose this serves. A pleasant sightseeing trip at 70 miles an hour?

    Zombiemambo on
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  • HyperAquaBlastHyperAquaBlast Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    That armor that is flexible but hardens when hit. Couldn't fin the Military version but here is the skiing one.

    http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/new-flexible-ski-armor-hardens-on-impact-155142.php

    HyperAquaBlast on
    steam_sig.png
  • BamelinBamelin Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Waka Laka wrote: »
    SoloTrek XFV

    solotrek_main.jpg

    A Silicon Valley aerospace company has announced that it has achieved an important milestone while testing its paradigm-shifting new product, SoloTrek XFV. The full-scale SoloTrek proof-of-concept prototype aircraft produced over 100 percent take-off power and thrust for the first time in its development program, thereby validating earlier predicted performance. "This sets the stage for tethered-hover testing to begin in the mid-to-late summer timeframe," said Michael Moshier, chief executive and chief technical officer.

    SoloTrek is an open-air VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft that will transport a person in an upright and standing position for up to two hours. Using readily available fuel, SoloTrek is predicted to attain speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour and is designed to operate easily in and out of extremely confined areas.

    High-power system testing is currently underway at Millennium Jet's Sunnyvale headquarters. "We instrumented the aircraft with strain gauges and secured it to the ground," said Moshier, "then we were able to bring the engine, drivetrain and ducted fans up to about 105 percent take-off power and thrust without exceeding 75 percent throttle. Achieving this critical milestone demonstrates that SoloTrek can generate sufficient take-off thrust while maintaining an adequate power reserve. It also proves the capability of the vehicle's gear boxes and drive shafts to perform well under high load without overheating or noticeable vibration."

    I see people using this to do fly by insults.

    ***whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII "YOUR MOOOOooom sucks diiiiiiick!"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrr***

    Aside from fly-by "Your-mom" jokes, I have to ask what purpose this serves. A pleasant sightseeing trip at 70 miles an hour?

    trafficjamcz7.jpg

    avoiding this?

    Bamelin on
  • Waka LakaWaka Laka Riding the stuffed Unicorn If ya know what I mean.Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Apparently it was put forward to the military as a way of transporting troops across the battlefield. It could hold all their gear and their weight and still zip along fine.

    Waka Laka on
  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Have you guys seen the robot starfish?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehno85yI-sA

    It's pretty creepy ;)

    urahonky on
  • Curly_BraceCurly_Brace Robot Girl Mimiga VillageRegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I remember seeing a few really cool robots and robot-type things, but I can't remember where.

    One was a robotic tail one could wear. It'd react to your emotions, you could even manipulate it with your back muscles. Looked really cool. Bet some furries would buy one.

    A bunch of robot cocroaches, built out of analog components. Really simple, durable, cool.

    Yeah, anyone know where I can learn more about these?

    Curly_Brace on
  • BaronVonSnakPakBaronVonSnakPak Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    BaronVonSnakPak on
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  • RaereRaere Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I totally hope the next-gen (after HD-DVD/Blu-Ray) optical format is that holographic stuff if it becomes cheap enough. And that they're pushed by more neutral companies, not lolsonybluray. The results would be remarkable. Seeing as video compression will probably have improved even more by the time they come out, you could store so much video on them. Even at even higher resolutions (higher than 1080p :)) you could have several times more video in one disc. No more boxsets, anyone? Wikipedia says over a year of video at standard resolution with decent quality.

    Raere on
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  • Waka LakaWaka Laka Riding the stuffed Unicorn If ya know what I mean.Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    There was an article a while ago about Hard disk storage with Nanites encased in water. I'm tring to find the article "Wet future for Storage" but I can't find it. I'll link it when I get home.

    Apparently the disk space was so large, it could store enough high quality video to last 225 lifetimes or something to that extent.

    This kind of tech won't be around soonish though, companies have to milk old tech they can make for cheap as much as they can. Something like this would last for ages before upgrading.

    Waka Laka on
  • ViscountalphaViscountalpha The pen is mightier than the sword http://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    http://www.global.yamaha.com/design/tenori-on/

    Tenori-on. Possibly one of the most awesome things I've ever seen. Its a mix of a light and music creation tablet. Sounds like they are finally making them available and--

    REACTABLE!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h-RhyopUmc

    That thing is fucking win right there. And you can get the parts and make it yourself! I can't really describe it, you just have to watch. No, its not a rickroll.

    Viscountalpha on
  • Waka LakaWaka Laka Riding the stuffed Unicorn If ya know what I mean.Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    That shit is awesome viscount. DJ's around the world just blew big loads.

    Waka Laka on
  • ZeonZeon Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Waka Laka wrote: »
    That shit is awesome viscount. DJ's around the world just blew big loads.

    Really? Im not overly impressed by that. Some of the other things in this thread were super awesome (the quadraped robot, for one), but this thing basically seems like some less than functional synthesizer/sequencer, but with an admittedly awesome interface. The interface though seems to be one of its drawbacks. I mean, yeah, you can edit your sound easily, on the fly, but the set up needed to get even one decent line seems to be in the area of minutes. And the shit it puts out before you have it set up right is just awful. From the linked video the only time the thing was even making sound that was somewhat pleasing was for about 30 seconds at the end. I clicked through to some other videos hoping someone would make some actual music with it, i found a video of 4 guys playing with it on a stage. They didnt show the set up portion, so i dont know how long it took, but they had about 10 blocks already on the machine, in what looked like a pretty delicate set up. And the sound wasnt even close to what one guy with a decent synth can do.

    I mean, if the thing was like, 200-500 dollars, id probably buy one just because its pretty neat, but i mean... even if that thing ever went mass production i would have to imagine itd be in the 5000-10000 dollar range, and dropping that kind of cash to make really bad electronica, its just not worth it.

    It is a neat idea though, i just dont think it works the way they want me to think it does.

    *edit*, now, that TENORI-ON, that thing looks like it actually does what the reactable people were trying to accomplish, albeit in a simpler manner. I actually want to buy one of those now.

    Zeon on
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  • Waka LakaWaka Laka Riding the stuffed Unicorn If ya know what I mean.Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Fucking found it!

    Wet future for storage predicted as disks reach limits


    Link

    Using a combination of water and a piece of wire 100,000 times thinner than a hair, researchers at several leading universities are developing a new data storage medium that has data transfer rates as fast as RAM.

    According to the researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and Harvard University, barium titanium oxide nanowires suspended in water could hold 12.8 million GB per square centimetre. If the memory density can be realised commercially, “a device the size of an iPod nano could hold enough MP3 music to play for 300,000 years without repeating a song, or enough DVD-quality video to play movies for 10,000 years without repetition,” according to the University of Pennsylvania.

    The researchers are using water to stabilise and control ferro-electricity in the wires, thereby pushing and pulling on atoms in the wires — which are about three-billionths of a metre wide — and influencing how those atoms line up.

    Jonathan Spanier, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Drexel, and a lead researcher on the project, cautioned that there is still an “enormous” amount of research to be completed, but, he says, the technology is promising.

    “Hopefully, this will give us a fresh perspective on how we might be able to store information. If there is a demand ... perhaps we can take small steps towards staggeringly larger storage density,” he says.

    One limitation with today’s tape and disk magnetic storage is that the basic component is a magnetic domain that is not stable at molecular levels, he says.

    Waka Laka on
  • DartboyDartboy Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Man, I was trying to find articles on holographic crystal data storage, but they're all from around like 2000, so I'm assuming they either haven't done any further research or just ditched the idea altogether. But it doesn't get much more futuristic than storing your stuff on a data crystal.

    Dartboy on
  • SniperGuySniperGuy SniperGuyGaming Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Hold on, flying cars?

    It's about goddam time!

    SniperGuy on
  • ScooterScooter Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    The wikilink on that thing makes it sound like they've been working on it for decades though without much progress - every year it gets delayed by exactly a year, etc.

    It does run on 30% water though, which is neat.

    Scooter on
  • Waka LakaWaka Laka Riding the stuffed Unicorn If ya know what I mean.Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    This is just too god damn crazy.

    Cell squirting needles to make new organs

    Waka Laka on
  • meatflowermeatflower Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    urahonky wrote: »
    Have you guys seen the robot starfish?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehno85yI-sA

    It's pretty creepy ;)

    Jesus christ....that thing...it's pure evil. I mean you tear one of it's legs off and it develops a new way of walking! IT CANNOT BE STOPPED!

    Slap a jet molded piece of silicone over the thing in the shape of a headcraband you've got a recipe for that which fuels my nightmares.

    edit: My bad...I just bumped a thread from a bazillion years a go (two weeks). Waka Laka linked to it in the newer shinier future tech thread, then I saw urahonky's post and was so terrified by the prospects it held that I responded without thinking.

    meatflower on
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