Monday, August 22, 2011

Lockheed Martin's Samarai monocopter - you won't believe how this thing flies

Lockheed Martin's Samarai monocopter - you won't believe how this thing flies: If you've ever watched a maple seed spiraling down from a branch, you may have marveled at how it looked like a tiny one-rotor-bladed helicopter. If you did, well, you weren't the only one.

Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sets world auction record - US$16.4 million

Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sets world auction record - US$16.4 million: The world record for a car sold at auction was smashed on Sunday when the Ferrari Testa Rossa prototype sold for US$16.4 million.

Tacit: Wrist-mounted sonar for the visually impaired

Tacit: Wrist-mounted sonar for the visually impaired: We've seen a number of devices - such as the UltraCane and EYE 21 system - that combine sonar and haptic or audio feedback to let the visually impaired "see" their surroundings through the senses of touch or hearing.

Sony to release 3D, high-def digital recording binoculars

Sony to release 3D, high-def digital recording binoculars: Over the years Sony has shown its ability as a genuine innovator in the digital imaging space - in the early days of Gizmag the (then) bleeding-edge, 5-megapixel Sony F707 digital camera was a treasured part of our kit - and its latest venture looks like it could be holding that line.

Boeing demonstrates swarm technology

Boeing demonstrates swarm technology: Individually, insects have proven a deep well of inspiration for robotics engineers looking to mimic designs refined over millions of years of evolution. Now Boeing has demonstrated swarm technology for reconnaissance missions using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that is similar to the way insects communicate and work together as an intelligent group.

Human-powered Gamera helicopter hovers its way into the record books

Human-powered Gamera helicopter hovers its way into the record books: A biology student has just hovered her way into the record books in a four-rotor, human-powered helicopter named after a giant flying turtle from Japanese kaiju movies. Gamera was built to try and claim the American Helicopter Society's Sikorsky Prize, that was set up in 1980 and has yet to be claimed.