Computer controlled by brain implant!

 

Human trials for a first-of-a-kind device designed to treat the brain via electrical stimulation have brought some very promising results. Called Stentrode, the implant has the potential to treat a wide range of neurological conditions, but in these very first trials, has brought about significant quality-of-life improvements for a pair of Australian men suffering from motor neurone disease (MND).

The Stentrode device is the size of a matchstick, and enters the brain via a small keyhole incision in the neck.

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Prepare for robotic nightmares!

 

The robot, which mostly consists of a static torso supporting a highly animated and articulated head, was developed by engineers at Disney’s Research division, Walt Disney Imagineering, and robotics researchers from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the California Institute of Technology.

Below is a video of the robot human interaction and it's enough to send a few shivers up your spine. Here's is there statement describing the video.

This video describes the development of a system for lifelike gaze in human-robot interactions using a humanoid animatronic bust. We present a general architecture that seeks not only to create gaze interactions from a technological standpoint, but also through the lens of character animation where the fidelity and believability of motion is paramount; that is, we seek to create an interaction which demonstrates the illusion of life.

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We have test flights of a Klein Vision flying car.

 

The latest generation of flying car developed by KleinVision company transforms from road vehicle into air vehicle in less than 3-minutes. Useful for leisure and self-driving journeys, and also as a commercial taxi service.

We're making baby steps here. I have to say that I don't really imagine too many of these things just driving around on the streets but hey check out the video below, because it sure looks cool.

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Check out NASA's new transformative robot design for space exploration

 

Made of a pair of two-wheeled vehicles, NASA's DuAxel is designed to descend crater sides and near-vertical cliffs on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

A rover trundles over rocky terrain, its four metal wheels clattering along until they encounter a seemingly insurmountable hazard: a steep slope. Down below is a potential trove of science targets. With a typical rover, the operators would need to find another target, but this is DuAxel, a robot built for situations exactly like this.

Check out the video below.

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EHang Launches Intelligent Aerial Firefighting Solution

If you happen to be in China during a high-rise fire, you might see an aerial assist to the fire fighters on the ground. The latest variant of the EHang 216 is able to carry up to 150 liters of foam and six extinguisher bombs per trip to high-rise fires within a 5 km radius of the station where they're based.

Once this goes into practical use, it really shows how far technology has come over the past few years for Drones and eVTOLS. We have been obsessed with flying cars for some time, but these would be flown autonomously. Check out the video below to see it in action.

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Bird Inspired eVTOL is taking daily test flights

Beta Technologies in Vermont are testing the Electric, Vertical Take Off aircraft Alia, which draws design inspiration from the Arctic tern. Leading the Electric 

Flight Revolution Electric flight is here today. The next exciting, inevitable milestone will be its commercialization. We’re at the forefront of making that happen with a team of relentlessly focused, hands-on engineers who are testing, reworking and retesting what will be the world’s most versatile electric aircraft.

Our electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft promises an unprecedented forward leap in energy efficiency and cost savings. But these benefits are just the beginning. Taking a whole systems approach, we will be able to support a variety of missions from virtually anywhere, all in a design that’s just simple enough to be revolutionary.

Below you can see the prototype in a hover test.

More info on their site here.

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The 6 Million Dollar Man's Bionic Eye is becoming a reality

The human eye is an incredibly complex piece of equipment, so it’s no wonder that we’ve had a hard time reverse engineering it. Now, researchers have unveiled the world’s first 3D artificial eye, which can not only outperform other devices but has the potential to see better than the real thing.

A team led by scientists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed what they call the Electrochemical Eye (EC-Eye). The new 3D bionic eye could enable superhuman sight, night vision and more. Check out the video below of the eye taking a vision test.

Read more here.

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