Self-driving cars are nothing new: Google, Lexus and Audi have all showcased the technology in prototype form before. But these autonomous vehicles are all designed to operate on public roads and handle unforeseen obstacles using advanced sensors like LIDAR. What about cars operating in a controlled environment like a private track? Ford engineers answered this question when they partnered with Autonomous Solutions Inc. to develop robot drivers to … Read More → "Ford deploys robot drivers to test vehicle durability (video)"

How does the airport of the future preoccupy customers as they wait in never-ending lines? A handful of companies think the answer is an always-smiling, always-working human hologram. The virtual assistants are projected onto form-fitting cutouts that can almost look real, and several airports have already begun installing them to help passengers make their way through security. But Read More → "Will you smile back when human holograms greet you at the airport?"

Want to practice your tags but don’t want to commit a felony by vandalizing property? Then head to the forest with a few rolls of cellophane. Bam -instant disposable walls you can spray paint as much as you want.
via Neatorama

</ … Read More → "Cellograff: How to graffiti a mural without a wall"

The November 1924 issue of Science and Invention magazine included this illustration of a Jazz Age cyborg. The man had a battery-powered control board from which he could regulate his artificial kidney, artificial heart, and even his artificial small intestine.
via Gizmodo

Continue … Read More → "Building a cyborg in the roaring twenties"

LED light bulbs may be more energy-efficient and longer-lived than their incandescent equivalents, but they’re also considerably more expensive to purchase. This is largely because rare earth elements (REEs) are used in their phosphors. There are hazards involved in the mining and processing of REEs, plus China is responsible for almost the entire world’s supply, so they’re becoming increasingly pricey. Now, however, scientists have come up with a plentiful … Read More → "New material could lead to cheaper, more eco-friendly LEDs"

Miami-based artist Augusto Esquivel creates something grand from something seemingly insignificant and small: he builds amazing 3D sculptures out of thousands of sewing buttons. Augusto carefully attaches them to a fishing line and constructs things like harp, piano, cello, or a marry-go-round horse. The artist is intrigued by the idea how “a common object used to create a piece of art becomes transformed into something complicated and intriguing.& … Read More → "Impressive 3D sculptures made of suspended sewing buttons"

Just about any sushi-lover knows what unagi is – it’s eel, or more specifically, the Japanese freshwater eel Anguilla japonica. What those people might not know, however, is that the eel glows green in the dark. Now, it looks like the protein that allows the fish to do so could also help doctors to assess human liver function…

In order to develop a highly … Read More → "Glowing eels may help save human lives"

We’ve all done it: after a rough day, you come home and open a bag of M&Ms or potato chips and polish off the whole thing before even realizing it. It’s often as simple as being tired, distracted, or hungry. However, new research suggests that it’s possible you weren’t even able to taste that fatty goodness, which may be … Read More → "How we feel can change how we taste fat"

Students from the U.S. and Europe can sign up to be challenged in what is described as “the ultimate robot game” to navigate floating spheres through the International Space Station in culmination of the Zero Robotics programming competition. I’m not even allowed to compete, and I’m excited about this.

The competition, organized by MIT and the European Space Agency, centers around using … Read More → "Best competition ever allows students to pilot robotic spheres on the International Space Station"

If physicians have a sufficiently-early warning that a patient’s body is rejecting a transplanted organ, then there’s a good chance that they can stop the process via medication. Implanted electronic sensors could serve to provide that warning as early as possible, and thanks to new research, they’re coming a step closer to practical use.
via Gizmag

Read More → "Special coating could allow electronic implants to detect organ rejection"