Students from the University of Maryland hope to keep a human-powered helicopter aloft for at least one minute today and win one of the most elusive prizes in aviation.

The 71-pound Gamera II is powered by a combination of hand and foot pedaling by a single pilot, who must keep the four-rotor helicopter aloft for 60 seconds and reach an altitude of at least 3 meters (9.8 feet) to win the $250,000 Sikorsky Human-Powered Helicopter prize. The … Read More → "Human-powered helicopter attempts prize-winning flight today"

Temporary electronic tattoos could soon help people fly drones with only thought and talk seemingly telepathically without speech over smartphones, researchers say. Electrical engineer Todd Coleman at the University of California at San Diego is devising noninvasive means of controlling machines via the mind, techniques virtually everyone might be able to use.
via io9

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Those bitten by the wanderlust bug, or who have traveled in the economy class of an airplane, would know how uncomfortable and cramped it feels like. 

With that in mind, Malaysia-based student Alireza Yaghoubi came up with a designed for airplane seats that would make traveling in economy class more comfortable. 

Inspired by long uncomfortable journeys that cause sore necks and shoulders, his design concept called ‘ … Read More → "New airplane seat design makes traveling in economy class more comfy"

Yahoo’s decision to curtail remote working among its employees has stirred dismay in the technology industry at a time when many companies are innovating new solutions to enable telecommuting.

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, one of the planet’s biggest showcases of new digital technology, numerous manufacturers are touting gadgets and software specifically aimed at keeping workers out of the office and either on the road or at home.

Yet among those exhibiting at the annual event, there was … Read More → "Tech execs question Yahoo’s work-from-the-office edict"

Researchers at Duke University have successfully wired together the brains of two rats, allowing the animals to share a response to a stimulus — hitting a switch when a light flashes, for example — even when only one of them is actually exposed to it. And the connection isn’t just for deliberate decision making –after a prolonged period of connection, rats were even able to feel and respond to researchers stroking the whiskers of the rat they are brain linked to.
via Geekosystem</ … Read More → "Wired telepathy: neural implants let two rats share one thought"

… Read More → "Two Audi station wagons battle in the “Ultimate Paintball Duel”"

At the recent Chicago Automate 2013 show of automation and robotics, Yaskawa Motoman drew huge crowds to watch its SDA10F double-armed robot deal blackjack for three players. The two-armed bandit not only deals cards, but can read the cards dealt, and play according to the rules of blackjack. The level of dexterity, along with the robot’s vision recognition camera and software, wowed the throngs attending the show.
via Read More → "Robot plays blackjack dealer at Automate 2013"

Thanks to its tropical climate, Far North Queensland (FNQ), Australia, is a place where residents regularly have to deal with threats from the environment in the form of cyclones, while being mindful of their impact on the environment. One architectural firm has constructed a building that attempts to address both concerns simultaneously. Designed by Charles Wright Architects, the Stamp House in in FNQ is a self-sustaining home that’s sturdy enough to withstand a Category 5 … Read More → "The Stamp House: a self-sustaining, solar-powered cyclone shelter"

Firefighters will actually be able to see through flames thanks to infrared hologram technology, a new study in Italy has found.

Researchers created a system that cuts through smoke with infrared lasers. The lasers bounce off of anything—people, furniture, pets—and go back through an imager to show the firefighters a 3D view of everything around them. Current infrared camera monitors firefighters use are much more limited. They can … Read More → "New infrared tech will let firemen see through flames"

Everyday street basketball players (and would-be pros) don’t have many tools to quantify their progress. InfoMotion Sports thinks they’re owed more than just a pat on the back, so it’s bringing its 94Fifty smart basketball to everyday hoop fans. Like the existing model for teams, sensors inside the amateur basketball detect the forces involved in a dribble or shot, relaying details such as the throw angle or power … Read More → "94Fifty smart basketball can tell when you’ve got game, teaches when you don’t"