Technology

This 360-Degree Piano is Not an Optical Illusion, Just the PianoArc by Brockett Parsons

By Jackson Chung November 18, 2014

At first glance, this 360-degree piano might seem like something straight from a fantasy movie, but it’s a real functional musical instrument, developed by Brockett Parsons, who just so happens to be Lady GaGa’s keyboard player. Featuring 294 keys, complete with three contiguous 88-note keyboards, a single 30-note control section and 3 pitch bend/mod per full keyboard section. Click here to view the first image in this week’s geek life gallery. Continue reading for a viral video of a normal day in Russia for one guy, despite masked men invading the restaurant he’s in.

Powerlace Unveils Innovative Auto-Lacing Shoe, Will Be Priced at Under $200

By Jackson Chung November 18, 2014

Sure, it’s not as futuristic looking as the Nike MAG sneakers featured in Back to the Future, but Powerlace’s auto-lacing shoe technology is just as cool. Simply put, their engineers designed sneakers that use highly-resistant cables to hold your foot in place, which then triggers a mechanism that locks into place at a tension level set by a pull tab on the outside upper section. The tension in the laces can easily be adjusted by moving the lace lock. Continue reading for a video, more information and the Kickstarter link.

Video Shows Tony Hawk Riding Hendo, the Real-Life Hoverboard

By Jackson Chung November 17, 2014

Now that you’ve seen the Hendo Hoverboard, this new video shows what it’s like when skateboard pro Tony Hawk tries the board out. Just to recap, it works by generating a magnetic field over a conductive metal surface (copper, aluminum, etc.), which then generates an opposing field, causing the Hendo to hover about an inch above the ground. One caveat: this prototype only has a 7-minute battery life. Continue reading for the clip and more information.

Put a Galaxy Note 4 in This Virtual Reality System and You’ll Get a 360-Degree Experience

By Jackson Chung November 13, 2014

Think of the Samsung Gear VR headset as an Oculus Rift meets Galaxy Note 4 – set to go on sale in December for $200. Now pair that with the company’s innovative Beyond camera, which utilizes 17 HD cameras to capture a 360° field of view and offering full 3D reconstruction in all directions, for an experience that will transport you all over the world and beyond. As for the display, it uses the 5.7 inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display of a Galaxy Note 4. Best of all, users do not need to connect the gadget to a power supply of computer, like other similar headsets. Continue reading for a video and more information.

Glow-in-the-Dark Bicycle Path Opens in the Netherlands, is Solar Powered

By Jackson Chung November 12, 2014

Eindhoven, a city in The Netherlands, now boasts the world’s first solar-powered, glow-in-the-dark bicycle path. Called, the “Van Gogh-Roosegaarde cycle path”, it was designed by Daan Roosegaarde, constructed by Heijmans, and is illuminated by thousands of twinkling stones and was inspired by the world-famous painting, Starry Night. It marks the start of the Van Gogh 2015 international theme year. Continue reading for a video, more pictures and additional information.

Google Builds Life-Sized Karate Kid Robot, Iconic Crane Kick Pose Ensues

By Jackson Chung November 11, 2014

Boston Dynamics, a robotics company that Google recently acquired, has unveiled the latest iteration of the 6-foot-2, 330-pound ATLAS, and people are now calling it the “Karate Kid Robot”, and rightfully so. Researchers at the company have taught the robot to stand on one leg – recreating the iconic crane kick scene from the film in the process. This was made possibly with its 28 hydraulically actuated joints and stereo vision. Continue reading for the video and more information.

Artists Extracts DNA from Chewing Gum, Turns Sequences into 3D Faces

By Jackson Chung November 9, 2014

After seeing this, you may think twice before spitting out a piece of gum or dropping a cigarette butt. For information artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg’ Stranger Visions project, she collects DNA samples from discarded objects found on the street – like hair, nails, cigarette butts, chewing gum, etc. – and extracts the DNA from them to create a 3D face model. Continue reading for more pictures and information.

This is Not a Flower, Just a Self-Assembling Nanostructure Designed to Look Like One

By Jackson Chung November 9, 2014

This may look like a rose, but it’s actually a self-assembling nanostructure designed to look like one by researchers at Harvard University. These were made using a solution of chemicals and minerals, with some of the structures being smaller than the width of a human hair. Practical users are in the optics and engineering fields. They started with flowers, stems and vases because these shapes are the to start with. By simply changing the temperature, pH, and carbon dioxide content of the chemical solutions, the scientists were able to manipulate and control the growth of the structures. Continue reading for more.

22 Bizarre Inventions You’ll Probably Only See in China

By Jackson Chung November 9, 2014

There’s a difference between a Transformers fanatic, and Wing Wah metalwork factory designers Jiang Chen and Yang Junlin, as the duo recreated the Megatron Tank from Transformers 2. This 5-ton behemoth is made mostly of scrap metal, measures 4.5 x 3.2 x 2.5 meters, and looks like it was pulled directly from the film. The designers seek to show steel’s plasticity, thus subverting traditional ideas about steel technology. They have also created several other Transformers for their workshop. Continue reading for more.

5 Amazing Robots and Machines That Were Built Without Modern Technology

By Jackson Chung November 7, 2014

The Writer automaton (self-operating machine or robot) was the inspiration for the principle character in the Martin Scorsese’s Hugo movie. This 240-year-old machine, comprised of 6000 parts, works by using a crank to wind up the mainsprings before the head as well as eyes start moving for life-likeness, following its own hand movements as it writes. That’s not all, the automata even dips its quill into an ink bottle between words. What makes all of this possible are 40 cams with three cam followers that read their shaped edges and translate them into movements of the boy’s arm. Controlling them is a large wheel or ‘system disk’, made up of letters that could be removed, replaced and programmed. The Writer is able to write any custom text up to 40 letters long, spread over four lines.