Neatorama » remote control

Remote-control Bowling Ball

Miss Cellania — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:49:38 +0000

At one time or another, everyone wishes they could control a bowling ball after it leaves his/her hand. The RC900 remote-control bowling ball makes that dream come true! A weight in a threaded shaft inside the ball determines its direction, and the user controls the weight. The purpose of the ball is to give young children a bit of success as they learn to bowl, and to help disabled people paticipate in the sport. Don’t even think of sneaking the RC900 into a competition! Link (with video) -via Gizmodo

Remote-Controlled Human

John Farrier — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:51:22 +0000

Image: Edgadget

Look at the picture. When the man moves his joystick to the left, the helmet on the girl’s head pulls her left ear, signally that she should go left. When he moves his joystick to the right, the opposite occurs.

Thomas Ricker of Engadget speculates about the most obvious application for this device from Kajimoto Laboratory: a navigation aid for the blind. With a GPS system added, it could be used to give the visually impaired greater independence.

Four years ago, Alex wrote about a similar gadget.

Link (Google Translator version) via Engadget

OMG, Greatest Show Concept Ever...

Queuebot — Sun, 10 May 2009 06:41:10 +0000

[YouTube - Link]

If you could create your perfect TV show, what would it be? Apparently, whoever greenlighted this show understands that there is a huge untapped market of people like me.

Here it comes, Weaponizers, the flaming hellspawn of BattleBots and Junkyard Wars. I…am…so…happy…

Please God – I dont ask for much – don’t let the pilot be a hoax.

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by dauker.

Beetle Borgs

Miss Cellania — Fri, 01 May 2009 03:42:11 +0000

Engineers at the University of California at Berkeley have developed remote-control beetles that can be used as spies! They aren’t just robots, either. These are cyborgs, real beetles that have implanted electrodes that control their flight muscles.

With the mind of a machine and the nimble body of an insect, this bug-bot may be the perfect scout: inexpensive, expendable, and capable of surreptitious reconnaissance. The Berkeley researchers, led by Michael Maharbiz, note that beetles are strong enough to carry useful payloads, such as a miniature camera.

Link -via Digg

(image credit: Hirotaka Sato and Michel M. Maharbiz, U. C. Berkeley)

Remotes for Grandma

Miss Cellania — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:02:53 +0000

Yes! This would make my half-dozen remote controls much easier to use! Come to think of it, we may have just discovered why I don’t watch much TV anymore. From the book Designing Interactions by Bill Moggridge. Link -via Divine Caroline

Cat Remote

Miss Cellania — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:21:14 +0000

A remote control for your cat? Good luck with that! Notice the fine print says “No batteries required. Powered by positive thinking.” Only $6.99 when they get more in at Think Geek. Link -via the Presurfer

Smuggling Drugs with a Remote-control Helicopter

Miss Cellania — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:15:00 +0000

Was it a case of drug smuggling or not? First, closed circuit cameras picked up the image of a tiny helicopter flying into the compound at Elmley Prison in Sheerness, Kent, England. The next night, guards saw the flying object.

However, staff could not find any trace of either the helicopter or the package which it appeared to be carrying underneath it when they searched the Category C jail.

‘Using a mini-helicopter to get contraband into jails is unprecedented. When officers spotted it they nearly fell off their chairs’, a prison source told the Sun.

‘It could have been drugs or a mobile phone in the package. It is possible it was a dummy run.’

Maybe the helicopter flew out as well. Link -via Unique Daily