Read all posts matching 'unicycle' in Crave
Researchers in Japan are developing robotic roller skates as a new form of personal mobility.
(Credit:
Tim Hornyak)
Toshinobu Takei of Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) demonstrated his "Unit-type Micro-Mobility" device at the 2009 International Robot Exhibition (iRex) in Tokyo this week.
We haven't seen too many gadgets like these, but what with the plethora of prototype personal vehicles like Honda's U3-X unicycle in Japan lately, they aren't surprising.
The prototype skates are actually mechatronic versions of "takeuma," which are old-school bamboo stilts that kids used to play with in Japan before their lives were consumed by cell phones and video games.
The aluminum skates move automatically when the user leans forward, but the attached poles must also be grasped. Users can roll or step forward with them.
Each skate contains a wheel, three accelerometers, and gyroscopes, and weighs about 11 pounds, according to Takei, part of AIST's Field Robotics Research Group.
Top speed is about 2.5 mph.
Takei said the skates are still in development, but added they are less bulky than a Segway.
Could they spark a new roller disco boom? Everyone would dance The Robot, of course.
Those who walk while talking on cell phones are less likely than those listening to their iPods to see this clown unicycling pass, and they even struggle walking in straight lines, new research finds.
(Credit: Western Washington University)Most research on cell phone distraction has revolved around driving, and has led to laws against using handheld phones when behind the wheel. But it turns out that walkers using cell phones are also distracted, more so than individuals walking alone, or in pairs, or even those listening to music. In fact, so much so that only 25 percent of them even noticed a clown unicycling past. (The clown was not a lovely coincidence but rather a study prop.)
Researchers at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., set out to study inattentional blindness using the unicycling clown test, the results of which will be published in the December issue of Applied Cognitive Psychology.
It turns out that those walking alone, in pairs, or while listening to music noticed the unicycling clown more than 50 percent of the time, while those walking while talking into their cell phones noticed him only 25 percent of the time.
Cell phone walkers also had difficulties with the task of walking itself, and walked on average more slowly (at least they won't hurt the clown when they bowl him over), tended to weave, and rarely acknowledged nearby individuals (which may or may not be the result of distraction).
... Read more
(Credit:
Erica Ogg/CNET)
In Japan, for one week a year the spotlight of this gadget-obsessed country is shifted from the urban neon oasis of Tokyo's Akihabara neighborhood and trained on an expansive convention hall an hour's commute outside of the city.
On Tuesday the purveyors of TVs thinner than a credit card, cell phones pressed with 3D screens, humanoid robots, and the latest in electric car technology descend, along with media, analysts, retail buyers, and industry executives for the opening of the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies, known by the acronym Ceatec.
It's the Japanese equivalent of Las Vegas' CES and Berlin's IFA, and like those two shows earlier this year, attendance is expected to be good, if slightly contracted as companies have cut back on expenses in light of the current economy.
At Ceatec 2008, 804 exhibitors and 196,630 attendees flooded the floor of the Makuhari Messe, a dip from the 895 exhibitors and 206,000 attendees in 2007. The tenor of this year's show should be a bit less gloomy than last year's--which took place the same week banks were failing right and left and Wall Street seemed on the brink of collapse. We'll keep our fingers crossed for less economic drama during this year's show.
Murata Girl shows off her unicycling talents at Ceatec 2008.
(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET)Things we are hoping for: more cute robots! Ceatec is unlikely to disappoint in this respect. Last year's expo saw the debut of automatons that did everything from perform front-office reception tasks to helping the elderly. But based on the crowds she drew, the star was undoubtedly Murata Girl, a unicycle-riding robot. This year, we hear she'll be back with even more tricks up her sleeve.
Like those robots, there's also an amazing array of stuff shown at Ceatec we'll never see in stores on this side of the Pacific--see our gallery of cool concept cell phones. But while Ceatec offers a glimpse into the future of gadgetry, the convention hall is also packed to the skylights with practical products.
Last year was the first time Ceatec established a separate pavilion for green technology, and it's back this year. Nissan, which takes its electric cars very seriously, will be there, as will Toshiba. Though not thought of traditionally as a car company, it believes its Supercharge ion battery (SCiB) is perfectly suited for electric cars and scooters. Besides green car technology, we'll also see electronic parts that make ordinary gadgets like TVs and digital signs greener.
... Read moreHonda on Wednesday unveiled the U3-X, a stool with a unique directional wheel system that allows it to travel diagonally, as well as right, left, forward, and backward.
It's basically a robotic unicycle.
The device is able to readjust itself so that instead of riders having to constantly balance themselves, the robotic unicycle does the compensating.
Honda pointed out in its unveiling video that the U3-X's seat is slightly higher than an average person's waistline, forcing riders to jump up slightly to sit on it and place their feet on a foot rest. This elevated height of the robotic unicycle leaves riders at relative eye level with passing pedestrians while in motion, according to Honda.
It's a nice touch. A common complaint among people in wheelchairs are the social and psychological effects of literally being looked down upon while traveling the world in a sitting position. But requiring the rider to be able to hold upright while on a backless seat clearly disqualifies the U3-X as a wheelchair substitute for many.
And in this age of rising obesity, who among the fitness-conscious is really going to ride the streets on a robotic stool when they can get a little chance at some exercise during their busy day by walking?
It's just one of those things you know no one is really going to buy. So why, then, did Honda unveil the U3-X robotic unicycle?
... Read more
(Credit:
eniCycle)
The wheel is being reinvented yet again, this time in the form of the eniCycle by Slovenian inventor Aleksander Polutnik. Think of the foot rests as handle bars, with directional steering done by pressing on the left or right foot rest, and the speed controlled by leaning forward or backward.
Less of a Segway clone than the Orbis Urban Mobility Vehicle, this self-balancing electric unicycle is said to be so intuitive, the average new rider just needs a maximum of 30 minutes to master it. But don't take our word for it. Check out the video after the jump to make up your mind as The Gadget Show takes up the challenge. In fact, you may get to try out the eniCycle in person sooner than you can say "gyroscopic stabilization," as Polutnik's on a one-wheel crusade to get this mass-produced early.
The foot rests act like handle bars. You press down on them to steer left or right.
(Credit: eniCycle)
Meet Flossie the headless motorcycle-riding robot. Judging by the name, we would have thought the bot was a she, but Castrol refers to Flossie as a he.
(Credit: Castrol)Flossie is one tough biker dude. He can ride in extreme temperatures. He doesn't get tired or saddle sore, and he is totally unflapped by the bike's searing noise as its engine screams away at speeds up to 16,000rpm. Yep, Flossie could pretty much leave any motorcycle gang in the dust.
Castrol, a maker of motorbike engine oils, is leaning on this headless robot rider to test its products' performance under conditions like increased power or acceleration. Flossie can be fitted onto any bike or scooter and comes equipped with a self-learning mode that lets him know the vehicle's gear change pattern, clutch feel, and throttle response.
Castrol promises Flossie is a safe rider. Still, we wouldn't feel too safe putting him next to our favorite unicycle-riding girlbot. And we're glad Flossie is currently doing all his riding at the company's facilities in Pangbourne, England, and not roaring around on a highway near us. Watch the video below to see Flossie in action.
(Via Engadget)
A childhood memory, courtesy of my CNET colleague Jeff Sparkman: "My best friend rode a unicycle to school in junior high. At my urging. Oddly, we weren't as popular with the ladies as one would expect."
Look ma, no hands!
(Credit: Focus Designs)Well, Jeff, if you and your friend had been riding the electric self-balancing unicycle from Focus Designs, half the girls at Monte Vista Middle School probably would have plastered foxy pictures of you and your bud inside their lockers.
Riders of this 21st century bike don't need to pedal; in fact there are no crank arms, just foot rests. The 24.6-pound SBU stays upright using electronics including accelerometers and gyroscopes with sophisticated balancing algorithms.
Still, the "self-balancing" part of the moniker here is slightly misleading. The SBU is actually a rider-assist vehicle that combines at least a bit of the user's balancing skill with control mechanisms. Think of it as the Segway of unicycles.
Focus Design says maneuvering the SBU is about half as difficult as riding a conventional unicycle (a rather subjective assessment), with an average user needing two hours or so of practice before he or she can enjoy a decent ride (presumably one that doesn't involve a face-plant in the bushes).
Riders control the speed of the cycle by leaning forward or backward. According to the company, an average male rider can easily go 8 mph on a flat surface.
But don't expect to see too many of these around campus--or the circus--anytime soon. A limited release of 10 SBUs is slated for early November, with the cycles going for $1,500 each. And this isn't just a first-come, first-served affair. Riders will also be selected based on a brief phone interview, in which hopefuls might want to avoid mentioning their proclivity for bike crashes.
Watch a video of the SBU in action here.
The KDDI prototype phone was one of the standouts from last year's Ceatec.
(Credit: CNET)Crave is hopping a plane to Japan. How cool is that?
If there's a place that's more of a sensory overload than Las Vegas, it's Tokyo, which makes it a perfect place to host what many say is the best consumer electronics show in the world.
And beginning Tuesday, Crave will be combing through the halls of the Makuhari Messe exhibition center in Chiba, just outside Tokyo, to find the coolest, weirdest, and most useful stuff that the electronics giants of the world have brought to Ceatec 2008. Ceatec, by the way, stands for Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies. Keep checking back this week for photos, video, and more.
There's going to be cell phones galore, 3D televisions, tiny displays, and lots of sustainable technology on display. Oh, and this is Japan, so lots and lots of robots. There's a lot to sift through, and I'd like to hear from you about the kinds of stuff you want to see.
And no worries, the unicycle-riding robot from Murata is already on the list. What else should I keep an eye out for?
If Eve from Wall-E and Rosie the Robot Maid from The Jetsons had a love child...
(Credit: Murata Electronics)Bicycle-riding robot Murata Boy has a cute new cousin--and she's so one-upping him by getting around on a unicycle.
Murata Girl, aka Seiko-chan, can ride forward and backward at 2 inches per second--or idle in place. Tiny sensors tell the bot when it's about to bump into something, and gyroscopes on her back, plus a spinning disc embedded in her stomach, help her stay balanced.
Murata Electronics, an electrical components maker based in Japan, uses Murata Boy to promote science education and advertise its brand. It describes Murata Girl as "active but shy" (she occasionally blushes) and from central Japan, noting that she's programmed to follow her cousin around (no doubt taunting him endlessly for only being able to manage on two wheels). Users can control Seiko-chan via Bluetooth.
Three female art school graduates designed Murata's new girl, which the company will officially unveil at Ceatec Japan 2008, kicking off September 30 outside Tokyo. Crave's own Erica Ogg leaves for the show Saturday, and she promises to meet Murata Girl in person and tell us more about her.
(Many thanks to my co-worker Takayuki Sakurai for helping me make sense of the Japanese on Murata's product page.)
(Credit:
Dvice)
Here's a perfect Father's Day gift if your dad's a fan of unicycles and other single-wheeled vehicles: a remote-controlled tire.
That's right, just the tire--no vehicle whatsoever. The creation of TOSY, a Vietnam-based toy and robot maker, the "R-Tyre" is billed as the "the first radio controlled tire in the world," according to Dvice. And as dubious as we are of "world's first" claims, we're inclined to believe this one.
Endless questions come to mind about this gadget--not the least of which is "Why?"--but there's one in particular that has an almost existential ring to it: If you're shopping around for one of these, should you kick it?
