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science fiction

Star Trek Theme Park in Jordan Will Make Scotty Proud

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Star Trek Theme Park
Star Trek Theme Park

Trekkies, I have a trivia question for you. Which Jordanian king appeared for a short bit in a Star Trek episode 15 years ago? Not being a Trekkie, I honestly wouldn’t know the answer to that, but with the Internet, everything has an answer. ((Answer: King Abdullah II)) Here’s another clue: obviously, this king is a big Star Trek fan. ((Duh.))

If you are a Jordanian king, you are a Star Trek fan, and you have some money to throw away spare, what would you do? (The answer is so obvious that I shake my head even as I ask the question in writing.) Build a Star Trek theme park, what else? [Read more…] about Star Trek Theme Park in Jordan Will Make Scotty Proud

PR2 Robot Helps Mute Quadriplegic Scratch an Itch

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Robots for Humanity
Robots for Humanity

Robots have been the subject of many a science fiction novel or movie. The idea of having robots help humans enjoy more convenient lives is nothing new. For many of us, though, the dream of having robot house help is far from being a reality.

For Henry Evans, a mute quadriplegic, science fiction is becoming reality. He got hold of a PR2, a two-armed wheel robot developed by Willow Garage, a robotics research lab and technology incubator. Together with robotics development platforms, this company also works on robot operating systems.

For the past 10 years, Evans has been unable to do many things that you and I take for granted. Thanks to the collaboration of Willow Garage and Georgia Tech’s Healthcare Robotics Lab, the PR2 is helping Evans live a more independent life in spite of his physical condition.

Men – you probably dislike the chore of having to shave every so often. For people like Evans, being able to shave one’s self is a dream. And imagine this – prior to having the PR2, Evans was not even able to scratch when he felt an itch! I don’t know about you, but that would be pure torture! Thanks to PR2, for the first time in 10 years, Evans was able to scratch an itch himself.

Here is an inspiring video about PR2 and what it can do.

This development is made possible by a project called Robots for Humanity. ((Willow Garage Blog)) The collaborators are mainly using PR2 and researching ways by which this particular robot can help disabled people live more independently. The ultimate goal of the project is to be able to make robots accessible to people who need them most. As they say, Evans is only the beginning.

I applaud Willow Garage and Georgia Tech’s Healthcare Robotics Lab for their efforts and for focusing on a group which really has the need for robotic assistance in the home. While it is cool for those who have no handicap to have a robot assistant (I wouldn’t mind having one!), the idea of helping those in need first is admirable.

It’s one of those moments when you really really wish that a concept were fully part of reality and not a thing of science fiction.

myCopter: Another Step Towards the Age of Flying Cars?

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myCopter Flying Car
myCopter Flying Car

With news about the Terrafugia being deemed roadworthy hitting the Net recently, hopes for the Age of Flying Cars are sky high. Now, another flying car is in the limelight, making the possibility of flying cars even more of a reality.

This new vehicle is called – rather unimaginatively, I think – myCopter, and it is being touted as a solution to the ever present problem of road congestion. The myCopter is a Personal Aerial Vehicle (PAV) – presumably one of the first of many yet to come – that is aimed to be part of a future personal air transport system (PATS). The idea is for PAVs to be partially or fully autonomous, doing away with the need for air traffic control, which is currently required for airplanes and helicopters. Also included in the concept for a PATS is the fact that PAVs should only be allowed to fly outside controlled airspace, so as not to interfere with the current air traffic.

Brilliant concept – no one can deny that. And if they actually get this system (including the myCopter and other future flying cars) off the ground, I guess we can truly say that this aspect of science fiction has become a reality.

Of course, there are numerous issues that have to be addressed before you and I (and everyone else) will be allowed to man myCopter. Just thinking about all the road accidents we hear about on a daily basis is enough to give anyone the shivers. Now just imagine reckless drivers, not to mention tipsy or drunk ones, taking to the air. For sure, there will always be the moron who will make the air unsafe for everyone else!

Then again, the system designers of myCopter have already taken this into consideration. That is why myCopter is going to be part of a network of flying vehicles. A controlled network, that is. Imagine a cable car system translated into an air system – the myCopters will be programmed to follow formations and avoid obstacles. That may take away from the fun of flying, but in this case, I think safety is a more important consideration. The last thing I want is two myCopters crashing above my house and killing me while I lounge in the garden!

Avoid Traffic Jams with the Terrafugia Flying Car

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Terrafugia Flying Car
Terrafugia Flying Car

What do you get when you combine the design of an airplane and the design of a car? The Terrafugia flying car, of course! This “roadable” aircraft is for real and not just a creation of an imaginative mind immersed in the world of science fiction. Neither is it a mere concept car.

The Terrafugia Transition is a light airplane that can take to the roads just like normal cars do. Imagine this. You are late for work, together with everyone who lives in the area. You have a presentation to give, which can make or break your career. You absolutely have to get to the office but the traffic is as thick as molasses. You can either take a hike – literally – or be late. That is, if you do not own a Terrafugia.

If you have one of these babies, then you can simply fly over the masses stuck in rush hour traffic. Zoom in the air without the limitations of the roads and laugh at them suckers for having regular cars.

First, you have to wait for the roadable aircraft to be manufactured, though. They were supposed to be delivered in 2009 but you know how it is with new things. Delays are inevitable, and the Terrafugia is not exempt. A new batch of test machines are being built and the manufacturer says that this year, we might just see production start.

There is the issue of price, of course, as one vehicle will cost you $250,000. Then again, for a vehicle that can hit the pavement as well as fly in the air, the price is not so bad, is it?

There is another problem, especially for those who are looking for a means of transportation that can carry several people. The Terrafugia can fly with a maximum weight of 330 pounds. That includes the passengers AND the payload. Look to your right. Now look to your left. Do you think you and your co-workers can work out a carpooling scheme? 330 pounds isn’t a lot these days!

In spite of the issues, the Terrafugia might just become the granddaddy of flying cars that future generations will take for granted. In the meantime, start saving money and losing weight to make sure the Terrafugia works out for you when it comes out!

Via The Register

Viper Mark II Wallscape

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Tired of looking at a boring plain white wall at night when you can’t sleep? You’re not alone. I bet that you and I, together with countless other people, have the same issue. It’s difficult enough to amuse yourself when insomnia strikes, but that blank thing of a wall makes things even worse.

That’s why online stores like QMX are useful. Guess what I found today? A WallscapeTM that will delight you to no end. A WallscapeTM is a fancy name for a wallpaper or a decorative sticker for your wall, but depending on the design, you will get your money’s worth. The WallscapeTM that I stumbled upon today features nothing less than the Viper Mark II.

Battlestar Galactica fans will know that this fighter was the primary attack craft used by the Colonial Fleet in the first Cylon War. This fighter continued to be effectively used against the Cylons when the Twelve Colonies were left behind.

You may never get a life-size replica of the Viper Mark II in your bedroom, but you can always get this WallscapeTM to help your imagination along. Forty-eight inches of space fighter goodness, with an incredible amount of detail, on your wall – it will be easy to imagine that you are Lee Adama or Kara Thrace as you drift off to beddy-bye land.

The WallscapeTM is based on the original studio 3D digital model of the Viper Mark II, and it even includes details such as scars from battles. It’s really something that any decent BSG fan will want on his wall. And for $49.95, it is not such a bad deal. That’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind that having a fighter at your disposal in case the Cylons under your bed decide to go on the offensive. 😉

Computers “Given” Schizophrenia

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Robot
First they give computers a sense of humor – something that is totally cool, I think. Now they give them a mental disorder, specifically schizophrenia. We sometimes use the word loosely to make fun of people close to us who may exhibit erratic behavior, but schizophrenia is nothing to joke about. Especially when it comes to computers who might one day take over the human race.

All joking aside, researchers have turned to computers to try to gain more insight into the mind of a schizophrenic human. Some researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Yale University have set up a neural network model ((Via: LabSpaces)) to represent the brain and tweaked things so that it simulated conditions wherein excessive levels of dopamine are present. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which is present in large amounts in the brain of a schizophrenic.

So what did they find out? The neural network model showed that what the dopamine does is to mess with the brain’s ability to remember and forget things. So being schizophrenic is all about not being able to properly forget or ignore things. The result is that people who suffer from schizophrenia make connections that are not present or not real, hence the hallucinations and paranoia.

On the technical side, the creation of this neural network model is a big feat, which can make way for more studies in the future. However, my worrywart nature cannot help but assert itself. What if this computer schizophrenic state becomes the ground for “complications” in human-computer interaction in the future? Call me paranoid, but once artificial intelligence becomes full-blown, you never know. 😉

Image via Chris Devers