technabob » fingers

robot hand accurately mimics human hands: one step closer to daimos!

lambert v. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:17:33 +0000

UK-based Shadow Robot recently showed off their Shadow Dextrous Robot Hand at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo Japan. The hand “provides 24 movements, allowing a direct mapping from a human to a robot.”

This means that the robot can be as precise or as delicate as a human hand: it can insert thread into a needle’s eye, or pick up eggs or strawberries without crushing them.

More importantly, it’s relatively easy to control, because it can be programmed to imitate the hand movements of a user wearing the company’s sensor glove, the CyberGlove.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Can you see it now? If you do a thumbs-up, it does a thumbs-up. If you make a fist, it makes a fist. We’re are now that much closer to building Daimos! Now all we need is the rest of the body, a couple of powerful fans and someone who has a black belt in karate, and we’re ready to kick some Valerian ass. Moyase, moyase, makka ni moyase…

[via DVICE and Shadow Robot]

iphone finger olympics lets your fingers do the running

technabob — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:50:17 +0000

This new mobile game lets you get some exercise on your iPhone – at least if you think stretching your fingers is a some kind of a workout.

Produced by Solid Alliance and Appare Japan, Finger Olympics 100m lets you “run” a 100-meter dash using only your fingertips. Just place your index and middle finger on the touch screen of your iPhone or iPod touch, and start twiddling them as fast as you can.

It’s sort of like a modern take on the classic Konami Track and Field arcade game. You know, the one where you had to mash on the buttons so hard that your fingers bled if you wanted to be assured of a gold medal. There’s no guarantee that playing Finger Olympics might not leave you with blisters on your fingers either.

And the Finger Olympics are truly and international event since you can share your best run times with your neighbors across the planet thanks to a world high score board.

Finger Olympics 100m is available now over at the iTunes App Store for $1.99 (USD). Appare plans on releasing additional olympic events in the near future. One can only hope that shotput event doesn’t involve spinning around as fast as you can and throwing your iPhone across the room.

illusion labs’ sway: multitouch iphone game for swingers

technabob — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:50:10 +0000

This new iPhone / iPod Touch game looks like it could be a real blast. It’s a cartoony physics-based-platformer where you use your tiny little hands instead of your feet to make your way through the universe.

In Sway, you move your character using your fingertips to control their hands as they grab onto objects and swing and sway through a maze of worlds, charged with the (not-so-innovative, but still fun) task of collecting stars before the clock runs out. And with character names like Lizzie, The Friendly Ninja, Benny the Bear and Recyclable Man, what’s not to like.

The gameplay mechanic sort of reminds me of a modern day take on the classic arcade game Crazy Climber, but instead of climbing up a building, you’re climbing up, down, left and right across the landscape. Be sure to check out the video clip below to see the game in action.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Sway is the latest creation out of Illusion Labs, the same guys who gave us the addictive multitouch skateboarding game, Touch Grind. Expect the game to hit the iTunes App Store any day now.