Technabob » foot

First Step in Becoming a Cyborg: Bionic Feet!

Range — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:27:12 +0000

The one concept of Cyberpunk that I’ve always enjoyed is bionic limbs. In that near future universe, people could have cybernetic limbs. For years, this concept was relegated to science-fiction. However, there has been progress to make these sort of replacement limbs a reality.

A lot of people lose limbs in warfare, disasters and accidents. The need for these cybernetic or prosthetic parts is real. Designed by engineers are the University of Michigan, these new feet are actually powered and can return some of the impact energy that we generate while walking. This makes it easier for the patient to walk.

The design is said to be 30% more efficient compared to traditional prosthetic feet. Check out this high-speed video of the bionic foot in action:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[R&D Mag via Make:]

Massage Your Feet While You Play Wii Fit

Technabob — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:45:37 +0000

So now that the new year has passed, are you finally carrying out your resolution to get in shape by playing Wii Fit? Well just because you’re gonna spend countless hours standing on that Balance Board doesn’t mean that your feet have to hurt afterward.

Thanks to these cushy silicone covers for the Wii Fit Balance Board, your tootsies will get a serious massage while you get your workout.

Just slide this form-fitting silicone cover over your Balance Board, take off your shoes, and enjoy the massaging acupressure dots under your feet. As an added bonus, the bumpy silicone surface should reduce the chance that you’ll slip and fly off of your board as you do your exercise routine. (Although it won’t prevent you from throwing the Wii-mote at the cat.)

You can get your hands erm, feet on one of these over on Amazon for just $9.99 (USD). You feet will thank you.

Ho Ho Hot: USB Santa Boots Warm Your Feet

Technabob — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 04:16:50 +0000

Ever wonder how do Mr. and Mrs. Claus keep their toes warm on a cold North Pole night? Why, with these heated USB Santa boots, of course.

Leave it to the wacky gadget makers of Japan’s Thanko (the same guys who brought us other gems like these) to come up with these silly oversize red shoes, which keep your tootsies toasty when you plug them into your computer’s USB port.

What’s next? Heated booties for your flying reindeer?

[via 7Gadgets]

Gameboy Octopus Music Controller Mod

Technabob — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:45:51 +0000

What’s got 8 tentacles and the brains of a Nintendo GameBoy? It’s an 8-bit music maker’s dream, that’s what. Electronic musician Joey Mariano (aka “Animal Style“) took an old GameBoy Color system and built a custom controller for it that uses 8 individual foot pedal controllers to jam out on the device.

Using a series of GameBoy audio sequencing hacks, the foot pedals allow for live improvisation with all sorts of electronic beeps and blips.

Animal Style has recorded a number of digital chiptune tracks using old video game systems as his primary sound source. Be sure to check out his discography and sample tracks here.

[via Nerd Arts via MAKE]

Weird Japan: Sega Foot Massager

Technabob — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 17:50:17 +0000

After you sit around waiting for SEGA’s new Sonic game to load, nothing is more relaxing than a nice foot massage. Well, at least that’s what the game maker has got in store for visitors to one of their arcades in Shibuya, Japan.

According to a visitor to the arcade:

…there is a Sega arcade in Shibuya that has this bizarro Sega-made foot massage machine called Ashipuri. You insert your money, stick your feet in, select the part of foot you want massaged and then enjoy five minutes of bliss, making it better value for money than the Dreamcast version of Dynamite Cop. Kind of. Also I think it plays some sort of Sonic music…

What will they think of next?

[via UK:RESISTANCE via Kotaku]