Technabob » israel

Harop Loitering Munition: a Spy Drone With Suicidal Tendencies

Lambert Varias — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:54 +0000

It may not have a classy or intimidating name, but I’m sure that robots speak of the HAROP loitering munition with great respect – or perhaps fear - when they… get together for, um, poker night. Israel Aerospace Industries’ bad boy is a remote-controlled, unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) that can be deployed from a mobile launcher. It can be fitted with steerable color or infrared cameras so that it can provide recon. But the creepiest thing about the HAROP – also called Harpy 2 – is that it can hurl itself at a target, setting off 50 lbs of onboard explosives in the process to make sure that it kills the target dead, while minimizing collateral damage.

The HAROP can stay on air for up to 6 hours, plenty of time to select a target within its 620 mi range. So you can deploy it from another city way ahead of time, and have it wait for a target to come out or pass by, then BOOM. Haropped.

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I do not want to die that way. If you feel the same way, then you’d better not piss off India or Germany in some royal manner, because both countries recently bought a bunch of HAROPs.

[via IAI via BotJunkie]

Camspace Turns Any Object Into a Controller

Lambert Varias — Mon, 25 May 2009 11:40:09 +0000

Almost a week ago, Kotaku’s Brian Crecente wrote an article regarding the re-emergence of video game peripherals, spurred on by the success of Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and of course the Wii. In the article, Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter was quoted as saying, “I think the problem with all peripherals is that you have to make them reusable. They must be acceptable to be used with more than the original game.” Which makes sense really. The reason why we’re still using gamepads is precisely because they’re not made for a specific game; they’re good enough for RPGs and for platformers, and to an extent even for driving games.

But we can’t say the same about “realistic” peripherals. Imagine playing Need for Speed using a guitar controller, or Guitar Hero using a steering wheel peripheral. These specialized controllers are too specialized for their own good; it doesn’t help that they’re quite pricey. So how will the gamepad-less revolution succeed? Israel-based Cam-Trax technologies has a simple answer: let’s just make it so we can use anything as a controller.

Cam-Trax is currently developing CamSpace, a computer program that allows users to use pretty much anything as a controller for PC games. The best way to understand how CamSpace works is to see it in action:

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As you can see, users first “show” CamSpace the object that they want to use as a controller; once CamSpace remembers the object, you can customize the controls depending on the motion or gesture that you’ll make. Unfortunately there’s no detailed explanation on CamSpace’s interface so I can’t tell you more about that.

I’m guessing that the object has to be brightly and evenly colored; I think CamSpace uses the object’s color to distinguish it from its background.

But the important thing is that Cam-Trax’ technology has the advantages of both a “realistic” peripheral and a gamepad: it’s versatile, yet you can use an object that’s more appropriately shaped or structured for the game you want to play. It’s also cost-effective: instead of buying a different controller for every game, all you need is CamSpace and a webcam.

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I don’t think I can play an FPS that way; my arm would probably cramp up after 5 minutes. Anyway, I hope CamSpace becomes integrated not only in future PC games but in future console games as well. It won’t totally kill off companies that create third party peripherals because there will always be gamers who want a more sophisticated controller. But if you ask me, I’m down with using a cardboard wheel if it means saving myself a hundred bucks. Maybe in the future we can even use real instruments to play Rock Band.

CamSpace is currently Windows only; you can download it for free at their website. Remember it’s in beta, so don’t expect it to be problem-free.

[via gizmo watch]

Hours, Minutes and Seconds Declare Their Independence

Technabob — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 13:16:49 +0000

Who says a traditional dial is the only way to display the time on an analog clock? This new timekeeper deconstructs hours, minutes and seconds onto separate clock faces.

The minimal Just a Moment clock from Israel’s Reddish Studio does away with convention, breaking time into its most basic raw elements.

The wall clock runs on three independent mechanisms, each powered by a separate AA battery. You can find the Just a Moment clock at FLUKE Collective for $72.

[via Freshpilot]

Don’t Mess With This Killer Robot

Technabob — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 16:43:38 +0000

An Isreali defense manufacturer today revealed their new portable robot that’s capable of going into dangerous war zones and taking down enemies on its own (with the aid of a wireless remote control and built-in video camera). The VIPeR robot has an a full arsenal of weaponry on board, including an automatic pistol and grenade planting capabilities.

The robot’s maker, Elbit Systems, Ltd., claims that the rugged, dual-treaded robot can climb stairs and challenging surfaces like rubble without a problem. In addition to its fighting duties, the robot can be used for bomb detection and disposal.

I certainly wouldn’t want to run into one of these in a dark alley.

[via Reuters]