The AQUA robot uses flippers to move and now will no longer need to be tethered
Scientists have developed a remote-controlled robot that can receive and carry out commands while underwater.
AQUA is small and nimble, with flippers rather than propellers, and is designed for intricate data collection from shipwrecks and reefs.
The robot, designed by a team of universities from Canada, can be controlled wirelessly using a waterproof tablet computer.
While underwater, divers can program the tablet to display tags onscreen, similar to barcodes read by smartphones. The robot's on-board camera then scans these two-dimensional tags to receive and carry out commands.
Scroll down to see how the AQUA responds to the new controls.
Cutting the cord on underwater robots has been a longstanding challenge for scientists. Water interferes with radio signals, hindering traditional wireless communication via modem. Tethered communication is cumbersome and can create safety issues for divers.
'Having a robot tethered to a vehicle above water creates a scenario where communication between the diver, robot, and surface operator becomes quite complicated,' says Michael Jenkin, professor at York University’s Faculty of Science & Engineering
'Investigating a shipwreck, for example, is a very delicate operation and the diver and robot need to be able to react quickly to changes in the environment. An error or a lag in communication could be dangerous,' Jenkin says.
Realising there was no device on the market that fit the bill, Jenkin and his team at York's Centre for Vision Research, including the paper's lead author, MSc student Bart Verzijlenberg, set to work constructing a prototype.
The resulting device, fittingly dubbed AQUATablet, is watertight to a depth of 60 feet. Aluminum housing with a clear acrylic cover protects the tablet computer, which can be controlled by a diver using toggle-switches and on-screen prompts.
Until now the robot has receive d instructions using a lead connected to a computer - now it can be controlled wirelessly
'A diver at 60 feet can actually teleoperate AQUA 30-40 feet deeper. Needless to say this is much easier on the diver, physically, and much safer,' Jenkin says.
The tablet also allows divers to command the robot much as if they were using a video game joystick; turn the tablet right and AQUA turns right, too.
In this mode, the robot is connected to the tablet by a slim length of optical cable, circumventing many of the issues of a robot-to-surface tether. The optical cable also allows AQUA to provide video feedback from its camera to the operator.
In wireless mode, the robot acknowledges prompts by flashing its on-board light. Its cameras can be used to build 3-D models of the environment which can then be used to guide the robot to particular tasks.
'This is a huge improvement on [a robot] having to travel to the surface to communicate with its operators,' Jenkin says.
In past, divers have used laminated flashcards to visually communicate with robots while underwater. However, these limit the diver to a pre-set sequence of commands.
'It's impossible to anticipate everything you're going to want the robot to do once you get underwater. We wanted to develop a system where we could create commands on the fly, in response to the environment,' he says.
RIM boss Mike Lazaridis announces the new BlackBerry PlayBook as he delivers a keynote address at the BlackberryDevCon 2010 last night
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has unveiled its rival to the Apple’s iPad: the PlayBook.
Research in Motion (RIM) showed off the tablet for the first time last night and is set to launch it early 2011 in the U.S., with an international rollout due later in the year.
The PlayBook is a smaller, lighter device than Apple’s iPad, which kicked-started the tablet market when it launched in April.
It will have a 7-inch screen, making it half the size of Apple's device, and weigh about 0.9 pounds to the iPad's 1.5 pounds. And unlike the iPAd, it will have two cameras, front and back.
RIM President and Co-Chief Executive Officer Mike Lazaridis announces the new BlackBerry PlayBook
The PlayBook will be able to act as a second, larger screen for a BlackBerry phone, through a secure short-range wireless link. When the connection is severed - perhaps because the user walks away with the phone - no sensitive data like company emails are left on the tablet.
Outside of Wi-Fi range, it will be able to pick up a mobile service like 3G to access the web by linking to a BlackBerry.
But the tablet will also work as a standalone device. RIM co-Chief Executive Jim Balsillie said its goal is to present the full web experience of a computer, including the ability to display Flash, Adobe's format for video and interactive material on the web.
That means the tablet will be less dependent on third-party applications or ‘apps,’ Balsillie said.
‘I don't need to download a YouTube app if I've got YouTube on the Web,’ said Balsillie, who leads the company along with co-CEO Mike Lazaridis.
Tim Renowden, an analyst for Ovum, said: 'The BlackBerry PlayBook certainly looks like a strong contender against Apple’s iPad, at least amongst RIM’s core enterprise customers.
'RIM’s dominance of the enterprise smartphone market has begun to come under pressure from Apple and a range of Android competitors, and since the iPad’s launch there has been a lot of discussion about the role of tablet devices in enterprise and the adoption of consumer devices by business users.
'The danger for RIM is that Apple already has a big head start in the tablet market, and the buzz around its apps and ‘cool factor’ is significant.
'Many business users will want to bring their own iPads into the work environment, so this is going to be a long and hard fought battle for RIM, but an important one as mobile devices become an increasingly important part of doing business.'
The new PlayBook is smaller than the iPad
The new BlackBerry PlayBook, a touchscreen tablet, will be launched next year, it was announced last night
Apple boss Steve Jobs has resisted allowing Flash on any of the company's mobile gadgets, arguing the software has too many bugs and uses up too much battery power. ‘Much of the market has been defined in terms of how you fit the web to mobility,’ Balsillie said.
‘What we're launching is really the first mobile product that is designed to give full web fidelity.’
The PlayBook is a move by RIM to protect its position as the top provider of mobile gadgets for business users.
Balsillie says he has had briefings with company chief information officers and ‘this is hands-down, slam-dunk what they're looking for.’
Analysts agree that RIM's close relationship with its corporate clients could help the company establish a comfortable niche in the tablet market despite Apple's early lead.
‘We do think that RIM has a play with enterprise customers because it has established relationships with so many businesses, and its technology is so deeply integrated with their IT departments,’ IDC analyst Susan Kevorkian said.
RIM is using a new operating system, built by QNX Software Systems, which it took over earlier this year, to harness the power of the tablet, but Balsillie said it will run existing apps for BlackBerry phones.
IDC predicts that the corporate market for tablet computers will grow as a portion of overall sales over the next few years. The firm forecasts that roughly 11 percent of overall tablet shipments, or 6.5 million units, will be to businesses, government agencies or schools by 2014.
That would be up from just 2 percent, or 300,000 units, this year. And that figure does not include those who buy tablet computers on their own and use them for work.
RIM doesn't want the PlayBook to be just for work - the company invited video game maker Electronic Arts to help introduce the Playbook at an event in San Francisco on Monday - but it's clear that its advantages will lie in the work arena.
Apple’s iPad sold three million units within its first 80 days and has spurred other manufacturers on to create their own versions of a tablet computer.
The iPad has prompted a wave of competitors, so RIM won't be alone going after the tablet market. Computer maker Dell came out with its own tablet computer in August called the Streak.
Samsung plans to launch the Galaxy Tab next month and has already lined up all four major U.S. carriers to sell it and provide wireless service for it.
Cisco is also going after business customers with a tablet called the Cius early next year.
Demonstration: Developers at the Chiba Institute in Japan have designed Core to carry loads of up to 15 stone. The robot could eventually be used to carry elderly or disabled people
She can be described as being 6ft2in tall, thoroughly modern, and in possession of a remarkable pair of legs.
Furthermore, if asked to carry around weights of up to 15 stone, she'll take it in her stride.
But she's not a super-strong supermodel... she (or, more accurately, it) is the latest innovation from the robotics boffins at the Chiba Institute of Technology, in Japan.
Adaptable: The robot is fitted with 12 shock absorbers, can bend its knees (left) and is also able to walk around
The robot - rather androgynously called Core - is essentially just a pair of legs, which are able to bend and move around.
Crucially, the legs are topped by a platform that can be loaded with weights of up to 15st7lb (100kg).
It comes complete with shock absorbers and weighs in at around 36 stone.
At the moment the device is only a prototype, but developers believe Core could be used on building sites or even to move disabled people around.
Some bloggers have also speculated that the robot could have military purposes. The team at Chiba hope to have a fully finished mobility robot by 2012.
Stage one: This might tickle a bit... Dr Torres spray paints the model's shoulder and torso. Both wear goggles to protect their eyes
Rummaging in a drawer, grabbing a T- shirt and slipping it over your head would certainly be simpler. But some of us are willing to put a little more effort into our wardrobes.
The result? A shirt that fits so snugly it looks as if it has been sprayed on to the body. Actually, it has.
Thanks to a liquid mixture made of cotton fibres we could soon be spraying ourselves into everything from T-shirts, dresses, trousers to swim-wear and hats.
Fabrican - literally fabric in an aerosol can - is the brainchild of Spanish designer Dr Manel Torres who has spent ten years working on his invention.
In a video demonstrating how it works, he sprays a blue and white T-shirt on to a model in just under 15 minutes.
Drying as soon as it hits his skin, the garment can be taken off, washed and re-worn.
Dr Torres teamed up with Paul Luckham, Professor of Particle Technology at Imperial College London, to create Fabrican, which consists of cotton fibres, polymers (the plastics which hold them together) and solvents which keep it in liquid form.
Stage two: Thank goodness I didn't ask for a suit... The fabric, drying fast, is already showing a couple of creases on the model's torso
Stage three: Plain white's so yesterday... Dr Torres decides to add a fetching splatter of blue to brighten things up a little
When you get bored with your creation it can be dissolved and the material used again to make something new or repair old designs.
Dr Torres said the idea was to be able to create clothes instantly and cheaply, all of which would be a perfect fit.
'I really wanted to make a futuristic, seamless, quick and comfortable material,' he said.
'To show science and technology can help fashion designers, I ended up returning to the principles of the earliest textiles such as felt, which were also produced by taking fibres and finding a way of binding them together without having to weave or stitch.'
Stage 4: A touch to the neckline shows how the fabric dies away from the body
Stage five: The shirt off my back... The garment can be taken off, washed and re-worn
Fabrican is still a couple of years from hitting the shelves.
Dr Torres is working on ways to create more forgiving shapes as not everyone likes their clothes clinging to every curve. He is also trying to minimise the distinct whiff of solvent about the garments.
And although some spray-on designs will be on show at London Fashion Week, the instant fabric could end up being used for everything from bandages to furniture upholstery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQDQKqO44QIendofvid [starttext] By Daily Mail Reporter
RoboThespian can interact with a human audience and speak a pre-programmed script in 15 languages
He speaks 15 languages, has a cheeky sense of humour and can even do impressions. And now this frighteningly life-like robot, built by a small firm in Cornwall, has been bought by Nasa to become a robotic tour guide.
The robot, who is known as RoboThespian, is powered by compressed air and is made almost entirely from aluminium.
Scroll down to watch videos of RoboThespian in action
It was made by Cornish firm Engineered Arts, which has only seven members of staff.
Unlike his rather more macho R2 Robonaut, that will be sent to the International Space Station later this year, RoboThespian will remain firmly Earth-bound.
The RoboThespian comes in three variations, the Lite, Standard and Deluxe versions. It can also be hired for events.
On the firm's website, the Deluxe version comes in at £79,500, which gives access to all of the robot's more advanced features such as powered legs and customisable content.
Nasa is to pay £70,520 for the robot to guide visitors around its Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral.
RoboThespian comes with standard greetings and impressions, to which you can add your own recorded sequences or bespoke content.
Two RoboThespians interact with one another. The robot's astonishingly life-like appearance has convinced Nasa to pay £70,000 for its services
It was first developed by Cornish firm Engineer Arts in 2006 to take part in a Mechanical Theatre production at the Eden Project.
RoboThespian made its official debut at the Association of Science-Technology Centers conference in Los Angeles in 2007 where it performed in a series of film clips and interacted with the audience.
It comes with a touchscreen interface that lets users pre-programme a series of movements.
Will Jackson, boss of makers Engineered Arts, said: 'We're very proud.
'It is a triumph for West Country technical prowess and engineering know-how. We beat some of the best robot-making companies from the US and Japan.'
[starttext] Blaze of glory: Plane spotter Bernardo Malfitano took this stunning photo of the F-22 as it passed overhead during an air show
It looks like a fancy new special smoke effect that would put the the Red Arrows' simple colours to shame.
But this spectacular photograph is simply a remarkable fluke of nature when all the components that were needed to create this kaleidoscope effect were suddenly present.
Keen plane spotter Bernardo Malfitano took the shot and was stunned when he saw the incredible rainbow pouring from behind the F-22 fighter jet.
*** Scroll down for video ***
The picture was taken at the Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California in 2008.
It has only emerged now because it has just won second prize in the Museum of Flight's Spirit of Flight annual photography competition in Seattle.
The effect was enhanced by Mr Malfitano upping the contrast on the original photograph to maximise the rainbow, which had the added effect of making the plane appear like a silhouette.
The aeronautical engineer from Seattle works for Boeing, and he said: 'This is an F-22 at Miramar at the top of a loop.
'He is pulling so many Gs, the low pressure air over the fuselage that is sucking the airplane into the loop gets cold enough for the water to condense.'
Mr Malfitano, who attends around 20 air shows a year, added: 'The angle is just right for sunlight to undergo total internal refraction and make rainbow colours around the airplane.'
The plane is an F-22 fighter jet developed by Lockheed Martin and capable of reaching speeds of Mach 1.82
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTOASwRl3bYendofvid [starttext] By Sean Poulter and Niall Firth
iPad killer? People compare the performance of Apple's iPad (L) and Samsung's Galaxy Tab tablet devices at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin today
Apple faces a killer blow to its iPad after Samsung unveiled its own device amid rumours it could could be just half the price.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab with its seven inch touchscreen is smaller than the iPad, however it matches the Apple device in virtually all other functions.
Initial details suggest some aspects of the Tablet are even more sophisticated than the Apple creation.
At the same time, Apple faces competition from other technology giants which are racing to get their own touchscreen tablets into the shops before Christmas
The iPad has been a phenomenal success, selling three million units within the first 80 days of its launch earlier this year despite its high starting price of £429.
No official prices have yet been announced for the Galaxy Tab, however company officials suggest it could be just £200.
Both the iPad and the Galaxy Tab connect to the internet for free via Wi-fi hot spots.
Importantly, both can also link to the web while on the go via a mobile phone network connection which has to be bought separately either on monthly contract or a pay as you go basis.
Just as the iPhone redefined the smart phone, triggering a raft of lookalike rivals, so the iPad has established a new market for tablet style computers.
It is being placed in a gap between smartphones and the bulkier net books and lap tops.
The details of the Galaxy Tab were made public by the South Korean company today at the IFA technology show in Berlin.
It uses the increasingly popular Android operating system software, which is providing a serious challenge to Apple's own technology.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet comes with multi-touch technology just like Apple's iPad but is considerably smaller
Historically, Apple devices scored because of their stylish looks, ease of use and, particularly, because of the hundreds of thousands of specialist Aps - applications - that could be bought or downloaded for free.
The Aps, which range from simple maps and navigation to games, shopping services and even heart monitors have converted smartphones into a modern day essential.
Duncan Bell, Operations Editor at T3 magazine said: 'With its support for Flash video and cameras front and back – both key features for a lot of punters, missing from the iPad – and iPad-like easy access to music, book and app stores the Samsung Galaxy S matches or surpasses the iPad in most areas.
'My only reservations are on battery life and screen size. The camera and Flash video mean it will almost certainly have significantly shorter battery life than the iPad.
'I also feel Apple got it pretty much bang on with a screen size of 10 inches. The Galaxy’s seven inches isn’t small as such but you’ll miss that extra space when browsing or watching video.
'Pricing will also be key, but it’s hard to envisage a Samsung product costing more than an equivalent Apple one. The Galaxy is the first real competition for the iPad.
If tablets are going to be anything more than an Apple-dominated niche market, a product as good as this really should fly.'
The Samsung Galaxy Tab will embrace augmented reality where the rear camera and GPS are combined to give information about real life surroundings
However, software producers are making the same Aps available to people with smartphones - and now tablets - using the Android system.
The Galaxy's 7-inch screen compares to the larger 9.7in for the iPad. Arguably, this makes it more portable, however the images are necessarily smaller.
One of the advantages of the larger screen is that the iPad has found a niche as an ebook reader, allowing people to download and read books, magazines and newspapers.
Unlike the iPad, the Galaxy Tab has the latest version of the Adobe Flash software, which means it is capable of showing more of the video images found on the internet.
It features a camera on each side of the device, as well as a slot for expandable memory.
Both the iPad and the Galaxy allow people to make video calls, however this is only via a wi-fi link to the internet. Significantly, the Galaxy Tab also has the capability to make mobile phone calls.
The new tablet is an advance on the technology included in Samsung's popular Galaxy S smartphone. The company is also looking at the possibility of a larger 10in screen tablet.
One Samsung product executive said the new tablet will probably sell for between $200 and $300. It is likely to be sold as part of a package incorporating a mobile phone contract.
Simon Stanford, head of mobile for Samsung in the UK and Ireland., said: 'Samsung recognises the tremendous growth potential in this newly created market and we believe that the Samsung Galaxy Tab brings a unique and open proposition to market.'
Samsung's head of product portfolio, Thomas Richter, said:'This is not just another tablet. We call it a Smart Media device.'
Vodafone has announced that it will distribute the device in European markets including the UK in October. It will also be available from others.
Vodafone's Patrick Chomet said: 'Adding tablets as part of our device range is a natural next step that gives customers an alternative way to enjoy great content and internet services.'
The Galaxy Tab has a seven-inch touchscreen, slightly smaller than the iPad's 9.7 inches, and has a rear-mounted camera
Other technology firms PC makers including LG Electronics and Hewlett-Packard are already moving into the new category of devices.
And Dell said last month it was launching its new tablet device called the Dell Streak to U.S. customers.
Apple boss Steve Jobs holds up the new iPad at its launch earlier this year
'Samsung is betting big on the tablet category with this device,' said Ben Wood, research director at CCS Insight, adding the success of Galaxy Tab - which is smaller than iPad with its 9.7-inch screen - will depend on pricing.
'If positioned carefully the Galaxy Tab could emerge as an operator-friendly alternative to Apple's iPad as it could be subsidised to extremely low price points in the run-up to the lucrative holiday sales season,' he said.
Lee said most European operators selling Samsung phones were set to also sell the Tab to their clients, and several operators would sell it in the United States.
Last week research firm iSuppli forecast the iPad will likely account for nearly three-quarters of worldwide tablet shipments this year, and hold at least 70 percent of the market in 2011 and 62 percent by 2012.
Samsung said the market was far from fixed yet.
'The market opportunity is wide open. We believe our Galaxy Tab will fill the big white space,' said YH Lee.
The Tab comes with an application called the ‘Readers Hub,’ Samsung’s unique e-reading application, which provides easy access to a vast digital library – from classical literature to the latest bestsellers and reference materials.
The new device also uses Swype technology which lets users type by sliding their fingers across the screen.
The AQUA robot uses flippers to move and now will no longer need to be tethered
Until now the robot has receive d instructions using a lead connected to a computer - now it can be controlled wirelessly
