We all know that there's high comedic value in fails. Especially when the things that are failing are not meant to fail... like robots. Simone Gietrz makes robots that have potential but were never really meant to succeed, and watching Simone "use" them will make you laugh harder than anything else you have seen today. Promise. You should probably just watch all of her hilarious videos on her YouTube channel. If you like to watch things exploding, check out NASA's test megarocket fuel tank exploding with liquid nitrogen. It's pretty cool.
robotics
It's that time of the week: time for things to go right, to tick like clockwork. It's mechanical GIF time! Sometimes there's nothing more satisfying than watching a few GIFs of machines doing things correctly and efficiently (especially when life doesn't go that way). Enjoy.
The word 'robot' generally has negative connotations attached to it, but MIT's mini cheetah robots are absolutely adorable. MITBiomimetic Robotics students recently took the dog-sized robots out for a play on the university lawn, and the result was way cuter than we expected. The robots aren't designed to just be cute and play soccer - they were built with the purpose to save lives with elderly care, deliveries and emergency response.
The mini cheetahs can run up to 5 miles per hour, flip themselves over if fallen, and they're relatively cheap to make and repair. Controlled with remotes, the agility of these robots has not been seen in robotics before. The next hurdle for the team is to build cameras onto the robots, enabling them to walk around without being remotely controlled by humans. But for now, they're delighful to watch.
Most of the time, life doesn't go as smoothly as we want it to. Life has nasty little surprises around the corner. But there are some things that will always work like clockwork: machines. There are no nasty surprises with machines. No getting caught in the rain without an umbrella. No parking fines on your windscreen. No dropping your toast on the floor face down. None of that. Mechanical things are dependable. Predictable. So here are ten mechanical GIFs of things working that will satisfy your innate desire for order.
This adorable gadget that offers the sweetness and presence of a cat or a dog to anyone who can't own a pet (as it's often the case in apartments in Japan) or just misses him when he is away. It will sure tag its way into your heart.
Japanese company Yukai Engineering has studied the behavior of cats and dogs as far as the effects on the movements of their tails and came up with Qoobo: a soft, round cushion with a robotic tail that reacts to strokes, just as a loving pet would."Tails: a communication tool that doesn't require words," the demo video begins. It goes on to show everyone who might find peace with the "cushion-tailed therapy robot": young people living alone in immaculate apartments, children, the elderly. The process to healing is easy: just give it a good pat and watch the cushion's tail wag softly in response. It'll also wag and curl the tail on its own, via an accelerometer in the pillow.
Via Acid Cow
Cash Cayen was interesting in signing up for a robotics class at Timmins Public Library in Ontario, Canada, but she was unable to attend because the class is labeled as "boys only." Cash Cayen then took matters into her own hands and started a petition. Now anyone between the ages of 9 and 12 can sign up for the class because she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Via Acid Cow
Cash Cayen was interesting in signing up for a robotics class at Timmins Public Library in Ontario, Canada, but she was unable to attend because the class is labeled as "boys only." Cash Cayen then took matters into her own hands and started a petition. Now anyone between the ages of 9 and 12 can sign up for the class because she wouldn't take no for an answer.
