How robot hands can use the environment to manipulate objects
Human hands remain far more dexterous than their mechanical counterparts, but we doubt manufacturers would replace basic pincers with expensive robotic arm technologies. Since it’s darn hard and costly to develop or buy a machine that can replicate what the human hand can do, a team of MIT scientists has developed a technique that could give even simple robotic grippers the power to do more complex movements. The approach called “extrinsic dexterity” makes use of walls, furniture or anything else around to help robots perform a particular task. In the video below the fold, for instance, a pincer changes a metallic cylindrical bar’s orientation (from horizontal to vertical) by picking it up and tapping it against a wall a couple of times — just watch the clip to see how quickly the whole thing goes down.
In addition, the system can compute for the amount of force a robot needs to exert to accomplish its goal, so the machine can avoid accidentally crushing everything it holds. This is probably a bit too simplistic at this point for institutions developing bionic arms/hands for amputees. But as one of the team’s leaders, Alberto Rodriguez, said, this method can be very useful for companies, schools and other organizations that can’t afford “a $100,000 hand that is very complex to use.” Rodriguez and his team are now exploring the idea further, hoping to find a way for basic grippers to make use of flat surfaces like tabletops to roll objects.
Filed under:
Robots
Source:
MIT
Tags: MIT, research, robot
ICYMI: 3D-printed meds, old-man exoskeleton and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: An exoskeleton to mimic the effects of aging is teaching empathy and also, helping engineers develop technology to help older people. 3D-printed medication is officially happening, now that the U.S. FDA has given its approval to a drug manufacturer. And the world’s biggest plane is being built which is intended to launch satellites into orbit.
And from our opening welcome: Did you hear about the study that says indoor air conditioning is calibrated to men’s bodies and that’s why many women freeze at work? If only there were a tech solution to this basic problem (looking at you, smarty pants Engadget readers).
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
Filed under:
Misc, Meta, Peripherals, Robots, Transportation, Wearables, Science, Internet
Tags: 3D printed, 3D printed food, 3D printed guns, 3D printed medication, ag, age exoskeleton, age suit, aging population, air conditioning, Disney, Drones, engadget daily show, engadget video, exoskeleton, FDA, fun with drones, Genworth Financial, Human Torch, icymi, In Case You Missed It, plane, sexism, sexism at work, video, worlds biggest plane
Sony starts pushing out update for the Xperia M4 Aqua in Asia and Europe to fix overheating issues
Sony is currently rolling out an update for the dual-SIM variant of the Xperia M4 Aqua in Asia and Europe to fix the heating issues that some users have been experiencing. This bumps the build number up to 26.1.B.2.102 and comes a couple of weeks after the company acknowledged that the integrated Snapdragon 615 chipset was the reason for the devices overheating problem.
As is the norm, this upgrade is being distributed in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device to hit your unit, you could always search for the update manually. To do so simply open the Settings app, scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”, hit “System Updates”, then select “Check for updates”. Once done, the upgrade will start downloading from Sony’s servers.
Come comment on this article: Sony starts pushing out update for the Xperia M4 Aqua in Asia and Europe to fix overheating issues
Xbox 360 update will make it just as social as the Xbox One
With Windows 10, Microsoft is all about the Xbox integration. Xbox 360 preview users can now see gaming activity from Windows 10, Xbox One and of course, their Xbox 360. The feeds show achievements, broadcasts, screenshots, text posts and GameDVR clips from you or people you follow. You can then share or comment on directly from the console, or create a new post. The Xbox One has had that feature since February, but as one Major Nelson commenter put it, at least Microsoft isn’t forgetting its old warhorse completely. The feature has only rolled out to Xbox 360 preview program participants, but everyone else will likely see it with the next regular update.
Filed under:
Gaming, Microsoft
Source:
Major Nelson
Tags: Activity Feeds, Major Nelson, microsoft, Preview, Xbox, Xbox 360
Google and AT&T join in Apple iMessage lawsuit
After users discovered Apple’s iMessage platform contained an alleged “bug” that prevented users from receiving some text messages after switching to an Android phone, some former Apple customers filed a lawsuit alleging Apple’s actions were illegal. Apple has been fighting off the claims, mostly in secret, even as they launched a tool to help customers make the transition from iPhones to Android smartphones. The stakes may have ratcheted up a bit recently as both Google and AT&T have filed motions with the federal courts to access materials being filed during the lawsuit’s discovery phase.
AT&T’s involvement is noteworthy as previous reports from Apple and AT&T employees have claimed Android phones were returned by customers so they could go back to an iPhone after trying to switch. Depending on how well this can be proved, Apple could be facing some additional claims related to interfering with the market and consumer protections. Thus far the claimants in the lawsuit are focused on showing Apple accessed text messages improperly or illegally and violated laws like the Stored Communications Act and the Federal Wiretap Act.
Court watchers have noted the tech giants have specifically requested an email sent to CEO Tim Cook on April 28, 2013, amongst a group of internal communications. The list of individuals who have provided affidavits, depositions or other information includes lots of engineers and software experts and these are the individuals Google and AT&T are focused on thus far, suggesting the companies are not only seeking to figure out who knew what and when, but technically how Apple was identifying and stopping messages intended for Android phone users.
source: Business Insider
Come comment on this article: Google and AT&T join in Apple iMessage lawsuit
OnePlus launches charitable auction for OnePlus 2 invites
The OnePlus invite system used to obtain their smartphones, including their latest OnePlus 2 that was recently announced, is loved by some and hated by others. Whatever consumers may think though, OnePlus seems to think it is an effective way to sell their devices. In the past the company has made some missteps in developing campaigns to give away some invites as a way to increase interest, but they may have learned from those incidences. Their latest contest is called “Invites for a Cause” and will help raise money for the UNICEF Tap Project.
OnePlus is working with eBay through the Giving Works system to auction off 100 invites, fifty each day for two days. All of the proceeds will benefit the UNICEF Tap Project. The UNICEF Tap Project brings clean, safe water to underprivileged children around the globe.
The auctions work like a typical eBay auction where users submit their bids and try to end up on top when time runs out, which is slated to happen on August 8th. The invites are a little bit different from a normal invite though as OnePlus is only giving the winners one week to claim the invite and then one month to make their purchase of a new OnePlus 2 smartphone. The invites will be for the Sandstone Black version with 64GB of storage. OnePlus does indicate bidders need to be certain their shipping address is in a country where OnePlus can ship to.
source: OnePlus
via: Android Authority
Come comment on this article: OnePlus launches charitable auction for OnePlus 2 invites
LG’s Lollipop-powered Wine Smart flip phone goes global
Sometimes, you just have to go retro. That apparently is LG’s strategy with the release of its new clamshell smartphone, the Wine Smart, or as it’s known in Korea, the LG Gentle. Unlike the clamshell devices we used 10 years ago, though, the LG Wine Smart runs the Android operating system and carries a touch-screen display.
As you can see from the image above, the LG Wine Smart is available in navy blue and burgundy. Let’s see what this competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Folder has to offer in the way of specifications.
Specifications:
- Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
- 3.2-Inch HVGA display (480 x 320)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 Quad-core processor @ 1.1GHz
- 1GB RAM
- 4GB Internal storage
- MicroSD card support
- 3MP Rear camera
- VGA Front camera
- Networks: 4G/LTE, HSPA+, 3G
- Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0
- Dimensions: 117.7 x 58.7 16.6mm
- Weight: 143 grams
- Battery: 1,700mAh (removable)
The LG Wine Smart isn’t going to be winning any benchmark contests anytime soon, but then again, if you are looking for a clamshell, your requirements are probably different to the rest of us. The Wine Smart features larger than normal icons on the home screen along with the large 3 x 4 physical numeric keypad. There’s a navigation button as well as hotkeys for accessing frequently used functions such as the phone dialer, address book, messages or camera. While it only has 4GB of internal storage, it does have MicroSD card support, which gives it one advantage over the soon to be announced Galaxy Note 5 perhaps if the rumoured specifications are correct.
Chris Yie, the vice president of marketing communications for LG Mobile, had this to say about the Wine Smart handset:
“Our goal with LG Wine Smart was to create a smartphone that fans of flip phones could embrace. Consumers shouldn’t have to miss out on the smartphone revolution because they prefer a particular phone design over another. With LG Wine Smart, they won’t have to.”
If you are busy wondering where you can find one of these wondrous devices, you can rest easy knowing that LG plans to release the Wine Smart clamshell smartphone in countries such as France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Japan and Kazakhstan, among others. As for how much it will cost, LG says that pricing details will be announced when the handset is launched in the relevant markets, although to get an idea of how much, the Wine Smart is priced at $170 in Korea.
Source: LG
Come comment on this article: LG’s Lollipop-powered Wine Smart flip phone goes global
BT exclusive ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ to premiere on August 31st
When BT announced it had teamed up with AMC to bring exclusive US shows to the UK, all eyes were on when Fear The Walking Dead, a new spin-off of the popular zombie drama The Walking Dead, would reach our screens. Turns out we’ll only have to wait a few more weeks for the BT exclusive to make its debut, after the broadcaster shared news that the show will premiere on August 31st at 9pm.
Fear The Walking Dead will come as part of a new “AMC from BT” channel, which launches on August 28th. The US TV company has already promised to premiere drama series Rectify for the first time in the UK and will air other “soon to be announced dramas from AMC Networks in addition to series from other leading producers.” If you’re already a BT TV customer, the AMC from BT channel will be available for free and it’ll automatically show up in your planner when it launches at the end of the month.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment, HD
Source:
BT
Tags: amc, bt, channel, fear the walking dead, hdpostcross, the walking dead
EE recalls Power Bar chargers over fire risks
EE’s free Power Bar portable chargers have been incredibly popular with customers, but recently a medical student was left with nasty burns after one exploded while charging. And it can’t be coincidence that EE has just issued a recall request for all Power Bars sporting the model number E1-06. EE says it’s “identified a very small number of incidents where Power Bars have overheated,” isolated to this specific batch number, which Mobile News believes accounts for half a million units. The carrier warns these Power Bars “could pose a fire safety risk,” advises that customers stop using them immediately, and asks they turn them in at their nearest EE store. Returned units will be replaced once EE has figured out what’s going on with the bad batch. The network operator believes Power Bars with different model numbers are perfectly safe, but it’s still putting a temporary stop to the swap-in-shop program while it recalls and restocks.
Ty @EE for the powerbar which exploded, almost burned down our house+left my hand like this: #Firework pic.twitter.com/MRzdsbj52P
— Katy Emslie (@kemslie89) July 24, 2015
Source:
EE
Tags: ee, eepowerbar, mobilepostcross, PortableCharger, powerbar, uk-feature
Amazon’s UK Instant Video iOS app now supports HD streaming
With Amazon Instant Video set to become the new home of the Top Gear team, we’re sure many of you are looking at the value of a Prime subscription in a new light. And if you needed a little more persuading, perhaps the new features Amazon’s added to its Instant Video app for iOS will be enough push you over the edge. Most importantly, the updated app now lets you stream content to iDevices in high definition, a mobile feature previously reserved for Amazon’s Fire Phone and select Fire tablets. The other major change is you can now stream over mobile networks, not just WiFi, bringing the iOS app up to date with its Android counterpart. If these new features ring a bell, it’s probably because the iOS update dropped over in the US a few months ago, but better late than never — especially if you’re looking forward to Clarkson & Co returning to your screens next year. Let’s hope he can keep his fists to himself this time.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Software, HD, Mobile, Amazon
Source:
Amazon Instant Video (App Store)
Tags: amazon, AmazonInstantVideo, hdpostcross, mobilepostcross
