Dec 8 2009

UK man builds life-sized Dalek, furthers intergalactic evil

Sci-fi fandom and the DIY ethic go hand in hand — and for evidence, you need only look at the large number of Star Trek and Star Wars-themed projects we’ve seen in this space over the years. Still, few of them have achieved the scope of the full-sized Dalek that Rob Bosher built for about £700 (roughly $1,140). Powered by an electric wheelchair and constructed mostly from wood, this guy can be piloted via remote control and even features working lights, a moving eye (a reconstituted magic eight ball) and a voice modulator for the creepy, alien order to “exterminate.” When not trying to slowly (very slowly) populate the earth with a robot army bent on universal conquest and destruction, Bosher hopes to use his project to make money for regional charities.

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UK man builds life-sized Dalek, furthers intergalactic evil originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 20 2009

Dynamic Controls unveils integrated iPhone app for wheelchair controls

Dynamic Controls has just taken the wraps off of its new iPhone application which should be of great interest to those who use a wheelchair on a daily basis. The application — which connects with the wheelchair via Bluetooth and has a built-in charger for the iPhone or iPod touch — enables diagnostics to check for any problems with the chair. It also allows users to get real-time information, speed information, and compass data.

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Dynamic Controls unveils integrated iPhone app for wheelchair controls originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 10 2009

NSF backs development of laser-guided robot wheelchairs

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/NSF_backs_development_of_laser_guided_robot_wheelchairs’; It’s been well over a year since we last saw the laser-guided, self-docking wheelchair developed by folks at Lehigh University, and now the team is back with an altogether more ambitious project. According to associate professor John Spletzer, the recipient of a five-year CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation, the goal is to “extend the autonomy of the wheelchair so it can navigate completely in an urban setting and take you wherever you need to go.” This will be done by equipping robotic chairs with laser and camera sensors (which the team developed for the 2007 DARPA Grand Challenge) as well as exhaustive, Google Street View-esque maps of the city where they will be operating. Of course, these guys will be operating in a busy urban environment, so in addition to large-scale 3D maps, they must be equipped with motion planning features for operating in dense crowds and a changing environment. It’s too soon yet to say when these things might become available commercially, but if you’re a resident of the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown, PA, you might have your chance to test one soon enough.

[Via PhysOrg]

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NSF backs development of laser-guided robot wheelchairs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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