Coral is a range of products from Google Research that allows you to create your own AI projects for prototype or production products. They share occasional projects they’ve cooked up in the lab, publishing most recently a teachable sorter project that uses machine learning to sort objects, specifically marshmellow cereal. Gautam Bose and Lucas Ochoa created the contraption to sort their favorite cereal, separating the marshmellows bits from the icky non-marshmellow bits. Overall, it’s a pretty clever (and simple) bit of AI mechanism making. There are four components to the device: the Singulator (where all the bits to sort are separated into each item), the Decider (that views each item…

There’s now at least one new app that takes advantage of Apple’s new LIDAR capability. A few months ago Apple unexpectedly announced a new iPad Pro model equipped with LIDAR. LIDAR is a range-sensing technology that is often used in high-end equipment for 3D scanning, particularly for landscapes. Seeing it appear in an affordable consumer tablet was quite a shock. Apple’s intention was to provide additional sensor information to aid their Augmented Reality operations. In other words, when you’re pasting that virtual IKEA couch in your living room view, the couch is positioned more accurately. LiDAR 3D Scanning App However, the presence of a new 3D scanning sensor in an…

If you’ve ever seen a renovation or construction in progress, you’ll know one of the biggest problems is working around large trees. Unlike shrubs or grass, it’s more difficult to pick up and replant a tree. This usually leads to one of two solutions: either work around the tree or cut it down. But the folks at Environmental Design have come up with a third solution by asking a simple question: “Why not just move the tree?” Large Tree Transport For years, the company has used their patented ArborLift process to transport large trees to more ideal locations. Instead of using cranes and heavy supports, the ArborLift uses a series…

What do horror, romance, and desert island movies have in common? Not a lot, except the idea that at any time, people can get stranded in the wilderness. Or a cave in the middle of a storm. No cell service, just the clothes on their back, and maybe a pocket knife and a moldy cracker for survival. In these situations, what’s more reliable than a handy light source for slogging through dark forest floors? The only correct answer is a hands-free light source. And that’s where the GearLight headlamp comes in. GearLight LED Headlamp – $13.99 Admittedly, there are many non-life-threatening situations where you might need a sturdy headlamp. But…

For those of you who don’t have the free time to play them, Cuphead is a side-scrolling, run-and-gun videogame created by StudioMDHR for the Xbox One and PC back in 2017. Heavily inspired by old 1930s cartoons, the game is famous for its hand-drawn animations, authentic watercolor backgrounds, and jazz music. To commemorate the game’s 2020 release on the PlayStation 4, the Toronto-based Stop Motion Department worked in collaboration with the game’s creators to produce a launch trailer worthy of the game’s unique aesthetic: The whole trailer just oozes 1930s nostalgia – from the puppets to the stop motion animation… even the heavy film grain effects seem straight out of…

We all enjoy a good bike ride, and with modern smartphones providing you with a handheld GPS, it’s hard to get lost in a city or out in the wilderness. And with the dawn of 3D printed e-bikes with onboard GPS, who has to worry? But even with all the advances in technology, it’s still a bother to have to trust your smart-cycle or look at your phone to see where you’re going. While you can turn on your GPS’s voice aid, you still need somewhere to place your phone while on your bike, scooter, or… Segway?? Why not. Surely there’s a simpler solution. The Loop Mount is a simple…