An unusual robot designed by professor David Zarrouk at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is capable of changing its shape to overcome obstacles, allowing it to roll around on wheels, crawl like a turtle, and even flip itself over to traverse difficult terrain. The RSTAR (Rising Sprawl-Tuned Autonomous Robot) features sprawling wheel-leg assembly, which allows its body to move separately from its legs, thus changing its center of gravity to overcome obstacles and even climb walls. According to Zarrouk, “The RSTAR is ideal for search and rescue operations in unstructured environments, such as collapsed buildings or flooded areas, where it must adapt and overcome a variety of successive obstacles…
We talked with the founder of Hooke Audio, Anthony Mattana, in a crazily candid interview on July 27, 2018. His invention, the Hooke Verse, brings binaural 3D audio recording capability to all of us consumers. Read on to learn more about 3D audio tech and hear how Anthony bootstrapped the %*&# out of his HW startup. If you work in hardware, in a startup, or just need some serious inspiration in general, do yourself a favor and listen to his story! Special Offer Hooke Audio exists to bring affordable 3D audio recording capability to the masses, and Mattana is making it even more affordable for SolidSmack readers because you’re awesome.…
Even though they’ve come a long way in a short amount of time, no search and rescue robot can truly replace the skillset of a human fireman—at least, not yet. Apart from better decision-making skills, humans aren’t as clumsy when it comes to lifting heavy loads off of disaster victims. Still, they are only human, and with this limitation comes the inability to traverse overly hazardous terrain and carry more than the human body is capable of. Created by the Humanoids and Human Centered Mechatronics Lab at the Italian Institute of Technology, the Centauro project is a four-legged, anthropomorphic robot controlled by a human operator using a telepresence suit that provides situational…
Mondays might not be your favorite day of the week, but the good news is that we’re all in this together ladies and gentlemen. As purveyors of prime Grade A web content, the SolidSmack crew has done some of the heavy-lifting to make sure you get your Mondays started on the right track. Welcome to The Monday List. Every Monday, we link you up with some of the most insightful, informative, and socially-relevant stories to keep tabbed, bookmarked, reading listed, pocketed, or what have you to get your week started on the right foot. Be sure to check in each week for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight…
For a deposit of just $6,384 down, you can reserve one of Sarolea’s Manx7 all-electric super-bikes, which boasts 204hp, a top speed of 150mph, and a range of 200-miles before needing a recharge. Of course, if you want to ride the motorcycle, you will need to pony up another $49,312 on delivery. Only 250 of the hand-made bikes will hit the market, which comes equipped with the latest technology, including an all-carbon-fiber monocoque frame and an air-cooled brushless DC 3-phase electric motor, which has only one moving piece- the rotor. There are three versions of the Manx7, with the only difference being the Lithium-ion 400v energy-dense battery system’s output and…
When we last saw YouTube creator ThisOldTony, his basic rear framework for a chainsaw-powered go kart was up and ready for action. Everything seemed to be going well… until he turned it on for the first time. As it turned out, the worn chainsaw and sprockets were just too far gone and sensitive for any normal chain to power them for more than 30 seconds. So Tony finally gives in to a reasonable solution: buy new parts. Thanks to the wonders of eBay, Tony was able to replace the old 46cc chainsaw motor and sprockets with newer, safer versions. The 50cc engine, in particular, runs at a lower rotation speed…