site map

news & archives

science & technology

C O L O U R K E 'Y

mechanical lobster robots

Robot mechnical lobsters. Image credit: US Navy

“Although they are far from ready to be deployed as marine pollution fighters or mine detectors, Grasso's robotic lobsters have demonstrated that the concept is valid and worthy of further investment of research funding and effort. His first robot, called RoboLobster, successfully tracked plumes from more than 32 feet in laboratory conditions, where the flow of the turbulence and plumes could be controlled." [Quoted from http://www.ehponline.org/members/]

Robot mechnical lobster. Image credit: US Navy

“[...] nature has done all the work and figured out that the lobster's design is perfect for operating in heavy surf. The lobster is able to maneuver inside the surf zone where the water is very rough," she said. "We want to know, How does it do that and keep from being knocked around?" [Quoted from abcnews.go.com]

advertising
disclaimer

advertising
disclaimer

advertising
disclaimer

design and technology - saving 10 ounces on a bike frame

SLT lightweight bike. Image credit: PezCycling News

“The detail in this case - was weight. BMC weighed the SLT (55cm) frame in at 1260 grams (2.74 lbs). And while the Phonak boys were equipped to bring the bike in at UCI minimums by using various ultra-light parts, the rest of the bike- buying public was apparently more vocal about wanting a frame that could be part of an even lighter bike. "Make it lighter!" was the cry heard at BMC hq in Grenchen Switzerland.

“BMC says the new SLC01 frame weighs in at 960 grams (2.11 lbs), and that, my non-conversion savvy friends, is almost 2/3 of a pound lighter (that’s 10 whole fat ounces!) than the SLT01.”
—
“ [...] the 51cm test bike at 16.8 pounds with Shimano pedals and 2 cages. Price: $3650 US - frame/ fork/ headset”

The vital importance of ounces
Pushing 10 ounces for 100 miles is like pushing 1000 ounces for 1 mile! That’s 62.5 lbs, more that half a hundredweight, or over 28 kgs. [28.35 grams =1 ounce]

related material
interesting light-weight concept - a low consumption, high performance, cheap car

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/science0602.php#bike_frame_250306

red feathers in parrots and other bird colouring

“However, through a complex series of HPLC studies of the red feathers in 44 species of parrots (of more than 350 total species, 80% of which have red plumage), McGraw and co-researcher Mary Nogare found a unique set of five molecules responsible for the red coloring in the feathers, called polyneal lipochromes, or psittacofulvins. The extraction of these tightly bound pigments in the feathers was non-trivial and was mostly responsible for McGraw's successful discoveries”
—
“ An independent study cited by McGraw suggests that the red pigments in parrots can act as anti-oxidants to quench free radicals and potentially protect cells and tissues within the parrots from oxidative damage-it can make them healthy. So the next logical question posed by McGraw was how the coloring in birds acted on their social behavior. Is the coloring just a function of the bird's health or can it be used as a sexual trait? In this study, McGraw looked at the relationship of coloring in barn swallows.”
—
“[...] experimentally altered their mates' appearance to make his feathers more colorful," says McGraw in a recently published study for Science. This was the first time that female birds were found to make mating decisions based on the changing qualities of their mate.”

interesting light-weight concept - a low consumption, high performance, cheap car

A concept car, but the company, Loremo, actually seem to intend to build it. The car is half the weight of a conventional car.

Light-weight concept car from Loremo. Image credit: Loremo

safety

“Its great crumple zone and its stiff passenger cell make Loremo more than safe.

“Loremo's linear cell structure meets all static requirements to crash safety and driving dynamics. This structure weighs only 95 kg and consists of only few sheets metal parts and can thus be produced at very low cost.”

Video showing a 50 km/h collision with a static barrier having a 40 % overlap. The dashboard is deformed by approximately 150 mm only.

now murdoch says fossil media is dying

“It is difficult, indeed dangerous, to underestimate the huge changes this revolution will bring or the power of developing technologies to build and destroy - not just companies but whole countries.”

“Most tellingly, the company spent $400m on MySpace.com, the social networking phenomenon that has proved hugely popular with 35m regular users on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr Murdoch has undergone a Damascene conversion, admitting he hugely underestimated the power of the web. He said last night: "It is a creative, destructive technology that is still in its infancy, yet breaking and remaking everything in its path. We are all on a journey, not just the privileged few, and technology will take us to a destination that is defined by the limits of our creativity, our confidence and our courage." ”