Police in the wealthy United Arab Emirates plan to introduce interactive patrolling bots by 2017, and says “fully intelligent robots” could be on the force by the end of the decade.
Microsoft have just released a toolkit to develop interactive experiences using projection mapping and a Kinect sensor. Whilst the demonstration shows how this can be used in the home, it is obvious this could be used for art installations:
From the Kinect For Windows Blog:
As highlighted during the Build 2015 Conference,
Microsoft is more committed than ever to delivering innovative
software, services, and devices that are changing the way people use
technology and opening up new scenarios for developers. Perhaps no
software reflects that commitment better than the RoomAlive Toolkit,
whose release was announced Thursday, April 30, in a Build 2015 talk. The toolkit is now available for download on GitHub.
The RoomAlive Toolkit enables developers to network one or more
Kinect sensors to one or more projectors and, by so doing, to project
interactive experiences across the surfaces of an entire room. The
toolkit provides everything needed to do interactive projection mapping,
which enables an entirely new level of engagement, in which interactive
content can come to virtual life on the walls, the floor, and the
furniture. Imagine turning a living room into a holodeck or a factory
floor—the RoomAlive toolkit makes such scenarios possible.
Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!
Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!
A look at what has been developed with Google’s Project Tango tech (which is planned to arrive to the consumer by the end of the year) - 3D scanning, accurate indoor positioning, Augmented Reality and more, all planned for future smartphones and tablets:
Brett Breckon, graphic artist and motorcyclist from the United Kingdom, often paints women and motorcycles with a classic touch.
While he began working with an airbrush, he’s since moved on to using mostly oils. His paintings and illustrations are dreamy, multi-dimensional, and often have an antique style. Personally, he rides an older BMW.
“I was an avid user of the airbrush, and my portfolio was full of chrome and metal, rock and roll, in search of a mythical recent Shangri La. Time moved on, and hasn’t stopped doing so. Now the airbrush gathers dust, and instead, with oils or gouache, I joust with knights, fly with dragons and race with angels on motorbikes. Sometimes colour takes a pillion seat and I branch out in stark black and white, the change is enthralling, a darker side emerges. And now there are computers – colouring-in with no mess, a digital fusion of my line art and unrestricted palette. I’m enjoying the ride, can’t wait to see what’s around the next sweeping corner…“
Huntress Angel by Brett Breckon
His piece, “Huntress Angel”, above, features a frosty cupid like charachter with an elaborate corset and pink tinted hair standing with two vintage Vincent motorcycles splashed with mud.
The behind the scenes process photos from this piece give some great insight into the [already obvious] level of detail in his art.
My first introduction to his work was when I found the Little Queenie illustration featuring the fiery redhead flipping the bird.
Mervyn O’Gorman (1871-1958) is best known as one of the greatest British engineers, and during WW1 was head of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. O’Gorman was also known as an early pioneer of color photography, and was an artist in addition to his interest aeronautics. Many of his images are included in exhibitions referencing early color photography, including this dreamlike series of his daughter Christina using the Autochrome process in 1913. The Autochrome process, patented in 1903, was the first fully practical single-plate color process that was accessible to the public.
The beach images are from Lulworth Cove, Dorset and feature her in a bright red swimming costume—a color the early process captured well. Christina is also captured in red in every other scene, drawing the eye immediately to the subject and her long strawberry blonde hair. The up-close image of Christina has an oddly modern feel as her clothing is hard to pin to a singular time period. O’Gorman’s wife Florence and second daughter are featured in the last portrait, the photographer’s camera box seen just to the left of his family. (via PetaPixel, Mashable, and National Media Museum)
A new study suggests that RTS,S/AS01, the prime candidate for a malaria vaccine and the first one to reach large-scale clinical testing, is partially effective especially among young African children for a period of up to four years after vaccination. The vaccine could potentially prevent millions of cases of clinical malaria, particularly in areas of high transmission like sub-Saharian Africa, and in the age group in which malaria is known to be the most lethal...
Continue Reading Malaria vaccine candidate shown to prevent thousands of cases
A deep concern for the welfare of livestock animals is at the heart of Second Livestock. Our Animal-Computer Interfaces and Virtual Environments are tailored to meets the needs and desires of each species.
Animals do not experience the world quite like humans and what may be important features for a human in a virtual environment may be inconsequential or perhaps even threatening for another species. We have consulted with experts who understand what the optimal virtual environment would look like for each animal and have tailored our environments to allow our birds to have a fulfilling existence.
