Skydive From Space Update 3

It is a sad sad day.

Red Bull GmbH and Red Bull North America Inc have decided to stop the Red Bull Stratos programme with immediate effect.

Felix Baumgartner had been scheduled to undertake a stratospheric balloon flight to 120,000ft (36.5km) and attempt a freefall jump that would, for the first time, reach supersonic speeds, as well as deliver valuable scientific data.

Despite the fact that many other people over the past 50 years have tried to break Colonel (Ret) Joe Kittinger's altitude record, and that other individuals have sought to work with Red Bull in an attempt to break his record, Daniel Hogan claims to own certain rights to the project and filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit earlier this year in a Californian court.

That "Mr. Hogan" is apparently one Daniel Hogan, who reportedly pitched Red Bull on a similar skydiving idea in 2004.

Due to the lawsuit, they have decided to stop the project until this case has been resolved.

For a project that has been 3 years in development, this petty claim really pisses me off.
I've been waiting and waiting for this event.

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Felix meeting Neil Armstrong in August 2010

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Japanese Concept Cars 1957-2009

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Skydive From Space Update 2

4 people now have their eyes on this record.

Felix Baumgartner, who with the help of Joe Kittinger, the man who has held the record since 1960, is well on his way to complete this insane challenge. A photo of his gondola which wil take him up to 120,000 Feet is below.

The rivals are:
Steve Truglia, a British stuntman.
Cheryl Stearns, a pilot for US Airways who holds 30 skydiving records.
Michael Fournier from France, who has attempted the freefall record 3 times and has been his dream for 20 years. His last attempt was in May 2010, but was cancelled due to a technical fault.

My money's on Felix.

Check out our previous post on him and his spacesuit HERE.


1. Camera Systems
Three pressurized housings on aluminum arms will contain a total of three HD, three ultra-high-resolution video and two digital still cameras. Four more cameras record outside and three inside. "We basically built a flying television studio," says Jay Nemeth of FlightLine Films.

2. Outer Fairing
The Gemini shape of the capsule is "really a very elegant way of putting a lot of insulation around a lot of the systems," says chief engineer Bill Dodson. R-24 equivalent foam, covered by a fiberglass shell and fireproof paint, helps guard against temperatures as low as minus 100 F.

3. Liquid Oxygen
Redundant liquid-oxygen tanks with independent lines provide 10 hours of O2 for the 3-hour flight, plus pressurize Baumgartner's suit at altitude. N2 flowing from an oversize liquid-nitrogen tank will keep the cabin's oxygen level to below 30 percent, minimizing fire risk.

4. Pressure Sphere
A pressure sphere, molded from fiberglass and epoxy, sits in a chrome-moly steel load frame "like an egg in a bubble-wrap container," says project director Art Thompson. It will be pressurized to 8 psi—equal to 16,000 feet—but is designed to withstand 50. "It's definitely overbuilt."

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1000Mph Land Speed Record Update

The Bloodhound SSC team have finished their modelling and are ready to build the machine that will smash the speed record in 2012.

Aussie Invader, the Australian rival team are in the middle of building, as are North American Eagle, the US team.

Tron Legacy Merchandise

The new Tron Legacy action figures are the first to feature impulse projection technology, which brings the characters to life by projecting digitized, illuminated and moving faces onto the helmet just as in the film. The line features a special 12″ Ultimate Sam Flynn figure. The character also speak phrases from the TRON: Legacy film. With prices ranging from $40.

The Tron Legacy Zero Gravity Light Cycle features six-foot light-emitting trails and legendary Air Hogs technology allowing the vehicle to be driven on a wall or even upside down. Includes controller (SRP $34.99, ages 8 & up) Upside-Down, WTF???!!

The new Tron Legacy gaming peripherals from Razer include: an ergonomic gaming mouse incorporating Razer’s 5600dpi 3.5g gaming grade sensor, a gaming keyboard with programmable keys and macro capabilities as well as a detachable keypad, and a high precision mouse mat – all designed to create the ultimate gaming experience
featuring highly detailed finishes and lighting effects. The product line will range in price from SRP $79-139.

Tron Legacy Deluxe vehicle is a detailed replica from Tron Legacy that come to life when a character is inserted and lights up. The Deluxe model features launching projectiles, tri-color light changes, pop-up air brakes (pop-up blasters on the Light Runner) and gravity tilt sounds, just like in the movie ($19.99, ages 4 & up).


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Whole Popular Science Catalogue On Google Books

This might just be the find of the decade for me and those of you who enjoy checking out retro-futurism. The super-famous "Popular Science" series, which has been running since 1870(!) has been added to Google Books and each issue has been lovingly scanned and put into handy PDF's for all of us to read. Check out the incredible archive HERE. Happy reading!

Augmented Reality Video

The latter half of the 20th century saw the built environment merged with media space, and architecture taking on new roles related to branding, image and consumerism. Augmented reality may recontextualise the functions of consumerism and architecture, and change in the way in which we operate within it.




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Augmented Reality Gaming

Forget looking at the world through rose tinted glasses – try these on for size. Video eyewear manufacturer Vuzix has unveiled its Wrap 920AR glasses prototype that features cameras mounted to the lenses that project real world images onto LCD’s inside the glasses, seamlessly mixing real-world and computer generated imagery.

The glasses incorporate a camera on each lens that captures video at a resolution of 752x480 at 60fps offering a combined image of 1504x480 which can also be viewed in stereoscopic 3D. The cameras project real-world imagery onto LCD’s inside the glasses that give the effect of watching a 67” display from ten feet away. The images are overlaid with computer generated imagery effectively creating an augmented reality.
Check out the video.

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Digital Magazine Concept By Bonnier

A really well thought-out concept for what could be the future of magazine reading...digitally and using a touch screen tablet. Conceptualists, Bonnier have really taken the time to think things through and propose a very realistic idea.....


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Floating Cities Of The Future

Are these the answer to the threat of rising sea levels?
Rather than building up our city's defences with dams, architect Vincent Callebaut has put forward an alternative future for the victims of climate change.
The floating ecopolis, inspired by Amazonian lilypads, are designed to be completely self-sufficient in both power and water, through solar power, wind turbines and rainfall collection.
By the looks of it, you'll have to move to Monaco to live in them.

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Dyson Air Multiplier

Dyson does it again with another innovative design.

The Dyson air multiplier is no ordinary fan,.It doesn't look anything even remotely like a fan either with a magnifying glass-esque appearance which does away with blades altogether.

How does it work? The air multiplier silently draws in air behind it then amplifies it through the ring by 15x to produce a cool and continuous flow of 405 litres of air every second. This is all powered by a brushless motor and the air speed can be precisely adjusted with dimmer-switch controls rather than the usual two or three settings on regular fans.
Doesn't it look like the portal in Stargate?

I want one, but for the asking price of £199 for the 10" model and a probably a much higher price for the coming 12" model, I think I'll wait.

Tokyo Gore Police

This one's for all you gore fans out there. It's not particularly new, but I was watching Yojimbo yesterday and for some very bizzare reason thought of this film and how much I wanted to watch it. Look out for the half girl, half crocodile....... the exccesive use of blood, gore, freaks, swords and arms for and legs. Assome.

Plot:

In the near future...The Tokyo Police force has been privatized and incorporated. The new force has their hands full with a new type of genetically engineered mutant stalking the streets and brutally taking human lives. Luca, the top level officer at Tokyo Police has special law enforcement skills but her dark past makes her vulnerable. She is determined to hunt the mutant known as "Engineer" until the day she can find and destroy the mysterious "Key-Man".

Darth after the dentist

In response to the hilarious David After Dentist clip that now has over 22 million views on YouTube, the Chad Vader team posts their own version featuring the dark lord himself!

Concept Cars 50 Years Into The Future

Slick futuristic car design from Mazda, Nissan, Toyota & Honda. The brief was to imagine vehicle design 50 years into the future.

Mazda Motonari RX

"In Mazda’s vision of the late 2050s, advances in molecular engineering have rendered metal-based manufacturing obsolete. The rise of ubiquitous computing and artificial intelligence drastically accelerates the automotive production cycle. Cars are cheap, lightweight (around 200 lbs, or less than 100 kg), and equipped with intelligent crash avoidance systems that eliminate traffic accidents."

Toyota Biomobile Mecha

"Toyota’s Biomobile Mecha, a shape-shifting vehicle with nano-laser wheels, can read and adapt to changes in the environment and travel vertical pathways by means of biomimetic feet with powerful suction. In addition, the Biomobile Mecha is powered by pollution. A special skin derives energy from harmful substances in the air, so the vehicle never runs out of fuel (as long as the future skies remain polluted) and restores balance to the environment while it goes."

Nissan OneOne

"Billed as the ultimate pet, the Nissan OneOne (pronounced “wan-wan,” the Japanese sound for a barking dog) is a friendly, helpful member of the family of the future. Able to operate autonomously without a driver, the GPS-guided vehicle can help out by picking up the dry cleaning, fetching the groceries, and taking the kids to school. The vehicle can also assume various positions depending on the driving environment. It reclines to achieve greater speed, and it stands up to increase visibility and squeeze into tight spaces.

Honda 124

"The solar-hybrid powered Honda 124 (One to the Power of Four) is an energy-efficient, modular vehicle that can separate into four different fully functional units, each uniquely suited for specific driving conditions. A combination of robotics, artificial intelligence and molecular engineering (which enables the body panels to be reshaped according to use) allow each module to instinctively reconfigure itself and operate as a fully functional unit. Two of the modules are suitable for short-distance inner-city driving, while the other two are ideal for longer distances at higher speeds."

See more details and lots more pics from Pink Tentacle.

Battlefield Extraction Assist Robot (BEAR)

The US military is developing a robot with a teddy bear-style head to help carry injured soldiers away from the battlefield.
The Battlefield Extraction Assist Robot (BEAR) can scoop up even the heaviest of casualties and transport them over long distances over rough terrain.
The 6ft tall Bear can cross bumpy ground without toppling thanks to a combination of gyroscopes and computer controlled motors to maintain balance.
It is also narrow enough to squeeze through doorways, but can lift 135kg with its hydraulic arms in a single smooth movement, to avoid causing pain to wounded soldiers.
While the existing prototype slides its arms under its burden like a forklift, future versions will be fitted with manoeuvrable hands to gently scoop up casualties.
The Bear is controlled remotely and has cameras and microphones through which an operator sees and hears. It can even tackle stairs while carrying a human-sized dummy.
It is expected to be ready for testing within five years.

1. Teddy bear face designed to be reassuring

2. Hydraulic upper body carries up to 227kgs (500lbs)
3. When kneeling tracked "legs" travel over rubble. Switches to wheels on smooth surfaces
4. Dynamic Balance Behaviour (DBB) technology allows the robot to stand and carry loads upright on its ankles, knees or hips for nearly an hour

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Human - Robot Interface

If you're one of the many fans of The Surrogates comic book (soon to be a Bruce Willis movie), then Honda's new human-to-robot brain interface technology will be welcome news. The Honda Research Institute Japan, ATR and Shimadzu Corporation have come up with a non-invasive control mechanism called the Brain Machine Interface (BMI).
The technology uses electroencephalography (EEG) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to allow a human to control a robot, in this case the Honda ASIMO, using mere thought. The technology offers up to 90 percent control accuracy without the use of physical implants, a huge milestone in human-to-robot interface that the research group hopes will yield new advances in robotics and artificial intelligence.
Read more HERE

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Supersoldier Exoskeleton HULC

Lockheed is pleased to announce the unveiling of its newly-acquired powered exoskeleton intended to confer superhuman strength and endurance upon US soldiers, called HULC (Human Universal Load Carrier). Its almost like a budget version of the robot suit from Aliens.


4Lb of lithium polymer batteries will run the exoskeleton for an hour walking at 3mph, according to Lockheed. Speed marching at up to 7mph reduces this somewhat; a battery-draining "burst" at 10mph is the maximum speed.
The user can hump 200lb with relative ease while marching in a HULC, however, well in excess of even the heaviest combat loads normally carried by modern infantry. There'd be scope to carry a few spare batteries. Even if the machine runs out of juice, Lockheed claims that its reinforcement and shock absorption still helps with load carrying rather than hindering.
There are various optional extras, too. The HULC can be fitted with armour plating, heating or cooling systems, sensors and "other custom attachments".

AND.....remote-controlled gun mounts weighing as little as 55lb are available, able to handle various kinds of normally tripod- or bipod-mounted heavy weapons.

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Franco Brambilla

Franco Brambilla makes Panoramic Vintage worlds that have a touch of the fantastical, surreal and futuristic dotted about in the images.



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Tokyo Scanner

Tokyo Scanner
Got this from Very Masa's Blog. It's a really nice birds-eye view of Tokyo, mixed with some nice graphic overlays, to make you really feel as if you are flying and scanning the whole of Tokyo....A good idea which has been very well executed.

Wearable Motorcycle

Jake Loniak’s exoskeleton motorcycle concept, Deus Ex Machina, is sick. Imagine seeing this tearing around London.

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