Brain Parade, the Third - Future Shock

The third of our Brain Parade questions is going to take a little set up. In 1970 Alvin Toffler wrote a book called Future Shock. The meme caught on like wild fire, and through out the 70s future shock was a household word. It even made it into a heinous school documentary hosted by Orson Welles. In a nutshell, future shock is the idea that technology will advance so quickly over such a short period of time, that the change will leave people with shattered psyches. According to Toffler, this "future shock" could also effect whole societies. Future Shock is still a popular meme, and has more than a passing resemblance to the technological singularity. With that little Primer in mind, here is the Brain Parade question, as it was presented to us by our brothers in blogs over at Meme Therapy. Our answer follows.

"It was once said that Science Fiction is the only antidote to Future Shock. Do you think the predictions of Future Shock that were made back in the 70s have now or ever will materialize?"

Future Shock is an undeniable truth that accompanies human advancement. Arguably mankind has advanced more in the last 50 years than in the previous 5000. And it will become harder for some people and societies to adjust to even greater potential changes. It is entirely possible that we are staring down the barrel of a technological Singularity. If we play our cards right, we may soon see more Future Shock than we ever have before. But that is not a bad thing. In essence Future Shock is a measuring stick for our success. If we aren't seeing a marked increase in Future Shock, it means we're doing something wrong. In the existing model, less Future Shock means less progress... less future.

South Korea seems to always be living 5 minutes in the future; The elderly using e-mail, robot border patrols, the highest level of broadband penetration in the world, Internet cafe deaths, etc. But their neighbors to the north, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea live in a throwback state of starvation, oppression and information control. If some how you brought down the DMZ and North and South Korea pulled a German reunification, you would have half a country in Future Shock.

Already we are starting to see whole industries succumbing to Future Shock. Take a look at Big Entertainment. The RIAA, MPAA and their brethren are attempting to litigate and lobby an end to progress. They cant cope with a changing world where their failed business model is simply no longer viable. If that's not Future Shock, I don't know what is. The telcos are following suit, trying to ban municipal WiFi and choke VOIP. More and more businesses and politicians are operating in a constant state of Future Shock, trying to stem the tide of progress to avoid a future which is to them unfathomable.

But progress doesn't stop. More information is exchanged, and in a more free way, than ever in human history. Areas of research and technology are advancing at speeds previous generations wouldn't have thought possible. Thanks to Moores law, we sequenced the human genome years ahead of schedule. As the rate of technological innovation accelerates, we will see more and more dinosaur cultures and industries swept over and replaced with new paradigms. The displaced and disenfranchised future shocked will become an even more visible permanent fixture than they are today.

That being said, we can reduce the amount of Future Shock by exposing people to new ideas. We can get people thinking outside their established boxes and really examining the possibilities inherent in our future. But whether we use science fiction, the transhumanist movement or media buzz, there are always going to be those that simply can not deal with the sweeping changes that the future will bring. This isn't something we should mourn. It means that we are growing. Becoming more than we once were, both as a society, and as a species. We should embrace Future Shock and invest in curbing this unavoidable side-effect of the human condition.


There you have it, the third and final installment of Memepunks' contributions to this particular batch of Brain Parades. If you want to know what some prevalent authors, pundits, and bloggers think about future shock, set your dials to the Meme Therapy Future Shock Brain Parade. Once again, it has been a blast blogging along side the fine folks of Meme Therapy, their particular combination of big ideas and great minds always keeps us coming back for more. Kudos Meme Therapists, and blog on.

Brain Parade, the Second - Pick a Spaceship, any Spaceship

Again, the adhocracy that is Memepunks collaborated to answer a question put to us by the good people of Meme Therapy. This Brain Parade was more light hearted and fanciful than usual and was a lot of fun for us to answer. Read on for their question and our answer.

MT: "We give you a coupon redeemable for any spacecraft depicted in a science fiction story (insurance not included). Which ship do you trade it in for and what do you do with it?"


There were quite a few ideas we tossed around with this one; the Enterprise with its holodeck and matter replicators, the SDF-1 for the space folding and genetics technology (not to mention and giant laser and big friggen robot), or the Heart Of Gold complete with the Infinite Improbability Drive and a depressed robot. But we finally settled on the staple of British sci-fi. The TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimension In Space. A space ship that travels through time, space and dimensions. It's the signature vehicle of Doctor Who, and our choice for the coupon trade in. The Ninth Docotor said it best with "It's not just any old power source -- it's the TARDIS! My TARDIS: the best ship in the universe."

Because the TARDIS's interior occupies separate dimensions from its exterior, it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside be several orders of magnitude. The TARDIS literally has everything. It has on occasion contained entire cities and even whole planets. But standard, it comes complete with living quarters, kitchens, swimming pools, a hospital, an art gallery, libraries, gardens, a cricket pavilion and a multi story MC Escheresque wardrobe. The TARDIS also sports robotic support in the form of a K-9 unit, a brilliant incredibly useful rolling Aibo with a laser. It can also change it's appearance to blend in with the local surroundings, although the doctor's Tardis lost the ability to assume any form.

The TARDIS's controls are isomorphic, mapping themselves to their specific owner. And it's power source is infinite, tapping into an ancient mystical black hole. It's nearly indestructible, and can teleport to safety if attacked. The TARDIS uses an Astral Map to plot out the entire space time continuum, and can travel to any place or any time in a fashion that makes speed meaningless. In addition, the TARDIS allows its users to speak and understand any language. And the ship itself is a soulful intelligent being, despite its silence. It will sometimes propel you of it's own accord to someplace exciting or where you are needed. The TARDIS is in essence the ultimate Sport Utility Vehicle.


For the second part, we are faced with an interesting dilemma. What do you do with a ship that can take you anywhere in time and space? We decided to invest our time with the TARDIS in helping humanity. Not in a heavy handed way, but we would simply pop around and change history to avert any massive species wide extinction of the human race. And we'd do so quietly. Ensuring that human kind is around for as long as possible, but without raising a fuss. We'd set up shop in the distant future, and travel back through history, smoothing over the biggest of the trouble spots.

After our work was over, before retiring and ending our omniverse spanning escapades, we would have ourselves a party. A transdimensional tailgate party at the heat death of the universe. Any and all fellow travelers would be welcome, and we would be happy to provide two way transportation to any of the universe's luminaries, philosophers, leaders, scientists, authors, etc. who didn't have a TARDIS of their own. BYOB of course.

As for insurance, we'd probably choose Progressive's PLPD... after all, even the worst driver can avoid an accident if they can go back 15 minutes before it happens.


We weren't the only Brain Paraders to choose the TARDIS. Check out the I Want to be a Spaceman Brain Parade to see what some pillars of the SF blogosphere had to say. We look forward to more Brain Parades to come, and hope that the gang at Meme Therapy keeps the good stuff coming.

Brain Parade, The First - Alienation

Some time ago we mentioned that our friends at Meme Therapy had invited us to participate in some upcoming Brain Parades. Meme Therapy sent us a few questions, and we here at Memepunks put our heads together to answer them. The first question was rather open ended, and we answered it accordingly. What follows is their question and our answer.

"Do you think technology is contributing to an increasing sense of alienation in modern society?"

Technology doesn't contribute to alienation. Alienation and technology are both byproducts of humankind's continuing evolution. Now that things like upright walking and verbal communication are out of the way, we are evolving through changes to our culture, philosophies, technologies, and economies. Technology is but one manifestation of that evolution. Each of them, culture, economics, philosophy, and technology have their own alienated populations. But technology becomes the usual suspect when you look at the microcosm of the elderly, or the bio-Luddites for example. This is because technologies rate of change is faster and more visible than most other paradigms.

But the real cause of alienation is evolution itself. There are stragglers in every wagon train. The Amish, the neo-Luddites, and the technophobes are just the latest in a long line of evolutionary hold outs. Where ever there is advancement, there will be humans on both ends of the spectrum; Those that are leading the charge into the future, and those bringing up the rear. There are tools at our disposal to cut down on the amount of alienation brought on by continuing evolution. Better education, philosophical hand holding, constructive and open dialog with the fear mongers and the frightened, etc. can all be used to limit the amount of alienation in our society. But alienation will always exist at some level. It has been there since the beginning of our species, and it will be there long after we have become something else.


You can see how other bloggers, authors, and assorted brains answered in part One and Two of the Technological Alienation Brain Parade.

11 Million Year Old Rat Found, Doesn't Look a Day Over 40.

Last year biologists discovered some strange looking rat carcases in the meat markets in Thailand and Laos. The identified them as a unique species of rodent. In May of this year, Dr. Mary Dawson, curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pennsylvania and the chairperson of the Division of Earth Sciences, published her own opinion of the creature. Once that has since been supported and accepted as fact. The rodent is a Diatomyidae, a species that we thought became extinct 11 million years ago. The Laotian Rock Rat, as it has been nicknamed is the mammal that time forgot.

It's very slow and waddles like a duck when not climbing in its preferred rocky environs. The creature is also very docile, having some how missed out on the last 11 million years of evolution. This methulselan rat isn't alone in the prehistoric hold overs club. There is also the Monito Del Monte, a small marsupial recently identified in south America. This "little mountain monkey" was believed extinct circa 11 million BC. And who can forget the discovery of the Coelacanth? A rough and tumble, 150+ pound fish that appeared out of the deep blue after being gone for over 80 million years. This creature lived along side the big Hollywood dinos like T-Rex and Triceratops. It's not known how any of these species survived and laid low for all these millions of years. But it lends credence to the thought that there may be even more prehistoric survivors walking, climbing, and swimming through remote parts of the world.

But the Laotian Rock Rat is now more than just conjecture. The furry little guy has been photographed, and just recently video taped. Docile, cute, good with humans, and an 11 million year old antique. Some one should be breeding these things to sell in pet stores. I think a Miocene era living fossil would be infinitely preferable to the default rabbit or trendy ferret. And what sorts of things might we learn from the DNA of a species from that far back in evolution's play book? Perhaps it could even aid in the discovery of the Ur-mammal from which we all came. Not bad for an old guy.

Memepunks Call to Action!

Here at Memepunks we are up front about our feelings on DRM or Digital "Rights" Management. More correctly referred to as Digital Restrictions Management, this is the technology that neuters your media and electronics. It's the stuff that wont let you move files from your iPod to your computer. It's the stuff that plants root kit viruses on your computer, if you should be foolish enough to try listening to a CD by Sony Music. The world is now lousy with DRM; the region coding on your DVD player, the copy protection on your CDs and DVDs, the broken USB ports on your DVR cable box, limitations on whatever you buy from iTunes or most other on line music stores.

The level of contempt that the entertainment industry has for its customers is abhorrent. Customers are seen as swindlers, cheaters and thieves. To stop the occasional bad apple, the RIAA believes we must all give up our rights and freedoms. Imagine if we were treated that way by our grocer, our favorite retailer, or our local hardware store. Not only would we take our business elsewhere, we might just come back with torches. One activist group has never stood idly by in the face of DRM. The good folks at Defective By Design are known for their flash mob protests and Hazmat bunny suited DRM elimination crews. They have, in the past, protested Microsoft DRM, General DRM, and most recently Apple's iPod-iTunes DRM in cites like Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, and Cambridge.

Today Defective By Design is asking for our help. They are calling on us to contact the RIAA, the mother of all DRM advocates. DBD would like you to sign up for their telephone protest. At which point they will provide you with a phone number for the Recording Industry Association of America. At some point today, they ask that you call the RIAA and give them a piece of your mind. Let them know what you think of DRM and the companies that support it. Not only is this a great show of solidarity, but it will get the RIAA's attention, and provide a fun outlet for the ticking rant-bomb inside each of us that has had to deal with their particular vile flavor of draconian DRM. Memepunks is joining in to help spread the word and of course make some calls of our own. Sign up HERE with Defective By Design to call the RIAA out on it's grade A mustache twirling evilness. (If you don't want the RIAA to have your phone number feel free to use Skype)

Once you sign up, log in to get particulars on how to contact the RIAA. And this isn't limited to the US, participants are welcome to call the UK, France, Canada, and Germany. Hop on this ASAP, as time is of the essence. Thousands have already signed up for this day long protest. It's time to show the RIAA mafia a little of the love that they have been showing us, their customers. They have to be made to understand that their current model of litigate-lobby-strong arm-produce crap simply will not succeed in the face of informed customer choice. The only thing a better mousetrap creates is smarter mice. Those that choose to violate copyright continue to do so. The ones that really suffer are the non tech savvy customers that simply want to exercise their guaranteed fair use freedoms.

The RIAA needs to find a better business model and quick. Because if they don't, some one else will. While you are pondering that, why don't you view one of these free google videos, or shop around for some music on Magnatune, or perhaps AllofMp3. We at Memepunks think this should not just be a one day thing. When you get those contact numbers and have made your call, save them some place. And then whenever you find yourself frustrated by the RIAA's DRM gestapo, pick up the phone once again and let freedom ring.[via Boing Boing]


"The idea of the enlightenment, the idea of the thing that brought an end to the dark ages, is really the idea that information should be shared, that knowledge should be shared, that progress occurs when we all share knowledge. And no matter what regime we've had since then, that's been a fundamental part of it." - Cory Doctorow

Memepunks Update: The protest has come and gone. By the afternoon the RIAA was screening all of its calls. We could only leave voicemail, so leave them we did. As of Monday at 11:30AM EST, Defective by Design was returning nothing but 404s. We arent sure if this is some sort of retaliation or if DBD is simply updating, But we will be watching to find out. Just in case, we've taken the liberty of collecting and posting the phone numbers of the various record industry stooges so that you may call them repeatedly and at your leasure for any questions or comments on DRM or copyright.

• Brad Buckles RIAA USA (202) 857-9607
  
• Mitch Bainwol RIAA USA (202) 857-9651
  
• Cary Sherman RIAA USA (202) 857-9632
  
• Mitch Glazier RIAA USA (202) 857-9673
  
• Neil Turkowitz RIAA USA (202) 857-9647
  
• Steve Redmond BPI UK +44 (0)20 7803 1324
  
• Peter Jamieson BPI UK +44 (0) 20 7803 1311
  
• Matt Phillips BPI UK 44 (0) 77 3951 4963
  
• Michael Haentjes IFPI Germany +49 (30) 59 00 38-0
  
• Peter Zombik IFPI Germany +49 (30) 59 00 38-0
  
• Jean never Foitzik IFPI Germany +49 (30) 59 00 38-23
  
• Herve Rony SNEP France +33 (1) 44 13 66 66
  
• Graham Henderson CRIA Canada 1 (416) 967-7272 ext. 102

Enjoy this information, and as always, please use it responsibly.

Weekly Robot Update 011

I am beginning to sense a pattern... The Japanese have a thing for robots. There is a movement within that country to roboticize nearly every aspect of their lives and culture. We've seen any number of strange, interesting and remarkable robots from the land of the rising sun. But this is the first one designed solely to trip the light fantastic. She comes in pink or blue, she dances divinely, and she is this weeks robot.

In an unfortunate mishmash of engrish, her name is Partner Ballroom Dance Robot, or PBDR. The PBDR is a collaborative effort between both robotics and creative design companies. Developed by the Kosuge and Wang Laboratory of Tohoku University, Nomura Unison, and Troiso. In cooperation with Riken and Nanasai, this unlikely robot has quite a pedigree. The Partner Ballroom Dance Robot stands 1.65 meters (about 5'4") tall, and weighs a respectable 100 kilograms. She can move her upper body via a series of actuators in her waist, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and neck. She has pressure and motion sensors integrated into her reflective neon plastic body. The robot moves across the dance floor by means of three electric powered wheels hidden beneath her gown like form factor. The skirts also conceal PBDR's logic, control system, and batteries which allow her to cut a rug for half an hour before needing a recharge.

PBDR is capable of executing a series of dance moves on her own, as well as mimicking the movements of a partner, or following a human dancers lead. She responds to movement and pressure exerted by her dance partner, and is able to smoothly be guided through a myriad of ballroom dances. PBDR debut at last years World Expo Prototype Robot Expidition in Aichi Japan. Needless to say, she was the bell of the ball. Since then, PBDR's creators have been making constant upgrades and improvements. There is even a male PBDR in the works. (Have a look at the Partner Ballroom Dance Robot dancing here. Or if you prefer a downloadable version, have at it.)

The purpose behind the PBDR is to better develop human-robot physical interaction. So that a robot could respond to the wishes of its owner based on a subtle pressure or guiding hand. Another key technology that Partner Ballrom Dance Robot was developed to explore is that of anticipation. Researchers want to have a system where in a robot can predict its owners needs without being explicitly instructed to do something. All of this is of course geared to the support of Japans growing elderly population. The technology that is derived from PBDR will be incorporated into future robots that will provide care for those that cannot completely care for themselves. Someday we may see the descendants of PBDR helping old ladies across bustling streets, caring for the infirm, or minding the children. But for now, these gleaming, graceful, automatons are strictly ballroom. [via we make money not art]


Robots
Dancing robots
Dancing robots
Robots
Robots
Taking system
FOOTBALL! - Strongbad

Scientists Develop Anti-Aging Compound Using MAGIC

South Korea, who's previous sterling reputation for biotech was recently besmirched, is returning to the scientific lime light. Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology are challenging the most deadly of all diseases... Aging itself. In a recent breakthrough, Prof. Kim Tae-kook and colleagues are said to have discovered a "cellular fountain of youth." As published in Nature Chemical Biology, a UK science periodical, Tae-kook has developed a compound called CKG733. CKG733 is able to "reset" the aging mechanism in cells. Not only does it expand the lifespan of young cells, allowing them to live longer and double more often than their non CKG effected counterparts, but it also rejuvenates cells that are already old. The compound is capable not only of blocking the aging process, but reversing it as well.

Now keep in mind that we are not talking about organism wide aging. This is a reaction that happens on the cellular level. Actual aging, or senescence as it is called in biology, is a complicated process which includes many factors. Cellular senescence is just one small part of the process that changes people from young to old. But it is an integral part, and one not many scientists have been eager to challenge. Most biologists see aging and death as a natural part of life. But we are now starting to see it as one more thing that can be quantified, fought, and eventualy treated, like Polio, cancer or heart disease. CGK733 may just be the first shot fired in the war on aging.

CGK733 was developed using a revolutionary magnetic nanoprobe, magnetism-based interaction capture or MAGIC for short. This method is unique in that it permits researchers to actually view the molecular reactions occurring within a given cell. In all other techniques, scientists must observe the beginning and end of any cellular reaction, and guess at the inner workings of it. This is one of the many sources of dangerous side effects. As we know what a particular drug does, but not how it does it, complications can occur. With MAGIC, we get to see exactly what's happening within the cell, what molecules interact with what, and how. This leaves little room for debate or mistaken conjecture on the part of researchers.

MAGIC has already been used to discover a hand full of effective cancer drugs. This new technology alone is worth the price of admission. But CGK733 is Professor Kim and MAGIC's greatest achievement. CGK itself is a complex Thiourea derivative. Discovered while testing a battery of 20,000 drugs, CGK733 has been shown to increase or rejuvenate cellular lifespan in excess of 25 %. To date it is the only drug ever found that can reverse cellular senescence. Normal cells age by instigating a slowing or stop in division when they detect damage to their DNA. CGK733 blocks the protein that controls this process. Not only does this prevent the slowing process, but it also stops the cell from acquiring chromosomal damage.

Of course, we shouldn't start patting each other on the back just yet. CGK733 is a far cry from immortality in a bottle. It does not mean that grandma can pop a pill and live another 50 years. Cellular senescence is a great place to begin the battle against aging and "natural" death however. Researchers even predict that functional longevity drugs may be derived from CGK733 in as few as 10 years. And this is the very earliest of stages for both CGK733 and MAGIC. Anti-Senescence science is just now breaking out into the main stream. The sooner we start tackling the problem, the better chance we have for developing true life extension while those that are reading this are still around. Something like CGK733 is just the thing to make people stand up and take notice. Perhaps in 20 years we'll all be looking back on this discovery and saying "kamsa hamnida". [via the Korea Times]


"Julius Deane was one hundred and thirty-five years old, his metabolism assiduously warped by a weekly fortune in serums and hormones. His primary hedge against aging was a yearly pilgrimage to Tokyo, where genetic surgeons re-set the code of his DNA, a procedure unavailable in Chiba." - Neuromancer

2000 Year Old Computer Reveals Secrets

About a century ago, a mysterious device was recovered from the sunken wreckage of a Roman ship. Greek sponge divers brought the relic to the surface where it was studied at length. It has since been named the Antikythera Mechanism. The machine is estimated to be over two thousand years old, and is Greek in origin. It is an archaeological paradox that we have been trying to solve for over a hundred years. I turns out that the two millenia old Antikythera Mechanism is actually an analog computer.

The device is small, measuring 33x17x9 centimeters. It's smaller than a modern shoebox. The innards of the device include a complex set of differential gears formed at equilateral triangles, a technology previously thought to be invented in the 16th century. And the complexity of the device rivals that of clocks that were not made until the 18th century. The existence of the Antikythera Mechanism is causing us to rethink and possibly even rewrite what we know about ancient history. The mechanism was probably operated via a hand crank, and originally contained within a wooden frame or box. It is covered in Greek text, over 2000 characters in all.

After much careful study, and various x-ray scans, it was determined that the device is an Orrey. The purpose of an Orrey is to track the movement of celestial bodies. The differential geared construction allowed the Antikythera Mechanism to add and subtract angular velocities and thus accurately describe the motions of planets. This made it possible to compute a true lunar cycle, accounting for the effects of the suns movement. This hints at a level of technical expertise well above and beyond what we previously believed the ancient Greeks were capable of.

Michael Wright, the curator of mechanical engineering at the Science Museum in London believes that the device may have been built at an ancient academy "founded by the Stoic philosopher Poseidonios on the Greek island of Rhodes". It is now believed that Rhodes was famous for it's tradition of mechanical engineering and automata. Cicero may have mentioned it or a similar device in his writings. He tells of a machine "recently constructed by our friend Posidonius, which at each revolution reproduces the same motions of the sun, the moon and the five planets." And the poet Pindar may have been speaking of the automata of Rhodes when he wrote;

The animated figures stand

Adorning every public street

And seem to breathe in stone, or

move their marble feet.

Recently there has been a breakthrough in the study of the Antikythera Mechanism. Researchers with the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project have arranged to have the device scanned with the most advanced imaging equipment available. Two revolutionary machines were brought to bear on the ancient computer. The first one was was provided by Hewlett Packard. A domed reflective imaging scanner was used to create super detailed computer generated images of the mechanism under various lighting conditions. The second machine was provided by the X-Tek Group. They brought in an eight ton 400kV microfocus Computed Tomography System nicknamed Bladerunner. Through Bladerunner, the researchers could now see the inscriptions inside the sealed components. Something that hadn't been seen for over 200 years.

Using the images from the two machines, they were able to identify an additional 1000 characters that were previously illegible. A complete translation is still underway. But with the new information they have gathered this year, experts now believe that the Antikythera Mechanism was designed to compute a heliocentric solar system, a millenia and a half before Copernicus. The research project has scheduled an international congress in Athens in November. By then a complete translation should be ready, and the full ramifications of the Antikythera Mechanism can be discussed by scientists from all over the world. Yanis Bitsakis of Athens University out lines the task faced by historians in the years ahead, "The challenge is to place this device into a scientific context, as it comes almost out of nowhere... and flies in the face of established theory that considers the ancient Greeks were lacking in applied technical knowledge."

Imagine an ancient Greece very different from the one you learned about in school, populated by accomplished mathematicians and engineers. A place where clockwork statuary lined the streets and sophisticated analog computers helped the Greeks calculate their place in the universe. Whatever ancient city the Antikythera Mechnism does hail from, it was a place of marvelous automata fifteen hundred years ahead of the Renissance. To think that the Greeks had the seeds for a potential industrial revolution at the same time that Alexander was marching his phalanx across Europe. First Bosnian Pyramids,and now Greek Clockwork... history gets more interesting every day. [via The Register]


"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." - Archimedes

Weekly Robot Update 010

This one has been brewing a while. I wanted to post this around WRU 006, but I held off to find some concrete technical specifications on the robot. Not many were forthcoming, so I've decided to post while the iron is still hot. Details are still a bit sketchy, and it doesn't have a name. But this robot has done something that no robot has ever done. It's the latest surgical tool in the armory of modern medicine, and it is this week's robot.

Robotic surgery is not a new field, bots have found themselves in operating rooms for over a decade. Ranging from primitive camera wielding "assistants" like Aesop to advanced multi armed remote surgery robotics like Da Vinci , these machines run the gambit in both form and function. Miniature robots that would crawl, climb, slither or wriggle through your internals are also edging their way onto the scene. We are seeing more and more medical robots for two main reasons. First, a well designed robot is much less invasive than a human doctor. In many instances, to fully practice their craft, doctors must access a patients internals with their hands. Human hands, while marvelous, are much larger than they need to be in a surgical setting. A robots appendages can be designed much smaller, allowing them to perform surgery with much less trauma to the patient.

The second killer app for medical robots is telepresence. Remote surgeries can be conducted with a robot on site, and a doctor miles and miles away. With the proper software and training to compensate for the time lag involved, Surgeons can operate robots remotely from across the globe. This can be useful if the patient is in a remote or hostile area, where a surgeon doesn't have access to them. Also, this comes in handy in specialized fields where a great deal of expertise is required, and specialists are in short supply. One surgeon could be in multiple places at once via robots, and trained techs could assist in the surgery without the surgeons specialized expertise.

This latest robot not only excels in both of those areas, it goes one step beyond. The unnamed prototype is designed by Dr. Carlo Pappone, head of Arrhythmia and Cardiac Electrophysiology at Milan's San Raffaele university. It is the first robot in history to successfully perform a medical procedure WITHOUT human control or intervention. Last month in Milan Italy, the robot treated a 34 year old man suffering from atrial fibrillation . The surgery lasted 40-50 minutes and was a complete success. Dr. Pappone's only involvement was to turn the robot on, and monitor it. He was in Boston at the time watching the process remotely.

While the specifications of the robot are still hazy, information on it's basic principle is available. Radio frequency ablation, a typical treatment for AF, involves stiff manual catheters which are maneuvered into the heart where their rigid tips emit enough radio frequency to break up the problem tissues. A procedure like this takes 3 to 5 hours and requires a full surgical team. Where as Pappone's robot uses a much less invasive soft catheter with a magnetic tip. Rather than manually steering the catheter into the patients heart, the robot uses external electromagnets to move it. This way only the smallest of tools is actually placed inside the patient and the rest of the process is done without even touching him. In the same way that a compass needle points to magnetic north, the robot guides the tiny catheter into the heart. The process takes 1/5th as long as a standard treatment, and can now be done without a single doctor scrubbing up.

Although Dr. Pappone has conducted over 40 radio frequency ablations with the robot, this is the first one without a human guiding the process. "It has learned to do the job thanks to experience gathered from operations on 10,000 patients," Pappone said. He has included all of his accumulated knowledge into the programing of the robot. Dr. Pappone has said that the robot has the expertise of several human surgeons incorporated into its software. The prototypes programing is so advanced, that it can now reconfigure itself on the fly after scanning and recognizing particular types of patients. The machine is nearing the end of its prototype stage, and if all goes as planed, will go on sale later this year.

Dr. Pappone points out that in addition to the wow factor, and the improvement over human RFA techniques, that the robot will also be able to provide treatment to thousands of children with heart irregularities in remote regions like Africa. Given the choice, so long as its operations are transparent and logged, I would choose a well designed autonomous robot doctor over the human variety. Especially if it was less invasive, safer, and faster than even a team of surgeons. Something like this could also go a long way to reducing surgical costs and thus be more accessible to everyone. If they continue performing as well as this one, perhaps in the future robotic surgeons will be the rule instead of the exception. Domo Arigato Doctor Roboto. [inspired by Discovery Reports]


“A good surgeon operates with his hand, not with his heart” - Alexandre Dumas, pere

Open Source Spectrum

If you saw the Memepunks article on the Maker Faire and watched the video link, you saw a segment on "Software Radio". When we think of "radio" we don't often appreciate the full breadth of the word. Most people envision AM, FM, XM, or perhaps shortwave. But radio is a great big chunk of the electromagnetic spectrum. It consists of cellular signals, WiFi, broadcast TV, garage door openers, cordless phones, RFIDs, bluetooth, GPS, radar, and a host of other mediums. Historically, we think of all of those devices as very different. Your Dish TV receiver doesn't seem to be a very close relative of your keyless entry fob. However all of these radio devices are in fact cousins. The only reason they are each dedicated to a specific task is because, up until this point, radios weren't all that smart. But this is changing as we speak.

GNU Radio has arrived to free us from the bonds of convention. It is a collaborative project between Matt Ettus and Eric Blossom. Originaly, Eric just wanted something that could Decode HDTV broadcasts, in order to escape the looming vileness of the broadcast flag legislation. What he and Matt have cooked up has turned out to be so much more. The hardware is a Universal Software Radio Peripheral. A mother board with slots for a few daughter cards. The mother board plugs into the USB of your computer, and you can mix and match daughter cards to access different parts of the spectrum. Unlike conventional radio, none of the thinking is hard coded. All of the real work is done via software. Using GNU Radio, you can transform your WiFi access point into an HDTV receiver simply by running a different program.

A few lines of open source code, and a fast enough processor, and the USRP can assume any function, from transceiving GPS to listening to every FM band, or police radio. This miraculous device is not just a jack of all trades, but a master of them as well. With the proper software algorithms, you can turn a USRP into an HDTV receiver even more perfect than a dedicated off the shelf model. And speaking of off the shelf, Matt Ettus is now building and selling Universal Software Radio Peripherals. And of course, using the GNU public license, all of the software is open source. Giving you the freedom to tinker with the electromagnetic spectrum until your heart is content. The price for the hardware may be a bit prohibitive for the garage tinkerer, but a USRP costs about a tenth of what a less functional close source hardware platform would.

The uses for something like this are limitless. Perhaps you want to record every FM broadcast for a day. Or have your hot spot give off both WiFi and 3G. More important are the applications that aren't obvious, the things will only come from a decentralized and unregulated spectrum. Eric Blossom says, "Decentralized controls enable innovation at the edge -- it's closer to the computer model, I think what we'll find is that people will come up with things we never really thought about." Take for instance Path Intelligence, which uses GNU Radio to anonymously track the presence of cell phones, and thus foot traffic in UK malls for marketing purposes. More daughter cards, antennas and software apps are being developed for the USRP everyday. Soon you'll just have a black box that plugs into your computer, that does anything and everything that can be done with the spectrum. If you want to broadcast HD from your laptop, run a program. Want to get on the WiMax bandwagon? Run another.

Finally a use for all of those unused PCI or PCMCIA slots. This hearkens back to the days of ham radio, but with a wellspring of more possibilities. Eric is already working on a radar system that will use signals from cell towers, and commercial broadcast towers to locate and map flying objects up to 50 miles away. And there is no need to just use one slice of the spectrum at any given time. There is nothing to stop you from transmitting data over WiFi while broadcasting in HD. Matt Ettus believes his device could change the world. From the narrow bandwidth, false scarcity world of dumb electronics, to something quite different... "A world in which bandwidth is not an issue. People will create applications that will use that bandwidth, like complete telepresence." Complete telepresence, an end to bandwidth scarcity, and Open Source to boot. I'm not sure whether or not video really did kill the radio star. But GNU Radio is set to bury them both. [via Wired]


"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat." - Albert Einstein

Weekly Robot Update 009

Many of us remember the scene in the first Star Wars film where Luke is being trained in the use of the light saber for the first time. He fights that little floating sphere that shoots lasers at him. Well that image stuck in the minds of some NASA and MIT engineers. And years later they attempted to develop a useful space robot built around the same floating sphere concept. NASA named it the Personal Satellite Assistant, but the floating ball never really got off the ground. But now there is a new take on the PSA concept. It's called SPHERES and it's this weeks robot.

SPHERES or Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites were developed by the MIT Space Systems Laboratory and Payload Systems for both NASA and DARPA research. The small robot satellites are designed primarily to test autonomous flight and coordination algorithms. The robots are capable of flying in a microgravity environment using small CO2 thrusters positioned all over them. Each robot has smart enough avionics to fly on it's own, yet is built to maintain a steady stream of communication with the other SPHERES and a central computer using a wireless link. The SPHERES navigate through the use of ultrasound scanning and infrared beacons. Each SPHERES is right around 8 inches in diameter and weighs only 7 pounds. Each robot gets it's electrical power form a pair of common household AA batteries.

Only one floating robot has made it's way to the International Space Station for testing thus far. Have a look at the first video of "Red" being booted up for the first time. It isn't doing much just yet, except holding it's position in space. But the real pay off comes when multiple SPHERES start working together. A second robot is being sent up the gravity well to the ISS next month. And the third will follow later this year. Astronauts in space and engineers on the ground have already been putting the first robot through it's paces. Testing it's flight capabilities, communication and navigation skills, and even deliberately causing thruster problems, to see if the robot can fix them. So far Red has passed with flying colors. MIT engineering professor David Miller said, "We've commanded it to do a variety of maneuvers—loops and turns, for instance. And we've tested the robot's ability to solve problems. Not bad for one little droid, I can’t wait to see what three of them can do."

There are plenty of images of more SPHERE tests, both on the ground using tethered or wheeled models, and in the weightless environment of the NASA reduced gravity spacecraft. And also more video of the ground based test vehicles going through some maneuvers. The SPHERES have a great deal of potential to aid in space flight, and NASA has big plans for them. Someday, SPHERES descendants will accompany astronauts on space walks, and provide communication, video, and sensor information both inside and outside of space vehicles. SPHERES may also form the basis for a very large interferometer telescope that is in the works, one that will be composed of a large number of very small satellites working in tandem to give us a much larger "lens" than Hubble ever could. SPHERES could also be used for space based construction projects, and there is speculation that they could even aid in lunar colonization efforts.

Whatever roles future SPHERES are assigned to play, I have no doubt they will participate in coming space exploration. Small autonomous formation flying satellites are smarter, more efficient, and less expensive than their old guard vehicle sized counterparts. SPHERES let you do more with less, which is a doctrine that NASA is going to have to get very cozy with if they want to compete with rising foreign space programs, and more so, privatized space flight. I envision swarms of SPHERES building, repairing, scanning, exploring, and cooperating in and around space far into the future. These little guys are just getting started, and for them the sky is clearly not the limit. [via NASA]


“There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres.” - Pythagorus

Man Lives on Monkey Food Alone

Adam Scott, also known as the Last Angry Man is boldly going where no homo sapien has gone before. This is the story of a man who had a week of vacation time coming from work, and enough money to ship 40 pounds of ape food across Canada. Adam has vowed to spend an entire week eating nothing but monkey chow. It's a food used in zoo's to feed monkeys, apes, and other primates (which now includes Adam). Monkey chow comes in large twenty pound bags of dry kibble, like bulk dog food. The kibbles are large marshmallow sized rock hard chunks of nutritious goodness. Of course they smell and probably taste about like dog food.

Adam has been kind enough to document his "experiment" with a daily video blog. I've been watching him since day three when The Mad Elf clued me in on Mr Monkey Chow. It's been quite a thing to see. Adam is now in day six, with one more day to go before his ordeal is over. Watching the videos in sequence is like watching devolution in action. Adam was chipper on day one and hopeful about the coming week. By day four he was talking about killing passer byes for their food. On day six, his mood is abysmal. He's desperate enough to try monkey chow soaked in vodka overnight as a form of breakfast, and his mind is on those that are starving. (He plans to make a donation to Bread for the World when this is all over.)

Memepunks made a comment on Adam's blog that he should try other monkey foods, which may be more delicious than the dry monkey chow kibbles. Well, others must have suggested the same thing, because he tried a wet food canned alternative the next day. The results were less than spectacular. Adam has gotten an upswing of popularity and support since he began his week long battle with monkey chow. His actions have many people thinking about hunger, food sources and the primate condition. One Boing Boing reader even mentioned a long ago plan to create human chow in a dry kibble form, and to make it ubiquitous enough to end world hunger. That's an idea that may require further thought later. In addition to the Boing Boing story, Adam was also interviewed by both G4 and CBC radio! Adam says that he is surviving now off of the supporting E-mails alone. Memepunks is in your corner Mr. Monkey Chow. One more day to go. Hang in there ya' big ape.


"But your behavior studies are another matter. To suggest that we can learn anything about the simian nature from a study of man is sheer nonsense. Why, man is a nuisance. He eats up his food supply in the forest, then migrates to our green belts and ravages our crops. The sooner he is exterminated, the better. It's a question of simian survival." - Doctor Zaius

America's War on Science

There is an unseen war going on in America. It's part of the war on drugs, part of the war on terror, and part of consumer safety. As an emergent side effect of these, and some additional foolishness, America is waging war on science. While the government targets terrorists, drug makers and illegal fireworks, it's the arm chair chemists and curious youngsters that get caught in the crossfire. The government has enabled legislation that makes DIY chemistry impossible without violating laws. And in so doing, we are sowing salt into the soil of our own future. Years ago, chemistry sets geared toward children and model rockets were simply part of growing up as a youngster in middle America. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve standing over the metal cabinet of my Chemcraft chemistry set, wearing over sized adult safety goggles and scrawling notes on my latest bubbling concoction, or launching an Estes rocket in the park.

But many of the youth of today will never get that chance. The Consumer Product Saftey Division has made it a point to outlaw chemicals that can be used to make illegal fireworks. Chemicals like sulfur and potassium perchlorate, that would have been standard issue in any lab experiment of yesteryear are now contraband. The CPSD, best known for its issuing of recalls for consumer goods, claims that this ban is in effect to reduce injuries from home made fireworks. The fact of the matter is that 98% of all firework related injuries are caused by off the shelf fireworks. All of this CPSD nonsense is to cut down on the other 2%.

The modern CPSD does more than just alert consumers to dangerous toasters. They have the power to mobilize law enforcement, and sponsor raids on citizens and businesses. One such raid was directed at the amazing online store United Nuclear. United Nuclear sells super powerful magnets, aerogel, lasers, chemicals, lab ware, and all sorts of other geeky goodness. The founders of United Nuclear were held at gun point, handcuffed, and had all of their computers and records confiscated. Why? Because some of the chemicals they sell could be used to make fireworks. United Nuclear is now involved in a long legal battle to avoid fines and prison sentences thanks to the CPSD.

And the fun doesn't stop there. In an attempt to curb the production of crystal meth, more than 30 states have now outlawed or require registration for common lab equipment. In Texas, you need to register the purchase of Erlenmeyer flasks or three-necked beakers. The same state where I do not have to register a handgun, forces me to register a glass beaker. In Portland, Oregon, even pH strips are suspect. Modern off the shelf "chemistry" sets are sold without any of the questionable chemicals or equipment. For example, when a current company tried re releasing a kit based on the one marketed by Mr. Wizard himself back in the 1950s, they found that they could only include five of the original chemicals in the set. The rest of the items were replaced with inane things like super balls and balloons. Even a non neutered modern chemistry set like the C3000 from Thames and Kosmos is forced to ship without many key chemicals, suggesting to their customers that they acquire the missing ingredients elsewhere.

Forget about model rocketry. Since the beginnings of the war on terror, the government has ridiculously claimed that model rockets could be used to shoot down commercial aircraft. Now all rocket engines above a certain size and thrust limit require fingerprinting, background checks and waving of your search and seizure rights! Said engines often require a Low Explosive Usage Permit to launch or take them across state lines. And all of these paranoid laws and regulations on chemistry, rocketry, and lab ware are not being done in ignorance. The powers that be are aware of the effect legislation is having on budding scientists and hobby enthusiasts. Pentagon and Justice Department consultant, professor James Tour said, “The fact that there are amateurs and retired professors out there who need access to these chemicals is a valid problem, but there aren’t many of those guys weighed against the possible dangers.” So because we still fear the terrorist boogieman, our kids are not allowed the same access to science that we had growing up. And hobbyists are forced to collect their chemicals and do their work in secret.

But there are some lights shinning in the darkness of this situation. Companies like United Nuclear, which continue to sell chemicals and lab equipment despite legal problems, and websites that support chemistry hobbyists. Like Readily Available Chemicals, which maintains a list of places where one can make an end run around the restrictions and purchase chemicals or lab ware. Or The Nitrogen Order, who provides a how to on building your own chemistry set, and provides lessons and experiments. And Science Madness who's forums give hobbyists a place to meet, compare notes, and exchange secrets of the trade anonymously. One of my favorites is the Society for Amateur Scientists, which just began a LABRats program, to match up youngsters that are interested in science with mentors that are practicing scientists.

I propose a Web 2.0 weapon in the fight to protect good chemistry from bad government. Perhaps a combination of the above websites, along with a strong membership of successful scientists. You could invite any and all hobbyists to participate, recommending and rating various experiments for others to try. Rolling lists of where to buy chemicals and supplies in local areas could be constantly updated with pricing and availability. Arm chair scientists could hold meet ups, collaborate on projects, and even "publish" their findings on the sites electronic periodical. It would be a great jumping off point for youngsters looking to start the beakers bubbling, and an excellent haven for amateur chemists of all ages. You could get a high profile spokes person, like Bill Nye or the Myth Busters, and subsidize the site via marketing deals with companies like Thames and Kosmos, United Nuclear, and Estes. I'd be happy to pay a small fee to join something like that, and they could even funnel a chunk of the profits into lobbying to put an end to the war on science.

While this continues, and children's exposure to real chemistry is stifled, our national science scores are plummeting. People are getting out of high school without ever having fired up a Bunsen burner. Now more than ever, innovation is needed for the United States to compete in the global economy. Visionaries like Gordon Moore, Vint Cerf, and David Packard all acquired their love of science and technology by enjoying real hands on chemistry as children. By legislating away amateur chemistry and rocketry, we are depriving an entire generation of potential innovators that same chance. All in the name of a little extra false security. “People who want to make meth will find ways to do it that don’t require an Erlenmeyer flask. But raising a generation of people who are technically incompetent is a recipe for disaster.” says Bill Nye.

Take a look at the picture I included with this post. It came from Stacina's Creative Commons licensed flickr stream. It's a picture of a home chemistry lab in Fort Myers, Florida. A lab full of unlicensed glassware and chemicals that would break all sorts of rules, and arouse untold suspicion and maybe even be shutdown by the powers that be. It's a good thing the war on science is a relatively new phenomenon... Because that's the home chemistry lab of Thomas Alva Edison. [via Wired]


I am among those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale. - Marie Curie

Wachowski Siblings Sign on for Speed Racer?

The Hollywood rumor mill is at it once again. This time the whispers are in regards to a live action remake of the Japanese manga and anime classic, Speed Racer. It's the story of a young race car driver, his family, and the remarkable Mach 5 super car. Originaly released in Japan under the title Mach Go Go Go, Speed racer achieved seminal success here in America. It was the first anime to really catch on with American audiences and started an interest in Japnese animation that has swept the country ever since.

For quite some time now, remake fever has been a standing tradition in Hollywood. Two years ago actor Vince Vaughn sold a script to Warner Brothers for a Speed Racer remake. Vaughn was looking to play Speed Racer's mysterious anti-hero Racer X. That is the last we heard of Speed Racer until just recently. Now IGN is reporting that Andy and Larry Wachowski are looking to write and direct their own version of Speed Racer for the silver screen. No one is officially confirming or denying anything yet, but that is usually a good sign in pre-deal tight lipped Hollywood.

The Wachowskis have stayed relatively under the radar in the years after the Matrix Trilogy. With the exception of their recent film V for Vendetta. Although Vendetta strayed from Alan Moore's brilliant anarchist comic book work, the film was excellent none the less. If it turns out to be true that Andy and Larry are indeed taking over the controls of the Mach 5, I look forward to their take on it. It is unknown whether or not Vince Vaughn will continue to play a role in Speed Racer's development. But perhaps it's fate that the Wachowskis end up making Speed Racer. It is after all the anime that first brought us bullet time. Check out the opening sequence at the very end to see for yourself. [thanks to The Mad Elf]


"The Mach Five is the most complex and ingenious car ever built; a tribute to my father's imagination, genius and technical skills!" - Speed Racer

The Pirate Bay Sails Again!

Rising from the black depths of the Internet like a ghost ship, ThePirateBay.org has returned from the grave. After a seizure of servers and site shutdown by the authorities that we covered here on Memepunks, the forces that be assumed that TPB would be down for the count. But you cant keep a good pirate down. Head on over to their site and have a look at their new logo which includes cannons being fired at the Hollywood sign, and the sarcastic "the police bay" page header. Congratulations MPAA and Swedish government. However much money/man hours you have put into sinking the TPB has only kept them under for a whopping total of three days.

Memepunks will keep you updated if TPB should issue any official statements in regards to last weeks incident. But for now we have some torrents to look up. Perhaps for irony we'll check out Poseidon. Feel free to head on over to The Pirate Bay and find some torrents for yourselves. Come on in, the water's fine.

Memepunks Update: Swedish news outlets are reporting that The Pirate Bay's number of visitors has doubled since the three day shutdown. Now in addition to a ridiculous expenditure of law enforcement and legal budgets, the enemies of TPB have succeeded in doubling its user base. Note to the **AAs: File sharing is a moveable feast, and everyone is hungry.

March of the Penguins

The Red Hat Summit concluded today in Nashville. It was a gathering of open source industry leaders, experts and visionaries. Speeches and conferences lasted three days and covered a range of poignant topics including; "Open source, Freedom, Patents, Public policy, and Ground-breaking technology." There were a number of big names present, including the One Laptop Per Child Chairman, Professor Nicholas Negroponte. Also in attendance was author, blogger, DRM expert, EFF fellow and my personal hero Cory Doctorow. And of course the chairman, CEO and President of Red Hat Matthew Szulik was on hand to provide opening and closing keynotes for the summit. From start to finish, this year's Red Hat Summit showed that not only is Linux coming into it's own, but that Open Source Software is both an instrument for societal change and a pathway to a brighter future.

Have a look at the video of the opening keynote speech by Matthew Szulik. It begins with Szulik addressing what I refer to as the four noble truths of Open Source. Freedom, Courage, Accountability, and Commitment. He also speaks to the changes that have happened over the last ten years of the open source movement. Such as how ISO has approved the Open Document Format as an international standard, beating out Microsoft's proprietary format. He notes that ten years ago there was no Creative Commons, no built in infrastructure to replenish our informational and creative assets. Szulik stressed transparency, collaboration, and competition through continued innovation rather than industry lock in and control. Echo that!

After his initial introduction, in a tip of the red hat to collaboration, his keynote is actually taken over by other presenters. There are four separate segments that follow Szulik. The first two are rather technical, and probably wont strike a chord with those not already entrenched with the open source development community. But about 31 minutes into the keynote, Havoc Pennington introduces Mugshot. This is the OSS community's answer to social networking sites like MySpace. At the moment Mugshot in invitation only, but you can sign up to get on the waiting list and try it for yourself. This looks to be the first social networking site that I may actually use actively. Take THAT Rupert Murdoch! Seriously though, it remains to be seen whether something like Mugshot will be the MySpace killer.

After Havoc, about 39 minutes into the keynote video we see Christopher Blizzard of the One Laptop Per Child program, which we blogged about a while back here on Memepunks. He speaks with candor about the goals and aspirations of the OLPC and even debuts the first functional prototype of the $100 machine in question. The OLPC initiative was definitely the star of the Red Hat Summit. And although you cant see the actual prototype in the keynote, you can check out the video of Chistopher showing the machine off to a select few. It's orange, it has bunny ears, bears more than a passing resemblance to my old Speak and Spell, and I really really want one (more photos available here). Professor Negroponte delivered a keynote of his own on the last day of the conference where he noted that the OLPC project would bring Linux to a large percentage of desktops world wide. And he gleefully said that if both Intel and Microsoft are annoyed with him, then he must be doing something right. Long story short, the hundred dollar machine is real, the OLPC is on schedule and it's going to shake up the world.

I haven't been able to find video or transcripts of Professor Negroponte's keynote, nor that of Cory Doctorow. If anyone has them, let me know and I'll post a link up here. And although the Red Hat Summit has ended, Open Source is just getting started. Their ideas, values, tools and business models are much more suited to the coming decades than those of the closed source establishment. I applaud my Linux wielding brothers and sisters for a fine showing this year. I'm looking forward to even more great new things to come out of Open Source. Not just in software, but everywhere in our lives. I leave you with the closing words of Matthew Szulik.

"I don't think that this is limited. I think that this is what you would expect, and what I hope you would expect out of the modern enterprise. As you would start to think less about the thing called Brand, and more and more about "Reputation Capital". Because at the end of the day, it is absolutely essential for open source software to continue be successful, that it carries a reputation with it, as driving social change and improving the characteristics and the quality of life for the societies and the communities that we live in. And that we do this in an entirely transparent and collaborative way."

Weekly Robot Update 008

No wheels or legs on this one. It doesn't even have it's own brain. And while it doesn't strictly qualify as a "robot", the main stream Internet press continues to refer to it as such. I figure that's good enough for me. It is the proof of concept for a Brain Machine Interface or BMI. It's a mechanical hand that responds directly to human thought, and it is this weeks robot.

The Brain Machine Interface was developed jointly by the Honda Reaserch Insititue Japan, and the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International. The machine is an analog of a typical human hand. Five digits, an opposable thumb, and articulated joints in the right places give it comparable functionality to your own hand. The hand is statically mounted to a stand which is connected to specially designed computer. The computer is connected to a medical grade fMRI. The hand's purpose is simple; Mimic the motions of its human controller in a game of rock/paper/scissors. What's unique about this process is that there are no controls to speak of. The operator simply makes a particular gesture, say the sign for victory, and the fMRI reads his brain activity. This is then sent to the hand which precisely duplicates the same hand sign.

Other researchers around the world are working on similar concepts for machines controlled by thought alone. But those projects often involved risky surgical procedures directly on the brain of the test subject. Using the fMRI, Honda and ATR scientists are able to get the same results without drilling holes in anyone's head. In addition, most Brain Computer Interface prototypes require significant training to use even after the device has been implanted. But with the new BMI, operators can start playing robotic rock/paper/scissors within minutes. No risky implants, no extensive training, and nearly perfect responses make even this fetal stage of BMI a cut above the rest.

There are however some drawbacks to this approach. The equipment needed to record the brains activity is unwieldy to say the least. it takes up the better part of a room and requires the subject to lay inside of it. To make this at all a usable technology, the fMRI's size and weight will have to be decreased by several orders of magnitude. In addition, improvements in the devices scanning resolution will have to be improved to communicate more complex instructions to a robot or prosthetic. There is also the matter of the seven second lag between the controller's thought and the machines response. This is a much simpler problem to solve. it simply requires a better and faster computer between the fMRI and the robot. Researchers believe that they will eventually be able to wire up a connection that can be processed so fast that it will outpace human reflexes. Think of moving your hand, and the robot will actually be quicker on the draw than you are. Have a look at the video for a real world demonstration of the BMI in action.

The BMI project holds out strong hope for those that have lost or been born without limbs. A prosthetic arm wired up through BMI could eventually function even better than a human original. And once the technology is developed further, there is no reason to stop at prosthetics. Why not drive your car, or fly a plane, or operate a computer using only your mind. Project scientists estimate that it will be five years or so before we start seeing useful technology built on BMI. But for something as promising as thought controlled machines, a half decade is scarcely a wait at all. [via New Scientist Tech]


“A man paints with his brains and not with his hands.” - Michelangelo