The Smorgasbord

Bionics, Cyborgs, and exo-skeletons are on the verge of being able to be sold to industry and the general public. Here are 5 different things that seem to be ripped from the movies and television right into reality.

I see incredible things based on new technology nearly every day. But I think back to when I was a kid and how we dreamed of flying cars, moving sidewalks, and laser pistols. The funny thing is, the things that are becoming reality seem to be ripped right out of the movies and television. Remember Robocop, the Bionic Man, and recently even Iron Man? These were all a combination of man and machine, whether an armor type “suit” or embedding robotics and electronics in a human.

Check out the Exo-Skeleton Suit. It can enhance what you do and allow a human to life ut to 10x more than their normal body strength. The military is testing other types of exo-skeletons that allow people to carry up to a 200lb payload with minimal effot and no load bearing. Unlike our childhood dreams of everyone having their own robot suit, this has real world applications. In my younger days I had a few factory jobs that required liftings where I would have killed to have something like this to assist me. I can see all kinds of applications for something like this, from a construction roofer to a stockboy at Wal-Mart. Also – they are already testing exo-skeleton designs for people that lost limbs. Imagine being able to wear an exo-skeleton instead of having to use a wheelchair!

When I was looking at exo-skeletons I saw some Cyborg Insects that were really scary. If they can make a robot moth that really flies, imagine the counter intelligence they could do with this! You wouldn’t be worried about hidden cameras anymore, you’d be worried whether bugs were spying on you or not. What would happen if a bird that normally ate months ate one of these?

Robots Swarms seem like something right out of a movie. They are little tiny robot modules that attach themselves together in a “swarm” and morph into something for a common goal. In a disaster this could be very helpful for saving people – but it’s so damn scary looking!

The Self Healing Chair I don’t believe is a realistic product per se, but more like an illustration of what robots of the future will be able to do. In some compacity robots of the future will be able to repair themselves, find the parts they need, and put themselves back together again. This really reminds of the Terminator!

This last one – the Self-Repairing Robot is really incredible to watch. I can’t even begin to put my finger on what this will be used for, but the unique ability of a robot to be able to create and build, and morph is unbelievable to watch.

We may not be living in the “Jetsons” age just yet, but technology is doing incredible things right under your nose! What incredible things have you seen lately that seemed to jump right out of a movie into reality?

The Japanese must be gluttons for punishment today – because I happened along this little jem as well this morning. This guys “Engrish” isn’t so bad I guess, but when he says “dis is wok and woll” – I die laughing! Thanks Banned in Hollywood.

First rule of Japanese Bug Fights – we don’t talk about Japanese Bug Fights. Second rule of Japanese Bug Fights – we don’t talk about Japanese Bug Fights!

I don’t understand sometimes how a culture can be so technologically and educationally advanced – and yet continue to entertain themselves in some of the strangest and most childish ways imaginable. If you must see more – Japanesebugfights.com.

Here’s video of a jet powered bicycle that can go 75mph! The first thing you might ask is “why”? Especially when you can just buy a motorcycle. The answer is because the builder of this bike is Robert Maddox, and he builds and fabricates jet powered propulsion engines that run on kerosene. His engines can power up to 1,000 lbs, so he decided to weld one to a bike and make it go up to 75 mph. It seems like it would be one hell of a ride, but as you’ll see in the video – it’s not practical because even though the jet engine is very small – it’s deafening! The guy’s on a modded bicycle and it sounds like you are on the tarmac at the airport! Thanks for the find Gizmodo, the comments on the page I found this indicate that many feel he’s a pre-qualified candidate for the next Darwin Awards!

El Caminito del Rey or “The King’s Pathway” is in Spain. Originally built in 1901 as a narrow walkway in the mountains between El Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls – it took 4 years to build. Now more than 100 years later the walkway is falling apart, and in some sections you can see through the holes in the concrete to the bottom of the gorge hundreds of feet below. In other place the entire walkway has fallen away leaving only the steel beam that originally held it up.

What’s incredible about this video (IMHO), is the speed by which the person recording walks this very narrow and very dangerous path with such ease. Watch the entire video – you will feel as if you are actually there on the walkway yourself!

The walking quadraped robot is something I saw a few years back in YouTube video, it was called the “Big Dog” and is made by a company called “Boston Dynamics”. This new video from March 2008 shows how much more this thing has (insanely) improved during that time. It can run, jump, walk sideways, and the variety of terrains they are testing this shows how versatile the “Big Dog” is becoming. It’ll be a hundred times more effective than any camel I’ve ever seen. It looks huge in the video, but it says it’s only 240lbs, and the payload it’s carrying is 340 lbs. If they can scale this up – wait until they make a bigger version for troop transport (like the “AT-AT’s” in Star Wars), so much for tanks!

Here’s the “Little Dog” version from a few years back:

Here’s a robot from the same company called “RHex”:

and if you want to see something really freaky – here’s a “robotic snake”:

So – a couple of rednecks decided to buy a dirt bike at their local flea market or yard sale. Then – they figure they’ll just take it home by strapping it to the hood of their car. Only problem is – those straps must not have been tight enough – because it falls off, right in the middle of moving traffic!

This is quite possibly the craziest and most incredible thing I’ve ever seen (all in one). This is video shot somewhere (in Africa?) of an elephant that paints. And this elephant doesn’t just put random scribbles on the canvas, it paints in great detail, with different colors – it’s just unbelievable to watch. I don’t know how an animal can paint a detailed portrait like this – I just don’t understand how it can be done. I watched it over and over – and I’m still in awe…

Check out this dude that made his own Panzer tank in college! It’s half scale, and so bloody scary that when he drove it down his parents street for fun the neighbors called the cops thinking it was WWIII or something! It runs on an old diesel generator motor, and the turret and canon actually work – shooting both paintballs and empty red bull cans (powered by a Co2 container in the rear). Who wouldn’t kill to have their own working tank? Maybe it was the geek in my, but I thought this was really cool!

People who believe in Scientology are crazy. They really are. They can slice and dice it any way they want, but there’s no denying the fact that the crux of the religion is the fact that they believe in aliens, and it’s the source of all our troubles today. I find it no small laughing matter that so many celebrities are awash in Scientology because they all live in some kind of fantasy land anyway, and they have to believe in something that crazy just to justify their own life and lifestyle. Recently it was announced that the woman who does the voice for Bart Simpson donated 12 million dollars to her Scientology faith. When I saw this South Park clip below I laughed and laughed because every single shred of it is absolutely true. That’s what makes it so funny – you’d think they made some of that up for the cartoon, but they didn’t, it’s all completely true. After you read the clip, just visit Xenu.net and you will be shocked and amazed what a cult Scientology really is and how many people they have completely brainwashed over the years.