Future Culture

Advanced Technology and Longevity Science

2011-09-29T12:51:00.004+08:00

TWO LOUD VOICES HAVE SPOKEN, and their message is clear.

The message is from two outspoken advocates of transhumanism --- anti-aging media guru and renowned gerontology theoretician Aubrey De Grey and futurist-author Robert Freitas (Freitas’ Nanomedicine is the first book-length technical discussion of the medical applications of nanotechnology and medical nanorobotics). Their indignation and outrage at the prospect of aging and yes, death, has been heard by many who are closely watching the movements of progress in longevity science.

For De Grey , he emphasizes that “aging really is barbaric. It shouldn't be allowed. I don't need an ethical argument. I don't need any argument. It's visceral. To let people die is bad.” In his recent stint at TED Talks , he further argued that aging is merely a disease — and a curable one at that – and that humans age in basic ways, all of which can be averted.

Freitas, meantime, wrote in an essay based on his speech at the Fifth Alcor Conference on Extreme Life Extension in 2002, feeling very strongly against aging and finitude. Freitas said that “while you were reading this sentence, a dozen people just died, worldwide, and there, another dozen people have perished. I think this is an outrage. I want to tell you why I think so, and what nanomedicine can do to help.”

Nanomedicine.com, Freitas’ blog, informs:

“More than just an extension of "molecular medicine," nanomedicine will employ molecular machine systems to address medical problems, and will use molecular knowledge to maintain and improve human health at the molecular scale. Nanomedicine will have extraordinary and far-reaching implications for the medical profession, for the definition of disease, for the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions including aging, and ultimately for the improvement and extension of natural human biological structure and function.

Analysts have regarded both Freitas and De Grey as “belonging to a highly visible but rather marginal community that regards death as a ‘bad lifestyle option’.

Can death be defeated? Both transhumanists are optimistic. Media observers point out that Freitas is confident that nanomedicine offers the best prospect for combating finitude, while De Grey insists on a multi-pronged assault on ageing through “engineered negligible senescence”.

And both Freitas and De Grey are not alone in promoting their stand on the issue.

It is true that now more than ever, anti-aging advocates and longevity science analysts have much more eagerness in carrying the torch to push forward its aim, which is “to monitor the progress of anti-aging technologies with one concern in mind -- to see that an overall beneficial effect on society will result from such technological advances.”

This, according to US’ The Campaign for Aging Research , a public benefit corporation founded in 2008 with its mission “to give everyone a new perspective on life in respect to the aging experience and life expectancy.”

The campaign’s advocates contend:

“We pledge to encourage the responsible development of therapies that will alleviate suffering and have an overall beneficial effect on society while implementing strategies to enhance the aging experience through our programs … The consideration of the reality of overpopulation and its consequences on our habitat is at the very core of our organization's values and a major concern for us …”

Recognizing the extreme power of advanced science and technology (“ Because it’s powerful it can be dangerous if in the wrong hands or used without checks and balances or planning ) , and underscoring the lessons of history that progress is unstoppable , they underscore their stand that “the direction that progress takes us is up to us. Our programs are here to modestly contribute to a global understanding of the potentials and risks of anti-aging technologies by all layers of society, and thus also to help plan for the future of biomedical research.”

In year 2000, the Longevity Consortium was formed : a consortium of scientists from multiple disciplines including laboratory-based scientists, epidemiologists and statistical geneticists interested in the study of genetics of aging and age-related traits , and was funded by a three-year grant from the National Institute on Aging.

The consortium’s study of genes associated with human aging, is, on the outset, pushing for collaboration and interdisciplinary communication with collaborative partners from other expertise and disciplines, which will be wholly beneficial -- for scientists, for Future Studies enthusiasts, technology advocates, among others.

Meantime, while the booming voice of anti-aging proponents grow louder, the debate heats up on ethical and social issues that so-called “technological interventions” may bring, and posthumanists continue propelling their ideas on tissue engineering, nanomedicine and stem cell research.

All these while the anti-aging cosmetic science technology skyrockets into a highly lucrative worldwide business: experts mention a whopping US$60 billion of dollars yearly generated by the global medical tourism industry with 20% annual growth, with Asian medical tourism said to rake in an estimate of US$4.4 billion, with half of the revenues going to the Indian market – according to Medscape.com

With all these , Nature.com gives its observation:

“Whatever differences separate technological utopians and pragmatic purchasers of expensive over-the-counter skin creams, they share a common sentiment: they fear ageing and death and seek ways to remain youthful and vigorous. They are afraid of the ravages of time and are wary of growing old in a society that prizes and pays for youthfulness and perfect bodies. The need to fill this demand is the major driving factor behind serious anti-ageing research and a rapidly growing market of consumer goods.”

“While transhumanists spin stories of an imminent biotechnological utopia, the 'worried well' search for immediate treatment options. Upper West Side and Bel Air devotees of Botox, Restylane and collagen injections are not prepared to wait for the arrival of cyborg bodies and posthuman flesh; they want to eradicate their wrinkles today.”

“For decades, biotechnology has been wrapped in hyperbolic commentary about its likely long-term benefits. We are not therapeutic nihilists who deny the role that various biomedical interventions have played in reducing morbidity and mortality; clearly, there is much to be said in favour of biomedical research. Still, as consumers seem to be convinced that effective anti-ageing therapies exist—when the benefits of most of these products are far from established—the ethics of the current marketplace deserve careful and critical analysis.”

“Most of the issues that are debated centre on therapies that may become available only after long and expensive research. But the social and economic problems associated with prolonging life are already here and need to be addressed. Such a discussion would benefit from a focus on specific and existing interventions, such as hormone replacement therapy, and a more thick-grained analysis of basic issues in biomedical research, priority setting, resource allocation and social justice considerations.”

Sony's Nextep WristWatch Computers by Year 2020

2010-08-09T08:33:00.019+08:00

Photo Credits: YankoDesign.com

YES, IT'S THE HEIGHT of uber-coolness!

Japanese designer Hiromi Kiriki has tapped Sony Nextep wristwatch computers for this breakthrough innovation slated for a year 2020 release : and what a cool sight on your wrist , indeed.

The raves ran the gamut from hush-hush whispers to all-out awe at what could be such a functional piece of digital technology. Check it out:

“As the two worlds of technology and our own personal lives become seemingly ever more connected, the demand for devices that are small, slim, and that serve a variety of internet based functions has risen over the past couple of years and that trend doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Sony is contemplating that very same train of thought and by unveiling the Hiromi Kiriki concept, are showing that they mean business when it comes to embracing innovation.”

Just like a lean-but-mean time machine-cum-wearable technology, making you drool at all the magic this little Sweetie can do. The device, designed to be worn as a bracelet, combines and juggles its digital tricks -- flexible organic light emitting diode or OLED displays along with holographic screen projectors, pull-out keyboards for your fingertips, and the whole hoopla of social networking variety from Facebook to MySpace, just like an all-around sleek device always keeping you in the loop within the no-limits territory of communications technology.

Industry analysts took note that this futuristic concept includes two major technologies being touted as “the big enablers of wearable computing” -- via the flexible and affordable OLED touchscreens, as well as holographic screens ( yes, ala Tom Cruise’s “Minority Report”).

When news about this beauty spread in techworld circles just last May 2010 after YankoDesign.com’s announcement, shortly after in June TED 2010 featured Minority Report’s highly futuristic data interface concept real-life inventor John Underkoffler -- and clearly a mind-blowing experience for TEDGlobal 2010’s audience.

BoingBoing.com reports:

“John Underkoffler led the team that came up with this point-and-touch interface concept innovation called the G-Speak Spatial Operating Environment. His company, Oblong Industries, was founded to move G-Speak into the real word -- building apps for aerospace, bioinformatics, video editing and more. But the big vision is ubiquity: G-Speak on every laptop, every desktop, every microwave oven, TV, dashboard.

“It has to be like this… We , all of us, everyday feel that. We build starting there. We want to change it all, “ Underkoffler says.

Interestingly, this could be what the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) , the leading United Nations (UN) agency for information and communication technology issues and the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services, has observed years back, that more and more of our formerly “offline personal belongings” ( wristwatches, television, even our kitchens, automobiles, telephones) will make the inevitable move from offline to online: yes, the “Internet of Things”.

In an early 2005ITU statement, the agency predicted:

“With the benefit of integrated information processing capacity, industrial products will take on smart capabilities. They may also take on electronic identities that can be queried remotely, or be equipped with sensors for detecting physical changes around them. Such developments will make the merely static objects of today dynamic ones - embedding intelligence in our environment and stimulating the creation of innovative products and new business opportunities. The Internet of Things will enable forms of collaboration and communication between people and things, and between things themselves, hitherto unknown and unimagined.”

“It seems that we are standing on the brink of a new computing and communication era, one that will radically transform our corporate, community, and personal spheres. With continuing developments in miniaturization and declining costs, it is becoming not only technologically possible but also economically feasible to make everyday objects smarter, and to connect the world of people with the world of things.”

Up Up and Away: Cloud Computing Technology Hits Asia

2010-07-31T20:47:00.007+08:00

ALL ROADS LEAD TO KUALA LUMPUR this coming September 20^th, as information technology security experts from around the globe – USA, Europe, Middle East . Africa and the Asia Pacific -- and global IT key players take part in presenting best practices and high-level tips for IT security strategies, increasing confidence and reducing risks in modern computing technologies, such as cloud computing, among others.

The conference will present high-level tips for increasing confidence and reducing the risks in cloud computing technology: bringing together throngs from the IT industry worldwide -- security administrators, security architects, senior technologists , security analysts, senior systems engineers, web security managers, security consultants, IT risk managers , among others -- as they share industry insights and strategies to strengthen the stronghold against the challenges of IT security.

The event, entitled The 4^th Annual SecureAsia Congress 2010, is dubbed as “ one of the upcoming major event-conferences in Asia focused on the IT security sector which will provide CIOs, CTOs, business and IT executives with the latest IT security strategies, case-study presentations, growing technologies and the best practices that are vital to fight against the security challenges.”

Check out the conference’s sales pitch come-on for its attendees:

“This will be a must-attend event for decision makers and IT risk managers, as it offers a platform to network with the leading information security professionals to discuss the latest security issues and challenges. It will give an unrivaled opportunity to improve evocative and useful information related to IT security.”

With the advent of cloud computing technology slowly seeping through the Asia Pacific region and now here in the Philippines, drumbeating for this technology is getting louder and louder.

Cloud computing technology , simply put, is Internet-based computing, where shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand, just like the electricity grid.

With a common “host” for Internet-based applications shared by interconnected virtual servers, among others, there is no need for computer infrastructure such as servers, no skyrocketing business expenses on software, with “pay-as-you-go” mode via cloud computing technology subscription: minus the hassles of maintenance and upkeep of infrastructure and software.

In a recent report by ComputerWorld Philippines, Singapore-based Information Security Forum (ISF) members revealed that cloud computing changed their information security risk landscape, but they maintain that “they are well-placed to address these security issues.”

The ISF is a major independent, not-for-profit authority on information security, dedicated to reducing risk and resolving information security challenges.

According to the report: the vote of confidence in cloud computing technology was revealed in the ISF’s latest survey involving more than 300 of the world’s major companies and public sector organizations.

The rapid adoption of cloud computing was identified as one of the top information security challenges in the ISF’s latest Threat Horizon Report, which highlighted concerns on cloud computing focused on managing user identities and credentials, third-party service providers, emerging cloud technologies, protecting against new forms of malware and legal and regulatory issues, as mentioned by ISF senior research consultant Adrian Davis.

ISF informs: “In our latest report on cloud computing, we advise members to address five tasks: prepare a strategy; identify the impact on business operations; assess risks to data; ensure that information security is part of the decision-making process; and work under the assumption that cloud computing is already being used within the organization.”

In the Philippines, more and more are joining the cloud computing technology bandwagon, among them business industry leaders ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, Jollibee, among others.

IT solutions provider IT Group Inc. (ITG) jumps in the cloud technology joyride as well.

“We are moving up the clouds,” says ITG CEO and President Cris Gamboa. The technology’s advantages , such as scalability, dependability, optimized performance regardless of location , preserved functionalities even during upgrades , movement to multiple Virtual Private Servers (VPS) –- all these are part of the ITG decision to go into cloud computing.

“Cloud hosting saves money as acquiring physical servers and software licenses are things of the past, with costs only based on consumption via software-as-a-service (SAAS) subscription. VPS use in the “cloud” conserves electricity, which is part of energy conservation. With data recovery, the said process is easier, faster, and more efficient in case malfunctions occur.”

And on an environment-friendly note: lesser use of computer infrastructure would lead to concerted contributory efforts to ease global warming, energy conservation and promotion of the preservation of the environment.

“ITG is committed to its social responsibility for the community and the environment. More and more companies are making the move from offline business management solutions to cloud computing technology, and now using VPS for low overhead expenses and greener output. Having a single server device , energy is conserved , carbon emissions are reduced , and business processes become simplified and cost-effective.”

Gamboa points out: Philippine businesses are producing metric tons of carbon yearly, contributing greatly to global warming. ITG’s move to switch to cloud computing technology could pave the way for local industries to follow suit, reevaluate their systems, and also take responsibility for a greener environment.

Bill Gates Gets Down On Third World Global Health

2010-05-21T17:28:00.007+08:00

Photo Credit: GrandChallenges.org

“There is no bigger test to humanity than the crisis of global health . Without compassion we wont do anything. Without science , we cant do anything. “

That’s Bill Gates talking, folks.

When the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced the opening of Round 5 of Grand Challenges Exploration, the billionaire couple’s project offering a US$100 million grant initiative to encourage innovation in global health research, both fans and skeptic groups alike had their heads turning.

The foundation’s Grand Challenges Explorations , a five-year, $100 million initiative to promote innovation and achieve major breakthroughs in global health, comes on strong as all-heart and compassion for the Third World, described as exerting efforts to help develop and deliver low-cost, life-saving health tools for the developing world.

GatesFoundation.org presents itself as traversing beyond the innovations and breakthroughs in technology and its lucrative arena, and trudging through the burgeoning challenges and complexities of of 21st century living’s humane side, treading through the narrow road of extending a helping hand for the Third World, making sure that denizens of both worlds are leading meaningful and productive lives.

“Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people, especially those with the fewest resources, have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. “

Spearheading the project --- the Global Health Program which is under the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation --- is Tadataka Yamada, M.D., who is former Chairman of Research and Development and member of the Board of Directors of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) , also past president of the American Gastroenterological Association and the Association of American Physicians , a master of the American College of Physicians , and a member of the Institute of Medicine of the US’ National Academy of Science , and the UK’s Academy of Medical Sciences.

Yamada said in a statement published at the New England Journal of Medicine that the said foundation is willing to promote more aggressive and adventurous approaches to medical research , raring to jumpstart unconventional projects that could transform health in developing countries, and is “willing to take risks”. The Foundation is backing up hundreds of innovative early-stage projects with financial support over the course of 5 years, and shelling out $100,000 investment in each project.

The Global Health Program chief explains : “We want bold ideas — even seemingly wacky ones — that need just a little help to get tested. Proposals will require creative thinking but no preliminary data. We'll run each idea past two groups of reviewers — one composed of internal scientists, and another of partners and advisers with a history of identifying creative solutions to difficult problems. We expect many of these projects to fail, but we stand ready to put substantial funding behind those that succeed. “

Curiously enough, the global health initiative zeroes in on unorthodox and out-of-the-box mindsets and ways of thinking in bold, avante-garde fashion which could be typically Bill Gates in unconventional flavor. Yamada stresses the point . "We hope to hear from researchers of every age, on every continent, and from disciplines that don't typically focus on global health or even biomedical research … History taught us that innovative ideas can come from anywhere."

Meantime, Grand Challenges Explorations’ Round 5 zooms in on technological innovations and inventions on low-cost mobile phones’ applications benefitting priority global health conditions, new technologies on improving health for newborns and mothers, new breakthroughs showcasing protection against infectious diseases, creating new innovative breakthroughs promoting birth control .

Recently in the news and soaking in lukewarm controversy was the foundation’s granting of $100 million to medical efforts by James Tsuruta and Paul Dayton from the University of North Carolina,with ongoing studies on ultrasound waves’ effect of temporarily depleting testicular sperm counts, being lined up as latest breakthrough for possible male contraceptives.

With the said method, the ultrasound waves stop sperm production for six months, making the patient temporarily infertile.

Tsuruta says : "We think this could provide men with up to six months of reliable, low-cost, non-hormonal contraception from a single round of treatment… Our long-term goal is to use ultrasound from therapeutic instruments that are commonly found in sports medicine or physical therapy clinics as an inexpensive, long-term, reversible male contraceptive suitable for use in developing to first world countries."

Cuddly Social Robot Petrimo Vs. Cyberpedophilia

2010-05-10T20:11:00.016+08:00

Photo Credit: Mixed Reality Lab

CYBERBULLYING AND CYBERPEDOPHILIA -- explained by social analysts as "sexual attraction to prepubescent children" is no doubt at an all-time high today , burgeoning through a societal sex crime crisis experienced by the United States in the early and mid-1990s, and spreading through Europe, particularly Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany, countries which found themselves in the "same predicament". From offline sexual abuse moral panics, these developing phenomena have crawled through online bullying and pedophilia, and have become the scourge of concern by the parental community and the society as a whole.

As cyberbullies are touted to be "emboldened when using electronic means to carry out their antagonistic agenda because it takes less energy and courage to express hurtful comments using a keypad or a keyboard than with one’s voice", the astounding statistics continue in steadily increasing figures. A 2005 US survey reported 73% of the respondents stated that they knew the bully, 26% experienced that the offender was a stranger, 10% revealed that their picture and/or video of them via a cellular phone camera, "consequently making them feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or threatened."

Check out the statistical reports:

"The internet is the new playground or schoolyard where pedophiles go to meet children. Cyber pedophiles almost always have a history of sexual conduct with children and now use chat rooms to contact children directly. Cyber pedophiles usually have interest in child pornography or sexual urges and fantasies with children. The legal system has seen an alarming increase in the number of pedophiles over the past several years. Statistics show that 1 in 5 children who use computer chat rooms have been approached by a pedophile and 1 in 7 kids who use the internet have been solicited for sex online. Law enforcement officials estimate as many as 50,000 sexual predators are online at any given moment."

Cyberpedophilia, meantime, targets the much-younger set of 6 to 10-year-old prepubescent children, with surveys suggesting that as many as 3 in 10 children have been subjected to bullying while online.

Enter Mixed Reality Lab , a project of the National University of Singapore and the Keiyo Media Design of the Keiyo University of Japan, has created the interactive "social robots" called Petimo: designed to guard children against cyberbullies and other online crimes, and borne from the reality that 18 percent of said prepubescent kids in the US use social networking sites, "thus there is a strict need of someone who vigils upon these minors so that they aren’t victimized by the cyber world, this is what the Petimos does so efficiently."

National University of Singapore's Adrian David Cheok , inventor of Petimo, explains that he wanted to use new media to help develop more natural human forms of communication, and that "Petimo is one step in this direction."

How does it work?

"Children will only be able to accept new online "friends" if their Petimos are brought into physical contact first, to guard against cyberbullies and paedophiles masquerading as children. The devices work in conjunction with an online social network called Petimo-World in which they are represented by avatars. By squeezing their physical Petimos, or pressing buttons on them, children can send messages or "gifts" to their online friends.
Parents are notified each time a friend request is made and can block approaches that concern them, so children only see and interact online with the avatars of approved friends.
Meantime, UK group E-Victims, advocating safety for both children and adults on online sex crimes, contend that the system may be quite limited with the restricted content of Petimo World as online children are bound to be bored .
"Children young enough to be content with a walled garden approach and its limitations will probably be too young to be seriously interested
in the chat element."

To this, UK
police officials last March called on social networking sites to place a standard "panic button" designed by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre on all pages, to help ensure safety for children against online sex crimes, and against cyberbullying and cyberpedophilia.

Meantime, advocates against online sex crimes on children also lament that the responsibility is not solely on social networking sites, as parents , too, have strong roles to play. Online practices such as anonymity and caution in disclosing information are very important, as well as installing certain filtering software which are able to block off pornographic contents if they were to receive pornographic materials in their inboxes, or when they surf the Internet.

"Companies or schools can also install software such as the BioObservation System using computer image analysis technology that can analyse computer images to identify pornographic or pedophile images on suspect computers and to alert the relevant authority when such offending images are received."

Mixed Reality Lab's Petrimo hits the US market late this year, and may also be due for distribution for the international market.

"Future of Communication"- Mixed Reality Lab, Adrian David Cheok

Mixed Reality Lab & Adrian David Cheok on Discovery Science Channel "Future of Communication" showing Petimo Childrens Social Robots ... Petimo ...

RoboWorld Boom In 2010

2010-03-29T01:59:00.024+08:00

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Heavy Lifter
Fuji Heavy Industries/Subaru
This AV-T3 autonomous cargo transport robot can uncomplainingly move heavy loads around, courtesy of Fuji Heavy Industries. Look at that angry-eyebrow smile!
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Shadow Hand
EPA/DAI KUROKAWA
Need a hand? Put on a CyberGlove and take control of the C6M Dexterous Hand developed by the UK's Shadow Robot Company.
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Robo Skates
Toshinobu Takei/National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Strap on a pair of robot skates that can automatically move forward when they sense a user leaning forward. Dr. Toshinobu Takei of Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)demonstrated at IREX.
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Becoming Your Bed
Japan Machine Logic
Walking is so 20th century. Japan Logic Machine has created a the Yurina Care Robot that can go from bed to wheelchair and help the elderly or disabled. Say, that sounds familiar.
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Working the Livelong Day
Kawada Industries
The NEXTAGE robot joins a long line of industrial robots that can work tirelessly on the assembly line. Let's just hope that they can all remain gainfully employed.
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Paddle Bot
TOSY
This Vietnamese robot named TOPIO doesn't even need shades to be cool. But it'll wear them all the same while challenging humans to ping pong.
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Face Yourself
Kokoro
This receptionist robot requires a human programmer help freak you out. Japanese robot maker Kokoro created the "actroid" to demonstrate camera-based face mimicking technology.
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YOU LOVE 'EM , YOU HATE 'EM .

NT Research of Korea's RAMex, a buxomy fembot humanoid with tele-operated arms and hands and coming on strong as kick-ass android in Silver Terminator chutzpah, sending the villains a-huffing and a-puffing off to Never-Never Land, was one of the parade of robots wowing them all at last year's International Robot Exhibition in Japan -- together with other cyborgs to fit each and every techie and geek enthusiast's fantasy.

She was there alright, together with the sinister-looking NEXTAGE robots, designed to upstage and throw to the layoff line human factory workers, with its seamlessly efficient work side by side with humans, and equipped with "special sensors that allow it to remain mindful of humans in its vicinity, particularly in a production line environment. "

In the domestic front, robotics had a heyday playing up a host of "caregiving servant robots" at the beck and call of the elderly. There's Mahru-M and Mahru-Z, dubbed as the "household servant robots" , shown at YouTube doing their springy spacewalk in the kitchen ( like a pretty slow trudge from the fridge to the bread toaster) with their perpetual smile on their steel faces and a pink apron adding a homey flair to their robotic existence.

There's Tokyo-based Ifbot , that helper-robot in a Japanese nursing home, which can reportedly "converse, sing, quiz seniors and express emotions"; and Taizo the exercise robo-instructor, that "delightful chap with a bulbous visage and a fun, plushy space suit designed to lead low-impact group exercise , featuring voice recognition and a library of thirty different exercises."

There's Sil-Bot a.k.a. H-Robot, a robot for the elderly or “silver generation” (hence the name Sil-Bot) with its blinking eyes and moving lips, face recognition and speech functions -- moving to its owner's voice from 10-feet distance, showcasing its simple conversation as "typical elderly friend" , reminding patients to take their meds, with its mentally-stimulating interactive games as preventive measures for Alzheimer's Disease and dementia. Botropolis.com reports have it that after completing field trials at Korea's Masan Welfare Hall, the robot headed to Korean grade schools as educational assistant.

Mahru-M (left) and Mahru-Z

If-Bot , robo-caregiver at a Japanese nursing home

Taizo, the elderly's exercise instructor

Sil-Bot, robo-caregiver for the elderly, quizzing patients to prevent Alzheimer's Disease and dementia

And then there's the Squid robot , developed by the Osaka University's Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering and demonstrated last October in a Kobe swimming pool as part of an underwater robot festival: with carefully-made rubber panels for its "stingray underwater flights" , sliding and curling rhythmically with forward thrusts, with a flat body to easily enter narrow spaces, with brand new propulsion systems being planned for the said underwater robots to monitor ocean environments, search out underwater resources and possibly perform other underwater missions.

Squid Robot, underwater bot designed to sneak in narrow spaces underwater, for underwater missions

And who could miss TOPIO, Vietnam's torchbearer in the international world of robotics: strut-your-stuff cool and gorgeous in shades (watch out for those abs and muscular built ala Hunky Matinee Idol) , moving quickly in masculine and maximum virile fashion, designed to best them all in the world of , yes, ping-pong. Four high-speed cameras help it identify the trajectory of the ball and accurately return shots, but it can also turn mushy expressing feelings when it either wins or loses a game. Who cares if ping-pong could be the only thing it's good at?? Matrons would be more than delighted to even just ogle at this hunky cyborg.

As March 2010 comes to a close , Future Culture does a round-up of the latest and the newest that the world of robotics has dished out for all you techie geeks and invention enthusiasts:

NASA's androids will be functioning as human avatars, as said cyborgs walk on the moon with their human counterparts watching closely in motion capture suits giving them the feeling of being on lunar surface. The androids will function with better efficiency in lunar explorations, according to NASA scientists.

PopSci.com reports: "Imagine these NASA C-3POs roaming our satellite, controlled by all kind of scientists using telepresence suits down here, all looking for interesting things using high definition visors, and able to move just like they would move on planet Earth. It won't work for Mars, but with a communication delay of only three seconds, it will work beautifully on the Moon."

While other androids do the lunar explorations, a second set of NASA robots called Dextre, will function as handy-man space robots , taking care of satellite repairs and refueling tasks.

(Photo Credit: Popsci.com)

Over at DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), an agency of the US' Department of Defense, plans are under way for inexpensive robotic hands that can perhaps also replace existing prosthetics for amputees, according to Pentagon scientists. "Engineers can already design specialized robotic arms better suited for any number of specific tasks than human hands. But DARPA specifically hopes to see arms and hands that can mimic the general adaptability and flexibility of human hands. That means the main challenge rests with the software that provides the brains behind smart robotic arms and hands."

(Photo Credit: Popsci.com)

Robosoft Kompai , invented and manufactured in France, functions as an elderly robo-caregiver: navigating autonomously for its patients, equipped with artificial intelligence for speech recognition features, keeping track of shopping lists, even functioning as your personal assistant to remind you of your meetings, and your instant musical DJ to sweep you out of your blues. Kompai is perpetually Internet-connected, which can give you a myriad of information with careless flicks and clicks on its LED digital touchscreen, and even keep you in-the-know with its video-conferencing system to keep you in touch with your business partners and clients.

Introduced recently at the 2010 Intercompany Long Term Care Insurance Conference in New Orleans, Robosoft CEO Vincent Dupourqué said that the domestic robots market for dependent persons, whether they be elderly, handicapped or autistic, is one of their top priorities. “Kompaï is the culmination of several years of research with scientific and medical partners. This first generation is intended for developers who would like to implement their own robotics applications for assistance”.

Roboaid.com reports that while Kompaï 's primary means of communication is speech, its next-generation versions will be equipped with visual abilities, and also possibly abilities to interpret and express emotions, plus, with additional arms, it can perform more practical functions such as handling objects, meal preparations , tidying, and even giving Grandpa and Grandma its "cold-yet-full-of-warmth" bearhugs.

For the medical world, enter Virtobot: currently being used at the University of Bern’s Institute of Forensic Medicine.

Botropolis.com reports: virtual autopsy done by Virto-Bot is autopsy without making any cut on the corpse -- autopsy is done via digital scan, as the entire body is virtually visible on a screen, and every scanned body part shows up on the screen, the bones, the tissue, the fat, and especially the problem. "If new evidence in a court suggests that a corpse was shot instead of stabbed, the Virtobot can scan the body and find the bullet very easily, all without even touching the cold, swollen tissue of the deceased victim. So to sum it up, Virtobot makes the autopsy process so much easier and accurate."

More new robotic inventions:

PopSci Gallery: At the International Robot Exhibition in Japan, Robots For Your Every Need

Robotic fish consume less power by using magnets instead motors

Cody – mobile manipulating robot could aid us in future

Meantime , check out Singularity Hub's review of the best in the world of robotics in 2009 -- http://singularityhub.com/2009/12/22/a-review-of-the-best-robots-of-2009/ -- and still, its review of the best robots of 2008.

The Robotic Girlfriends

2010-01-18T19:13:00.006+08:00

Much as I wanted to give due respect to Roxxxy, proclaimed by her creators from TrueCompanion.com -- led by artificial intelligence engineer and inventor Douglas Hines -- as the world's first robotic girlfriend , I was moved to tears from too much laughing, when I read rambunctious and totally irreverent comments about her.

Amidst eyebrow-raisings, shudders , "Eeeeeeew" and "Gross!" exclamations, poor Roxxxy -- trying to look as sexy as ever with her see-through black lingerie -- had to withstand flippant and cheeky mockings , from the self-confessed geeks themselves.

More than anything else , I admire her for her patience, withstanding all the mockery from these geeky 21st century iconoclasts! Hark!!!!!

Listen : "How come she looks like Lady Gaga??"

" Here comes Robo Gonorrhea, the noisy killer!"

"Dear, she doesn't look like Lady Gaga at all, she looks like Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders!"

"That will certainly cure any sexual fetish you may have. I am having an urge to become a Tibetan monk... "

"Eeeeeeeew, she even looks slutty... "

"Anyone remember Harry Mudd's wife, Stella??"

" This is the creepiest girlthing ever ... "

"This is not what I had in mind when I mentioned wanting a robot girlfriend... Shudder!"

Dustin, meantime, is delirious: "This is a brilliant idea. Nobody realizes that these same creepy people who want a sex bot won't be having children? Won't be passing on their genes? Hehehe, my evil plan continues unhindered...."

Well, she's no Megan Fox come-hither babe, but to describe her as a Heidi Fleiss Neanderthal, or a slimmer and sluttier version of Susan Boyle is too much! (I must admit though, that her facial expression , not to mention her disheveled hairstyle, makes her come across as a streetwalker slumped in fatigue with all that action. It would really be pretty tiring to have men groping at your realistic-looking silicone C cups.

Whew.

Mind you, her creators from TrueCompanion.com up the ante further with an aggressive sales pitch: that she has artificial intelligence and life-like synthetic skin, built to have stimulating conversation as an intellectual conversationalist ("I love holding hands with you" ), a great listener, with built-in sensors that squirm with your touch , and when you are lonely, she even goes to sleep with you. This is something to revolutionize robotics."

"She can't vacuum, she can't cook but she can do almost anything else if you know what I mean," Douglas Hines says. "She's a companion. She has a personality. She hears you. She listens to you. She speaks. She feels your touch. She goes to sleep. We are trying to replicate a personality of a person."

While tech enthusiasts are smiling and gawking at the recent CES event in Las Vegas, a few blocks away has Roxxxy facing her audience at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo for her "big coming out party."

PopSci.com meantime says:

"But unlike her real-life counterparts, this girlfriend really listens. Users can go online and detail their particular likes and dislikes, downloading them to their Roxxxy robots (naturally, this 21st century girl is Wi-Fi-enabled; she'll even send you lusty love letters via email). Using Roxxxy's Web site, gentlemen can refine their ladies' tastes and preferences to match their own, slowly creating their idea of the perfect woman. Friends can even swap their girlfriends' personalities online in a somewhat creepy incarnation of social networking."

And for more flavourful variety, Roxxxy can be customised to five different personalities: coasting through reserved and shy Frigid Farrah, outgoing and adventurous Wild Wendy, pain and pleasure-provider S & M Susan , eager to teach Mature Martha with her "matriarchal kind of caring" , and there's Young, barely eighteen and "waiting for you to teach her". To this, reader Locotus shrugs : "Multiple personalities? wow, they're making these girlfriends more realistic every day."

And if you're ready to shell out US$7000 to US$9000 for Roxxxy, be ready for real action with this robotic girlfriend with her "robotic movements" via her anatomically correct, articulated skeleton -- standing at 5 feet and seven inches, fleshy to the hilt with all of 120 pounds , plus customizable brassier size, hair and skin color.

Creator Douglas might not want to admit it: but Roxxxy is a predecessor of her other sex-toy robotic sisters -- check out US- made RealDoll.com and Japan-made Honey Dolls( www.honeydolls.jp) which are, understandably, quite unsafe when browsing through the sites at work.

Gizmodo.com hurls in its own views on the Honey Dolls : "Thank the Japanese for pushing humanity one step closer to sexbots: This almost-perfect, silicon-made Honey Doll is equipped with touch sensors that will make her moan with different sounds."

Oh well. Meantime, cut all that smack about Neanderthal Roxxxy ... I mean, multi-personality sexy Roxxxy.

Newsnidea.com reports that the sexbot is “always turned on and ready to talk or play ... with a feverishly pumping mechanical heart and liquid cooling system lest things get too hot to handle." Further, she's currently heating up shelves in both Europe and the US, as True Companion notes she will be also become available in other parts of the world.

Pointing out that her creators also boast that Roxxxy, who can’t walk or mechanically move her own limbs, can even “have an orgasm,” Newsnidea.com figures that "we have a strong suspicion she might be faking it."

Future Culture

Advanced Technology and Longevity Science

Sony's Nextep WristWatch Computers by Year 2020

Up Up and Away: Cloud Computing Technology Hits Asia

Bill Gates Gets Down On Third World Global Health

Cuddly Social Robot Petrimo Vs. Cyberpedophilia

RoboWorld Boom In 2010

Heavy Lifter

Shadow Hand

Robo Skates

Becoming Your Bed

Working the Livelong Day

Paddle Bot

Face Yourself

Robotic fish consume less power by using magnets instead motors

Cody – mobile manipulating robot could aid us in future

The Robotic Girlfriends