Blue Forest reveals designs for new Biodiversity Nest Treehouse

UK architectural firm Blue Forest, which has a background in the design and construction of luxury treehouses and lodges, has revealed its plans to build a large nest-like treehouse in the Eden Project’s Humid Tropics Biome. Located in Cornwall, UK, the Eden Project is the world’s largest conservatory, and the planned Biodiversity Nest will sit high amidst its treetops as part of a new Rainforest Canopy Walk.

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“The design of the Biodiversity Nest Treehouse draws inspiration from the genius of nature’s design,” Blue Forest Director, Simon Payne tells Gizmag. “Its form is based on the elaborately woven nests of the Bowerbird and Weaver bird, which are common across East Africa – where Blue Forest's founder Andy Payne was born.”

The new treetop walk will include a series of pathways which will snake their way through the steamy Rainforest canopy. Visitors will gain access to the unique nature immersion experience via a timber-and-steel framed walkway, and the Biodiversity Nest will lie in the middle of two bridges spanning across 16 meters (52 feet) in both directions.

The Biodiversity Nest will be used as an educational space and has been designed to cater for groups of approximately 20 people. It will be a focal point within Eden's Tropical Biomes, offering visitors a unique view of nature’s biodiversity.

“It is unlike anything we have done before” says Payne. “I love the spiraling helical superstructure and am really pleased with the way the 'feather-like' cladding helps break up the shape of the treehouse so that it blends in with its surroundings.”

In line with the philosophy of the Eden Project, the Blue Forest architects are doing everything possible to ensure the physical structure will be as sustainable as possible.

“The Biodiversity Nest is an interesting technical challenge as we have to provide a spectacular education space which is comfortable for visitors in the Rainforest environment, with a limited choice of materials that can cope with the aggressive environment – temperatures of up to 45 degrees centigrade (113 degrees Fahrenheit), 90 percent relative humidity in the night and 60 percent in the day,” Payne says. “As well as a galvanized steel superstructure, we have been experimenting with heat treated softwoods as a substitute for robust but unsustainable tropical hardwoods, to form the timber enclosure and deck.”

The Eden Project is currently working to raise funds to deliver the design element of the Biodiversity Nest. Once the funding is raised, the project should take approximately 9 to 10 weeks to prefabricate the superstructure of the Nest off site and a further five to six weeks to install. The Humid Tropics Biome will remain open to the public while construction of the Aerial Walkway is underway, with the first phase due for launch this June.

“Tree houses have always been a symbol of imagination and creativity,” concludes Payne. “We are all big kids at heart and I can't wait to walk across the canopy walkway and stand on the platform of the Nest and looking out on the rainforest.”

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CyberFire Football glows green or red - if you're wearing the special glasses

Have you ever seen children out on the playground, playing some made-up game that only they know the rules to? Well, Play Visions' CyberFire Football Set is kind of like a high-tech version of that. While onlookers just see a couple of kids with funny-looking headgear on, passing a foam football back and forth, those kids will see what appears to be a green or red fireball streaking through the air between them.

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The CyberFire ball incorporates a "special retro reflective fabric," while the glasses (except, they're not really glasses) feature colored LED bulbs that emit a specific spectrum of light. When that light strikes the ball from a distance as far as 200 feet (61 meters), day or night, it is very brightly reflected back. By flipping a switch, users can choose between green or red light.While onlookers would undoubtedly see some of the effect, the idea is that the two glasses-wearing players will be the only ones to see it in its "full glory."

The CyberFire Football Set is available via the Play Visions website, for US$24.99. A single-player Hi Bounce Ball Set can also be purchased, for $14.99.

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Air Swimmers give a new meaning to 'flying fish'

Should someone tell you "Last night, I saw a great white shark swimming through my living room," don't assume that they're crazy. It could be that what they saw was an Air Swimmer. The remote-control toys (which are available as a shark or a clown fish) are able to swim through the air, turning, diving and climbing on command. Now all we need is an RC model penguin, that flies underwater.

The Air Swimmers' bodies are mylar balloons that the user fills with helium, much like the RC blimps and flying saucers already on the market. While those models move using propellers, however, the Air Swimmers actually move through the air by swishing their tails from side to side. The user controls the tail movements using an infrared remote control unit - alternating left-right swishes move the fish straight forward, while more swishes on one side or the other turn them left or right.

When first setting up the Air Swimmers, users insert some included putty into the control pod, located on the underside of each fish. They adjust the amount of putty until its weight is such that the model is neutrally buoyant, neither falling to the floor nor rising to the ceiling. When the fish is flying, a button on the remote causes the pod to slide forward or rearward on an attached plastic track. Moving it forward causes the model to dive, while moving it back causes the model to climb.

Air Swimmers are available online, at a price of $US39.99 each. They require one AAA battery for the pod, and three for the IR controller.

Here's a look at them in action:

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Real Lightsaber - Star Wars

Deciding which lightsaber should be rated number one was pretty simple, everyone who emails me tells me they LOVE the same one every time. So I bought it myself and gave it the twice over for those of you who don’t own one yet.
It looks like a lightsaber but it isn’t actually one. This new blue laser device by the Wicked Lasers is really awesome and comes packed with a high power laser.
It is one of its kind class 4 laser pointer with an output of one watt blue beam at a frequency of 445 nm, which can easily burn lots of things! Actually, so much uncertainty and concern about this product has been due to the cease and desist letters which has been sent by LucasFilms to Wicked Lasers, saying that their gadget resembles too much with their immensely popular Jedi weapon, which is a light saber.
The Spyder 3 Arctic Pro gadget has been made using blue laser diodes from the Casio projector. Currently it is one of the world’s most powerful laser at just $200. It has the capability to set the things on fire and is very dangerous to handle. The laser beam from Spyder 3 Arctic Pro if fired in somebody’s eyes can even blind them permanently. I’m not sure what you will be doing with this device but people just love such gadgets.

The makers of this laser have said that this is a terrifying piece of technology. It should never be used as a sort of laser pointer and is accompanied by a pair of safety goggles. The blue laser bean emitted by Spyder 3 Arctic Pro is 2000 times brighter that the current best portable laser.

Though burning an object may seem like a fun, but it would be a tragedy if something on the other side is your best pal and you just pass your blue laser through him or her. These kinds of devices are best with the military and can even be used to blow away asteroids falling on us from sky!

If you want to buy Arctic on internet, you should do some research to find if the applications for which you would like to use it really need such a powerful laser beam and the time frame of the shipment. If you want, you can scan through tons of videos and review online which display the functions and capabilities of Arctic Spyder 3. You can get this laser from only two online sources. In conclusion, this gadget is really cool and has the capability to open up many things when put to some nice
http://www.ultrasabers.com/

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RTS game runs on a 20 foot-wide multi-touch LCD wall

Artur Nishimoto, a graduate student at the University of Illinois' Electronic Visualization Laboratory, has developed one of the most unique RTS games set in the Star Wars universe. Called Fleet Commander, the tactical space battle game initially worked on a 52-inch TacTile multi-touch display, but it has been ported to function as a multi-user game played on a 20 foot (6 meter) wide LCD touch wall.
Nishimoto began his work for research purposes in 2009. Originally called Planetary Defender, the game had base building elements, but later Nishimoto focused on fleet battle aspects and changed the name to Fleet Commander.
He aimed at adapting an RTS game to work with a touch interface on a huge display, to enable most of the common RTS in-game commands, such as deploying units, issuing movement and attack commands, and activating the special abilities of units. The Star Wars theme was applied in Fleet Commander "just for fun," Nishimoto explains. The game is complete with iconic Star Wars ships, sounds and music. Audio aspects as well as larger art assets (Star Destroyers, space stations) originate from Lucasfilm and Lucasarts sources, whereas fighters and bombers were designed by Nishimoto himself, using Blender, Photoshop or even Paint.
In 2010, Nishimoto began to adapt Fleet Commander to EVL's multi-touch 20-foot wide 8160 x 2304 pixel LCD wall. One notable change from the 52-inch version is a convenient radial menu with ship spawning controls, that opens by placing a palm on the screen's surface.
Such a large screen is not a common household item as of yet, so it looks like it won't be possible to try Fleet Commander any soon, although a tablet version of the game seems to be reasonable. Fleet Commander is not a commercial product yet.

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QUMA USB-powered figure could make 3D motion-capture easier

It's been more than 20 years since Jordan Mechner used videos of his brother running and jumping as a reference to design in-game movements for the Prince of Persia video game. Things have come a long way since 1989, with sophisticated motion-capture technologies being developed. One of the latest innovations in digital modeling technology is a miniature 3D motion-capture figure dubbed QUMA, which is connectible to a PC via a simple USB plug.

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Developed by Japanese Tsukuba-based company SoftEther, QUMA is a humanoid doll equipped with freely movable limbs and a number of movement-tracking sensors. The physical movements of the doll's arms, legs, and other appendages are precisely reproduced by the on-screen digital figure in real-time. Using QUMA is reportedly very simple, as it just needs to be plugged into a USB port, with no drivers or external power required.

SoftEther says that the technology behind the device makes it possible to create the doll in any given shape, such as that of an animal.

It looks like QUMA could make the jobs of 3D CG engineers and designers quicker and easier, anywhere a realistic character needs to be reproduced digitally. QUMA could also make for a useful tool for 3D design amateurs, provided the price is reasonable. The doll has been in development phase since 2009 and it's not finished yet, so there's no word on pricing and availability as for now.

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BlueDrone Android-controlled RC car

The Parrot AR.Drone quadricopter was one of the first smartphone-controlled RC toys ... and it won't be the last. This example called BlueDrone (which isn't from Parrot) is an RC car in the form of Nissan GT-R 1:20 scale model, controlled by an Android-based device via Bluetooth connectivity.
Controlling the BlueDrone requires any Bluetooth-enabled Android device equipped with a free control app, to be available at the product launch. It will allow users to steer the car either with a touchscreen, or with motion control utilizing the smartphone's accelerometer. The RC car is Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR compatible, pairing with up to 8 devices, with around a 30-foot (9.14 m) range. It requires three AA batteries, offering three hours of battery life, and a phone or tablet with Android 2.1 or higher on board. It weighs 0.6 lb (0.27 kg) and measures 8" x 3.2" x 2.75" (20.3 x 8.1 x 6.9 cm).

For comparison, the Parrot AR.Drone is WiFi-controlled, and comes with two cameras attached to it. Initially designed for iOS, it's now also compatible with Android-, bada- and Symbian-based devices. It was released in October 2010, priced at US$299 ... and of course, it flies!

BlueDrone is not a retail product yet. Stephen Mark, who submitted BlueDrone to Kickstarter, is seeking a sum of US$200,000 (there's been only US$3,660 at the moment of writing) to cover the cost of mass production.
The car is said to be production-ready with appropriate molds and tooling. BlueDrone's team points out it needs approximately 8-12 weeks for the product to be shipped provided the funds are completed.

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Air guitarists rejoice and make some noise with Air Picks

Rocking out with an imaginary guitar has gone from appreciative concert mimicry to a very serious business. Next month, finalists from around the world will head to Finland in the hope of being crowned Air Guitar World Champion. For those who aspire to get to the winner's podium in later years or just want to rock out to classic tunes wherever they happen to be, the newly released Air Pick could prove just the ticket. Rhythmically strumming the chunky guitar pick produces one of three included tunes from the built-in speaker.

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Originally invented by Michael Gramelspacher and Rory Sledge of SG Labs, the first Air Pick prototypes were made for Ohio Art and shown at the New York Toy Fair in February of this year.

Each device contains three songs, selected with a switch on the back. The user is offered a choice of Classic Rock (with Smoke On The Water, What I Like About Youand Wild Thing), Rebel Rock (with Sweet Home Alabama, Born To Be Wild andMississippi Queen) and a Rolling Stones version (containing Satisfaction, Paint It Black and Brown Sugar).

Rather than just play the tune for you when you switch it on, the Air Pick requires a flick of the wrist to produce a guitar note from the device's tiny speaker. Each song has a specific rhythm made up of long and short notes, so you'll have to really strut your air guitar stuff and get your timing right if you don't want to look and sound like a complete fool.

Near the speaker vent at the back is a button to add some whammy bar wobble to your riff, and a screw to open the battery compartment to swap out fading AG13 cell batteries so that the music can go on and on. Each Air Pick also includes a carabiner clip to help with transport between performances.

Before you dive in and grab one, though, you might like to note that the lack of a volume control could turn this little device into a dangerous (read: very annoying) weapon in the hands of any youngster wanting to brush up his or her air guitar skills while you're watching TV.

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NailJet Pro inkjets any image onto fingernails

Like the magic carpet, ImagiNail is yet another example of the wonders of digital imaging technology being able to put any image on any thing. The Imaginail NailJet Pro inkjets artwork directly onto the fingernail in high resolution at very low cost. Lasting as long as normal nail varnish, the NailJet Pro can print photographs or any other high resolution design and it can print a different design on every fingernail. The ImagiNail system consists of the NailJet Pro , a full line of nail coatings designed especially for the NailJet Pro process, and an ever-growing library of nail art. In addition to the nail art library, it’s possible to input your own designs or photographs to match that special outfit or make your own fashion statement!

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The concept behind using inkjet technology to decorate fingernails was developed in the last half of the 90's by three different groups based in Florida, Ohio, and Japan.

The Florida group had been investigating methods of self-expression through body art less permanent than tattoos and began experimenting with the concept of using inkjet technology to decorate fingernails.

The leader of the Ohio group became interested in nail decorating while he watched the time taken to airbrush a Mickey Mouse on his daughter's finger. The Japanese group was focused on developing kiosks to decorate nails in malls and amusement centres.

A nail decorating device seemed promising and they all filed several patents. After some preliminary market studies it became apparent there was indeed a market for such a product and ImagiNail was born in February 2001. The NailJet Pro was developed and perfected over the following few years and sales began in August 2003. ImagiNail now controls all of the patents from the Florida, Ohio, and Japanese developers in virtually every industrialised country in the world.

A new, improved model of the NailJet Pro fingernail fashion printer has recently become available, which prints on more than one finger at a time, and can apply close-to-photo quality onto all ten nails in under four minutes.

The new model prints more quietly, is quicker, the technician can change the background colour of the images and they can also create mirror images for left and right hands.

The latest model comes with a stand alone, swivel screen which gives the salon more mobility and flexibility. Jillian Swan-Eiffe, from the International Nail and Beauty Colleges of Australasia in Melbourne had this to say of the ImagiNail machine: “I feel that the NailJet Pro is a great way for a salon to have a point of difference as there are more and more salons opening every day. Rather than price cutting to compete….be better than anyone else, have great customer service, and have something different - like the Nailjetpro.”

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Parrot AR Drone released

Parrot's AR Drone, the iphone-controlled, twin-camera packing RC quadrocopter we first saw in action at CES 2010 has now been released. The US$300 flyer features interchangeable hulls for indoor and outdoor use, flight stabilization, autopilot technology, plus it can be networked with other drones for multi-player gameplay.

So you'll know who's who in aerial battles, three different color hulls are available and Parrot has also released a range of spares and repair tutorials for fixing the drone after it inevitably hits the deck.

The AR Drone can be controlled by iPad and iPod touch as well as the iPhone and will be available on other, non-Apple platforms in the next few months.

Parrot is also hoping that its open API will encourage a rapid expansion of available applications and games.

See Gizmag's previous coverage or the AR Drone site for more info.

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Control your own augmented reality aerial drone? There’s an app for that

New from electronics maker Parrot comes the AR.Drone, a Wi-Fi helicopter with dual cameras and augmented-reality video streaming, that you control using your iPhone or iPod Touch. Although the RC flyer is still in the prototype stage, Parrot has been demonstrating it at the 2010 CES show in Las Vegas. The AR.Drone features four rotors and interchangeable hulls for flying both indoors and outside. Built-in flight stabilization technology keeps the drone steady while you use your iPhone’s motion sensors to steer it remotely over the craft’s Wi-Fi network.

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If the AR.Drone looks familiar, it may remind you of the CyberQuad unmanned aerial vehicle we covered in December. Unlike the CyberQuad, the AR.Drone is meant for consumer use. Weighing about 400g (0.9lbs) the drone features a carbon-fiber frame and Styrofoam hulls for light weight and resiliency against bumps. The smaller hull is intended for outdoor use, while the larger hull includes rotor guards for use when flying indoors. Parrot says the onboard Lithium-ion batteries provide enough power for 15 minutes of flying time.

Although Parrot has previously been known for their wireless speaker systems, they spent four years developing the AR.Drone with an eye to creating an augmented reality gaming platform. Using its forward facing streaming video camera, the AR.Drone onboard image processing can detect other drones or 3D targets. You can then fire virtual rockets or lasers at the target for simulated battles. Several demo games are on display, but Parrot hopes that game developers will take advantage of their open API to develop more games and other applications for the AR.Drone.

To make the AR.Drone easy to fly, Parrot developed a microelectromechanical (MEMS) inertial guidance system that includes a three-axis accelerometer, a two-axis gyroscope, and a single-axis precision gyroscope for yaw. The flyer also includes an ultrasonic altimeter and a down-facing video camera for calculating speed and position. These elements combine to allow the AR.Drone to compensate for windy conditions, and even to hover unattended. Piloting the drone is accomplished by tilting your iPhone or iPod Touch. The remote control connection is established through the AR.Drone’s built-in Wi-Fi network, and the unit’s forward-facing video camera streams its feed directly to the screen on your iPhone. If you remove you finger from the iPhone, the AR.Drone’s autopilot keeps the drone hovering about a meter (3.3ft) off the ground. If the network connection is lost, the autopilot will stabilize the drone and slowly lower it to the ground for a soft landing.

Parrot hopes to make the AR.Drone available in the second half of 2010. There’s no word yet on pricing. For more information visit ardrone.parrot.com. For details about the open API, visit projects.ardrone.org.

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Mercedes and LEGO team up for largest Technic model ever

LEGO's Technic line has been inspiring future engineers for around 30 years with kits that give kids of all ages the ability to create more advanced models than the standard LEGO blocks. LEGO has now teamed with Mercedes-Benz to create a Technic model based on the multi-purpose Unimog U 400 truck, which Mercedes calls "the world's most versatile workhorse." Comprising 2048 parts, the 1:12.5 scale "Universal-Motor-Geräts (tool)" model will be the largest LEGO Technic model ever released.

Reflecting the Unimog's wide variety of applications that include snow plowing and road construction, the Technic model features a pneumatically operated crane gripper arm that can rotate almost 360 degrees via an electrically controlled turntable, and a front winch that can be converted into a snow plow. Designed in cooperation with Mercedes, the model is accurate down to the engine pistons, portal axles and individual suspension that deadens jolts when taking the four-wheel drive vehicle off-road.

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Hasbro's MY3D viewer for iPhone and iPod Touch set for release

Hasbro is looking to tap into the 3D craze by integrating a classic approach to 3D viewing with iOS devices. Looking like a 21st Century View-Master, the MY3D 360° Viewer attaches to iPhone and iPod Touch and delivers a 3D experience using dedicated apps. There are initially seven apps available or download including an underwater shark adventure, a 360° virtual tour of Los Angeles and a MY3D showcase which is designed as a vehicle for 3D movie trailers, video game demos and slide shows.

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3D 360° viewing

One of the cool features of MY3D is its immersive 3D 360° viewing. Taking advantage of the accelerometer inside iPhone and iPod Touch, the 3D viewer senses the direction that the user is actually looking. In MY3D 360° SHARKS for example, the user sees the floor of the shark cage while looking down, looks up to see the sun shining through the ocean and look behind - shark! In the interactive tour of Los Angeles this feature is used to take users on a virtual tour of the Santa Monica pier.

MY3D PRESENTS is a "showcase" app which will feature regularly updated 3D movies trailers, video demos of MY3D apps and slide shows. Hasbro is working with the likes of DreamWorks Animation, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros for custom content and theatrical trailers.

MY3D games

MY3D games on offer include the MY3D SECTOR 17 and MY3D SHATTERSTORM shooter games, the MY3D TUNNEL PILOT racing game and MY3D BUBBLE BOLT - a puzzle game where the goal is to navigate obstacles by tilting and turning the viewer.
Available from June, 2011 in either black or white, the MY3D retails for US$34.99. Apps are currently free as an introductory offer.

There are a couple of caveats with the MY3D viewer in that not all apps are available with 360° viewing and users will need to check the apps for compatibility with their version of iPhone or iPod Touch (compatibility is cited for iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPhone 4, as well as second, third and fourth generation iPod Touch).

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Zoomy lets kids take digital photos of microscopic details

If you want to get a child interested in the sciences, just let them loose with a microscope. Proper stage microscopes can be pricey, however, and are somewhat tricky for youngsters to use. Fortunately, there are options like the Zoomy Handheld Digital Microscope – it's a simple device that plugs into the USB port of a PC or Mac, then feeds through illuminated, magnified images of whatever it's placed over.

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The egg-shaped Zoomy magnifies items by 35 to 53x, and captures 640 x 480 images via a VGA CMOS sensor. Four LED lights provide illumination, and a hand-twistable section on top of the device controls the focus. Power is delivered through its USB cable from the user's computer, so no batteries are necessary.

Two interchangeable head adapters are included in the package, which keep the Zoomy a set distance above its target – the adapters are different lengths, and are used for different-sized objects. Should budding scientists wish to snap a picture or shoot a video of the leaf, bug or what-have-you that they're looking at, they can do so by pressing a button on top of the microscope.

The Zoomy Handheld Digital Microscope is made by Learning Resources, and is available for US$59.99 through the company website.

Consumers do have some choices in the microscopes-for-kids department, however. One notable contender that has been around for a few years is theEyeClops Bionicam. Unlike the Zoomy, it operates untethered from a computer, running on five AA batteries and recording stills and videos on an onboard memory stick. Images can then be downloaded to a computer or viewed on a TV.

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