Imagination Factory

Carnegie Mellon Creating a smart home currently requires either linking every connected device one-by-one or adding sensor tags to old appliances to make a cohesive IoT network, but there might be an easier way. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon  developed  a concept for a hub that, when plugged into an electrical outlet, tracks ambient environmental data -- essentially becoming a sensor that tracks the whole space. With this in hand, savvy programmers can use it to trigger their own connected home routines. The researchers introduced their sensor nexus -- dubbed  Synthetic Sensors -- this week at ACM CHI, the human-computer interaction conference. As the video demonstrates, just plug it into a USB wall port and it automatically collects information about its surroundings, uploading it to a cloud back-end over WiFi. Machine learning on the device parses results into recognizable events, like recognizing a particular sound pattern as "dishwasher is r...

Carnegie Mellon University Robots don't have to be overly complex to perform more than  basic tasks . Carnegie Mellon University researchers have  created  SIMbot, a human-sized cylindrical robot that gets around with only one moving part besides the robot itself: the ball at its base. It's a spherical induction motor that uses a combination of magnetic fields and clever math to move in any direction, including turning around in a complete circle. That not only allows for a much simpler (and thus more reliable) robot, but also permits very tall robots that won't easily tip over. You can even push SIMbot and watch it roll back into place. Ball robots like this would only be useful in limited situations -- just ask  Sphero  how well its robots climb up stairs. However, it's easy to envision refined versions of SIMbot's technology proving useful in  security robots . They'd both spend less time in the repair shop and have a better time na...

Of all the reasons  exoskeletons  aren't widespread, weight is one of the biggest. Even the  slickest designs  still tend to need bulky machinery. Not at Carnegie Mellon University, however -- its researchers have  developed  an exoskeleton clutch mechanism that barely weighs anything. Their Electroadhesive Clutch, as the name suggests, relies on  electrostatic adhesion  between specially coated electrode sheets to control spring movement. At 0.05 ounces per pair, it's 30 times lighter than existing clutches, and uses up to 750 times less power. Even if you had hundreds of clutches, the robotic assistance would take a huge strain off your body. And did we mention that there's three times as much torque density? The technology has the potential to help the disabled and rehabilitating get some mobility without having to deal with a large, heavy reminder of their conditions. However, it could also be helpful for robots, where ev...

Smartwatches walk a fine line between functionality and fashion, but new SkinTrack technology from Carnegie Mellon University's Future Interfaces Group makes the size of the screen a moot point. The SkinTrack system consists of a ring that emits a continuous high-frequency AC signal and a sensing wristband that goes under the watch. The wristband tracks the finger wearing the ring and senses whether the digit is hovering or actually making contact with your arm or hand, turning your skin into an extension of the touchscreen. The tech is so precise that you're able to use the back of your hand to dial a phone number, draw letters for navigation shortcuts, scroll through apps, play Angry Birds or select an item from a list. Researchers at the Future Interfaces Group say the tech is 99 percent accurate when it comes to touch. "As our approach is compact, non-invasive, low-cost and low-powered, we envision the technology being integrated into future smartwatches, support...