Click to read about edible robots, shopping with buttons, the Art Camera, and more. Creative commons image from Jurgen Appelo.
By Lauren Yang
Watch the video above to learn more about MIT’s origami robot. Video from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
1. Edible origami robot to replace certain types of surgery
Scientists at MIT constructed a robot, delivered through an ice pill, that is able to remove small objects from the body without surgery. The robot consists of meat typically found in sausage casings, and is guided through the body with an external magnetic field. Currently, the contraption is able to retrieve small button batteries. Scientists hope to improve upon this by adding sensors and other features so the robot doesn’t need to rely upon an external magnetic field to maneuver. Read more here.
Amazon explains its new Dash feature. Video from Amazon.
2. Delivered with the push of a button…literally
The Amazon Dash allows customers to order anything — whether it’s laundry detergent, coffee, garbage bags — with a push of a button. The goal behind this is to expedite and streamline tasks within a household. Recently, the company opened up its Dash buttons to developers, allowing anyone to experiment with this contraption. The one-press commands can be utilized for a variety of functions, not just shopping; it can be programmed to turn on the TV, dim the lights and log into Netflix with the press of one button. Read more here.
3. Twitter rumored to change its character limit
Recent rumors in a report from Bloomberg suggest that Twitter will not be counting pictures or links toward the 140-character word count. To be announced in around two weeks, the new change will allow users to express more with words. Currently, photos take up 20 characters and links take 23. Read Bloomberg’s report here.
Google demonstrates its specially-made camera in the video above. Video from the Google Cultural Institute.
4. Google + Art = the Art Camera
The Google Cultural Institute constructed an extremely high-definition camera (think gigapixels) that can capture the miniscule details of some of the world’s most famous masterpieces. Called the Art Camera, in a process that previously took a full day to complete, the device digitizes painting in just 30 minutes without losing the quality. Although the Art Camera can only capture 2D pieces of work, it greatly expedites the art archiving and digitization process. Click here to view the artwork the camera has digitized and here to read more.
5. Uber for Tesla
A recent startup, called Tesloop, utilizes Tesla cars and the autopilot function to provide travellers with a completely electronic mode of transportation. Think Uber, except all the cars are Teslas. Currently serving 15 cities, the startup began in May 2015 when its founder realized he could make a profit by shuttling people between cities in a Tesla. From there, Tesloop was born — a ride sharing service that utilizes Tesla cars as the mode of transportation. Read more here.
