Fantasist's Scroll

No, not a car that files.

A car that runs on compressed air. Now that is an innovation! It sounds too good to be true, but, according to this article on Wired News, the compressed air car actually exists. At the moment there are some issues with regulation and drive length, but, c’mon, this is the ultimate green car. I mean, what’s the down-side to this? Air might leak out? And, we could even use solar power to run the air-compressor to “re-fuel”. I love this car. Now, if they can just get a model that runs further than 5 miles on a tank of air and get the US government to approve it….
Ah, well, a guy can dream!

And, living batteries are born.

I love new power-related technology. Especially when it all turns back to the original power source: life. So, these two stories, one on USA Today and the other on SpaceDaily, about batteries that are powered by bacteria, just tickle me. The idea of germs, basically, keeping us in energy. Of course, some of you will make the extension to the Matrix, but that’s your hang-up, man.

Enjoy the stories.

Well, it looks like they might be soon!

According to this article on the Washington Post, there’s a working test model already. So far, it’s only a lab toy, but they’re working on making it a more viable reality. Of course, the goal is to make Predator-type robotic aircraft, but the possibilities are really endless.
There are two reasons ornithopters are cool. One, flapping-wing flight is more maneuverable than fixed wing flight. Also, it’s easier to hover with flapping wings. Two, because Frank Herbert described it in Dune. No, really, that counts!

Anyway, it’s a fun one for a Friday afternoon.

No, I am not making this up!

According to this article on The New Scientist, researchers have done work with human echolocation. And, I don’t mean standard sonar, either. Personal echolocation. What’s freaky is that it works better than they expected! Regular humans were able to track down a virtual “insect” in a virtual reality setting using modified bat echolocation signals. So far, that’s about all researcher Dean Waters has been able to accomplish, but he’s hoping that the military and other businesses will get interested. In the meantime, though, he’s happy enough getting a better idea of what it’s like to hear like a bat.

This is just crazy!

But, I love it! The TerraWind is billed as “the world’s first luxury Amphibious Motor coach / Yacht” on their website. You just have to see this to believe it. It looks like a regular motor coach, but then, it just drives out into the water and is a freakin’ boat!!
Man, when I’m rich, I gotta’ get me one of these!!

Well, the exoskeletons are new, but they’re for the elderly.

No, really, according to this article at Yahoo!News, a Japanese inventor, and college professor, has invented an exoskeleton designed to assist the elderly get around. Taking care of the elderly is something very important to a lot of cultures, though not so much to American culture for some reason, and the Japanese are especially sensitive to their elderly’s needs. This invention might help them out. And, again, it’s a fun story!

A tutorial for Tolkien’s Elvish.

At least, how to write in Tengwar. It’s pretty cool, even though it is pretty technical. Still, if you’re a Tolkien conlang freak, it’s well worth the effort. And, I have to admit, this tutorial makes it pretty easy for the Nu-B, too.
Enjoy!

Hmm, seems like they’re early…

Well, not really, but this is a fun companion to the story from yesterday. According to this article on Radio Free Europe, the Japanese have already sent a robot “ambasador” on a diplomatic mission. And, how fitting that they sent it to the Czech Republic, the homeland of Karel Capek who invented the word “robot”. Anyway, a fun story!