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Giant Spherical Wheels used for Omnidirectional Prototype Motorcycle

Michael Kwan — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 11:48:54 +0000

Do you remember the Batcycle in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises? Remember how the wheels could spin on their sides so that Batman could quickly change direction? What if you replaced those wheels altogether with a couple of balls, using the giant spheres for omnidirectional travel? That’s exactly what some students have done.

This is a project by San Jose State University students and while they may have borrowed some inspiration from Hollywood (the Audi RSQ from I, Robot is prime example), this omnidirectional bike is very real and offers a world of possibilities. Consider what kind of maneuvers you can do when your have spheres for wheels. It’s not just about forward and back, since you can literally travel in any direction. Go sideways. Move around in a 360-degree circle while facing in the same direction.

Done right, it means that this ballsy bike can move from side to side without having to turn. This is fantastic for parallel parking, but you can see how this kind of motion would be easily adapted for other applications too, like the military. I’m looking forward to what the extreme motocross people can do with this one.

At this point, the students from SJSU have tested some scale models and they’ve secured the parts they need for the full-sized version. The bike’s frame is complete and they have a couple of rubber-coated carbon fiber and fiberglass balls. The first (low speed) tests on the larger prototype are scheduled for later this year.

[Source]

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Project Issue #4 for iPad Free

Fabrizio Pilato — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:46:55 +0000

Project, Richard Branson’s iPad magazine is at issue #4 now. Thanks to our good credit creating friends at American Express they have sponsored the current issue making it a free download for “a limited time.” Although not a typical move for any magazine, we may see additional sponsorships like this down the road offering digital issue downloads at no cost to the reader in exchange for their set of eyeballs.

[iTunes]

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Universal Network Cable: One Patch Cable to Rule Them All

Michael Kwan — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 19:18:50 +0000

The universal network cable is basically just that: a universal network cable. There’s a labeled collar in the middle and you rotate this portion to go through the different types of network connections you may need. The collar includes rolled, crossover, straight-through, ATM/Loopback, and T1.

Depending on what you need at the time, you just click that collar around until you hit your desired configuration. Network admins and IT guys in office buildings might like to have it in their tech bags; clearing clutter and removing redundancy are good things. It can be had for $20 from various e-tailers.

[Universal Network Cable]

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DIY: Charging Dock Made from Empty Shampoo Bottle

Michael Kwan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:49:30 +0000

With the way that we lead our digital lifestyles, there is a good chance that you are inundated with a number of different chargers for your MP3 players, cameras, controllers, cell phones, and so on. More often than not, these devices end up lying on the floor or looking for a table. No longer!

It’s so much better if you can find a charging dock station that is integrated with your wall outlet, keeping your iPhone or BlackBerry off of the ground. That’s the idea behind this DIY project as posted on Make: Online.

Basically, you cut up a used shampoo bottle and use it as a holster of sorts that mounts up with your wall socket. I wouldn’t use this for anything too heavy, since you are placing some strain on those prongs, but it should be fine for a cell phone or something similar.

The best part is that the whole contraption will effectively cost you nothing if you have all the right tools and parts laying around the house. Check out the link below for complete instructions.

Source: MAKE

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