Source: The Verge
Robotic research has created devices that can traverse all kinds of terrain, and the design of the Velox robot allows it to transition seamlessly from water to dry land — and it can even ice skate. Created by Pliant Energy Systems, a New York engineering firm, the Velox uses an “undulating propulsion system,” which are flexible fins based on marine biology that harness energy from waves. On land, the fins rotate to navigate hard surfaces, and on ice, they rapidly skate back and forth, allowing the Velox to glide smoothly. The bot’s creators see this new skill as potentially useful for science expeditions in Arctic areas. Source: New Atlas
Especially in the summer months, devastating stories of children and pets forgotten in stifling hot cars make headlines with alarming regularity. A device looking to change that is Payton’s Charm, which contains an accelerometer that senses when the car stops moving, when the interior temperature begins to rise and when a child or animal is inside. If the temperature gets too high, a text is sent to the driver’s smartphone; if they are unavailable, a secondary number is alerted, and as a last resort the device contacts emergency services, hopefully saving a life. Source: New Atlas