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Submission + - "Geckskin," a device that can hold 700 pounds on a smooth wall 1

Submitted by
Trax3001BBS
Trax3001BBS writes: ""For years, biologists have been amazed by the power of gecko feet, which let these 5-ounce lizards produce an adhesive force roughly equivalent to carrying nine pounds up a wall without slipping. Now, a team of polymer scientists and a biologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered exactly how the gecko does it, leading them to invent "Geckskin," a device that can hold 700 pounds on a smooth wall"

Source http://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/newsreleases/articles/146885.php

"Previous efforts to synthesize the tremendous adhesive power of gecko feet and pads were based on the qualities
of microscopic hairs on their toes called setae"

http://science.slashdot.org/story/11/11/07/1615221/gecko-inspired-tape-can-be-reused-thousands-of-times
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/10/08/29/0019240/gecko-inspired-robot-climbs-walls-at-stanford
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/03/06/01/208205/gecko-feet-inspire-sticky-tape
http://science.slashdot.org/story/06/12/11/0430240/scientists-developing-commercially-viable-synthetic-gecko
To list a few."
The Military

Submission + - Robotics Could Return to Consumer Market (theepochtimes.com)

Submitted by jjp9999
jjp9999 writes: Right when home robotics were about to take off, the market was destroyed by the global financial crisis. Some companies saved themselves by cashing in on military programs, others waited it out with less expensive home robots, yet cuts to military spending, coupled with the ends of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, could shift the market back to the consumer side. ‘These companies are going to need something to sell,’ said AI programmer Robert Oschler. ‘What are they going to do with the R&D departments, what are they going to design and sell now that the markets are drying up? They’re going to turn to the consumer marketplace.’

Comment Shut it down (Score 1) 84

by DnaK (#38506372) Attached to: More Details On Drug Cartel's Clandestine Communications Network
And another will just pop up to replace it. The people in the black market have a very profitable job and they have plenty of tax free money to burn to get it done. While i agree we shouldn't let it just stay open, we need to look at the larger scope of the problem. I'm pretty sure we aren't winning the drug war. I for one do not like my tax dollars being used to lock up drug dealers with no violent crime.

Submission + - Chiswick Taxi (travelbirdcars.co.uk)

Submitted by
amberhills
amberhills writes: "chiswick minicab taxi cab chauffeur. Chiswick Taxis Minicabs. Find minicab taxi companies in Chiswick, calculate the price of any Taxi journey, then book."
Idle

Submission + - Face Scanning Vending Machine Denies Children Acce (gizmag.com)

Submitted by smitty777
smitty777 writes: What do you do when you spend over a billion dollars on products targeted specifically for adults? Simple, just put a device on your pudding dispensing vending machines that scans faces, and denies the delicious food to the kiddies. The Minority Report-like device will apparently judge the age of the individual based on the space between they eyes and ears. If the criteria is not met, the vending machine will shut down and ask the individual to step away from the machine. There are some vending machine combos that this makes sense for, but seriously, pudding?

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