[From the MIT Technology Review Hello World blog, where the post includes a 1:58 minute DigInfo TV video report]

Elastic Electrical Cables for Robotic Skin

The first-of-their-kind wires could take the hard edge off of robots.

David Zax 12/06/2011

A Japanese company called Asahi Kasei has developed the world’s first elastic electrical cable — and has taken the liberty of christening it “Roboden” (here’s a link, if your Japanese is good). In a somewhat unsettling comparison, TechCrunch notes that Roboden can stretch by a factor of 1.5, “like the human skin.”

The comparison (which Asahi Kasei actually makes itself) is in fact apt, since one of the main applications Asahi Kasei envisions is in humanoid robotics. Typically, for robots to be able to articulate their rigid joints, roboticists have to include extra, slack wiring to accommodate the movement. A stretchy cable is more forgiving, eliminating the need for some of that slack.… read more. “The uncanny valley: Roboden elastic electrical cables for robotic skin”

[From The Iowa State University News Service]

[Image: Judy Vance, right, demonstrates a virtual factory in Iowa State University’s METaL virtual reality facility. Working in the virtual factory are students, left to right, Leif Berg, Meisha Rosenberg and Ryan Pavlik. Photo by Bob Elbert.]

Iowa State’s METaL lab develops multiple ways to experience virtual reality

December 06, 2011

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University doctoral students Leif Berg and Ryan Pavlik handed over a Wii Remote and a pair of 3-D glasses.

A visitor to Iowa State’s newest virtual reality lab – METaL, the Multimodal Experience Testbed and Laboratory – took the tools and began walking the virtual floor of a factory. And there, to the left, were three, yard-long metal pieces ready for assembly.

Berg, who’s studying human computer interaction, and Pavlik, who’s studying human computer interaction and computer science, offered a few tips for operating in the virtual factory.… read more. “Iowa State’s METaL lab develops multiple ways to experience virtual reality”

[From The Daily Mail Online]

[Image: Virtual reality: On the H&M site, every single model’s pose and proportions are the same. The only thing that differs, apart from the swimwear, is the skin-tone, which has been altered to match each girl’s face.]

H&M under fire for using real models’ heads with computer-generated bodies to sell swimwear

By Tamara Abraham
Last updated 6th December 2011

With tiny waists, perfect bums and endless legs, many would agree that models’ bodies often look too flawless to be real. But in the case of H&M, it seems they actually are.

The Swedish retailer was forced to admit today that it used models’ heads with computer-generated bodies.

The fashion chain, which has been slammed by Scandinavian advertising watchdogs, created the images to showcase swimwear and lingerie on its e-commerce site.… read more. “H&M under fire for using real models’ heads with computer-generated bodies to sell swimwear”

[From North Idaho College’s Sentinel Online]

Virtual athletics: Reboot

Future athletes will dominate cyberspace

Eric Rivera
December 5th, 2011

North Idaho College’s athletic department has been geared for many years now to pursue a path of excellence. But with technology changing rapidly everyday, would that ideal hold up if the sports world expanded into a virtual reality setting?

Recently, I had an opportunity to watch both TRON movies, and the game concept from the new and old videos had me thinking about possibilities for the future. In recent generations, we have seen televisions transform from the clunky old cathode ray tube to LCDs and now into 3-D.

Digital convergence is happening all around us, and it won’t be long before we see the sports world begin to collide with the virtual realm. I think that one day our athletes might be able to download their personas into a virtual setting and compete against other players, schools or national and global teams.… read more. “The future of athletics: Competitive sports enter the virtual realm”

[A press release from Michigan State University; more information is available in TIME’s Healthland blog]

Moral dilemma: Would you kill one person to save five?

Published: Dec. 01, 2011

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Imagine a runaway boxcar heading toward five people who can’t escape its path. Now imagine you had the power to reroute the boxcar onto different tracks with only one person along that route.

Would you do it?

That’s the moral dilemma posed by a team of Michigan State University researchers in a first-of-its-kind study published in the research journal Emotion. Research participants were put in a three dimensional setting and given the power to kill one person (in this case, a realistic digital character) to save five.

The results? About 90 percent of the participants pulled a switch to reroute the boxcar, suggesting people are willing to violate a moral rule if it means minimizing harm.… read more. “Study tests classic moral dilemna thought experiment using 3-D simulation”