Living with Robots

Honda has been developing robotics technologies for many years now. This short video explores some of the successes to date as well as challenges to be overcome (largely social rather than technological).

You think MY password is long?

Check out the password at time 1:40... students wouldn't laugh at THAT password.

Light-activated, DNA-based Nanomachines

Nanomachinery lights up: "A light-activated switch to turn nanomachines on and off has been developed by Japanese researchers. The team showed how tiny tweezers made with DNA could be triggered to open and close in response to UV and visible light. The clever mechanism is hoped to find useful roles in designing future nano-robots.

DNA is a versatile building block to construct nanomachinery that is small enough to interact with single molecules. But these nanomachines usually require a source of 'fuel' to trigger activity: typically small DNA fragments that are added each cycle. The problems associated with this process are delays in activating and deactivating systems, and the build up of waste products that can inhibit movement."

Flying Pixel Display

3D display made of flying pixel-copters in the works: "Two teams at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are working on a unique 3D display dubbed Flyfire, in which a flock of tiny aircraft carrying multicoloured LEDs hover in front of the viewer to form an image. As pixels that can move through space, the free-flying LEDs could form a shape-shifting 3D display (see video). As well as the pixels displaying moving images like a normal screen, they could change their position to add real depth."