Covering World

Self-assembling swarmbots are amazing, and look creepily alive

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Researchers at MIT have created
cube-shaped modular robots that can flip, jump, and assemble themselves into
any number of configurations. And remarkably, they have no external parts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEher5JX7KUo2527sU6p2RRRdq4AdU4j092yZ2koL2iRi5qWWvai7oFYyLFEP2t-gPLJ8-42yIQ_vHOIMZ1H-meSm2i61e3z7Jwr4OAflmG7oFd-w3-UEddiGPCfNYi7h9ydztHoeZE-SQU/s1600/ku-xlarge1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEher5JX7KUo2527sU6p2RRRdq4AdU4j092yZ2koL2iRi5qWWvai7oFYyLFEP2t-gPLJ8-42yIQ_vHOIMZ1H-meSm2i61e3z7Jwr4OAflmG7oFd-w3-UEddiGPCfNYi7h9ydztHoeZE-SQU/s640/ku-xlarge1.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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They’re called M-Blocks, and they’re
able to move by virtue of an internal flywheel mechanism that can reach speeds
of 20,000 revolutions per minute. And when the flywheel is motionless, it gives
the block its angular momentum. On each edge of an M-Block, and on every face,
there are magnets that allow the cubes to attach to each other.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNrKYKUQNEbHvnfWakDlEZaOuF1LFKIKbep8fjy1TDa9MQs-6FPjIiqoOaMFyjFBTN3TANTwqj67LnnkwqcbwP42hut5434iy_5wtvMvLyT1_QpRC5zAA1R4FREqu6oLflXZcDOrQGlY/s1600/ku-xlarge2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNrKYKUQNEbHvnfWakDlEZaOuF1LFKIKbep8fjy1TDa9MQs-6FPjIiqoOaMFyjFBTN3TANTwqj67LnnkwqcbwP42hut5434iy_5wtvMvLyT1_QpRC5zAA1R4FREqu6oLflXZcDOrQGlY/s640/ku-xlarge2.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Modular
robots, or reconfigurable robots, have the inherent advantage of being able to
adapt to different tasks or terrain confronting them. They’re able to climb
over and around one another, leap through the air, roll across the ground, and
move while suspended upside down from metallic surfaces.<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuFQLh9D2fcy0YxGnf9Ah-3ulZM-auFD2r8_D12frw_aDmFxsaibDR1jZmToU584gHQ0WrhFNNV1N9BIo0655k0Fsp99teVI-47Ur0kLe2FAbMxUUZrcvMDKQ2jR4yC59SW9Rfrh757U/s1600/ku-xlarge3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuFQLh9D2fcy0YxGnf9Ah-3ulZM-auFD2r8_D12frw_aDmFxsaibDR1jZmToU584gHQ0WrhFNNV1N9BIo0655k0Fsp99teVI-47Ur0kLe2FAbMxUUZrcvMDKQ2jR4yC59SW9Rfrh757U/s640/ku-xlarge3.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
When two cubes approach each other, the magnets are forced to rotate so that
north poles align with south, and vice-versa. This means that any cube can
attach itself to the face of any other.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXg8gi6TnBhfvbP3cn1aL2D7TreMIlIjWXiIlOQQAHxAeRIcjNHq-X6youDC2gCkh3up0J88N2c697hC5CaW9xjeE6ICewJp2lCFEbWBsV2kLC_I4OX79S5gIHqXUTJafJZ5osme7qxk/s1600/ku-xlarge4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXg8gi6TnBhfvbP3cn1aL2D7TreMIlIjWXiIlOQQAHxAeRIcjNHq-X6youDC2gCkh3up0J88N2c697hC5CaW9xjeE6ICewJp2lCFEbWBsV2kLC_I4OX79S5gIHqXUTJafJZ5osme7qxk/s640/ku-xlarge4.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
Currently, each M-Block is controlled externally by an operator (a computer
sends instructions via wireless radio). But eventually, the developers hope to
provide each block with its own set of algorithms, thus making them autonomous.
Future versions could even be equipped with sensors, cameras, and even
problem-solving AI, which would make them able to work out how to accomplish
specific tasks on their own.<br />
Even more conceptually, miniaturized versions could self-assemble like the
liquid steel androids in the movie <em>Terminator II.</em><br />
Eventually, swarms of M-Blocks could be used for making temporary repairs to
bridges or buildings, or as self-assemblling, re-configurable scaffolding. They
could also be used to make furniture, heavy equipment, or works of dynamic art.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMa1N-QB18TsFS5BLRbJbHjplWk8dbNzCkDp8sKdrCpVKIMVQOetQfOlWjKtU_xv3lazAznnkZqWP5tsO4uztN02zXwNK0kng8ui5AxfliGRIo5MgsRFkKKILjaYWalH7Wsn-_tnrsLs/s1600/ku-xlarge.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMa1N-QB18TsFS5BLRbJbHjplWk8dbNzCkDp8sKdrCpVKIMVQOetQfOlWjKtU_xv3lazAznnkZqWP5tsO4uztN02zXwNK0kng8ui5AxfliGRIo5MgsRFkKKILjaYWalH7Wsn-_tnrsLs/s640/ku-xlarge.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
The M-Blocks were developed by John Romanishin, a research scientist in
MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). He and
his team will detail their findings at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on
Intelligent Robots and Systems.<br />
[ <a href="http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/simple-scheme-for-self-assembling-robots-1004.html" target="_blank">Source: MIT</a> ]<br />
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Self-assembling swarmbots are amazing, and look creepily alive

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24Dec2013

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014) review

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<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
The latest version of Samsung's biggest Galaxy
Note has a bigger processor and better screen than its predecessor, and a whole
range of other improvements too.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TUexde4hPECToiXpqSG2ybcckTkqzJldXtoRs79pBswhITEiDRFeitqHewFnFyI154Dvrd14Ketu32JGwRFP-X_PvZXRGE6VKT86CNeQSJzQPGkJuUJnb3y1_OkEVzu_340uVnqRifQ/s1600/samsung+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TUexde4hPECToiXpqSG2ybcckTkqzJldXtoRs79pBswhITEiDRFeitqHewFnFyI154Dvrd14Ketu32JGwRFP-X_PvZXRGE6VKT86CNeQSJzQPGkJuUJnb3y1_OkEVzu_340uVnqRifQ/s640/samsung+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
<strong>Design</strong><br />
The glossy plastic casing of the previous model has been replaced by an
odd-looking faux leather effect on the back complete with fake stitching, which
isn't fooling anyone, but at least it gives a bit of grip. It's no super
lightweight at 540g but it's slim at a sliver under 8mm and no chore to carry.</div>
<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
There are slimline stereo speakers on each side,
plus a covered microSD slot (up to 64GB to add to the 16GB of onboard storage)
and an infrared blaster so you can use it as a remote control. There's no HDMI
port to transfer content straight to your TV though.</div>
The 10.1 inch screen's resolution has been bumped up to 2,560x1,600 pixels
(299ppi) which is equal to the <a href="http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-10/31/nexus-10-hands-on">Google
Nexus 10</a> and just about as sharp as you'll find on any tablet (technically
the Nexus 10 is slightly sharper because its screen is a little smaller but
that's a minor quibble).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzCSAOElwvI8NJHIHO2roJ43Zv3tIOPnHFN4K8nAVERi_8Yyybf7pNU3uMHZ3iBU5-WcTXImBZl5YUjW8JZGUdqHlF4xKQqFoOBqCFYk_nOinKOY3YiIUFX8bbu9NtGGAcQoXBmu0YVQ/s1600/galaxy_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzCSAOElwvI8NJHIHO2roJ43Zv3tIOPnHFN4K8nAVERi_8Yyybf7pNU3uMHZ3iBU5-WcTXImBZl5YUjW8JZGUdqHlF4xKQqFoOBqCFYk_nOinKOY3YiIUFX8bbu9NtGGAcQoXBmu0YVQ/s640/galaxy_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<strong>Android and processor</strong><br />
It's running the latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean (and expected to upgrade to 4.4
KitKat early in 2014) but as usual Samsung has overlaid its TouchWiz interface
over the top. It's a busy and distinctive UI that some will find unnecessary
but extras like the shortcut tray you pull out from the side don't distract
from basic Android, only enhance it.<br />
You also get a lot of extras, including Multi Window (two app windows on one
screen), Polaris Office 5, dual-screen media sharing app Group Play, plus S
Note and Sketchbook, which make good use of the S Pen stylus hidden away in a
neat slot on the side and the generally reliable handwriting recognition
software.<br />
The 1.9GHz quad-core processor is backed by a full 3GB RAM which puts it
right up there with some of the best we've come across. Our AnTuTu benchmark
test gave it a score of 32,395 -- a little behind the <a href="http://www.wired.co.uk/reviews/mobile-phones/2013-10/samsung-galaxy-note-3-review">Galaxy
Note 3</a> but still among the highest we've yet seen. But even so, the
processor didn't seem to perform quite as well as it should do, considering the
spec, and there were occasional instances of slight lag. It's not terrible by
any means, this is still a very fast and powerful device, but the fact that it
happened at all came as a surprise.<br />
<strong>Photography</strong><br />
There's now an 8-megapixel camera on the back with autofocus and an LED flash,
plus a good range of Samsung settings. Picture quality is pretty good, making
it almost seem worthwhile having a quality camera on a tablet for once. There's
also a 2-megapixel camera on the front for video calls.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLTJPZZKqctSGu2af8CI0xEweBHHMCAleg-moyak4Hyfx8InPr3BbSUhSUrwXemH6UQ18MNNF1YCzz6nyQm213j5jvy5fYkc733W9V3y2L-AiTkwTq7_cpIXG8_h8Q52FUae58bwk1SY/s1600/dave+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLTJPZZKqctSGu2af8CI0xEweBHHMCAleg-moyak4Hyfx8InPr3BbSUhSUrwXemH6UQ18MNNF1YCzz6nyQm213j5jvy5fYkc733W9V3y2L-AiTkwTq7_cpIXG8_h8Q52FUae58bwk1SY/s640/dave+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The large 8220mAh battery held up well, seeing us comfortably through around
a day and a half of steady use.<br />
<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
<strong>Conclusion</strong><br />
The Galaxy Note 10.1 is one of the best-specced and most powerful tablets
available. It's not cheap, and it doesn't have the high-quality metallic casing
of the iPad Air, but it has a feast of features and the ability to handle them
all very well indeed.</div>
<br />
<br />

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014) review

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24Dec2013

Robotic 'Cubli' can balance on one corner

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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsGXuxidsH0Aq3Xtjp8jJlDTQqL6GFWa8hQDD4_G9dhK_46tQWwSz8i19lJnEcZr9mWusE8upT8Lt74Dc2MJtslL4aVo2NgZuHJVWGpSsv4n2LrMnXlFiMK__3VlqSuF1tJnYLt0-Z9g/s1600/cublicorners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsGXuxidsH0Aq3Xtjp8jJlDTQqL6GFWa8hQDD4_G9dhK_46tQWwSz8i19lJnEcZr9mWusE8upT8Lt74Dc2MJtslL4aVo2NgZuHJVWGpSsv4n2LrMnXlFiMK__3VlqSuF1tJnYLt0-Z9g/s640/cublicorners.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
Swiss researchers <a href="http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2013/12/20/the-cubli-a-cube-that-can-jump-up-balance-and-walk/">have
built</a> a cube-shaped robot that can walk around and balance itself on
one of its edges or corners.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDis8y7KrTefI4F1OCLSQxyqI0EZMb4HeL_8uOyVtZKkvbuX_cH9hYLmk_mhdmL5MbFAC70R-P-gzlsyeWPC7F3j0M70s4wfqEHCyWajgHTe9-g7OdOxTDDZ3Hv4662e09t6_jKP6lDPo/s1600/ku-xlarge.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDis8y7KrTefI4F1OCLSQxyqI0EZMb4HeL_8uOyVtZKkvbuX_cH9hYLmk_mhdmL5MbFAC70R-P-gzlsyeWPC7F3j0M70s4wfqEHCyWajgHTe9-g7OdOxTDDZ3Hv4662e09t6_jKP6lDPo/s1600/ku-xlarge.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
The bot, named "Cubli", contains three
internal wheels that spin faster or slower to give it the momentum to remain
balanced, even if the surface it sits on becomes tilted. They can also be
abruptly halted to give the cube the oomph to jump up to a balanced position
from flat on the surface.</div>
<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
The principles are similar to those used in
satellites to stabilise them in orbit, so they don't end up spinning around
uselessly. It's thought the technique could also be used to build robots that
are able to explore other planets, or self-assemble.</div>
<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
The researchers, from ETZ Zurich's Institute for
Dynamic Systems and Control, say: "But for us it's just a cool little cube
that can jump up, balance, and walk."</div>
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Robotic 'Cubli' can balance on one corner

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24Dec2013

Robot rivals ready to compete in Darpa challenge

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<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
In a robotic twist on American Gladiators, 17
robots and their teams will descend upon Florida this week to see which ones
have the greatest superhero potential.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFxRS0-EbzPhA96_ujCVQ41UnpirogY1Gl_hPfGsv8DXtnQES9yiTLQ3-sR9wcqwyB9zhLvNttTIy_otESN7diMyyZm2VR47Xc9LRWfLlmm5GxeGElTx9cleKRkx3JPl2uSab_lSrI-g/s1600/robot1_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFxRS0-EbzPhA96_ujCVQ41UnpirogY1Gl_hPfGsv8DXtnQES9yiTLQ3-sR9wcqwyB9zhLvNttTIy_otESN7diMyyZm2VR47Xc9LRWfLlmm5GxeGElTx9cleKRkx3JPl2uSab_lSrI-g/s640/robot1_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
Darpa, the Pentagon's research wing, is turning
to robots to respond alongside humans when there's a natural or human-made
disaster -- an initiative that Darpa says was triggered by the 2011 earthquake
in Japan that caused the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.</div>
<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
At the <a href="http://www.theroboticschallenge.org/">Darps Robotics Challenge</a> (DRC)
Trials Friday and Saturday at the Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla.,
robot prototypes will be run through a challenge course consisting
of eight tasks to evaluate robots' perception, autonomous decision-making,
mobility, dexterity and strength -- all the qualities Darpa expects robots
would need to work in disaster scenarios.</div>
Speed, however, is not one of the qualities that will be tested. Robots will
be given 30 minutes to perform each of the eight tasks once over the course of
the two-day event, although Darpa expects that not all of the teams will be
able to complete every task.<br />
"We know the robots are slow and unsteady at this point -- they're much
like a one-year-old human in terms of locomotion and grasping abilities and
much farther behind that in brainpower," said Gill Pratt, Darpa program
manager, in a <a href="http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2013/12/16.aspx">statement</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlw2dxtngYjpSOc8uTW_8U4qzFimAp4ojIYNZ5ynwLm9PbLGsWfLo5Imspy1LQ8rtOCOnS-boHAYNGFqH1VpAmtclstKyVX4DicRcJj5ai8_65XCGKEIxq7ZqqKDFnuORk0dlaPRpm50/s1600/robot2_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlw2dxtngYjpSOc8uTW_8U4qzFimAp4ojIYNZ5ynwLm9PbLGsWfLo5Imspy1LQ8rtOCOnS-boHAYNGFqH1VpAmtclstKyVX4DicRcJj5ai8_65XCGKEIxq7ZqqKDFnuORk0dlaPRpm50/s640/robot2_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
"The robots are taking 'baby steps' this year, but their performance
will establish a reference point for what we can expect from the teams that
return next year for the DRC Finals," said Pratt. "We want that event
to be much more difficult and force the robots to demonstrate useful
capabilities in realistic disaster scenarios."<br />
Teams from MIT, Nasa and Boston Dynamics, among 14 others, will compete for
as many as eight spots to continue to receive Darpa funding to advance their
robot for the DRC Finals scheduled for late 2014.<br />
According to Darpa, the robots will encounter these tasks and challenges
over the two days:<br />
<strong>Drive and exit utility vehicle</strong><br />
The hardest single task and the one that requires the most robot-human
interaction. The operators must direct the robots to drive the vehicle safely
despite occasional communications disruptions. Getting out of the driver's seat
poses significant strength and dexterity challenges for the robots.<br />
<strong>Walk across rough terrain</strong><b><br />
</b>The robots must maintain their balance and identify safe routes for
placement of limbs.<br />
<strong>Remove debris from doorway</strong><b><br />
</b>Robots must demonstrate a wide range of motion, in addition to balance and
strength, to clear a path forward.<br />
<strong>Open series of doors</strong><b><br />
</b>Moving the doors in an arc challenges the robots' perception and dexterity.
The robots must figure out how to align and move themselves as they open each door.<br />
<strong>Climb industrial ladder</strong><b><br />
</b>To avoid falls, the robots must safely navigate the ladder and maintain
their balance as they climb. Strength is required to stop a fall.<br />
<strong>Cut through wall</strong><b><br />
</b>Using power tools tests the robots' strength, dexterity and ability to perceive
their environment.  The robots must also simultaneously apply rigid force
to hold a tool, yet demonstrate the flexibility to smoothly manipulate it.<br />
<strong>Carry and connect fire hose</strong><b><br />
</b>The robots must identify the standpipe and then transport a bulky, non-rigid
item (the fire hose) to it. The robots must then have sufficient dexterity and
strength to attach the hose to a standpipe and open the spigot.<br />
<strong>Locate and close leaking valves</strong><b><br />
</b>The robots must identify the valves, determine which ones are open and have
sufficient range of motion to turn the valve wheels in an arc to close them.<br />
<div class="adavoidedbutflowable">
<a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/11/atlas-robot/">Atlas</a>, one of
the robots in the competition, has received  significant attention for its
human-like abilities.</div>
<br />

Robot rivals ready to compete in Darpa challenge

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24Dec2013

'O Canada': the first text message sent using alcohol

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">"O
Canada", the title of the Canadian national anthem, is the first text
message to have been sent using an inexpensive alcohol-based chemical messaging
system.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">A
chemical signal with different levels of concentration of rubbing alcohol (to
communicate different letters) was sent four metres across the lab with the aid
of a tabletop fan. It was then decoded by a receiver and turned back into a
text message.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The
programmable platform performs molecular communication, which mimics chemical
signalling found in nature. The best known example of this is pheromone
signalling used by social insects such as ants for long-range communications.
Chemical signals are also used in inter-cellular and intra-cellular communication.
This approach to communications can be advantageous for situations when
electromagnetic wireless systems are inefficient, for example in networks of
tunnels, underwater, or at very small scales when antenna size is restricted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">All
communication systems rely on three major elements: the transmitter, the
receiver and the channel. The transmitter takes an input text message from the
user and converts it into a sequence of binary bits.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLM9Ov-uG696JC6UXRAjxv0l-r4PIv_JnQPQLlz2sJCPpRgh29rHte28sRG5f5xFybc4yF_kfhaSOtbYsrSrTwFR9aUI7N6Jq6cI5fKqig9pRQNrG2e0b8nrGU2hN-kLdAteKY1iRG94/s1600/Canada.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLM9Ov-uG696JC6UXRAjxv0l-r4PIv_JnQPQLlz2sJCPpRgh29rHte28sRG5f5xFybc4yF_kfhaSOtbYsrSrTwFR9aUI7N6Jq6cI5fKqig9pRQNrG2e0b8nrGU2hN-kLdAteKY1iRG94/s640/Canada.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The
research team -- from Toronto's York University and the UK's Warwick University
-- used the Arduino Uno electronics prototyping platform, using a 16x2
character LCD Shield Kit -- an add-on module with six push buttons -- for text
entry. The text was then converted into a binary sequence (each letter was
represented using five bits according to the </span><a href="http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-S.1-198811-S"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">International Telegraph Alphabet No.2</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">, so the letter E is represented
by 10000) and modulated into chemical signals (where a spray represented 1 and
no spray represented 0) using an electronic spray mechanism called DuroBlast,
which was controlled by an Arduino micro controller.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The
receiver had to be a sensor that could detect a chemical signal, which can then
be processed and decoded back into text. Again, the team used the Arduino Uno
micro controller to read the sensor data, decode it and then display a text
message on a computer screen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Wired.co.uk:
Alcohol-based SMS transmission of 'O Canada'Wired UK </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The team
used isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) as the signalling chemical, since it
is widely available, volatile, inexpensive and there are a number of cheap
sensors available to detect it. However, the receiver could also work with
ethanol.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The
message could be transmitted four metres using a Honeywell desktop fan
positioned behind the spray device. The team found that a Dyson fan could
create a better system response, but they were trying to keep the costs of the
system as low as possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The
researchers tried various transmission rates, from one bit per five seconds (a
character every 25 seconds) to one bit per 2 seconds (a character every 10
seconds) across distances between one metre and four metres. The system was
deemed to be "very reliable" at the slowest rate across all distances
and very unreliable at the highest rate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">"We
believe we have sent the world's first text message to be transmitted entirely
with molecular communication, controlling concentration levels of the alcohol
molecules, to encode the alphabets with single spray representing bit 1 and no spray
representing the bit 0," said doctoral candidate Nariman Farsad, from York
University in </span><a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-12/yu-yum121813.php"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">a press release</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Engineering
Professor Weisi Guo from the University of Warwick added that the system could
be used to communicate on the nanoscale, "for example in medicine where
recent advances mean it's possible to embed sensors into the organs of the body
or create miniature robots to carry out a specific task such as targeting drugs
to cancer cells."</span></div>

'O Canada': the first text message sent using alcohol

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24Dec2013

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'O Canada': the first text message sent using alcohol

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