These blind robot jugglers, as seen in the video below, are cool inventions.
Imagine bouncing a ball on your head while walking around a room. Now imagine doing that blind folded.
That's exactly what this flying juggling robot does.
Developed at the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control in Switzerland, the blind juggler bounces a ping-pong ball without seeing it.
The robot accomplishes this feat without using any sensors to track the ball. Instead the robot is designed to carry out a sequence of mathematical and logical calculations to predict what the ball will do after it is bounced.
These calculations allow the robot to move and strike the ball repetitively without using any visual or motion sensors.
One of the great inventions of the 20th century was the creation of neodymium magnets.
Neodymium magnets are permanent dense magnets that produce powerful magnetic fields and are highly resistant to being demagnetized.
This makes them ideal for use in electronics or any electromagnetic application requiring a reduction in size but an increase in power (power to weight ratio).
These magnets are used in a wide range of products - from computer hard drives, headphones, audio speakers, cordless tools, magnetic resonance imaging equipment (MRI), electric motors, hybrid and electric vehicles, airplanes and trains, to self-powered flashlights, fasteners and toys.
Neodymium magnets were invented in the early 1980's by two groups of physicists working independently from one another.
One group was led by John J. Croat of the General Motors Physics Laboratory, and the other was led by Massato Sagawa of Sumitomo Special Metals in Japan.
Both groups invented different manufacturing processes to produce neodymium magnets, which are made from rare earth elements.
Rare earth elements have chemical properties that make them very easy to magnetize with a high magnetic field strength.
Despite the name "rare earth", these elements (metals) are not scarce but widely dispersed in the earth. The reason they're called "rare" is because it is rare to find them in any concentration that is cost effective for mining and extraction.
Dangers
Neodymium magnets emit powerful magnetic fields relative to their size and can cause damage to credit cards, hard disks, or electronic devices.The magnets should not be placed in direct contact or near anything that uses magnetism.
They're also potentially fatal if swallowed, so for these reasons neodymium magnets are not recommended for children's use. Sources: jap.aip.org; theneocube.com
Maglev Train
If you don't like flying or want to avoid airport congestion, delays, restrictions and cancellations, there isn't an alternative for long distance travelling.Every other means of transportation is just too slow. But that may change.
Magnetic Levitation Trains (Maglev Trains) use electromagnetic propulsion and suspension to reach speeds over 310 mph (500 km/h).
At that speed, a trip from Rome to Paris on a Maglev would take 2 hours but engineers believe the trains will get faster.
Maglev train systems are being built or are planned for construction on most continents. Currently, the fastest Maglev train in the world is in Shanghai, China.
How It Works
Magnets underneath the track levitate and float the train.Along the sides of the track is a guideway with magnetic coils that alternate polarity to interact with magnets on the train.
Opposite poles attract and like poles repel. So the magnets on the guideway alternate to repel (push) and attract (pull) the train along the track.
Since nothing is actually touching the train other than an electromagnetic field - there is no friction, which means less resistance and greater acceleration. There is also no engine, which means less weight.
The main impediment to speed is air resistance, which is why engineers are excited about sending Maglev trains through vacuum tunnel-tubes. If this was to occur then Maglevs could potentially reach super-sonic speeds.
If you don't like flying or want to avoid airport congestion, delays, restrictions and cancellations, there isn't an alternative for long distance travelling.Every other means of transportation is just too slow. But that may change.
Magnets underneath the track levitate and float the train.Along the sides of the track is a guideway with magnetic coils that alternate polarity to interact with magnets on the train.
