Woman Controls Jet Sim With Only Her Mind

Jan Sheuermann's main goal was to feed herself.  She ended up
piloting the world’s most expensive fighter jet.

 Sheuermann is unable to move her arms and legs due to a neurodegenerative disease.  Scientists from  Darpa and the University of Pittsburgh  approached her in 2012 and two years later, towards the end of her stint as a neuromotor guinea pig, the scientists changed the game. Instead of connecting Sheuermann’s brain interface to a robotic arm, they connected her to a flight simulator.  Using the same neural connections to   pilot an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. 

 complete wired article HERE

Robo Jellies In Waters Near You

Here is something interesting sent in by Dennis from the IB Times.

Scientists and researchers at the Virginia Tech, the University of Texas and other schools are working together to develop the robotic jellyfish.

The schools are working with funds from the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research. research is underway to develop a robotic RV which is inspired by jellyfish. Whats more the robot powers itself with sea water. Robojelly will use oxygen and hydrogen, which are abundant in seawater, to activate a chemical reaction that will activate its artificial muscles. It seems the jellyfish's swimming action make it an ideal model for the newly invented remote vehicle.

Still in the early stages of research and development, researchers hope that it can be used in various underwater operations.


Yonas Tadesse's, (lead author of the study) paper on Hydrogen-fuel-powered bell segments of biomimetic jellyfish on IOP Science web page here

ROV stretcher? And Flying to Boot!

Oh yeah, that's what I wrote, a stretcher that can rescue people that is not only remotely controlled but can also fly over the ground on a cushion of air, making it possible to transverse any type of terrain. The stretcher can take off and land vertically, hover and fly up to an altitude of 10k feet. As you can see in the concept art, it is in no way a helicopter, but instead a souped up hover-craft.

From the article:

• Called the Med-Evacuation Aerial Vehicle, it was developed by Israeli scientists as an unmanned rescue device to help retrieve soldiers injured in war zones without putting the lives of others at risk.
• But ... it is also designed for use in accidents, where ambulances or helicopters cannot gain access to injured victims....

Prototypes are already being tested! The future is indeed stranger than we can imagine.

<- High flying stretcher article ->

Thanks to Shaun Saunders for the article

Battlefield 'Bear' robot to rescue fallen soldiers

A remote-controlled robot that will rescue injured or abducted soldiers, without putting the lives of their comrades at risk, is being developed for the US army. The 1.8-metre-tall Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot (Bear) will be able to travel over bumpy terrain and squeeze through doorways while carrying an injured soldier in its arms. The prototype Bear torso can lift more than 135 kilograms with one arm, and its developer, Vecna Technologies of College Park, Maryland, is now focusing on improving its two-legged lower body. The robot recently showed how it can climb up and down stairs with a human-size dummy in its arms.

Click here for complete story
Thanks to Shaun Saunders for the post