Archive for the ‘robots’ Category

And now, a message from R0b0t Ninja

Check out R0b0t Ninja’s blog at robotninja.mnp:
"Most esteemed space-ninjas and robots

As you may know, one of the many advantages of being a robotic ninja, is that travelling through deep space poses no real threat to our livelihood. While your flesh-and-blood ninja has to rely on various ninja-magics and/or ninja-spacecraft, we robotninjas can survive even the raw vacuum of outer space, giving us the freedoms to explore vast reaches of the solar system and beyond. At a colleague’s post at NASA, please find several examples of the field recordings I made while in orbit around Saturn. On a routine expedition to Jupiter, investigating an orbiting artifact placed there millions of years ago by advanced, god-like superbeings (turns out it was full of stars), I happened to pick up some interesting sounds on my various antennae while passing by Saturn. Intrigued, I beamed the samples back to earth, and my good friends at the National Astronomical Super Atomics have posted them for the world to experience. End ninja-transmission—-dictated but not read."

pia07966-br500.jpg
email

Post to Twitter Post to Facebook

Posted: November 8th, 2007
at 12:13pm by Black Ock


Categories: robots,science

Comments: 2 comments


Freelancing 101

3 steps towards office politrickinaiosoligical freedom…

Is it worth it? Of course.

Bills, taxes, insurance and working with integrity-freelancing can be tough, but the individuals mentioned above, and millions more, wouldn’t have it any other way.

"You have to pay to run your own business," said Darrah. "It’s a huge responsibility; sometimes it’s a nightmare. But you’re not just getting a paycheck and going home at the end of the day. When you land a new contact, meet some new clients, collect on those checks-it’s a lot more rewarding than that. It has the feeling of potential and growth, wherever you want to take it. That’s the driving force behind freelancing."

Post to Twitter Post to Facebook

Music for Piano with One or More Snare Drums (1990)

A pianist plays a series of notated pitches in chronological order, repeating them freely in overlapping patterns. As she does so, the tones sympathetically resonate snare drums positioned throughout the space. The drums respond in various ways depending on the pitch of the piano tones, the resonant regions of the drums and their geographical locations in space. This work was written for Hildegard Kleeb and was first performed by her on March 21, 1992, at the Galerie Sous-Sol, Geneva, Switzerland.

listen here

Post to Twitter Post to Facebook

Posted: October 30th, 2007
at 2:39pm by Koookiecrumbles


Categories: music,life,robots,weaponry,design,fo' real?,9th dan,science,boredom killer

Comments: No comments


And now… a message from R0b0t Ninja

Use magnetic tape, my ninjas. Please. For years, the most respected ninja-audio scientists have known that analog and digital recording offer two distinct sonic possibilities. Analog recievers/recorders tend to use tubes to amplify the signal, and magnetic tape to record that signal. This process, as I will tell you, disregards the odd-numbered harmonics in a given sound, leaving the signal with a warmer, richer tone (for examples, see the latest posts on my music sites, or, compare early Bob Marley to his later stuff). Digital recording, in comparison, either includes odd numbered harmonics, or excludes even numbered ones. And for any of my ninjas hopelessly confused: all sounds are conglomerations of smaller sounds called harmonics. The almagamation of these harmonics become the sounds that we all know and recognize. It is the sworn duty of anyone bearing the title of R0b0t Ninja to honor and refine these sound wave harmonics to the macro-evolutionary apex at which we find ourselves. Which led me to purchase this little number on the ebay.

reels1.jpg

It’s amazing. I love it so much, as does black jesus-feel free to witness it’s sonic warmening on the R0b0tninja, as well as the R0b0tr0n/dub R0b0t interwebs. It is called an Akai M-8, 1/4 inch reel to reel tape recorder, with bloody, wonderful orange tubes glowing inside it. Ancient, high ninja-technology represent.

Ahem, Read more at robotninja.mnp

Post to Twitter Post to Facebook

Posted: October 29th, 2007
at 10:37am by Black Ock


Categories: music,robots,weaponry,gear,boredom killer

Comments: No comments


musicalgorithms

musicalgorithms.png

The Web-based application found on this site has been designed for exploring algorithms in an interdisciplinary environment. The Web site contains interactive tools, which provide a unique learning experience for users, regardless of their musical training. Students of music composition can explore algorithmic composition, while others can create musical representations of models for the purpose of aural interpretation and analysis. Here, the algorithmic process is used in a creative context so that users can convert sequences of numbers into sounds. For example, the Web-based application at this site can provide aural representations of Pi, DNA sequences, or Dow Jones Industrial averages. This learning environment allows users a hands-on approach to creating music by means of conceptualization.

Post to Twitter Post to Facebook

Posted: October 11th, 2007
at 2:00pm by Koookiecrumbles


Categories: music,life,web,games,robots,weaponry,fo' real?,science,boredom killer

Comments: No comments


Real-Life Mechwarriors

[update: sorry, i had the youtube videos switched around. it should be fixed.AA enjoy]

I’ve decided that everybody needs a little fluff in their day to make it through. I also realize that the things I write about on Mondays are generally the types of things that ninjas spend their time thinking about. It might be because it’s Columbus Day and I didn’t want to overload my own poor brain. All these things factor into the following foolishness that I have deigned to call a post.

First of all, for those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about when I say Mechwarrior, well, you seriously and urgently need to watch more anime. If you don’t know what anime is, then this article just might be lost on you. Actually just kidding, read on.

mech_808.jpg

So, in the future the robots and machines will take over, which has most likely already started (don’t kid yourselves) and possibly start avenging themselves of the needless wrongs human beings have inflicted, all the while hopefully completely unaware of this. When that day comes, we might be in some critical need of mechwarrior suits to fend them off. Who knows what else could happen?… aliens… meteorites… whatever…

Right about now a whole bunch of geeks are about to start making comments about how me calling the joints mechwarriors is an inaccurate term, so I’m going to nip that in the bud and explain right now.

106_mobile_suit_gundam_seed_186514.jpg

A mechwarrior, technically, is a dude from a certain series of video games that drives a battlemech. A battlemech is a huge robot that a human sits inside of and controls. Mostly these things are used to, you know fire huge lasers and… fly… and whatnot. The huge robot with a human controller inside is a pretty universal concept. It almost certainly is a metaphorical reference to post-war Japan (as are many anime concepts), industrialization, and technologization (erm, not a word, but you get the gist). Anyway, plenty of you are already acquainted with the basic idea through such imports as Voltron, Gundam, or Power Rangers, and even possibly the American response to such creations Exo-Squad, which was inevitably poorer than the others. So whether you call them exo-skeletons, gundams, mechs, zoids, whatevers, they’re still just big ass robots that people get inside of to control. That should satisfy even the most discriminating geek.

maggie_eframe.jpg

Still with me? Great, because now after much adieu, we dive into the world of the real life applications of these things.

Real Life:

The first thing we’re talking about is a dude who, in 2005, built an 18 foot mech in his backyard. Although the robot could only take a few steps in its beta version, the thing has flamethrowers on its fists. As long as the robot overlords arent overly mobile, this guy can burn the crap out of them.

071105mechpic2_500x375.jpg

The 18-foot-tall giant in steelworker Carlos Owens’ Alaska backyard isn’t quite up to smashing Volkswagens-or taking the kind of pounding footsteps that might strike fear into the heart of an enemy.

With a rumbling gasoline engine and creaking hydraulic joints (not to mention flame spouting from its fists), the red steel monster is limited to taking a young child’s few tottering steps. That’s not quite enough to sell the military on its worth. But it’s a start.

Unfortunately for Owens, who has spent almost $25,000 and two years building this homebrewed "mech"-think giant robot, but controlled by a pilot inside-it’s also an end, at least for this version. With little room left to improve it, he’s shutting down work and selling it on eBay. Link

0711mechpic1_375x540.jpg

Now, I know this guy is a bit old, but it’s BANANAS. This thing is huge and crazy and I wouldn’t want to be in a dark alley alone with it at night. If the pictures don’t totally bug you out you can watch a video of it here.

In real life, there’s the $50 million that the U.S. military is pouring into researching ways to augment soldiers’ physical capabilities with high-tech exoskeletons.

That idea hasn’t always gone well. General Electric tried this in the late 1960s, creating the cumbersome Hardiman prototype, a massive steel frame intended to be strapped onto its users’ arms and legs to help them lift up to 1,500 pounds.

The GE project operators never got more than one arm working, however, and the project died in the early 1970s.

Well, as you can see the military has been all over this concept for years. The next thing we’re looking at is a possibly more advanced mechwarrior. Enter The LandWalker. Straight out of Japan, of course, this beast is the first fully advanced mech to be built.

lw3.jpg

Japanese machinery and robotics manufacturer Sakakibara-Kikai has released the first genuine bi-pedal exoskeleton a€" a landmark event and one which is certain to attract a lot of attention for the company. Mechanatrons and BattleMechs have long been the subject of scifi books, comics and movies with the promise of cyborg technology popularised by the smash sixties television series a€oeThe Six Million Dollar Man.a€A Wea€™ve previously seen some celebrated exoskeletons in films such as Alien. Link

Check out the video below to see this thing in action. This guy may be our best bet in the event of any of the aforementioned emergencies. I’d love to whip one of these bad boys, wouldn’t you? That said, I don’t know if the best reaction is childish jubilation or utter fear.

YouTube Preview Image

My inner boy is totally satisfied. One bloger’s thoughts.

If you ask me, the best thing about these things is that they come in different colors. That way I can get one to match my pretty gun.

lw-r-1.jpg

Mecha, also known as meka or mechs, are walking vehicles controlled by a pilot. Mecha are generally, though not necessarily, bipedal. In most science fiction stories in which they appear, mecha are war machines: essentially armored fighting vehicles with legs instead of treads or wheels. Some stories, such as the Japanese manga Patlabor, also encompass mecha used for civilian purposes such as heavy construction work, police functions, or firefighting.

Ha, that above Wikipedia article regretted to mention the most important aspect of the functions, which would be defending us against the overlords. It appears the robots may have already infiltrated them. In any case, the last mech we will look at is the previous title holder of the most advanced mech besides the LandWalker. Check out Enryu.

2537_5050524747.jpg

Enryua€™s towering presence matches the super hero job description; the DFWM looks of a Transformer, the gait of a bulldozer, a five ton King Kong fighting weight and human-like arms which can lift a ton, quite literally.

Now Enryu can be operated remotely, thanks to seven 6.8 MPX CCD lens mounted on its head, torso and arms, enabling the remote driver to see from several angles. It can also be operated from inside, making it an exoskeleton and enabling it far greater dexterity and hence capability. The driver wears a fireproof suit and is encased in a protection capsule and will surely have the dream job of the next generation of adolescents. Production began last year (2004) and the company sees a large part of its future building robots which can go where human beings cannot, such as burning buildings or on the battlefield. Link

2537_main.jpg

If you want to read about this thing in action, check out this article.

Unfortunately, our 2 hours is almost up. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be fair if I talked about mech warriors and didn’t at least mention human robotic suits. Undoubtedly you’ve heard of these things that increase strength and speed and whatnot. Very Ghost in the Shellish. Well below we have one of those in action.

YouTube Preview Image

If you want to know more about human robotic suits you can click here or do your own research. This whole article started as a Google search for ‘real life mechwarrior.’ As I feel obligated to say every week, it’s frickin’ amazing what you can find in two hours on the internet. See ya again next week!

Post to Twitter Post to Facebook

Posted: October 8th, 2007
at 7:53am by Black Ock


Categories: youtube,robots,weaponry,2 hours on the internet

Comments: 1 comment


Symphonic Assault Maneuvers

Despite the general ruggedness of our r0b0tninja.mnp page which we hope to have fixed up and ready for war soon, we somehow are still receiving transmissions from Bertr0n CEO of R0b0t Corp. Here’s what he has to say:

For any ninjas seeking to bone up on their orchestral composing skills, myninjas at Audio Impressions have developed a software/hardware midi orchestra called REALTIME STRINGS that allows you to do just that. While there are many orhcestral sample banks and midi instruments available, never before has such an apex in sound quality (192 khz samples, full dynamic and expressive range, Stradivarius violin recordings, etc.) been reached, nor at such an intuitively correct level. From the site:

Because each stand is sampled separately, you can change the size of your string ensemble, for example, from a solo to a quartet, a chamber group or a 70-piece symphonic string section and anything in between. This ability to select and de-select players on-the-fly without loading new samples is a breakthrough. While it might seem complex to use, in fact controlling a DVZ-RT string section (or any part of the REALTIME INSTRUMENTS libraries) is very simple; each players (or desks) MIDI channeling is handled internally so the end user never has to be concerned with it.

preset1.png

The R0b0tninja himself does not care for classical ensemble music, which he finds crude and offensive. Nonetheless, he is intrigued by this architecture-rather than allowing users to muddy-up their sound by playing too many instruments at once with too many voices, realtime strings divides the notes between virtual players, simulating what an actual orchestra might sound like. Undoubtedly, most of myninjas will be defeated by the $12,000 price tag and $3,500 deposit. But for any true ninja disciple that is also a robot, the only price you’ll ever really pay is in death. R0b0tninja bless.

Post to Twitter Post to Facebook

Posted: October 3rd, 2007
at 6:15am by Black Ock


Categories: computers,music,robots

Comments: No comments


Percussa AudioCube and reacTable building block musical interfaces

YouTube Preview ImageYouTube Preview Image

percussa via labs.det3

YouTube Preview Image YouTube Preview Image YouTube Preview Image

YouTube Preview Imagexavi04.jpg

performances by interactive sonic system team and BjAArk

Post to Twitter Post to Facebook

Posted: October 2nd, 2007
at 4:02pm by Koookiecrumbles


Categories: computers,music,art,too good to be true,games,robots,weaponry,gear,design,fo' real?,science

Comments: No comments


Reinventing the Shipping Container Part 2

shipping containers are formal pallets of break bulk. break bulk is what shipping containers used to be called back in the day. looking around, design wars are warring between prefab and pre-fab. on one side there are ultra-efficient shipping container-based factory-built homes that are moved in the same containers that built the flats of semi-trucks and on the other there is a corn-based R/V Renaissance brewing from shoreline to parking lot.


as light sets and disguises any routine, it is hard to move that shipping containers do not rule the earth. if one was to attempt to get a glimpse into the world of this whole supply chain world that i keep hearing about, understanding what the shipping container is would hold many a question. i mean global trade is apparently exponential and am4ricans love they boxes. why did rectangles become the norm? stacking ability or concrete bombs?

while the american "residual" ["the measure of our ignorance"] effect rules, we like to think that we are a part of the rest of the world. singapore proofs this destiny as the world’s leading container port due to their consistent need to refine for trade.

singcontainerport.png

interestingly enough while americans will have to learn to watch the shipping container take over brandom, Rotterdam is shifting policy towards "creative clusters of industry, R&D, and education"; making moves for the brain container as i heard in an ol puffy song. [The world is just a container away]

besides the wine-bottle and label design debates that fester in the rows of most local wineries, how can we convince the public that an already-refined container is better than damn near similar designs that appear to be probably more customized for the consumer? what is the residual definition of having a shipping container on the bill?

well, the military has worked that out for us all by regulating the desired purpose of the shipping container through "specification busting" and prison manufacture.

shipping containers are manufacturing how regional inter-modal depots get formed. Inter-modal warehouse purpose in mass-transportation network can be related to the importance of river networks and the explanation of how people tried to explain the engineering behind the economics. from a pre-historical standpoint it looks like shipping containers have molded around the channels that moved them:

[the discipline of modern finance] "[It] combined the insights of John Law, a Scottish gambler turned French banker [who is ordinarily credited with being the force behind the Mississippi Bubble] with an extraordinary economic system based on dynamic self-organizing networks used by Native Americans in the region, catalyzed by some innovations imported with natives of the Congo River and the Niger River economies. The first person to publish an explanation in mathematical terms was the finance professor and banker Fischer Black…."

yet there is an abundance of containers at all the major, new-traditional ports across the world. so apart from wondering if it makes sense to combine multiple boxes so that a long-haul semi-truck could take two boxes instead of eight and the killuminati question, that because there are boxes, there also needs to be refined goods, how can we make shipping containers the general fabric?
bunkerdiynogo.jpg

In other words, how can new housing models not only bring upgraded forms of shelter supply to the effected landscape, but also help play into a larger strategy of establishing more permanent and sustainable resolution to infrastructure in desperate communities, hoping for more significant planning change?

Post to Twitter Post to Facebook

Posted: October 2nd, 2007
at 4:01pm by Koookiecrumbles


Categories: hood status,life,green,web,home,business,whips,robots,weaponry,gear,architecture,design,development,entrepreneurship

Comments: 1 comment