You might think crash test dummies were mostly used for testing the safety of cars, airplanes, motorcycles and other vehicles. However, they’re often used in the testing of other consumer products to see what impact they could have if used improperly or in an accident. Some of the most frequently misused and accident-prone products on the market these days are drones, so crash testing them seems like a natural thing to do.
It turns out that drones are being tested for safety with crash test dummies at Virginia Tech, under the guidance of researchers from the Center for Injury Biomechanics. While the program is all about improving our safety, there’s something pretty satisfying about watching the rapidly spinning blades of a drone smashing into the head and body of the dummy in the video below:
These guys aren’t just testing with lightweight consumer drones either. That big 8-blade unit is a 21-pounder like the kind that brands like Amazon hope to someday use to deliver packages to our doorsteps. Certainly getting hit by one of those could cause serious injury or death, so the team is gathering data on the impact caused by a hit to the head, with the hope of possibly improving the design of drones. For instance they could be engineered to to shatter on impact, or perhaps going with some sort of soft-body design, like this one. That approach sure seems like a good one, as it could potentially reduce injury as well as decrease the risk of destroying pricey flying machines.
[via Bloomberg]
Of course NASA used a creepy robot to test space suits meant for real-life astronauts. Because they can. That’s always the reason for creepy robots. The Power-Driven Articulated Dummy as it was apparently called, was designed specifically for NASA by the IIT Research Institute, and used to test space suits between 1963 and 1965.
NASA used it to measure things like how much pressure was being applied by their space suits, what kind of internal pressure was being kept stable, and various other pieces of data. I also think they just liked playing dress-up with a creepy robot. Scientists are like that. If you’re into space memorabilia, or generally creepy things, you can buy it if you want since it’s currently up for sale as part of RR Auctions’ Remarkable Rarities Auction.
The robot is adjustable between 5’5″ and 6’2″ to represent the typical American male, it also has nylon tubes that act as its circulatory system, complete with oil flowing through them. There were only two of these robots made. One robot has a permanent home at the Smithsonian, but the other, slightly damaged one could go for over $80,000 to the right bidder during the upcoming auction. I would love to know who buys a robot this creepy.
If you are interested, online bidding begins on September 15th and the live auction is happening on September 26th.
The day that a lot of singles dread has now come and gone. While more and more unattached people choose to go out and spend the night with friends when February 14th rolls around, there are still those who stay home and sulk over their singlehood.
Then there are those who choose to have a little fun with the situation, like Instructables user Emily Grace King. After finding a bunch of CPR dummy mouths in a dumpster by her apartment building, Emily was inspired to create the Make-out Pillow.
Staying true to its name, it’s a pillow that lonely people can make out with (ew) if they feel the need to, well, make out. While it looks pretty simple, making the Make-out Pillow requires a bit of work.
You’ll need a sewing machine (yeah, you gotta work for that kiss!), some scissors, thread, embroidery floss, glue, felt or fabric, pullow stuffing, some cardboard, and of course, the CPR dummy mouth.
Want to make one of your very own? Check out Emily’s Instructables page to see how she did it.
[via Incredible Things]
Have you ever leaned over a railing and felt your stomach drop at the sight and perceived depth of the stories below you? Normally I stay away from railings because of my fear of heights and because I feel like I might drop down to my death if I lean too forward.
Silly, but that’s what I feel every time I look down, anyway.
Making people all over realize this fear is magician Rahat Hussein, who pulled a third-story fall prank on unsuspecting people shopping at the mall. If I were there, I’d probably scream my head off and stay away from railings for good.
Rahat pranked individuals who thought they were auditioning to be a television show host. Instead, they ended up with no gig and a huge scare after the fake interview.
[via Laughing Squid]
Researchers from several Czech companies have managed to make a bicycle soar with the aid of six electric motor-driven propellers. Looking like an over-sized quadrocopter drone, the bike was actually guided in a similar RC manner by scientists on the ground while a dummy rode in the pilot's seat. The range of the contraption was severely limited by the small batteries needed to keep the already-chunky 220 pound weight down, and the device would obviously be difficult to operate on a bike path due to its ungainly size. Still, the developers said the project was more about the fulfillment of childhood dreams than any commercial aim -- though we're not sure even our wildest ET fantasies would compel us to make the leap.
[Image credit: Michal Cizek/AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Transportation, Science
Via: CNET
Source: Ceske Noviny