Tag Archives: sand

Skryf Robot Prints Messages with Sand

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Skryf is a unique robotic vehicle built by artist Gijs van Bon. As it moves slowly along the ground, it writes temporary messages using sand. The text will gradually fade away because it is exposed to weather and no one will ever know that it was there. So I guess you can say it is a robot version of Snapchat.

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It can print out a single word, or a whole story and it can also write in small or large letters. The robot resembles a weird tricycle, and has a battery pack, motor drive, sand dispenser, and laptop controller on board.

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It’s a fun little art project and people seem to love watching it on the street.

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[via Laughing Squid]

Think Of The Haba Baudino Spilling Funnel XXL As 3D Sand Castle Printing

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Playing around in the beach invariably involves building some kind of structure with wet sand. Humans have probably been doing this since forever, and a good number of toy and accessories have been invented over the years which purport to help or assist in the process. The Haba Baudino Spilling Funnel XXL is one such toy. It’s a hand-held funnel that fills up in part with water, and the other part with sand. You then use it to create whatever you want, since the line of sludge that comes out the tip solidifies almost instantly, turning your hand into a 3D printing head. Sure, the resolution on this won’t be stellar, and maybe you’ll have to sand some edges (see what we did there?), but in the end you’ll have your kid (or even yourself) playing around in the beach, being creative, and hopefully exercising some sort of intellectual skill that these kinds of toys are supposed to stimulate. It’s $9.49.

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[ Product Page ] VIA [ OddityMall ]

This Turtle Robot Creates Works of Art on the Beach

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This is Beachbot, the world’s first autonomous sand art robot. It was developed by ETH Zurich and the Zurich division of Disney Research. Basically, it’s a Disney Mutant Robot Turtle – further proof that Disney wants to take over the world with cuteness.

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The autonomous robot draws huge patterns using a rake it can raise and lower into the sand. Beachbot uses a laser scanner, Wi-Fi, an inertial measurement unit, and four reflective poles to create art on a large scale. The machine knows where it should draw, because the researchers place four poles around a 10 meter x 10 meter area. Beachbot then uses the laser scanner on its onboard computer to detect those poles and recognize the area as its canvas.

So what is the point? Well, Disney Research Zurich head Paul Beardsley says, “The dream is to create huge amazing drawings like the Nazca Lines.”

That doesn’t really explain much. I translate that as “We are Disney. Because we can. Now shut up and wait for the new Star Wars.”

[via Engadget]

Sega Augmented Reality Sandbox: Terramapping

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Japan’s arcades will soon have a game that requires a more hands-on approach. Sega’s Eederu Sunaba is an augmented reality game that uses sensors and projectors to display virtual landscapes and animals on a sandbox. The landscapes and animals instantly appear based on what you build with the sand.

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For instance, in the image above the game projected a lake on the area where the player dug a trench. Make a mound and the game could turn it into a mountain or a volcano with gigantic beetles spewing out of it. The virtual animals also react to touch, which in the hands of a child is most probably a reckless slam or punch. The video below also shows a game mode where the player is asked to replicate a shape or a formation.

I’d love to have something like that but for tabletop RPG sessions. Imagine being able to create different environments on blank cardboard tiles.

[via Engadget]

Kinetic Sand Sticks To Itself, Not To Your Fingers

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I was flying from there to here, and while switching planes I had the pleasure to touch some kinetic sand on display at Brookstone. I have to say I was impressed. It’s just like wet sand, only it doesn’t dry, and doesn’t stick to your fingers. It’s made from 98% sand, with some proprietary coating that gives it its special properties. You can mold it, play with it, make all kinds of shapes, and start over at will. It’s just a toy (similar to the ill fated Buckyballs) that will probably lose its appeal after some time, but at $15 for a 2.2 lbs bag, it’s safely in impulse purchase territory.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ DudeIWantThat ]

Avatar Aquarium: Pandora in Your Living Room

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The scenes of Pandora in Avatar are still some of the most impressive naturalistic CGI worlds to ever grace the screen. Between the floating islands, the greenery, the waterfalls, and the exotic flora and fauna, it was really a visual spectacle. So when I saw that somebody had attempted to create the lush world of Pandora in their aquarium, I didn’t know if it could be done.

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What you’re looking at here is an incredible recreation of the world of Pandora – inside a fish tank. It was created by a DIYer in China, and it replicates the lush green feel of the planet, albeit underwater.

Yeah, the plants look a little like floating broccoli, but the most impressive part of the tiny world is the waterfall effect – which I had no idea you could do underwater. Basically, it’s done with very fine sand being pumped into a trough and recirculated back to the top after it falls. Neat. Here’s a diagram which gives you an idea of how it works:

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You can see more info on how to build underwater waterfalls here, but the site is in Chinese, so you’ll want to enable translation. Personally, I’d like it translated into Na’vi.

[via Reddit via The Grue]

Bottled Sand: Because Everything is Available in To-Go Containers Nowadays

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Everything’s bottled or canned these days. Even unusual stuff like air, unicorn meat, inflatable beach balls, and sand. Yep, you read that right: sand.

It seems pretty crazy at first, but it makes sense, if you think about it. I mean, the beach is usually so far away and it’s always no fun, with the huge crowds and all. So if you can’t go to the beach, then why not take a part of it with you?

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Brookstone has come to the rescue with their version of sand. It looks and even feels like the real thing, but it behaves like Silly Putty. Just push, mold, and pat to form it into your desired shape. Making sandcastles and sand sculptures has never been easier. The best part? You can do so in the comfort of your own home or even in your office!

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Sand is available for at Brookstone for $25(USD).

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[via Werd via The Awesomer]

Sand Powered LED Hourglass Lamps

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hourglass floor lamp Sand Powered LED Hourglass Lamps
Harness the power of kinetic energy and light the room. This Hourglass Floor Lamp design by Danielle Trofe is a four foot tall LED lamp atop a rotating hourglass. Flip the lamp over and as the sands drop down, it powers the light. That makes it essentially a human powered lamp- which is part of the design- to put you more in touch with your energy usage. There’s no details yet on availability, or how the power mechanism works, or how long the lamp lasts per flip. We do like the great modern design combined with eco-awareness. (via inhabitat)

Sand Powered LED Hourglass Lamps

Flipperbot Robotic Sea Turtle: Teenage Robot Ninja Turtle

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Scientists and researchers continue to emulate animals when designing and building robots, since animals know what they are doing. For instance, if you want a robot that can crawl over sand really fast(Just because) you should check out sea turtles. And that’s just what Georgia Tech has done here.

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Researchers Dan Goldman, Nicole Mazouchova and Paul Umbanhowar designed this robot to scamper across loose sand dunes, inspired by the motion of baby sea turtles. Their hypothesis was that key to the turtle’s surprisingly speedy movement is the way they flex their wrists. To test that theory, they designed FlipperBot.

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Their experiments will help them learn how fins and flippers are used as arms and legs, and potentially improve robot mobility. Watch the video or read the paper for an explanation of the tech behind the robot.

[via Geekosystem]