Sega, known for its game consoles and Sonic the Hedgehog, has gone down the rather unusual route of creating a battery powered miniature robot girlfriend for lonely adult males. Called EMA (which stands for Eternal Maiden Actualization) Sega hopes this mini-fembot, which it describes as petite, friendly and big-busted, will bring joy to those in need when it is released onto the market in September.
She may be just 15 inches tall, but she's ready to entertain: she can sing, dance, hand out business cards and "walk like a lady". What's more, if you are feeling amorous, just activate her 'love mode' and using her infrared sensors she will detect and kiss any human heads in her vicinity.
Of course, this does mean playing in your room with your Sega will take on a whole new meaning...
Theremin-controlled Mario
In other news, forget new Super Mario Bros for the Wii - now you can cut out the controller altogether. That's if a YouTube video showing software engineer Greig Stewart controlling a game using a modified theremin catches on.
It's not easy, mind – Stewart himself says he's only got as far as world three using the electronic musical instrument. Nevertheless, he's already started work on his next project: an air Guitar Hero mod.
Robot surgeon
Also this week: researchers at Duke University, North Carolina, have developed a robotic surgeon that could be used to remove shrapnel from injured soldiers on the battlefield without any human supervision. Using 3D ultrasound imaging tech, the device is able to identify areas of density in flesh, and remove tiny pieces of metal with surgical precision.
Meanwhile, scientists at Columbia University claim to have created a synthetic tree capable of capturing 1,000 times as much carbon dioxide as the real thing. Able to take CO2 from the air and convert it into a liquid - which is easier to store - it's hoped the tech will eventually be extended to vehicles and planes.
Is it as good as this Folding Plug concept? We'll leave it you to decide. What we will say, is that at 1cm thick your laptop bag will be thanking you.
[Image courtesy of Engadget]
If you're looking for something to fill said space, this week also heralded the return of the floppy disk. Yes, the floppy is back – albeit in USB form.
[Image courtesy of Boing Boing]
Video of the week goes to the Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA), which released some high-definition video captured by the Kaguya lunar probe moments before it crashed into the moon.
Hit play for a reconstruction of its final approach.
And finally…
A sea turtle that lost its flippers to a shark attack has been fitted with artificial replacements. The loggerhead turtle had its missing two limbs replaced with high-tech alternatives at the weekend, and was released into a salt water pond in an attempt to return the sea creature back to the wild.
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Your comments (1) Click to add a new comment
boybunny
July 4th 2009
1. Greig Stewart seems to be getting a lot of credit for "inventing" the idea of controlling a game via a theremin. I suspect he copied an idea I posted online a month and a half before his first experiments combining a theremin and a digital interface.
http://www.natami.net/knowledge.php?b=3¬e=3484
Considering how disparate the two ideas are (almost unknown analog magnetic field musical instrument, and a computer input method), it is interesting that two people can come up with the same idea, let alone a second person having the same idea weeks after the first person posts it online. What are the odds? Especially when the second person to have the idea is already active in the theremin community, and probably does Google searches on the topic.
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