Computer-controlled

Diners may soon have to get over the initial shock of seeing food moving around on their plates

Technology

Pac-Man on a plate: Play with your food to boost taste and experience

Finally, science has given us permission to play with our food. Taking a unique recipe featuring a modified electronic plate and plenty of imagination, researchers have dished up a fun way of enhancing a food experience for both a chef and the diner.

This spray-painted tiger was created using only four colors of spray paint

Around The Home

Smart spray paint copies color photos onto walls

Spray paint is a notoriously tricky medium to control. Fortunately for would-be muralists everywhere, researchers have invented a "smart" spray paint system that can use regular cans of paint to re-create photo images as spray-painted murals on walls or other large surfaces.

Around The Home

Handibot brings portability and apps to CNC fabrication

ShopBot launches a Kickstarter campaign to fund production of its Handibot app-controlled portable CNC machine.

Roger Hanson's gigantic backyard ice sculpture for this year, made using water from his home's geothermal heating system

Good Thinking

The Iceman buildeth – using water from his heating system

Roger Hanson uses water from his home's geothermal heating system to create elaborate ice sculptures in his backyard.

Vladimir Kramnik squaring off against the Chess Terminator

Robotics

'Chess Terminator' robot takes on former champ Kramnik in blitz match

The Chess Terminator draws a blitz match against former world champ Kramnik.

University of Utah mechanical engineer Will Provancher uses his right hand to demonstrate the Active Handrest (Image: The University of Utah)

Good Thinking

High-tech handrest gives surgeons, machinists and artists a steady hand

A new computer-controlled, motorized hand and arm support will users precisely control tools over a wider area that otherwise possible, and with less fatigue.

As each barrel can contain a variety of projectiles, it can fire a sensor from each of the barrels to cover an area with sensors. If any sensor is triggered, the barrel to which it belongs fires a subsequent explosive projectile to the exact same point.

Military

Metal Storm’s virtual minefield gets a patent

Metal Storm has been granted a patent with important implications for the future of minefields. The system offers many advantages, including the ability to be switched off leaving no explosive ordnance remaining in the area that had been protected.

Cannondale's prototype Simon computer-controlled suspension fork

Bicycles

Cannondale presents Simon, the electronic one-legged suspension fork

Cannondale has unveiled Simon, a prototype suspension fork controlled by an onboard microprocessor.

Outdoors

The computer-controlled Climbstation vertical treadmill

The ClimbStation is a vertical treadmill that provides climbing without a safety harness because you never got more than a metre off the ground. It tilts between +15 degrees and -39 degrees, and it can be transported with a normal car trailer.