More on the news about my session on the Robots vs. Animals

More on the news about my session on the Robots vs. Animals

The students enjoyed a presentation on the evolution of certain animals and learnt how their behaviours have inspired robots being developed in BRL (Bristol Robotics Laboratory) before they got to see the robots at work. One behaviour demonstrated was ‘swarming’; just like birds, fish and insects that sense one another around them and  follow  the trail of others, the group saw robots performing the same action using sensors and cameras. Pupils got to handle cockroaches, a skink and observe rats communicating with one another through different methods.

#robotics   #robotsvsanimals   #robots   #animals   #brl   #uwe   #bristolzoo   #bristol   #bristolgrammarschool   #swarmrobotics   #evolution   #biomimicry     #jessicameyer  
http://www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk/News/Behaving-like-animals.aspx

I have kick started the project Robots vs.

I have kick started the project Robots vs. Animals at the Bristol Zoo. Mine was the first session! The kids had great fun, and us too.

During the session, the students investigated human-robot interaction, learning about why engineers make robots yawn, dance and gesture like humans in order to make the robots more approachable and engaging. Students saw how evolution is shortening the legs of the blue-tongued skink. This helped them understand how robots are evolving – and one day might be able to change their shape rapidly like Transformers.

#robotics    #brl   #robotsvsanimals   #uwe   #bristol   #bristolzoo   #swarmintelligence   #swarmrobotics   #robots   #animals   #biomimicry     #jessicameyer  
http://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/uwenews/news.aspx?id=2988

Which camera: Sony Cybershot DSC HX400V or Sony Cybershot DSC HX60?

Which camera: Sony Cybershot DSC HX400V or Sony Cybershot DSC HX60?

The HX400V is slightly better (although same pixels and processor) but the HX60 is much more portable..

Not sure how better the HV400V is in practice, the main differences are:
-> Aperture: 2.8 vs. 3.5.
-> Focal length: f=4.3-215 mm vs. f=4.3-129 mm
-> Minimum focus: 1 cm - Infinity (W), 2.4 m - Infinity (T) vs. 5 cm - Infinity (W), 2 m - Infinity (T)
-> GPS vs no GPS
-> no 3D vs 3D
-> Optical Zoom: 50 vs. 30
-> ZEISS Vario Sonnar T* Lens vs. Sony G Lens.
-> viewfinder vs no viewfinder
-> Price difference 30 pounds.

Do the specs of the HX400V make it much superior to the HX60? Specially in picture quality? Or is it still better to have a more portable camera because the difference is almost imperceptible?

#sony   #photography   #cybershot   #hx400v   #hx60

Why things like this don't become popular?!

Why things like this don't become popular?!

#creative   #creativity   #bike   #stroller  

Originally shared by Interesting Engineering

Stroller Bicycle

#creative #creativity #art #photography

#creative #creativity #art #photography

Originally shared by Interesting Engineering

Awesome forced perspective photographs 

Meet www.interestingengineering.com 

That's my session on the Robots vs Animals project as part of the EU Robotics Week 2014.

That's my session on the Robots vs Animals project as part of the EU Robotics Week 2014. 

Description: What can animals do that robots can't? What can we try and learn from animals to improve robots? What can engineering insights teach us about how animals move and sense? These are just some of the questions we will develop in educational sessions at Bristol Zoo Gardens. The sessions are aimed at school groups in Key Stage 3 (11-14 year olds), and run on a selected number of days in 2014/15. Tuesday 25th November has been selected as an event date to coincide with EU Robotics Week.

In each one-hour session, students will learn how animals are the inspiration for new technologies – biomimetics and bio-inspiration. Incorporated into each session will be the chance to interact with live animals and state-of-the-art robots from the BRL – from touch sensors based on rodent whiskers to electricity production inspired by digestion processes.

Students will gain first-hand insight into the scientific processes of research, developing prototypes and experimentation. The sessions will be co-led by BRL robotics engineers and Zoo education officers. Together, they will bring to life the connections between diverse scientific disciplines. They can show students how robotics research is being applied to solve real-world problems such as finding clean energy sources and better surgical tools.

This project is a collaboration between the Bristol Robotics Lab, UWE Science Communication Unit and Bristol Zoo Gardens.

#robotics   #animals   #brl   #bristolzoo   #eurobotics   #euroboticsweek   #roboticsweek   #bristol   #uwe   #europeanunion  
http://www.eu-robotics.net/cms/index.php?idart=3064