Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Tweezer Magnifier Available Now (Bush Robots - Not)
A couple of weeks ago I did a story about bush robots - robots with fingers on their fingers on their fingers right down to the nano scale.
It turns out that Robert Heinlein had some similar ideas. For example, he thought of "ultramicrominiature waldoes as well as "tiny pixy hands, an inch across" to do very fine detail work.
He also thought about manipulating the genes of human beings (in the 1940's!) so they would have a tiny extra hand - with an eye - for detail work:
Well, we're at least fifty years from making bush robots to manipulate tiny objects. And hopefully no one will monkey with the human genome to make an extra hand.
Thank goodness for tweezers with a built-in magnifying glass.
"...Take that extra appendage at the wrist. That's another hand, a miniature one... backed up by a microscopic eye. You can see how useful that would be, once you got used to the idea."
(From Methuselah's Children)
(Tweezer with Magnifier)
Alas, they seem to be available (all together) only in Japan. See the Tweezer Magnifier page; that's two in a row for Red Ferret. Don't forget to take a look at freaky fractal bush robots.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 12/15/2005)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 2 )
Related News Stories - (" Engineering ")
Thin Film Dome Protects Cities From Nuclear Blasts
'What fabric can take that kind of a load? Synthetic spider silk.' - Robert Heinlein, 1939.
Cyborg Eye Flashlight Lights Up The Room
'Foyle pressed a tooth with his tongue and the peripheral cells of his retina were excited into emitting a soft light.' - Alfred Bester, 1956.
Aeromine Technologies Rooftop Wind Energy
'...a windmill on his roof for light and heat.' - John Jacob Astor IV, 1894.
Roomba Hoovers Up More Than Dirt
'He had brought that tiny instrument to map their movements.' - Jack Williamson, 1936.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Megachurches Catch Up To Heinlein
'Mars,' the kid repeated, threw Boone a Scout salute and made a sixty-foot leap over the crowd.
Olympus 3D Printing Using Lunar And Martian Materials
The system may be used to create critical infrastructure on the Moon, including landing pads, blast shields, and roads.
Robot Builds Robots From Voxel Subunits
'I was patiently building the most dangerous thing in creation...'
Meltz Neurorehabilitation Robotic Hand
A new type of rehabilitation called "neuro-rehabilitation.
San Francisco Wants ED-209, Or Maybe Robocop
'The Enforcement Droid series 209 is a self-sufficient law enforcement robot...'
Seoul Self-Driving 42dot Bus Unveiled
'Buses without drivers moved close to the curb and stopped at intervals.'
T. Gondii And The Leaders Of The Pack
'... infected males were more than 46 times more likely to become pack leaders than uninfected males.'
'Parastronaut' First Astronaut With Disability From ESA (Updated!)
'He had left Earth to get away from its gravitational field...'
MIT Self-Assembling Reprogrammable Materials
'Faster the cubes moved; faster the circle revolved; the pyramids raised themselves, stood bolt upright on their square bases...'
Mem, The All-Your-Memories, Super Note-Taking App
'Life experience is linearly additive, but the correlation of memory impressions is an unlimited expansion.'
Porcine Fat Cells For 3D-Printed Whole Pork Products
'I grabbed two Syntho-Steaks out of the freezer...'
LANIUS Loitering Drone Munition Scouts And Maps
'... micro-missiles proceeding at walking pace.'
Copilot Software AI Training Sued By Involuntary Contributors
'...we've promised him a generous pension from the royalties.'
Thin Film Dome Protects Cities From Nuclear Blasts
'What fabric can take that kind of a load? Synthetic spider silk.'
Mars Space Weather Alert (MSWA) System
'On the three-dimensional map at weather headquarters... the storm was colored orange.'
Thermite's Robot Firefighter
Possibly worthy of Transformers!
