Review » Haptic belt can guide soldiers

I think we all know that soldiers have to make split-second decisions in order to survive. I suppose this is why scientists are working on a haptic belt that can transmits GPS directions to soldiers out on the field.

Instead of a soldier looking at a GPS handheld to figure out where he or she is going, the soldier wears a belt with haptic feedback. This belt has over eight “tactors” that are spaced out in 45 degree intervals, and when one of them vibrates, this indicates where the soldier should be going.

There is even the possibility of wirelessly linking the belt to a gesture recognizing glove, so that the leader can issue commands to multiple haptic belts. This can be done from a secured location, from miles away.
I suppose that now is the time to question if this technology is really necessary. I mean, I think that we all need some guidance, but this borders on the possibility of remote control people. I mean, once we start telling soldiers where to go, are we going to have haptic feedback belts to tell the soldiers specifically what to do?

Yeah, we are really living in a science fiction era, and that applies to the military as well. Let’s hope this doesn’t get all dystopian on us.

http://dvice.com/archives/2011/06/soldiers-can-no.php

Review » BodyGuard electric gauntlet delivers a 500,000 volt handshake

This is the BodyGuard, an electro-gauntlet, which is actually the best description of this device that I know.

The BodyGuard has some other features, like a laser pointer, video camera, and a hefty taser of with 500,000 volts. I suppose that one could classify it as a weapon, and I suppose that it is much less violent than a gun. I don’t know, but 500,000 volts sounds pretty harmful, however, I heard that it is not the volts, but the amps. However, since this thing has a video camera, you can watch the victim get some serious shock therapy.

The gauntlet also has a hard outer shell, which means this device is a good defense as well as an offense. It definitely looks like something Batman would wear if he didn’t keep all of his contraptions on his belt. It even has some pointy things on it.

I seem to recall that the villain from the James Bond film Die Another Day wore one of these and shocked the heck out of 007 and Halle Berry. By the way, the shock-glove served as his undoing at the end of the film. Hopefully I didn’t spoil the end of that film. Speaking of films, this device is designed by a cameraman and friend of Kevin Costner.

Well, I’m not certain if this electric gauntlet will be available to the general public, and I don’t have a price. I just hope I’m never on the receiving end of this thing.

http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/05/31/this-stun-gun-equipped-armored-glove-is-worthy-of-judge-dredd/

REVIEW >> Japanese military makes a flying orb camera

 

What you are seeing here is not done with wire removal, but we are seeing a flying robot ball. It bears a strong resemblance to the torture ball robot from the original Star Wars movie, but this doesn’t have a needle on it, but a camera.

Yes, the purpose of the flying robot ball is to float in and take pictures. Its ball shape makes it more resistant, it case it bumps into walls.

This flying orb was designed by the Japan’s Ministry of Defense Technical Research and Development Institute. It can travel at a top speed of 40 miles per hour, and files on a single propeller with eight wings. You can see more of it on a video after the jump.

I suppose that this could be used to scope out enemy territory, but the big black ball looks pretty easy to shoot down. Personally, I think it has more uses in the private sector.

Imagine if your boss put this flying camera on your back in order to monitor your job performance. Yeah, I don’t like that idea, and it reminds me of an episode of Regular Show called “Peeps”. If you aren’t watching the Cartoon Network’s Regular Show, you are missing out on one of the funniest things on television.

But I don’t want to digress on that too much. As for this flying orb camera, it only cost $1,000 to make, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more of it in the future.