Kevin Lepton

Download a Gun to Your 3D Printer – Click It, No Ticket

3D Printing Comments Off

Dec 212012

It’s true that 3D printing is coming on the scene like gangbusters. A few years ago 3D printers were used mainly in the manufacturing industry for rapid prototyping.

But now the industry has changed, the printers have gotten cheaper and a few people are starting to make guns from the 3D printing process. And we are talking about the kinds of hard plastic guns that could evade metal detectors at airports.

If you think this is far-fetched then check out what the Seattle Times has to say, “University of Texas law student Cody Wilson, 24-year-old ‘Wiki Weapons’ project leader for Defense Distributed, says the group last month test fired a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle – one of the weapon-types used in the Connecticut school massacre. Video posted by the group on YouTube indicates the gun was built with some key parts created on a 3-D printer and fired six times before it broke.”

And of course since this is leading edge stuff we are talking about here, there are no laws against doing this in the privacy of your own home.

Here’s a Youtube video that talks about 3D printing of guns: http://youtu.be/YqzJlBcCsow

Utah Police Wearing Camera Glasses

Devices 1 Response »

Nov 152012

This may sound like SciFi but it’s happening here and now. Some Salt Lake City police officers are wearing video cameras in their glasses. That’s right all you woodchuck chuckers who have spent countless time watching cop shows with their dashboard mounted cameras catching all of the action.

According to Chief Chris Burbank (who lives nowhere near Jay Leno) he wants all Utah officers to one day be wearing the video camera glasses for protection of the officers. Now you may be thinking that Rodney Kinging may no longer occur if these glasses cameras are fully deployed and that’s a good point.

But, the main point is that officers, witnesses and suspects’ versions of an event oftentimes differ in the perceived facts. Having an eye-level video camera conveniently located in an officer’s glasses will help restore a certain reality to situations in dispute.

Think of the implications of having instant replay during an arrest or other altercation. Or having the same type of video on a crime scene to help with an investigation. A few good men have already stepped into the future with these glass cams. Tomorrow it may be another step towards justice for all.

Reference

http://www.9news.com/news/world/299987/347/Future-of-police-work-cameras-mounted-on-sunglasses

Exoskeletons for Space, Military and Disaster Management

Robotics Comments Off

Oct 192012

If you’ve seen movies like Iron Man and Avatar then surely you know what exoskeletons are and perhaps some of the potential. But, wait, there’s more … 🙂

Imagine you’re a soldier with boots on the ground and you have to climb a mountain carrying 100 lbs. of weight. With an exoskeleton you will be able to do so with energy left over. And, the U. S. Military is testing robotic exoskeletons right now.

NASA has developed the X1 robotic exoskeleton for use in space. But, the place for this futuristic suit isn’t in our solar system or for far off galaxies and the X1 is also being designed to aid paraplegics here on Earth.

The Japanese are developing an exoskeleton with a different use in mind. Since the deadly Japanese tsunami hit on March 11, 2011, the country has been preparing feverishly in the department of disaster management. Ipso facto the Japanese have developed a robotic skeletal device for aiding in emergencies.

There is much more to learn at these links below.

External Links

Military Exoskeleton Youtube Video: http://youtu.be/p2W23ysgWKI

NASA Exoskeleton: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/home/feature_exoskeleton.html

Japanese Exoskeleton: http://nextbigfuture.com/2012/10/japanese-emergency-crews-will-wear.html

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