Research is currently being performed with artificial limbs that would allow individuals not only to control those limbs but also to receive accurate feedback, sensations, from the prosthetic limb by utilizing lasers as a transmitter to individual nerves.

It is the year 2023. Hundreds of elderly people have undergone elective surgery in order to replace non functional or weak limbs with superior mechanical ones. However these same individuals are facing hard times as society begins to exponentially increase health and life expectancy. The elderly are perceived as unneeded group, leftovers from centuries past. The majority is simply waiting for the last of them to pass so that the age of endless youth can begin.

Tensions build as two retirement homes are attacked by young white males eager to find some remaining group against which to commit hate crimes and prove whatever if it is they hope to prove to one another. The government does little to compensate or protect those retired communities which are at greatest risk. In fact retirement as we know it is expected to be legislated out over the next two years.

The elderly are forced to take up action on their own. They alter their artificial limbs into powerful weapons. The old people cyborg uprising is begun.

There is a new threat to our health from synthetic food ingredients. And like Aspartame, the regulatory approval process that is suppose to protect us is failing again. You may have noticed lately a growing number of products that claim in their ads and on their labels that they have “Less Salts”, “Less Sugar”, “Less MSG”. This type of claim should make you think, “What are they putting in to let them take this stuff out”. It should be obvious that they are not just going to remove some of the salt, sugar and MSG. These three ingredients are the key to increasing sales. So they are the geese that lay the golden egg of the processed food industry.

What they are putting in is a new class of food ingredients that are novel molecules, never consumed by humans before. And you may have already eaten them because they don’t have to be on the label. These chemicals turn off bitter receptors on the tongue and enhance the salty, sweet and umami (savory) receptors. Companies like Kraft, Nestle, Coca Cola and Cambell’s Soup are already putting these chemicals in their products. These chemicals are so powerful that the amount of salt and sugar can be cut nearly in half, yet the same level of salty or sweet flavor is maintained.

While some food companies will admit they are contracted with Senomyx, they will not reveal which foods have these chemicals added. The foods most likely to contain these chemicals are soups, vegetable and fruit juices, ice cream and sauces. Senomyx CEO Kent Snyder has said, “We are helping companies clean up their labels”.

The company that developed these new chemicals is called Senomyx. They took data from the human gnome project and used it to analyze human taste buds. This has allowed them to develop multiple chemicals that work in very low concentrations, often less than 1 ppm. By comparison, artificial sweeteners have concentrations of 200-500 ppm. These new chemicals do not have to be separately listed. Instead they are allowed under “artificial flavors”.

The fact that they are used at concentrations of less the 1 ppm means they don’t have to through the rigorous FDA approval process for novel chemicals. Instead they automatically get Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status. It only took Senomyx 18 months to get GRAS status on their MSG replacer and they did this with a single safety study on rats for 3 months. A study like this is not generally considered adequate to determine safety. A minimum of two years on multiple species will produce more realistic results.

This is just another reason to avoid processed foods, especially if they contain salt, sugar or MSG and “artificial ingredients”.

-Paul Ericson, contributor Liberation Wellness

Most shocking thing today: I read this article yesterday and it blew my mind. A fertility doctor in Connecticut not only artificially inseminated a woman with the wrong sperm, but with his own sperm. Holy….

Also, apparently this is not the first time this has happened. Oh wow.

Image by Clipartguide

Probably the most famous question among the child and the adolescence because they’d frequently asked the question “Where do babies come from?” when they spot a newborn baby somewhere else and parents’d not tell them the exact procedure in the process of a baby by means of elaborating male and female sleeps together then a baby would simultaneously spawn in front of them. And that’s child’s play. This idea is taken by the game of The Sims.

Lets get in-dept onto the subject of biology shall we? We all know that when a couple is copulating (sexual intercourse) and sperm would usually ejaculate or “Cum” into the vagina of a female. During copulation in humans, about 500 millions sperms are ejaculated into the vagina yet only 1 sperm can be successfully penetrated the ovum’s membrane then the ovum’d create a jelly-like membrane to prevent other’s sperm from penetrating and then the whole whole fertilization start its engine from the beginning of ovulation till the implantation stage. The oviduct produces ovum once in every 28 days which it occur in the ovulation stage whereby it had to go through a process called Oogenesis ( oogonia formation ) elsewhere the sperms go through the same process called spermatogenesis ( spermatozoa formation ).

As I were saying, the spermatozoa travels along the cervix and towards the fallopian tube ( this is where sperms had their first encounter with the ovum itself ) then the fertilization begins. Approximately 36 hours after fertilization, the resultant zygote begins to divide repeatedly by mitosis ( cell division ) as it travels along the fallopian tube towards the uterus. The first division forms a two-celled embryo. Further divisions results in the formation of a solid mass of cells known as a morula. By the fifth day, the morula is a ball of bout 100 cells known as a blastocyst or blastula (a fluid-filled sphere consisting of an outer layer of cells and a group of cells inside the sphere). The developing embryo has reached the uterus with the help of the cilia in the fallopian tube. Seven days after fertilization, the blastocyst attaches itself to the endometrium. This process is known as implantation. The blastocyst with its inner cell mass becomes firmly embedded in the endometrium. An embryo will be developed in the first 8 weeks from the second month of development until birth, it is called a fetus. The fetus is enclosed in a membrane called amnion where it’ll excrete amniotic fluid to protects the fetus by absorbing shock and cushioning it from any physical damage.

If a couple is having difficulties of possessing a baby which it is called infertility. There are several reasons of this cause:

i) Blocked fallopian tubes

ii) Failure of an embryo to exert the process of implantation.

iii) The inability to produce ova

iv) Blocked vas deferen ( sperm duct )

Image by Show-Boat Entertainment

There’re difference ways to overcome the infertility such as (IVF) which stand for In vitro fertilization, the In vitro means outside the organic body. Hence, IVF means the fertilization of a human egg outside the body. This method is used to make test tube babies like you’d seen in Star Wars – The Clone Wars. The test tube contains a nutrient-rich medium for the baby to grow in time.

Another method is that you have visit your local hospital to get yourself a surrogate mother where you need to transfer your spermatozoa and your wife’s oogonia to the surrogate mother’s uterus. The surrogate mother then becomes pregnant and the fetus develops in her uterus until birth.

Estive a ver o “Anjos e Demónios”. Filme à parte, venho falar do Tom Hanks, um actor nascido em 1956, o qual deveria aparentar os efectivos 53 anos de existência à face da Terra. Mas não é o caso.

No princípio do filme, vê-se um tipo a nadar a bom ritmo, fazendo-me suspeitar que o Michael Phelps tenha feito de duplo no filme. Quando o tipo sai de dentro da água, vemos que se trata do Tom Hanks. Nada de especial, não fosse o facto de estar magro, com um físico quase tão invejável como o de José María Aznar, de 56 anos, que este Verão deixou todos de boca aberta. Elas por acharem que aquele “Abdominatrix” estaria bem para fazer um Strip, e eles com vontade de lhe bater, com inveja de um físico que nunca atingirão. Ou melhor, o Aznar falou em qualquer coisa como 2000 abdominais por dia (tanga [cof] [cof]), mas cá para mim, há ali muita Corporation Dermoestetica ou intervenções cirúrgicas que apenas estão ao alcance de uma elite.

O Tom está magro e muito longe de aparentar 53 anos. Ele não tem rugas nem papos, e a sua face parece ter sido alisado a Botox, como se fosse feito de plasticina. Porque alguém aqui em casa gosta de ver, eu vou acompanhando a elogiada “Vila Moleza”, onde os humanos mais parecem bonecos. Ao olhar para o Tom, parecia que estava a ver o Robbie Rotten no meio do Vaticano a lutar contra os Illuminati.

Opinião, talvez injusta, de quem sabe que não irá entrar, por não poder ou querer, em operações de plastificação, mas prefiro ver homens e mulheres a envelhecerem com rugas e papos, do que deparar-me com artificialidades de resultado ou gosto discutíveis.

This article’s introduction section may not adequately summarize its contents. To comply with Wikipedia’s lead section guidelines, please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article’s key points. (November 2009)

 

ASIMO, a humanoid robot manufactured by Honda

A robot is a virtual or mechanical artificial agent. In practice, it is usually an electro-mechanical machine which is guided by computer or electronic programming, and is thus able to do tasks on its own. Another common characteristic is that by its appearance or movements, a robot often conveys a sense that it has intent or agency of its own.

Definitions

 

A laparoscopic robotic surgery machine

The word robot can refer to both physical robots and virtual software agents, but the latter are usually referred to as bots.^[1] There is no consensus on which machines qualify as robots, but there is general agreement among experts and the public that robots tend to do some or all of the following: move around, operate a mechanical limb, sense and manipulate their environment, and exhibit intelligent behavior, especially behavior which mimics humans or other animals.

There is conflict about whether the term can be applied to remotely operated devices, as the most common usage implies, or solely to devices which are controlled by their software without human intervention. In South Africa, robot is an informal and commonly used term for a set of traffic lights.

Stories of artificial helpers and companions and attempts to create them have a long history but fully autonomous machines only appeared in the 20th century. The first digitally operated and programmable robot, the Unimate, was installed in 1961 to lift hot pieces of metal from a die casting machine and stack them. Today, commercial and industrial robots are in widespread use performing jobs more cheaply or with greater accuracy and reliability than humans. They are also employed for jobs which are too dirty, dangerous or dull to be suitable for humans. Robots are widely used in manufacturing, assembly and packing, transport, earth and space exploration, surgery, weaponry, laboratory research, and mass production of consumer and industrial goods.^[2]

It is difficult to compare numbers of robots in different countries, since there are different definitions of what a “robot” is. The International Organization for Standardization gives a definition of robot in ISO 8373: “an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose, manipulator programmable in three or more axes, which may be either fixed in place or mobile for use in industrial automation applications.”^[3] This definition is used by the International Federation of Robotics, the European Robotics Research Network (EURON), and many national standards committees.^[4]

The Robotics Institute of America (RIA) uses a broader definition: a robot is a “re-programmable multi-functional manipulator designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks.”^[5] The RIA subdivides robots into four classes: devices that manipulate objects with manual control, automated devices that manipulate objects with predetermined cycles, programmable and servo-controlled robots with continuous point-to-point trajectories, and robots of this last type which also acquire information from the environment and move intelligently in response.

There is no one definition of robot which satisfies everyone, and many people have their own.^[6] For example, Joseph Engelberger, a pioneer in industrial robotics, once remarked: “I can’t define a robot, but I know one when I see one.”^[7] According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, a robot is “any automatically operated machine that replaces human effort, though it may not resemble human beings in appearance or perform functions in a humanlike manner”.^[8] Merriam-Webster describes a robot as a “machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex acts (as walking or talking) of a human being”, or a “device that automatically performs complicated often repetitive tasks”, or a “mechanism guided by automatic controls”.^[9]

Modern robots are usually used in tightly controlled environments such as on assembly lines because they have difficulty responding to unexpected interference. Because of this, most humans rarely encounter robots. However, domestic robots for cleaning and maintenance are increasingly common in and around homes in developed countries, particularly in Japan. Robots can also be found in the military.

Defining characteristics

KITT is mentally anthropomorphic, while ASIMO is physically anthropomorphic

While there is no single correct definition of “robot,”^[10] a typical robot will have several, or possibly all, of the following characteristics.

It is an electric machine which has some ability to interact with physical objects and to be given electronic programming to do a specific task or to do a whole range of tasks or actions. It may also have some ability to perceive and absorb data on physical objects, or on its local physical environment, or to process data, or to respond to various stimuli. This is in contrast to a simple mechanical device such as a gear or a hydraulic press or any other item which has no processing ability and which does tasks through purely mechanical processes and motion.

Mental agency

For robotic engineers, the physical appearance of a machine is less important than the way its actions are controlled. The more the control system seems to have agency of its own, the more likely the machine is to be called a robot. An important feature of agency is the ability to make choices. Higher-level cognitive functions, though, are not necessary, as shown by ant robots.

• A clockwork car is never considered a robot.
• A remotely operated vehicle is sometimes considered a robot (or telerobot).^[11]
• A car with an onboard computer, like Bigtrak, which could drive in a programmable sequence, might be called a robot.
• A self-controlled car which could sense its environment and make driving decisions based on this information, such as the 1990s driverless cars of Ernst Dickmanns or the entries in the DARPA Grand Challenge, would quite likely be called a robot.
• A sentient car, like the fictional KITT, which can make decisions, navigate freely and converse fluently with a human, is usually considered a robot.

Physical agency

However, for many laymen, if a machine appears to be able to control its arms or limbs, and especially if it appears anthropomorphic or zoomorphic (e.g. ASIMO or Aibo), it would be called a robot.

• A player piano is rarely characterized as a robot.^[12]
• A CNC milling machine is very occasionally characterized as a robot.
• A factory automation arm is almost always characterized as an industrial robot.
• An autonomous wheeled or tracked device, such as a self-guided rover or self-guided vehicle, is almost always characterized as a mobile robot or service robot.
• A zoomorphic mechanical toy, like Roboraptor, is usually characterized as a robot.^[13]
• A mechanical humanoid, like ASIMO, is almost always characterized as a robot, usually as a service robot.

Even for a 3-axis CNC milling machine using the same control system as a robot arm, it is the arm which is almost always called a robot, while the CNC machine is usually just a machine. Having eyes can also make a difference in whether a machine is called a robot, since humans instinctively connect eyes with sentience. However, simply being anthropomorphic is not a sufficient criterion for something to be called a robot. A robot must do something; an inanimate object shaped like ASIMO would not be considered a robot.

Etymology

 

A scene from Karel Čapek’s 1920 play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), showing three robots

The word robot was introduced to the public by Czech writer Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), published in 1920.^[14] The play begins in a factory that makes artificial people called robots, but they are closer to the modern ideas of androids, creatures who can be mistaken for humans. They can plainly think for themselves, though they seem happy to serve. At issue is whether the robots are being exploited and the consequences of their treatment.

However, Karel Čapek himself did not coin the word. He wrote a short letter in reference to an etymology in the Oxford English Dictionary in which he named his brother, the painter and writer Josef Čapek, as its actual originator.^[14] In an article in the Czech journal Lidové noviny in 1933, he explained that he had originally wanted to call the creatures laboři (from Latin labor, work). However, he did not like the word, and sought advice from his brother Josef, who suggested “roboti”. The word robota means literally work, labor or serf labor, and figuratively “drudgery” or “hard work” in Czech and many Slavic languages. Traditionally the robota was the work period a serf had to give for his lord, typically 6 months of the year.^[15] Serfdom was outlawed in 1848 in Bohemia, so at the time Čapek wrote R.U.R., usage of the term robota had broadened to include various types of work, but the obsolete sense of “serfdom” would still have been known.^[16][17]

The word robotics, used to describe this field of study, was coined (albeit accidentally) by the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov.

Social impact

As robots have become more advanced and sophisticated, experts and academics have increasingly explored the questions of what ethics might govern robots’ behavior,^[18] and whether robots might be able to claim any kind of social, cultural, ethical or legal rights.^[19] One scientific team has said that it is possible that a robot brain will exist by 2019.^[20] Others predict robot intelligence breakthroughs by 2050.^[21] Recent advances have made robotic behavior more sophisticated.^[22]
Vernor Vinge has suggested that a moment may come when computers and robots are smarter than humans. He calls this “the Singularity.”^[23] He suggests that it may be somewhat or possibly very dangerous for humans.^[24] This is discussed by a philosophy called Singularitarianism.
In 2009, experts attended a conference to discuss whether computers and robots might be able to acquire any autonomy, and how much these abilities might pose a threat or hazard. They noted that some robots have acquired various forms of semi-autonomy, including being able to find power sources on their own and being able to independently choose targets to attack with weapons. They also noted that some computer viruses can evade elimination and have achieved “cockroach intelligence.” They noted that self-awareness as depicted in science-fiction is probably unlikely, but that there were other potential hazards and pitfalls.^[23] Various media sources and scientific groups have noted separate trends in differing areas which might together result in greater robotic functionalities and autonomy, and which pose some inherent concerns.^[25][26][27]

Some experts and academics have questioned the use of robots for military combat, especially when such robots are given some degree of autonomous functions.^[28] There are also concerns about technology which might allow some armed robots to be controlled mainly by other robots.^[29] The US Navy has funded a report which indicates that as military robots become more complex, there should be greater attention to implications of their ability to make autonomous decisions.^[30][31] Some public concerns about autonomous robots have received media attention, especially one robot, EATR, which can continually refuel itself using biomass and organic substances which it finds on battlefields or other local environments.^[32][33]
The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence has studied this topic in depth ^[18] and its president has commissioned a study to look at this issue.^[34]

Some have suggested a need to build “Friendly AI“, meaning that the advances which are already occurring with AI should also include an effort to make AI intrinsically friendly and humane.^[35] Several such measures reportedly already exist, with robot-heavy countries such as Japan and South Korea ^[36] having begun to pass regulations requiring robots to be equipped with safety systems, and possibly sets of ‘laws’ akin to Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics.^[37][38] An official report was issued in 2009 by the Japanese government’s Robot Industry Policy Committee.^[39] Chinese officials and researchers have issued a report suggesting a set of ethical rules, as well as a set of new legal guidelines referred to as “Robot Legal Studies.” ^[40] Some concern has been expressed over a possible occurrence of robots telling apparent falsehoods.^[41]

Technological trends

Technological development

Overall trends

Japan hopes to have full-scale commercialization of service robots by 2025. Much technological research in Japan is led by Japanese government agencies, particularly the Trade Ministry.^[42]

As robots become more advanced, eventually there may be a standard computer operating system designed mainly for robots. Robot Operating System (ROS) is an open-source set of programs being developed at Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Technical University of Munich, Germany, among others. ROS provides ways to program a robot’s navigation and limbs regardless of the specific hardware involved. It also provides high-level commands for items like image recognition and even opening doors. When ROS boots up on a robot’s computer, it would obtain data on attributes such as the length and movement of robots’ limbs. It would relay this data to higher-level algorithms. Microsoft is also developing a “Windows for robots” system with its Robotics Developer Studio, which has been available since 2007.^[43]

New functions and abilities

The Caterpillar Company is making a dump truck which can drive itself without any human operator.^[44]

Research robots

While most robots today are installed in factories or homes, performing labour or life saving jobs, many new types of robot are being developed in laboratories around the world. Much of the research in robotics focuses not on specific industrial tasks, but on investigations into new types of robot, alternative ways to think about or design robots, and new ways to manufacture them. It is expected that these new types of robot will be able to solve real world problems when they are finally realized.^{[citation needed]}

 

A microfabricated electrostatic gripper holding some silicon nanowires.^[45]

• Nanorobots: Nanorobotics is the still largely hypothetical technology of creating machines or robots at or close to the scale of a nanometer (10⁻⁹ meters). Also known as nanobots or nanites, they would be constructed from molecular machines. So far, researchers have mostly produced only parts of these complex systems, such as bearings, sensors, and Synthetic molecular motors, but functioning robots have also been made such as the entrants to the Nanobot Robocup contest.^[46] Researchers also hope to be able to create entire robots as small as viruses or bacteria, which could perform tasks on a tiny scale. Possible applications include micro surgery (on the level of individual cells), utility fog,^[47] manufacturing, weaponry and cleaning.^[48] Some people have suggested that if there were nanobots which could reproduce, the earth would turn into “grey goo“, while others argue that this hypothetical outcome is nonsense.^[49][50]
• Soft Robots: Robots with silicone bodies and flexible actuators (air muscles, electroactive polymers, and ferrofluids), controlled using fuzzy logic and neural networks, look and feel different from robots with rigid skeletons, and are capable of different behaviors.^[51]
• Reconfigurable Robots: A few researchers have investigated the possibility of creating robots which can alter their physical form to suit a particular task,^[52] like the fictional T-1000. Real robots are nowhere near that sophisticated however, and mostly consist of a small number of cube shaped units, which can move relative to their neighbours, for example SuperBot. Algorithms have been designed in case any such robots become a reality.^[53]

 

A swarm of robots from the Open-source Micro-robotic Project

• Swarm robots: Inspired by colonies of insects such as ants and bees, researchers are modeling the behavior of swarms of thousands of tiny robots which together perform a useful task, such as finding something hidden, cleaning, or spying. Each robot is quite simple, but the emergent behavior of the swarm is more complex. The whole set of robots can be considered as one single distributed system, in the same way an ant colony can be considered a superorganism, exhibiting swarm intelligence. The largest swarms so far created include the iRobot swarm, the SRI/MobileRobots CentiBots project^[54] and the Open-source Micro-robotic Project swarm, which are being used to research collective behaviors.^[55][56] Swarms are also more resistant to failure. Whereas one large robot may fail and ruin a mission, a swarm can continue even if several robots fail. This could make them attractive for space exploration missions, where failure can be extremely costly.^[57]
• Haptic interface robots: Robotics also has application in the design of virtual reality interfaces. Specialized robots are in widespread use in the haptic research community. These robots, called “haptic interfaces,” allow touch-enabled user interaction with real and virtual environments. Robotic forces allow simulating the mechanical properties of “virtual” objects, which users can experience through their sense of touch.^[58] Haptic interfaces are also used in robot-aided rehabilitation.

Varying cultural perceptions

Roughly half of all the robots in the world are in Asia, 32% in Europe, and 16% in North America, 1% in Australasia and 1% in Africa.^[59] 30% of all the robots in the world are in Japan.^[60] This means that Japan has the most robots in the world out of all the countries, and is in fact leading the world’s robotics.^[61] Japan is actually said to be the robotic capital of the world.^[62]

In Japan and South Korea, ideas of future robots have been mainly positive, and the start of the pro-robotic society there is thought to be possibly due to the famous ‘Astro Boy‘. Asian societies such as Japan, South Korea, and more recently, China, believe robots to be more equal to humans, having them care for old people, play with or teach children, or replace pets etc.^[63] The general view in Asian cultures is that the more robots advance, the better, which is the opposite of the Western belief.

“This is the opening of an era in which human beings and robots can co-exist,” says Japanese firm Mitsubishi about one of the many humanistic robots in Japan.^[64] South Korea aims to put a robot in every house there by 2015-2020 in order to help catch up technologically with Japan.^[36][65]

Western societies are more likely to be against, or even fear the development of robotics, through much media output in movies and literature that they will replace humans. Some believe that the West regards robots as a ‘threat’ to the future of humans, partly due to religious beliefs about the role of humans and society.^[62][66] Obviously, these boundaries are not clear, but there is a significant difference between the two cultural viewpoints.

Contemporary uses

At present there are 2 main types of robots, based on their use: general-purpose autonomous robots and dedicated robots.

 

TOPIO, a humanoid robot developed by TOSY that can play ping-pong.^[67]

Robots can be classified by their specificity of purpose. A robot might be designed to perform one particular task extremely well, or a range of tasks less well. Of course, all robots by their nature can be re-programmed to behave differently, but some are limited by their physical form. For example, a factory robot arm can perform jobs such as cutting, welding, gluing, or acting as a fairground ride, while a pick-and-place robot can only populate printed circuit boards.

General-purpose autonomous robots

It has been suggested that Open-source robotics#Uses be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

General-purpose autonomous robots are robots that can perform a variety of functions independently. General-purpose autonomous robots typically can navigate independently in known spaces, handle their own re-charging needs, interface with electronic doors and elevators and perform other basic tasks. Like computers, general-purpose robots can link with networks, software and accessories that increase their usefulness. They may recognize people or objects, talk, provide companionship, monitor environmental quality, respond to alarms, pick up supplies and perform other useful tasks. General-purpose robots may perform a variety of functions simultaneously or they may take on different roles at different times of day. Some such robots try to mimic human beings and may even resemble people in appearance; this type of robot is called a humanoid robot.

 

A general-purpose robot acts as a guide during the day and a security guard at night

Dedicated robots

In 2006, there were an estimated 3,540,000 service robots in use, and an estimated 950,000 industrial robots.^[68] A different estimate counted more than one million robots in operation worldwide in the first half of 2008, with roughly half in Asia, 32% in Europe, 16% in North America, 1% in Australasia and 1% in Africa.^[69] Industrial and service robots can be placed into roughly two classifications based on the type of job they do. The first category includes tasks which a robot can do with greater productivity, accuracy, or endurance than humans; the second category consists of dirty, dangerous or dull jobs which humans find undesirable.

Increased productivity, accuracy, and endurance

 

A Pick and Place robot in a factory

Many factory jobs are now performed by robots. This has led to cheaper mass-produced goods, including automobiles and electronics. Stationary manipulators used in factories have become the largest market for robots. In 2006, there were an estimated 3,540,000 service robots in use, and an estimated 950,000 industrial robots.^[68] A different estimate counted more than one million robots in operation worldwide in the first half of 2008, with roughly half in Asia, 32% in Europe, 16% in North America, 1% in Australasia and 1% in Africa.^[69]

Some examples of factory robots

• Car production: Over the last three decades automobile factories have become dominated by robots. A typical factory contains hundreds of industrial robots working on fully automated production lines, with one robot for every ten human workers. On an automated production line, a vehicle chassis on a conveyor is welded, glued, painted and finally assembled at a sequence of robot stations.

• Packaging: Industrial robots are also used extensively for palletizing and packaging of manufactured goods, for example for rapidly taking drink cartons from the end of a conveyor belt and placing them into boxes, or for loading and unloading machining centers.

• Electronics: Mass-produced printed circuit boards (PCBs) are almost exclusively manufactured by pick-and-place robots, typically with SCARA manipulators, which remove tiny electronic components from strips or trays, and place them on to PCBs with great accuracy.^[70] Such robots can place hundreds of thousands of components per hour, far out-performing a human in speed, accuracy, and reliability.^[71]

• Automated guided vehicles (AGVs): Mobile robots, following markers or wires in the floor, or using vision^[72] or lasers, are used to transport goods around large facilities, such as warehouses, container ports, or hospitals.^[73]

• • Early AGV-Style Robots were limited to tasks that could be accurately defined and had to be performed the same way every time. Very little feedback or intelligence was required, and the robots needed only the most basic exteroceptors (sensors). The limitations of these AGVs are that their paths are not easily altered and they cannot alter their paths if obstacles block them. If one AGV breaks down, it may stop the entire operation.

• • Interim AGV-Technologies developed that deploy triangulation from beacons or bar code grids for scanning on the floor or ceiling. In most factories, triangulation systems tend to require moderate to high maintenance, such as daily cleaning of all beacons or bar codes. Also, if a tall pallet or large vehicle blocks beacons or a bar code is marred, AGVs may become lost. Often such AGVs are designed to be used in human-free environments.

• • Newer AGVs such as the Speci-Minder,^[74] ADAM,^[75] Tug^[76] and PatrolBot Gofer^[77] are designed for people-friendly workspaces. They navigate by recognizing natural features. 3D scanners or other means of sensing the environment in two or three dimensions help to eliminate cumulative errors in dead-reckoning calculations of the AGV’s current position. Some AGVs can create maps of their environment using scanning lasers with simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) and use those maps to navigate in real time with other path planning and obstacle avoidance algorithms. They are able to operate in complex environments and perform non-repetitive and non-sequential tasks such as transporting photomasks in a semiconductor lab, specimens in hospitals and goods in warehouses. For dynamic areas, such as warehouses full of pallets, AGVs require additional strategies. Only a few vision-augmented systems currently claim to be able to navigate reliably in such environments.

Dirty, dangerous, dull or inaccessible tasks

 

A U.S. Marine Corps technician prepares to use a telerobot to detonate a buried improvised explosive device near Camp Fallujah, Iraq

There are many jobs which humans would rather leave to robots. The job may be boring, such as domestic cleaning, or dangerous, such as exploring inside a volcano.^[78] Other jobs are physically inaccessible, such as exploring another planet,^[79] cleaning the inside of a long pipe, or performing laparoscopic surgery.^[80]

• Telerobots: When a human cannot be present on site to perform a job because it is dangerous, far away, or inaccessible, teleoperated robots, or telerobots are used. Rather than following a predetermined sequence of movements, a telerobot is controlled from a distance by a human operator. The robot may be in another room or another country, or may be on a very different scale to the operator. For instance, a laparoscopic surgery robot allows the surgeon to work inside a human patient on a relatively small scale compared to open surgery, significantly shortening recovery time.^[80] When disabling a bomb, the operator sends a small robot to disable it. Several authors have been using a device called the Longpen to sign books remotely.^[81] Teleoperated robot aircraft, like the Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, are increasingly being used by the military. These pilotless drones can search terrain and fire on targets.^[82][83] Hundreds of robots such as iRobot’s Packbot and the Foster-Miller TALON are being used in Iraq and Afghanistan by the U.S. military to defuse roadside bombs or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in an activity known as explosive ordnance disposal (EOD).^[84]

• Automated fruit harvesting machines: are being used to pick fruit on orchards at a cost lower than that of human pickers.

 

The Roomba domestic vacuum cleaner robot does a single, menial job

 

The ANATROLLER ARI-100 is a modular mobile robot used for cleaning hazardous environments

• In the home: As prices fall and robots become smarter and more autonomous, simple robots dedicated to a single task work in over a million homes. They are taking on simple but unwanted jobs, such as vacuum cleaning and floor washing, and lawn mowing. Some find these robots to be cute and entertaining, which is one reason that they can sell very well.
• Elder Care: The population is aging in many countries, especially Japan, meaning that there are increasing numbers of elderly people to care for, but relatively fewer young people to care for them.^[85][86] Humans make the best carers, but where they are unavailable, robots are gradually being introduced.^[87]
• Duct Cleaning: In the hazardous and tight spaces of a building’s duct work, many hours can be spent cleaning relatively small areas if a manual brush is used. Robots have been used by many duct cleaners primarily in the industrial and institutional cleaning markets, as they allow the job to be done faster, without exposing workers to the harful enzymes released by dust mites. For cleaning high-security institutions such as embassies and prisons, duct cleaning robots are vital, as they allow the job to be completed without compromising the security of the institution. Hospitals and other government buildings with hazardous and cancerogenic environments such as nuclear reactors legally must be cleaned using duct cleaning robots, in countries such as Canada, in an effort to improve workplace safety in duct cleaning.

Potential problems

Fears and concerns about robots have been repeatedly expressed in a wide range of books and films. A common theme is the development of a master race of conscious and highly intelligent robots, motivated to take over or destroy the human race. (See The Terminator, Runaway, Blade Runner, Robocop, [[Replicator (Stargate)the Replicators in Stargate]], the Cylons in Battlestar Galactica, The Matrix, THX-1138, and I, Robot.) Some fictional robots are programmed to kill and destroy; others gain superhuman intelligence and abilities by upgrading their own software and hardware. Examples of popular media where the robot becomes evil are 2001: A Space Odyssey, Red Planet, … Another common theme is the reaction, sometimes called the “uncanny valley“, of unease and even revulsion at the sight of robots that mimic humans too closely.^[88] Frankenstein (1818), often called the first science fiction novel, has become synonymous with the theme of a robot or monster advancing beyond its creator. In the TV show, Futurama, the robots are portrayed as humanoid figures that live alongside humans, not as robotic butlers. They still work in industry, but these robots carry out daily lives.

Manuel De Landa has noted that “smart missiles” and autonomous bombs equipped with artificial perception can be considered robots, and they make some of their decisions autonomously. He believes this represents an important and dangerous trend in which humans are handing over important decisions to machines.^[89]

Marauding robots may have entertainment value, but unsafe use of robots constitutes an actual danger. A heavy industrial robot with powerful actuators and unpredictably complex behavior can cause harm, for instance by stepping on a human’s foot or falling on a human. Most industrial robots operate inside a security fence which separates them from human workers, but not all. Two robot-caused deaths are those of Robert Williams and Kenji Urada. Robert Williams was struck by a robotic arm at a casting plant in Flat Rock, Michigan on January 25, 1979.^[90] 37-year-old Kenji Urada, a Japanese factory worker, was killed in 1981; Urada was performing routine maintenance on the robot, but neglected to shut it down properly, and was accidentally pushed into a grinding machine.^[91]

Timeline

History

Many ancient mythologies include artificial people, such as the mechanical servants built by the Greek god Hephaestus^[96] (Vulcan to the Romans), the clay golems of Jewish legend and clay giants of Norse legend, and Galatea, the mythical statue of Pygmalion that came to life. In Greek drama, Deus Ex Machina was contrived as a dramatic device that usually involved lowering a deity by wires into the play to solve a seemingly impossible problem.

In the 4th century BC, the Greek mathematician Archytas of Tarentum postulated a mechanical steam-operated bird he called “The Pigeon”. Hero of Alexandria (10–70 AD) created numerous user-configurable automated devices, and described machines powered by air pressure, steam and water.^[97] Su Song built a clock tower in China in 1088 featuring mechanical figurines that chimed the hours.^[98]

 

Al-Jazari’s programmable humanoid robots

Al-Jazari (1136–1206), a Muslim inventor during the Artuqid dynasty, designed and constructed a number of automated machines, including kitchen appliances, musical automata powered by water, and the first programmable humanoid robots in 1206.^{[citation needed]} The robots appeared as four musicians on a boat in a lake, entertaining guests at royal drinking parties. His mechanism had a programmable drum machine with pegs (cams) that bumped into little levers that operated percussion instruments. The drummer could be made to play different rhythms and different drum patterns by moving the pegs to different locations.^{[citation needed]}

Early modern developments

 

Tea-serving karakuri, with mechanism, 19th century. Tokyo National Science Museum.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) sketched plans for a humanoid robot around 1495. Da Vinci’s notebooks, rediscovered in the 1950s, contain detailed drawings of a mechanical knight now known as Leonardo’s robot, able to sit up, wave its arms and move its head and jaw.^[99] The design was probably based on anatomical research recorded in his Vitruvian Man. It is not known whether he attempted to build it. In 1738 and 1739, Jacques de Vaucanson exhibited several life-sized automatons: a flute player, a pipe player and a duck. The mechanical duck could flap its wings, crane its neck, and swallow food from the exhibitor’s hand, and it gave the illusion of digesting its food by excreting matter stored in a hidden compartment.^[100] Complex mechanical toys and animals built in Japan in the 1700s were described in the Karakuri zui (Illustrated Machinery, 1796)

Modern developments

The Japanese craftsman Hisashige Tanaka (1799–1881), known as “Japan’s Edison” or “Karakuri Giemon”, created an array of extremely complex mechanical toys, some of which served tea, fired arrows drawn from a quiver, and even painted a Japanese kanji character.^[101] In 1898 Nikola Tesla publicly demonstrated a radio-controlled torpedo.^[102] Based on patents for “teleautomation”, Tesla hoped to develop it into a weapon system for the US Navy.^[103][104]

 

The first Unimate

In 1926, Westinghouse Electric Corporation created Televox, the first robot put to useful work. They followed Televox with a number of other simple robots, including one called Rastus, made in the crude image of a black man. In the 1930s, they created a humanoid robot known as Elektro for exhibition purposes, including the 1939 and 1940 World’s Fairs.^[105][106] In 1928, Japan’s first robot, Gakutensoku, was designed and constructed by biologist Makoto Nishimura.

The first electronic autonomous robots were created by William Grey Walter of the Burden Neurological Institute at Bristol, England in 1948 and 1949. They were named Elmer and Elsie. These robots could sense light and contact with external objects, and use these stimuli to navigate.^[107]

The first truly modern robot, digitally operated and programmable, was invented by George Devol in 1954 and was ultimately called the Unimate. Devol sold the first Unimate to General Motors in 1960, and it was installed in 1961 in a plant in Trenton, New Jersey to lift hot pieces of metal from a die casting machine and stack them.^[108]

Literature

 

A gynoid, or robot designed to resemble a woman, can appear comforting to some people and disturbing to others^[88]

Robotic characters, androids (artificial men/women) or gynoids (artificial women), and cyborgs (also “bionic men/women”, or humans with significant mechanical enhancements) have become a staple of science fiction.

The first reference in Western literature to mechanical servants appears in Homer’s Iliad. In Book XVIII, Hephaestus, god of fire, creates new armor for the hero Achilles, assisted by robots.^[109] According to the Rieu translation, “Golden maidservants hastened to help their master. They looked like real women and could not only speak and use their limbs but were endowed with intelligence and trained in handwork by the immortal gods.” Of course, the words “robot” or “android” are not used to describe them, but they are nevertheless mechanical devices human in appearance.

The most prolific author of stories about robots was Isaac Asimov (1920–1992), who placed robots and their interaction with society at the center of many of his works.^[110][111] Asimov carefully considered the problem of the ideal set of instructions robots might be given in order to lower the risk to humans, and arrived at his Three Laws of Robotics: a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; a robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; and a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.^[112] These were introduced in his 1942 short story “Runaround”, although foreshadowed in a few earlier stories. Later, Asimov added the Zeroth Law: “A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm”; the rest of the laws are modified sequentially to acknowledge this.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first passage in Asimov’s short story “Liar!” (1941) that mentions the First Law is the earliest recorded use of the word robotics. Asimov was not initially aware of this; he assumed the word already existed by analogy with mechanics, hydraulics, and other similar terms denoting branches of applied knowledge.^[113]

See also

Robotics portal

Main list: Topic outline of robotics

For classes and types of robots see Category:Robots.

Notes and references

Further reading

• Cheney, Margaret [1989:123] (1981). Tesla, Man Out of Time. Dorset Press. New York. ISBN 0-88029-419-1
• Craig, J.J. (2005). Introduction to Robotics. Pearson Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ.
• Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 2. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.
• Sotheby’s New York. The Tin Toy Robot Collection of Matt Wyse, (1996)
• Tsai, L. W. (1999). Robot Analysis. Wiley. New York.
• DeLanda, Manuel. War in the Age of Intelligent Machines. 1991. Swerve. New York.
• Journal of Field Robotics

External links

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of   Robotics

Wikiversity has learning materials about Anthropomorphic Robotics

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Robots

Look up robot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

General news and developments

• robots.net general robot-related news and technological developments.

Research

• International Foundation of Robotics Research (IFRR)
• International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR).
• Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) at IEEE
• Robotics Network at IET
• Robotics Division at NASA
• Human Machine Integration Laboratory at Arizona State University

Other links

• Robotics at DMOZ at the Open Directory Project
• List of robots at Communist Robot

204461     ปัญญาประดิษฐ์     Artificial Intelligence

ขอบเขตและที่มาของปัญญาประดิษฐ์ การแทนความรู้ โครงสร้างความจํ า การหาเหตุผล การหาเหตุผลแบบน่าจะเป็นและเทคนิคการค้นหา เกมส์ การวางแผน การเรียนรู้การประมวลผลภาษาธรรมชาติ ทัศนศาสตร์คอมพิวเตอร์ ระบบผู้เชี่ยวชาญ

(Introduction to artificial intelligence: its scope, history and techniques; knowledge representation; memory structures; reasoning mechanisms; probabilistic reasoning and searching techniques; games; planning; machine learning; natural language processing; computer vision; expert systems.)

(204461 มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์)

Buying prelit artificial Christmas trees means getting benefits. On the other hand, buying them also means receiving disadvantages. Here are two good reasons for the disadvantages of commercially sold Christmas trees in comparison to real Christmas trees.

Variety has been the middle name of most products these days, and of course, you can expect to see different kinds of tree stands available. All you need to do is pick the right one that suits your needs. There are stands that hold a 2-foot tree while there are stands that hold a 9-foot tree as well. There are simple ones and complicated ones. If you want something different, you can even have a revolving one. Pre-lit artificial Christmas trees usually have stands with a quarter inch diameter slot, since this is usually the standard size of the pole.

We cannot deny that there are moments when a traditional tree just doesn’t cut it. During these times, a prelit artificial Christmas tree is the perfect choice. There are several advantages when using these kinds of tree.

Essential tree stands for pre-lit artificial Christmas trees are straightforward and undemanding to use. Most of the time, the setup won’ give you any problems. The stands fold into a triangle shape, but when you need to use them, they are usually shaped like an X. A word of caution, however, if you are going to use this tree stand for your artificial tree, make sure to line the bottom with cloth or place it on top of the carpet so that you will not scratch the floor.

Having pre-lit artificial Christmas trees not only gives you plenty of benefits, it’s even simple to use. Moreover, setting it up with the perfect tree stand will embedded it stand out even more.

Apparently I have enough time to update my post tag list, nothing new in the land of N yet, trying to figure out how I’m going to interlink all of my story’s into movuies and stuff.

Word from Blizzard on how they are handling Icecrown Citadel when 3.3 comes out.

Icecrown Citadel testing has been progressing very well over the last few weeks, and this has been a huge help to the encounter design team. We want to thank everyone who has logged onto the PTR and tried the encounters there.

As we’re now getting closer to the release of 3.3.0, we wanted to talk about our plans for access progression within Icecrown Citadel. Icecrown Citadel is going to be broken up into four distinct sections: The Lower Spire, Plagueworks, Crimson Hall, and Frostwing Halls. We plan on releasing these four sections of Icecrown Citadel over time and not all immediately when patch 3.3.0 goes live. At this point we can’t give precise dates for these release dates as they are determined by when patch 3.3.0 goes live. Once dates are known with more certainty, I’ll update the community so they can plan appropriately.

The first section that opens will include the Lord Marrowgar, Lady Deathwhisper, Icecrown Gunship Battle, and Deathbringer Saurfang encounters. Progress beyond that point will be prevented for several weeks. Then the Plagueworks will open with Rotface, Festergut, and Professor Putricide becoming available. After another period of time, the Crimson Hall will open and you can then fight the Blood Princes and Blood-Queen Lana’thel. The final Frostwing Halls unlock then occurs after that, making Valithria Dreamwalker, Sindragosa, and the Lich King available. We believe a staggered release of the content will allow players to experience Icecrown Citadel at a sustainable, measured, and ultimately more enjoyable pace.

There are other elements that gate access along the way. Players may not attempt any Heroic versions of 10 player encounters until they have defeated the Lich King in a 10 player raid. Similarly, players must defeat the Lich King in a 25 player raid before they can attempt a Heroic 25 player encounter. So players must master every normal difficulty encounter in Icecrown Citadel before attempting Heroic difficulty.

The Lich King may not be attempted until Professor Putricide, Blood-Queen Lana’thel, and Sindragosa are defeated. Furthermore, the Heroic difficulty of The Lich King encounter may not be attempted in any week unless the three aforementioned encounters have been defeated in Heroic difficulty that week.

The Ashen Verdict provides reinforcements and material for players to assault Icecrown Citadel, but this support is not endless. Raids will have a limited number of attempts total each week to defeat the four most difficult encounters in Icecrown Citadel: Professor Putricide, Blood-Queen Lana’thel, Sindragosa, and the Lich King. As these boss encounters are unlocked, the number of attempts available per week will increase. The initial number of attempts provided for defeating Professor Putricide is only five. When Blood-Queen Lana’thel unlocks, the amount of total attempts remaining will increase to 10. Then when Sindragosa and the Lich King unlock, 15 total attempts will be available to defeat all four bosses. After a raid has exhausted their attempts for the week, the Ashen Verdict must withdraw their support and the four most difficult bosses all despawn and become unavailable for the week. The limited attempt system is a feature of both Normal and Heroic difficulty.

There will be no explicit rewards for defeating the Lich King with a specific number of attempts remaining as there was with Trial of the Grand Crusader. There will also not be an achievement to complete Icecrown Citadel without being defeated by a boss encounter, or letting a raid member die. (i.e. A Tribute to Insanity).

In the weeks and months after all twelve encounters are unlocked, additional attempts against the final four boss encounters become available. This represents the Ashen Verdict growing more powerful and gaining a stronger foothold in Icecrown Citadel. To further help raids, Varian Wrynn and Garrosh Hellscream will begin to provide assistance by inspiring the armies attacking Icecrown Citadel. This is represented as an additional zone wide spell effect applied to all players that will increase their hit points, damage dealt, and healing done. This effect will also increase in effectiveness over time. Players may opt out of the spell’s effect if they so wish.

Source

Wow, where to start.

Generally, I’m not a fan of artificial blocks that are placed in the game.  Therefore, I am not a fan of their gating system.  My take on this is simple.  If a guild is capable of defeating that should not be held by artificial means.  Sure it may keep people from burning themselves out, but I don’t really think that is Blizzard’s job.  The only way this is acceptable to me is if they just want to give players more content as soon as possible, but they need more time to work on the other encounters.  It also seems kind of harsh to me that no heroic versions can be attempted until Arthas has been killed.  This is likely months away.  It seems they are trying to buy as much time as possible with 3.3 and ICC.

I’m not really opposed to limiting attempts.  Since it is built into the encounter, and everyone plays by the same rules.

With Christmas season upon us, now is a good time to start looking at a pre lit artrificial Christmas tree.

Having the economic crisis looming over our heads, more and more people are looking to curb down their expenses and because of this they opt to get prelit artificial Christmas trees instead of authentic Christmas trees. It’s hard to imagine Christmas without displaying a Christmas tree on your home.

Marching into the tree lot or yard, picking out a tree that catches your fancy was somewhat a tradition for some people when they were younger. For other people, it was as simple as heading to their backyard forest, selecting a tree, and then chopping it down. Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky since they do not live near forest; neither do they own a truck to help them bring home the tree they bought or cut down. Because of this, people are turning to artificial trees to answer their problems.

No matter how perfect it seems authentic trees sometimes fail to meet our expectations. During times like these, having artificial trees would be the best option. Whenever you use artificial trees, there are several advantages that you can expect.

You can save up on your expenses. Having prelit artificial Christmas trees mean that you are able to use the tree over and over again provided that you store it properly. When you have artificial trees, you are lowering the risk of fire by having one less fire hazard from your home. You can accommodate your taste and preference since you have different types to choose from. The tree shape and design is also your option. The quality of the tree is so good that it’s hard to tell whether it’s a real tree or not. Nowadays, artificial trees are created with a sophisticated technology that even the subtle shadings are replicated. The details are as good as the real thing, as well as branches and tip count.

You can read some good articles on Christmas.

Christmas Garlands – A Awesome Way to Let All Know it is the The Holidays
Pre Lit Artificial Christmas Trees – Celebrating The Joy of This Christmas Season
Prelit Christmas Trees -Choosing A Great Tree This Holiday Season

Oamenii de ştiintă au creat un penis artificial pentru iepuri, dar cercetătorii spun că aceeaşi tehnică ar putea fi folosită şi la crearea unui penis uman.

Echipa de cercetători, condusă de Anthony Atala, directorul Institutului de Medicină Regenerativă, a mai avut o tentativă de reconstrucţie de penis, dar în momentul în care a fost implantat la iepure, organul a fost incapabil de erecţie. De această dată se pare că a funcţionat. Noul penis a răspuns stimulilor chimici şi electrici.

Când li s-a oferit şansa să facă sex, din opt iepuri, câţi au fost capabili să ejaculeze, patru au devenit taţi.

“Această tehnologie poate fi o şansă reală pentru pacienţii care cer reconstrucţie penială”, au declarat, marţi, cercetătorii, în studiul Procedurile Academiei Naţionale de Ştiinţă.

Berlim, 20 anos depois da queda do muro, eis que surge um projecto de um arquitecto, que pretende colocar uma “montanha”, com cerca de 1000 metros de altitude,  no meio da cidade.

O objectivo é obviamente aumentar a qualidade de vida dos berlinenses, para que a vista da cidade, não seja composta apenas pelo cimento e alcatrão. É um projecto megalómano, e que muitos vão com certeza gostar, uma vez que oferece uma vista extraordinária sob a planície alemã.
Contudo, a enorme quantidade de “terra” que teria de ser arrastada até ao local, será algo como nunca antes visto, e que levaria o seu tempo, e teria custos à altura.

You will find several advantages when it comes to using traditional wreaths; however, it is not every time that you can use them or find them.

Most people might not believe it, but there are plenty of advantages when it comes to using artificial wreaths. Here are some of the reasons:

They retain their “freshness.” Authentic wreaths require plenty of care and attention. They have to be taken cared for properly in order to retain their freshness. However, with artificial wreaths, you don’t have to worry about it. It will look fresh and new from the moment you buy it, up until you take it out of the box to reuse by next year.

Another great thing is that there is variety with artificial Christmas wreaths. Most of them are available in different colors, sizes as well as designs. The only thing you need to do is find one that suits your needs and requirements for the space that you have. You will surely have a good time since the variety can be endless.

Artificial wreaths are also hassle free to take care of. Real wreaths require delicate handling to prevent them from getting damaged or deformed. On the other hand, artificial wreaths don’t really demand attention. They do not fade easily. If you are looking to express your creativity, you can certainly buy wreaths that are half done and then you can add the design.

Artificial Christmas wreaths are truly a great piece of décor to have for the holiday season. Knowing its significance just makes it a whole lot more meaningful every time you look at it hanging in front of your door.

You can read more Christmas articles below…

Pre Lit Artificial Christmas Trees – Celebrating The Fun of This Holiday Season
Discover The Benefits of the Artificial Wreaths
Prelit Christmas Trees -Choosing A Great Tree This Holidays

The treatment for hair loss may be divided into two types. One type includes the artificial methods like hair transplantation, use of drugs, etc. The other type includes various ways of natural hair loss treatment.

The artificial hair loss treatment methods are undoubtedly effective. However, a natural hair loss treatment method is always a safer alternative.

Some tools for natural treatment for hair loss

The following herbal supplements play very effective roles in natural hair loss treatment

Start from the back end by force and extort radical clarity. Depict artificial landscape founded on fragments of vision, that became self- reliant projections, and try to be present.

‘F for Fake’, work by Christian Andersson

Aquest cap de setmana el GFTAC ens desplacem cap a Vilanova de Meià, toca fer la trobada d’escalada artificial. Aquest cop anem la Raquel, Montse, Mireia, Esther, Orene, Irene, Laura, Núria Vallès i jo. En aquesta sortida ens acompanya el Mr. Pelu amb la seva companya Esther!!! un crack de l’artificial, el millor escalador d’artificial que hi ha avui en dia!

Dissabte 14 de novembre

Dissabte anem a la zona del Contrafort, allà fem breu explicació dels tipus de pitons que hi ha al mercat. En Pelut ens fa una demostració de com s’escalada en artificial, moltes de nosaltres no havíem fet mai artificial i si l’haviem fet era el típic pas d’Ae que et trobes en una via.

Autor: Mireia

Ens dividim totes en dos grups, les que ja havien tocat una mica d’artificial, en aquest cas l’Esther, la nostra crack del grup i la Mireia que n’ha tocat menys però més que les altres.

Fem cordades i comencem a escalar. Les vies que fem estan totes parabolades i no son massa llargues. La Raquel i jo fem cordada. Primer comença a pujar ella, me’n adono que això de l’artificial és un pal per el que assegura, mira que les vies estaven amb parabolts, però tot i així al·lucino amb l’estona que es tarda en pujar, no pensava que fos tant, clar que també nosaltres no tenim pràctica i tardem més.

Per fi em toca a mi! després de una bona estona d’estar-me a terra assegurant. Mai he fet artificial i es nota, em costa arribar a alguna assegurança, concretament a la que esta en ple desplom. Després d’una bona estona arribo a dalt que ja tocava i em toca desmuntar la via, això si que és difícil! amb la tendència de anar-te’n fora de la paret, va costar.

Autor: Orene

Passem més cap a la dreta, es veu que hi ha una cova guapa. La Raquel s’anima a fer una altra via, la primera xapa esta molt amunt i hem de fer les mil i una per arribar-hi, la resta de via es fa molt bé.

Mentrestant el Pelut s’agafa a la Mireia i a la Laura (vam anomenar-los la cordada suïcida) i es fiquen a una via de 2 llargs que transcorre per tot el sostre, molt guapo per cert. Quan vam començar ja era tard i com era d’esperar vam acabar de nit amb frontals, ells tres en aquesta via de dos llargs i jo desmuntant la via de la Raquel, que per el que he vist és més fàcil desmuntar per el que puja de segon que no pas el que ha pujat de primer.

La cordada suïcida (Pelut, Laura i Mireia).
La Raquel a la via del costat.

Amb tot això marxem cap a l’Ermita a les fosques, on estem instal·lats. Com som noies i pensem en tot, entre totes  vaes comprar carn, botifarra, carxofes, … i es va fer carn a la brasa per a un regiment! Després del sopar en Ferran ens va passar dos vídeos, un de l’ascensió al Naranjo del Pelut i l’Esther i l’altre del Ferran (escalada hivernal) amb l’Álvaro Novellón.

Diumenge 15 de novembre

Diumenge canviem de sector, anem a la paret del temps. Allà hi han unes quantes vies no massa llargues completament desequipades per a fer en artificial. El Ferran, el Pelut i l’Esther munten una corda auxiliar per dalt perquè anem assegurades en tot moment.

L’Esther (la nostra companya), que ja esta posada en l’artificial comença a fer una via mentres que la resta de noies anem amb el Pelut una mica més a l’esquerra a practicar tot el tema dels pitons, els ploms, els tricams…. Després d’una bona estona tornem cap a les vies i les cordades escollim la via.

L’Esther fen l via Vibration Lover,  15m A2/A2+

Falcar dos pitons junts

Falcar un pitó amb una fusta
Aconsellable posar la fusta a dalt

Brilluuu, 15m A3+/A3

La Núria Vallès i jo avui fem cordada, voliem fer una via d’A2 però esta ocupada per l’Esther (Vibration Lover,  15m A2/A2+) així que en contes de posar-nos a la d’A1 ens posem en una d’A3+ oleeeee! i com que el dia anterior jo no havia pogut fer massa cosa, avui començo jo.

Al portar la corda auxiliar no passo masses nervis, tot i que el fet de penjar-te de pitons i friends tota l’estona posa nerviós a qualsevol. A la via vaig col·locar un munt de pitons, un d’ells em va saltar i em va aguantar el de més amunt, quin ensurt També em vaig penjar de dos aliens i de dos friends ( nº1 i 0,75) que van aguantar-me perfectament. De material me’n van haver d’anar passant, ja que no vaig calcular bé (ni jo ni moltes de nosaltres) i cada dos per tres em faltaven més pitons o els que tenia no m’anaven bé. I diria, que després de 3 hores d’estar penjada de tots aquells caxarros per pujar tant sols 15 metres, vaig tornar a tocar de peus a terra, quines ganes!!! quin descans…

Via Brilluuu, 15m A3+/A3

Que tal és pujar per un A3+? doncs deu ni do tu! al principi molt bé, trobava molts forats per posar pitons, però a dalt em vaig quedar sense forats, era lloc per a ploms i no en portava ni un. El Pelut va venir i entre els dos vam trobar algun lloc per col·locar un pitó que ja em va permetre arribar a una fissura on vaig posar l’alien i el friend.

La Raquel en un de les vies

Després li va tocar pujar a la Núria Vallès i em vaig tirar quasi 3 hores sentada en una pedra assegurant-la.

I amb això va acabar el dia, foto de rigor i cap al bar d’escaladors de Vilanova de Meià a fer el Briefing.

Que dir-vos d’aquest cap de setmana? doncs que ha estat genial, que diumenge vaig gaudir com una camella clavant pitons amb el martell, que he après un munt, que ara sé quan un pitó esta ben clavat o no i com clavar-lo i falcar-lo, he après a confiar en el material que col·loco, a penjar-m’hi “sense” por… ha estat un bon intensiu

Gràcies des d’aquí al Pelut i a l’Esther per la bona formació que ens han donat i els bons moments que ens han fet passar, que han estat molts i molt bons

]]> http://sunday1002.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/botanical-skin-care-products-how-natures-skin-care-ingredients-can-work-for-you/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:41:52 +0000 sunday1002 http://sunday1002.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/botanical-skin-care-products-how-natures-skin-care-ingredients-can-work-for-you/

Botanical skin care products are carefully created from plant extracts, as as such as pretty much as pure and natural as you can get. And that’s their secret, users are moving away from the ‘manufactured’ and ‘artificial’ that have become the norm in modern times. So, what are the benefits?

With a tendency away from manufactured and artificial products, especially for use on or in the body, the time has come for organic purity. Many people, men and women alike, are seeking alternatives to the chemically created ingredients which even so, have transformed our lives.

As our societies become more affluent, we can afford to be more choosy. And that’s what millions of people are now becoming, selecting natural ingredients, indeed, getting back to basics.

So, botanical skin care ingredients and products fit the bill perfectly. After all, nothing can be perceived as more natural for your skin than something that has come from the very heart of nature, after all.

Here are some key aspects of why botanical skin care makes the difference:-

1). They are carefully extracted from plants, in their purest form

2). Many, though you might have to check this out with individual products and ranges, have zero ‘artificial’ ingredients at all

3). Because they are natural, they are less likely to cause irritation, though sensitive skins may always suffer some problems in this way, whatever you use

4). Botanical skin care products are often sourced in ways that benefit those who need it most, sometimes in third world countries that need the income

5). Natural products are less likely to harm the environment when you have done with them

6). Botanical skin care products are now becoming available everywhere, so even the biggest and most convenient stores carry them

7). There is a huge online market with all sorts of niches developing, which is great for small business and the economy as a whole

8). Finally, truth is these natural ingredients have stood the test of time – many of these have been used down the ages with remarkable consistency, so you can be assured that they do their job – and safely too.

Got the message? Botanical skin care is a solution that benefits almost everyone and with the choice available now, you have every opportunity to benefit yourself, others that need support – and the environment too!

What could be a better result for everyone than the growth in availability and variety of botanical skin care products worldwide?

Time to take a look around and give them a try!

Our quad-bot drives deep into the cave in search of life. Tracking its movements with computers and cameras we see a small opening and direct it to the opening. As we get closer to the opening we get that sinking feeling in our stomachs once again. Our quad-bot is not going to fit inside, this has happened once too many times. Why cant we get a robot that can change its shape…

Researchers from iRobot and the University of Chicago have created a robot that uses surface morphing to alter its shape. The idea is a simple one based on basic physics. A material will conform to the forces upon it unless it has enough structural resistance to withstand said force. With this in mind the team created a silicon based surface that contains multiple cellular compartments which contain what they call a jammable slurry. When certain compartments are unjammed they become non-resistive to force and thus those compartments can be morphed.

The morphing is achieved using the displacement of air pressure inside the material through the assistance of an actuator.  While the blob is still very much in the early stages of becoming a machine the concept remains promising. They divide the surface into triangular surfaces which allows the formation of any shape given that the area of each triangle approaches zero. This means that this silicon surface may be used to create artificial skin over a robotic sub-structure one day; giving the robot the ability to express facial emotions. This combined with the “Smarthand” brings us one step closer to the future of mechanisation…

www.elgall.com/cataleg/publicacions/amorrats-al-teclat/ola o la família?

Si avui és dijous… toca tertúlia en el programa 441 d’El crepuscle encén estels · IB3 Ràdio, 21:00 · que estarà “Orbitant” “AMORRATS AL TECLAT”, el darrer llibre de LLORENÇ VALVERDE, catedràtic de Ciències de la Computació i Intel·ligència Artificial de la UIB, vicerector de la UOC, i matemàtic. Aquí sempre ens agrada jugar amb els nombres, i encara més si qui ens visita és un matemàtic. Un dels que ens dóna més joc és el 12. Dotze són els mesos de l’any; dotze hores té el rellotge; dotze eren les tribus d’Israel; dotze eren els apòstols; dotze ous té una dotzena… El producte dels divisors propis de 12 (1, 2, 3, 4, 6) és 144. 12 al quadrat és 144. I, si ho miram al revés, 21 al quadrat és precisament …441 

…441, ja ho val, com Crepuscles comptam fins el dia d’avui

· IB3 ràdio en directe · http://streaming01.ib3radio.com:8000/ib3radio.mp3

O bronzeamento artificial para fins estéticos, que emite a radiação ultravioleta (UV)  está, agora oficialmente, proibido pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (Anvisa).

Em julho, uma reavaliação da International Agency for Research on Câncer (IARC), instituição vinculada à Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), considerou que a exposição aos raios ultravioletas possui evidências suficientes para considerá-la carcinogênica (com capacidade de desenvolver câncer) em humanos.

Segundo o órgão, não é possível determinar um nível de exposição seguro às câmeras de bronzeamento artificial e que não existem benefícios que possam rebater os riscos decorrentes do uso dos equipamentos.

A proibição só  não se aplica aos equipamentos com emissão de radiação ultravioleta (registrados na ANVISA) que são destinados a tratamento médico ou odontológico supervisionado.

Buenas, lembram que falei sobre a proibição das câmaras de bronzeamento artificial? Pois bem. Agora é definitivo: são proibidas no Brasil. Desde o dia 09 de novembro de 2009.

É galera. É pra se cuidar e ter consciência que é bem punk. Querem ler o diário oficial? Entra aqui. Super proibidão.