Scientists have invented a specially-equipped robot vacuum cleaner that can sense human emotions. The scientists say that the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner uses a special headband to capture bio electric signals from the forehead of a human user, and then infers stress from muscle tension readings.
The system involves a control software programme that reinterprets natural muscle tension as estimating the user's stress level, they add.
"Two distinct robotic behaviours corresponding to two extreme emotional states, either relaxed or stressed, are triggered when the stress reading reach a threshold. Robot actions are then influenced by these stress readings. When a person shows high stress (~levels 3 and 4), the robot enters its cleaning mode but moves away from the user so as not annoy them. When a person is relaxed (~level 1), the robot (if cleaning) approaches the person and then stops, simulating a pet sitting next to its owner. If the reading is in between these two levels, the robot continues operating in its current mode until the stress reading reaches a threshold," New Scientist magazine quoted the researchers as saying.
Telling about the unique feature of this system, the researchers said that the robot's behaviour is controlled by human emotion instead of any explicit commands.
Thus this vacuum cleaner is a real well equipped robot.
Vacuum cleaner
3G watch phone
Hi, I wish you all a happy new year. In this first day of this year, our post is going to be about a wrist phone. This mobile video phone can be worn on the wrist just like a watch, all thanks to a South Korean technology firm that has unveiled the worlds first "3G watch phone."
The unique phone by LG Electronics boasts a touch-screen dialing system with a camera and an in-built speaker.
With all these features, the users could make video calls and gain high-speed Internet access.
The device also recognizes voices, transforms text to speech, has a Bluetooth function and also works as an MP3 player.
The high-end handset is due to be launched in Europe later next year, reports The Telegraph.
With a 1.43-inch (3.63-centimetre) screen, the product is 0.56 inches (13.9 millimeters) in thickness.
The 3G watch phone will go on display at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas from Jan 8 to 11.
The device makes part of a trend towards multi-tasking gadgets that can perform a host of functions.
Thus, we don’t want to carry our phone in our pocket anymore… Am I correct…
