Robot beats human record of rubik's cube

The Cubestormer II robot uses a mobile phone camera to snap images of each face of Rubik's Cube, and then uses high-powered software to analyse the images and suggest its next move, sending instructions via Bluetooth to four Lego 'arms' which rotate the cube at high speed.

It can solve Rubik's cube in 5.35 seconds. The official human fastest time is 5.66 seconds.Unlike human 'speedcubers', the robot doesn't look at the cube first: it finds the answer as it goes.

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Cubestormer II uses a Samsung Galaxy S II as its 'brain' - sending signals to processors in its Lego robot arms. It can solve Rubik's cube 'from cold' in 5.35 seconds.

The robot was designed, built and programmed by Mike Dobson and David Gilday. Dobson created the previous, slower cube-solving robot CubeStormer.
Gilday programmed the Android Speedcuber software that the machine uses. The brains behind the operation is a Samsung Galaxy S 2 - chosen because the dual-core processor allows the software to run two processes at once.

The robot 'fingers' are made entirely from Lego - requiring four whole Mindstorms kits, including ARM processors in each leg, which receive signals from the S 2 about their next 'move'.

CubeStormer II uses an Android app to drive its robot arms, which are made using the Lego Mindstorms robot construction kits. Unlike human 'speedcubers' it doesn't need to look at the cube before making a record attempt.
The app communicates with Bluetooth receivers in the Intelligent Bricks as it solves the puzzle - and somehow also finds time to display a 3D image of its solution in real time.CubeStormer will show off its skills at ARM's TechCon festival 2011 in Santa Clara, California on October 26th-27th.

The software picks 'moves' specifically adapted to its four Lego arms, each of which contains an ARM microprocessor and receives instructions via Bluetooth.

Drone that looks like UFO

A stealth U.S. Navy drone — one designed to take off from and land on moving aircraft carriers at sea — successfully retracted its landing gear and flew in cruise configuration for the first time.
The test flight at Edwards Air Force Base also helped validate the hardware and software that will allow the X-47B to land with precision at sea, among the harshest aviation environments known, said the drone's maker, Northrop Grumman.

The tail-less plane is 38 feet long and has a 62-foot wingspan. In the released images it looks like a UFO straight out of a 1950s cartoon.

X-47B

The X-47B, a stealth drone under development for the U.S. Navy

Water wonderful world

Photographer captures amazing images in a single droplet.
These incredible images are little drops of magic - capturing iconic images within a single droplet of water.

Photographer Markus Reugels spends hundreds of hours painstakingly trying to capture the impressive and beautiful images.Mr Reugels, from Schweinfurt, Germany, can spend weeks agonising over snapping the image just at the right moment - but the results are stunning.

This image of the globe from space looks uncannily true to life when pictured through a droplet of water. Photographer Markus Reugels spends hundreds of hours painstakingly composing these shots. This image has been flipped upside down due to the reversing lens-like effects of the water droplet.

In one of his images, an image of the earth from space sits neatly inside the water droplet.In another, the moon is brought into focus by a single drop of water, the flat image of the background distorted into a spherical result that appears uncannily true to life.

This image of the moon is given incredible clarity seen through the natural lens created by dripping water. Mr Reugels began taking the photos after he saw similar ones posted on an online forum. This image has also been flipped.

And in other humorous images, the Batman and Spiderman silhouettes are projected through the water.

This fleeting glimpse of a map of the world showing borders shows how the process can take flat images and make them look spherical.

Mr Reugels began his career as a family portrait photographer but began to take more artistic and adventurous images three years ago.He said: 'My pictures of the water drops are all taken with my self made setup rig - all handmade out of wood.

'I fix all my valves and flashes tot he contraption, and can put the image I want to project behind the dripping water.'Sometimes I take 500 pictures and only a couple of them are really perfect in my opinion.

The setup that Mr Reugels uses to capture the stunning images.

World's oldest car sells for $4.6 million at auction

The world's oldest running car has sold at auction for a staggering $4.62 million.
The odd looking 1884 De Dion 'Steam Runabout' was sold to an unknown buyer in front of a packed Pennsylvania auction auction house.The 127-year-old water powered tricycle quickly rose above its $500,000 starting bid.

The odd looking 1884 De Dion 'Steam Runabout' was sold in front of packed Pennsylvania auction auction house on Friday.

The final price of $4.2 million was boosted by the 10 per cent buyers fee.The steam driven Runabout had been in the same family for 81 years before Friday's sale.The car is one of only six still known to be in existence and only 20 of the cars were ever made.The De Dion that sold was also the only car to enter the world's first the world's first auto race.

Ford Mustang 1969 made entirely from paper

This life-sized replica car made completely from paper has hit the road, but it's not going anywhere fast.Brooklyn artist Jonathan Brand has constructed every single part of a 1969 Mustang coupe using nothing but paper.

The 31-year-old made a digital blueprint of the car and then printed it on a large-format inkjet printer.

The entire 1969 Mustang coupe has been made from paper, including the spark plugs, nuts and bolts, and radiator.

The whole car has been replicated in great detail. It was inspired by a vintage Mustang that Mr Brand rebuilt.

The final work will not be assembled into an entire vehicle, but remain as separate pieces of art.The vehicle is on display in an exhibition entitled 'One Piece at a Time' at the Hosfelt Gallery in New York City until October 29.

Brooklyn artist Jonathan Brand has rebuilt three real vintage cars, including a Ford Mustang.

Mr Brand's grandfather worked on a car assembly line in Detroit and his uncle and cousins are mechanics.

The engine of the Mustange coupe has been meticulously reproduced using nothing but paper.

The replica car pieces are being exhibited at the Hosfelt Gallery in New York until October 29.

The car will not be fully assembled so that the individual parts can be properly appreciated.

The car will not be driving anywhere because it is made completely from paper.

Mr Brand owned a 1969 Ford Mustang until he sold it to pay for a diamond engagement ring.

The car has special importance for the artist who spent five years restoring a real 1969 Mustang, which he sold to buy a diamond engagement ring.Mr Brand's grandfather worked on a car assembly line in Detroit and his uncle and cousins are mechanics.