C|Net posted a gallery of robot submarines (Link) a few weeks back that, of course, got my attention. The above image was especially intriguing. Notice anything interesting about it? That nameplate on the side says “Stratasys”. That would be the name of the rapid-prototyping machine manufacturer Stratasys. Nice. I especially liked how the team used both RP and commonly-available materials to create their robot. Can hardly wait for the organic shapes to start finding their way into these kinds of projects. Seems like an amazing opportunity for universities to increasingly pair off Engineering students with ID students.

And while I’m on the subject of submarines, I happened across a post on collision detection (Link) about Swedish designer Milko Ozlu’s human-powered concept sub, the “U-Scull”. I vaguely recalled it and then found a link to the RCA Vehicle Design Show from 2004 (Link). Always great when an Industrial Designer fires up imaginations. Better yet when it happens twice.

{Image Credit: University of Central Florida}

The Yale Law School blog, LawMeme, has a good entry posted (Link) concerning the thinning barrier between virtual world banks and real world legalities. In this case, the post centers its crosshairs on activities that have been occurring in the massive EVE Online virtual universe. The case involves the player-created Eve Intergalactic Bank and how, after accumulating what must have been a fair chunk of change – transferable to real life currency – the player/owner abruptly shut down the operation and made off with the… something.

I’d heard of EIB, but only through some peripheral reading. However, I do know that similar activities may be occurring in less game-like virtual environs; namely Second Life. This is all fascinating stuff which has ties to something of particular interest to me: 3D data that is portable from real production to virtual worlds and back again. Money issues will likely set the precedents, but money is not the only thing of real world value.

Anyway, check out the entry and maybe head over to Terra Nova where they’ve been discussing this as well (Link).

via Techdirt and Blue’s News

This could only be creepier if William Shatner, who was in Kingdom of the Spiders“, did a spoken word piece for the soundtrack. The video clip does bring that old b-movie to mind, doesn’t it? It also reminds me of those creepy reconfiguring polybots I mentioned last year (reLink). Only now I want to build one for myself.

If you like this video, be sure to check out the other videos being uploaded by robots7.

{Update: I didn’t know you could buy this thing via a kit – Link. Surprise, surprise. A bit pricey, but still…}

Remember those animorphic urban vinyl-consumer packaging pieces I found over on Vinyl Pulse back in June (reLink)? Well, after that post got picked up by the MIT Advertising Lab blog, it seems everyone fell in love with them (and I have the blog traffic to say that the Japanese really dug them). In any event, someone who saw Sket One‘s vinyl blends took the initiative to interview him. Check out the Q&A on the murketing blog (Link) (I was wondering why the show was in New Haven; now I know).

via PSFK

I read about this new combustion engine design early last week, but I just caught something on Wired (Link) that I didn’t know: “So far, the engine exists only as a computer model.” Nice.

The YouTube video is excellent. Give it a look.