"Innovate or DIE"
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071107210708.htm
"New ideas create more and better new products and services; create more wealth."
Limitless
By
JCB
R090209
The purpose of this exercise is to think of new products or to at least come up with product improvements. At first, the author thought that this assignment would be a trivial undertaking; all he had to do was to let his imagination run wild and voilà! This, however, was easier said than done. As soon as the author unleashed his unbridled imagination, it encountered bumps, obstacles, and walls. Imagination, as it seemed, was not unbridled after all. The author never knew that ingenuity could be a barrier for his breakthrough notions. For every idea that he conjured, there was already a corresponding physical manifestation — someone has already thought about it.
But, the author wouldn't be deterred; he trudged on. And after a few more days of thinking, pondering, and contemplating on viable new products or product improvements, he had his aha moment. This essay therefore is a discussion on a probable new product and an enumeration of viable product improvements.
First on the list is in line with the author's interests in warfare, he thought of coming up with a new product primarily for the military: sophisticated robots. Nowadays, the robots that advanced militaries use are like the ones below.
They actually look like drones on wheels. And while they are effective, they're not nimble. They're not even the least bit stylish. Thus, the author thought of something different: a product both effective and nimble.
He proposes the manufacturing of robots with features like that of a man. In short, the robots will have heads, torsos, arms, and legs. And they will kind of look like this:
The robots can be as big as building or as small as a fire hydrant. And they won't be controlled via a panel, keyboard, or joy stick, as featured in the movie Real Steel, shown below.
It would instead be controlled via a direct cybernetic links, like in the cartoon Daimos. And the controller will be in a base somewhere, thousands of kilometers away from the actual fight.
So imagine a human controlling a robot, with the latter mimicking the movements of the former. Also, the commands shall be voice activated, thus no need for buttons. The robot, in this case, can move faster and react quicker. Whatever the controller thinks, the robot will instantaneously execute. And with the controller safely hidden in a base, body bags will be a thing of the past. The possibilities are intriguing.
Also, aside from military applications, the concept above can be used for other pursuits. Space or deep see exploration can make use of these robots. Rescue situations, especially those involved in earthquake, fire, or nuclear fallout salvaging operations, can utilize the robot that the author conceptualized. The applications are endless.
Now, moving on to product improvements, the author thought of modifying an automated basketball passing machine, as the one shown below.
The problem with the contraption above is that it only passes in one direction. Thus, the person shooting hoops will have to run towards the spot where the machine is passing. And that is hardly ideal, since in actual basketball games, a player shoots successively from random spots on the court.
To remedy the inadequacy above, the machines have to be programmed to follow wherever the player is going on the court. And this can be done; all it would take is for a machine to be programmed to scan for RFID tags. The player who has an RFID chip strapped on his body can move wherever he pleases. The passing machine will follow and pass the ball accordingly.
The next on the list is an improvement on laptops and cellphones. Nowadays, people use their fingers either to type or text. And normally, typing or texting can be tedious, not to mention stressful or dangerous.
The author therefore would like companies like Apple or Nokia to manufacture laptops and cellphones without keyboards. Of course, some people will say that this product improvement is unoriginal. True, but only to an extent.
The technology that the author discusses in the paragraph above stems from brain-computer interface. In fact, some have taken strides in this area, and have even produced prototypes. For instance, there are neuroscientists that have already developed a viable interface between brains and laptops. The picture below shows this.
But, the problem with the present technology is that the interface is slow. And the laptops can only do one task at a time. The author therefore proposes a modification of the technology, to the point that laptops or cellphones, as the case may be, can actually do tasks as fast as the brain dictates. And that means shifting from one task to another. For instance, texting, calling, writing, designing and everything which can be done on a laptop or cellphone can be done rapidly one after the other, or even simultaneously if possible.
All in all, the author hopes that his ideas can become reality in the near future. He feels that his ideas are more probable than possible. They're viable and doable. After all, who would have thought that in a click of a mouse, a punch of a key, or in one speed dial, everyone can communicate regardless of location? Also, who would have thought that everyone in the globe can be connected via a website called Facebook? In this day and age, with humanity's innovativeness is at its peak, anything can happen. Sky's the limit? No! There are no more limits.
The new Tom Clancy? Toys for the Big Boys? Rommels Panzer? 4
Chosen Sources
"New ideas create more and better new products and services; create more wealth."
1 comments:
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