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Japanese scientists have successfully cloned a prize beef cow more than 13 years after it died, it was announced on January 6. The legendary steer — named “Yasufuku” in his first life (1980-1993) — is regarded as the father of Hida beef, a high-quality meat from Gifu prefecture famous for its marbled texture and rich flavor.

During his 13-year life, the prize bull’s sperm was used to sire 40,000 calves, helping to establish Hida as a high-class brand of beef. It is believed that more than 30% of the nation’s Japanese black cattle can trace their roots back to Yasufuku.

To produce the clones, researchers from the Gifu Prefectural Livestock Research Institute and Kinki University (Osaka prefecture) employed a somatic cell nuclear transfer method using the nuclei of cells extracted from the bull’s testicles, which had spent 13 years in deep-freeze. The first clone of Yasufuku was created in 2007. In all, four clones of Yasufuku have been born, although one died from complications after birth.

The results — which were scheduled to be published in the US journal PLoS ONE on January 8 — suggest it is possible to “resurrect” animals valued for their high-quality meat, long after they have died. Some suggest the cloning method can also be used resurrect prize pigs and horses.

The rebirth of Yasufuku follows the recent success of another cloning experiment involving mammals held in long-term frozen storage. In November 2008, a RIKEN research team cloned a mouse from a carcass that spent 16 years in a freezer.

Teruhiko Wakayama, the RIKEN genetic engineer who led the effort to clone the frozen mouse last year, reacted to the news of the cloned frozen cow. “I was surprised to learn that the researchers found usable cells in the frozen tissue,” said Wakayama. “[Their findings suggest] it is now possible to clone cows from delicious beef found on the supermarket shelf.”

News of this latest cloning success comes as the Japanese government grapples with whether or not to allow cloned animal products into the food chain. The Cabinet Office’s Food Safety Commission is currently looking at scientific data from a variety of Japanese and foreign sources in an attempt to evaluate the safety of cloned animal products. The commission is scheduled to present its decision to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare later this year. Lawmakers will then have the final say on whether or not to approve the sale of cloned meat to Japanese consumers.

In 2008 (between January and September), researchers in Japan are known to have created 557 somatic cell cow clones. In response to consumer distrust of cloned meat, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) currently requests research institutions to take voluntary measures to prevent cloned cows from ending up in the food supply.

[Source: Mainichi]

作者:Edo

更新日:2009年1月8日 11時1分

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The clione, a.k.a. sea angel, is a cute, translucent swimming sea slug that glides gracefully through icy ocean waters by flapping a pair of appendages that resemble tiny angel wings. Don’t let the innocent, angelic look fool you, though — the clione is a vicious demon come feeding time.

+ A verdadeira face

The Clione limacina species preys on its shelled cousin, the sea butterfly (Limacina helicina). When the hungry sea angel spots a suitable target, it lunges forward and rapidly unfurls a halo of six hooked tentacles from its head, locking its prey in a death grip. Slowly, the clione sucks the victim’s body out of its shell, swallowing it whole.

作者:Edo

更新日:2009年1月6日 11時40分

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The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has teamed up with engineers from the private sector to develop a next-generation space toilet, which they hope to complete within the next five years.

Clean and easy to use, the envisioned space toilet is designed to be worn like a diaper around the astronaut’s waist at all times. Sensors detect when the user relieves him or herself, automatically activating a rear-mounted suction unit that draws the waste away from the body through tubes into a separate container. In addition to washing and drying the wearer after each use, the next-generation space toilet will incorporate features that eliminate unwanted sound and odor.

Established last month, JAXA’s space toilet research group includes engineers from the private sector. Participants reportedly come from an assortment of toilet and chemical manufacturers, as well as from the architectural and engineering firm Shimizu Corporation. Plans are to test working prototypes of the space toilet in Japan’s Kibo lab aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The developers indicate their next-generation space toilet may also prove useful in earthbound settings — particularly in hospitals with bedridden patients.

The current ISS toilet is a Russian-built, western-style commode that sucks waste away like a vacuum cleaner. Use of that toilet requires practice before heading to space, particularly because an improperly seated user has the potential to create a messy situation.

Chiaki Mukai, head of JAXA’s Space Biomedical Research Office, is looking forward to the development of the new toilet. “Long-term stays in space place significant stress on the mind and body,” Mukai says. “The toilet plays a crucial role in maintaining good health in space.”

[Source: Yomiuri]

作者:Edo

更新日:2009年1月5日 11時31分

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As the year draws to a close, it’s time to look back at Pink Tentacle’s most popular stories of 2008. Here are the top ten, in case you missed them the first time:

1. Scientists extract images directly from brain: New brain analysis technology allows scientists to read minds, perhaps paving the way for the development of a dream recorder.

2. Japanese custom scooters: Links to photo galleries of radical custom bikes.

3. Styrofoam dome homes: Cheap, sturdy igloo-shaped modular home kits made of expanded polystyrene foam.

4. IKEA decks out Kobe train: Photos of an IKEA ad campaign that transformed the Kobe Portliner Monorail into a moving showroom.

5. Edo-period monster paintings by Sawaki Suushi: Old-school horror.

6. Origami spaceplanes to launch from space station: Details of JAXA’s plan to throw paper airplanes toward Earth from the International Space Station (see photos). In December, the space agency canceled their plans over safety concerns.

7. Bento lunches decorated as album covers: Magnificent bento art.

8. Monster octopi with scores of extra tentacles: Extraordinary freaks of nature.

9. Decorated trains of Japan: Photos of anime and manga inspired trains.

10. Man charged with dumping silicone girlfriend: Breaking up is hard to do.

Thanks for reading! See you again in 2009.

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月30日 4時34分

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Here is some terrific video of a bioluminescent deep-sea siphonophore — an eerily fantastic creature that appears to be a single, large organism, but which is actually a colony of numerous individual jellyfish-like animals that behave and function together as a single entity. The individual units, called zooids, all share the same genetic material and each perform a specialized role within the colony. The best-known siphonophore is the poisonous Portuguese Man o’ War (Physalia physalis), which lives at the surface of the ocean, unlike the one shown in this video (filmed at a depth of 770 meters). Some siphonophore species can grow up to 40 meters (130 ft) in length.

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月22日 13時48分

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Takara Tomy’s Omnibot 17μ i-SOBOT, a miniature humanoid robot recognized by Guinness as the smallest mass-produced robot of its kind, has been named Japan’s 2008 Robot of the Year, it was announced on December 18.

The annual Robot of the Year Award was established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2006 to stimulate the development and commercial application of robots in a variety of industries.

Judges awarded this year’s Grand Prize to i-SOBOT due to its advanced technology, its high entertainment value, and its reasonable price of under 30,000 yen (around $300). Equipped with 17 miniature servo motors, the 350-gram (12 oz), 16.5-centimeter (6.5 in) programmable humanoid can walk, play air guitar, dance the hula, and perform 200 other moves. The tiny hobby robot is also equipped with a set of gyro sensors for balance, and it can be controlled via remote control or simple voice commands. The robot runs for about an hour on 4 AAA batteries.

In addition to the Grand Prize, this year’s Small to Medium-sized Venture Award was presented to “Book Time,” an automatic page-turning robot developed by Nishizawa Electronic Measuring Instruments.

Designed for use in hospitals by people with limited use of their hands and/or arms, Book Time turns the pages of books with either a simple press of a button, a breath-activated switch, or a large button activated by the user’s foot. The robot is compatible with a wide range of book sizes and is easy to set up and use.

This year’s Special Jury Prize was awarded to a rice-planting robot developed by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO).

This GPS-equipped machine is designed to assist farmers by working autonomously to plant rice within a set of programmed coordinates. It takes the robot about 50 minutes to seed 3,000 square meters (0.75 acre) of land.

[Source: Robot of the Year Award (PDF)]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月19日 5時18分

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Here is a collection of digital illustrations of mechs, droids and borgs discovered via the Pixiv image sharing site. Follow the link below each image to view the artist’s website.

POLIZEI ROBOTER [Hikaru Kanefusa]

COMBAT BALL [Hikaru Kanefusa]

Cyborg [Hikaru Kanefusa]

e9 [MAUVE]

L2C4 [MAUVE]

electric girl [Denki]

Armor Suit [Denki]

UE [VVV]

Hyaku Shiki Kai [Saburo]

Cyber Ninja [元村人]

Major Maintenance [元村人]

Urban War [yutori]

AC-style Original Mecha [yutori]

sekizui [Gia]

Gappoi [Gia]

Parent and child [Gia]

Work Vehicles [Higashi]

Karakuri Yasha Maru [CYBERFACTORY-H]

Karakuri Crow Tengu [CYBERFACTORY-H]

Architects [Dragons Heaven]

Divinity, The Descent [Yap Kun Rong]

Untitled [Gang]

Placing Dandelions on Raw Fish [Gang]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月18日 8時56分

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Researchers from Japan’s ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories have developed new brain analysis technology that can reconstruct the images inside a person’s mind and display them on a computer monitor, it was announced on December 11. According to the researchers, further development of the technology may soon make it possible to view other people’s dreams while they sleep.

The scientists were able to reconstruct various images viewed by a person by analyzing changes in their cerebral blood flow. Using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine, the researchers first mapped the blood flow changes that occurred in the cerebral visual cortex as subjects viewed various images held in front of their eyes. Subjects were shown 400 random 10 x 10 pixel black-and-white images for a period of 12 seconds each. While the fMRI machine monitored the changes in brain activity, a computer crunched the data and learned to associate the various changes in brain activity with the different image designs.

Then, when the test subjects were shown a completely new set of images, such as the letters N-E-U-R-O-N, the system was able to reconstruct and display what the test subjects were viewing based solely on their brain activity.

For now, the system is only able to reproduce simple black-and-white images. But Dr. Kang Cheng, a researcher from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, suggests that improving the measurement accuracy will make it possible to reproduce images in color.

“These results are a breakthrough in terms of understanding brain activity,” says Dr. Cheng. “In as little as 10 years, advances in this field of research may make it possible to read a person’s thoughts with some degree of accuracy.”

The researchers suggest a future version of this technology could be applied in the fields of art and design — particularly if it becomes possible to quickly and accurately access images existing inside an artist’s head. The technology might also lead to new treatments for conditions such as psychiatric disorders involving hallucinations, by providing doctors a direct window into the mind of the patient.

ATR chief researcher Yukiyasu Kamitani says, “This technology can also be applied to senses other than vision. In the future, it may also become possible to read feelings and complicated emotional states.”

The research results appear in the December 11 issue of US science journal Neuron.

[Source: Chunichi]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月11日 18時9分

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Maywa Denki, a Tokyo-based group of artists/musicians/engineers famous for inventing “nonsense machines,” has teamed up with Kamakura-based IT solutions provider Kayac to develop a device that lets users visualize, monitor and control how they shake their restless legs.

The sleek black diamond-shaped contraption — called “Yurex” (yure means “shake” in Japanese) — straps to the thigh. A pair of silver disco ball-shaped sensors measure the leg’s horizontal and vertical vibrations, and a 10-digit LCD counter displays the user’s accumulated leg-shake tally.

When Yurex is connected to a computer’s USB port, special software automatically downloads the data from the device and analyzes the user’s leg-shaking habits and rhythm patterns. The software can also generate a personalized “creative beat pattern” based on leg-shake data obtained while the user is in a state of deep concentration. Then, whenever a boost of creative energy is needed, users can simply jiggle their knees in concert with this beat data to achieve higher brain power.

Yurex is the result of the so-called BBU Project, a collaboration between Maywa Denki and Kayac aimed at developing a marketable product that harnesses the energy of binbo-yusuri, or the constant and rapid up-and-down movement of restless legs often done unconsciously and/or out of habit.

Restless legs are highly frowned upon in Japan — much more so than in other countries — and the Japanese word binbo-yusuri, which literally translates as “poverty shake,” has a very negative ring to it. Incidentally, there are several possible origins for the word. Some suggest it may derive from the fact that a person with a twitchy leg looks like a poor person shivering in the cold. Others link the word’s origins to the tendency of loan sharks to tap their feet impatiently when collecting debts from the poor. Also, in Edo-period Japan, it is said that twitchy legs were a telltale sign that one was being stalked by Binbogami, the god of poverty.

Regardless of the word’s origins, people tend to have a very negative view of binbo-yusuri, and it is often seen as a sign of poor intelligence and social grace.

The developers of Yurex, however, take a different view. They see binbo-yusuri as a sign of concentration and creativity — a reflection of the brain at work. Moreover, they believe this “creative beat” can work in reverse. Shaking your leg in the proper way can increase concentration and creativity, they believe. Yurex is thus designed to work as a barometer of mental activity and as a tool to enhance brain power.

Yurex users are also eligible to participate in a social networking community (yurex.jp), whose members are referred to as “yusletes” (binbo-yusuri athletes). Users can display their binbo-yusuri data on the site and update it automatically each time the Yurex is connected to the computer. In addition to seeing how their binbo-yusuri counts rank in comparison to others, members can find the locations of other active “yusletes” through the site.

Yurex can also be used as a standalone device. With a 10-digit display that can tally up to 10 billion shakes, Yurex is suitable for use as a lifetime leg-shake monitor. For reference, a heavy shaker (like Maywa Denki president Nobumichi Tosa) who jiggles his leg an average of 400 times per minute for 8 hours per day will tally up nearly 5 billion shakes over a 70-year period.

Kayac plans to begin accepting orders for Yurex in January. The initial shipment, scheduled to hit shelves next spring, will be limited to 3,000 units. The price has yet to be announced.

[Link: Yurex]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月11日 12時5分

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This delightfully deranged promo video for Maximum The Hormone’s “Bikini Sports Ponchin” was directed by Kōki Tange (Yellow Brain).

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月10日 10時35分

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In the early 1970s, artist Kazuaki Saito’s fantastic alien landscape illustrations graced the covers of SF Magazine, Japan’s first successful and longest running science fiction periodical.

[More: SF Magazine review]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月8日 10時36分

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Of the countless trains running on Japan’s 20,000-kilometer (12,000-mile) rail network, a few are decorated with images of anime and manga characters, colorful ads, and designs by notable artists. Here is a small sample.

Pikachu on Seto line, Aichi prefecture

* * * * *

Galaxy Express 999 train, Furusato-Ginga line, Hokkaido [Photo]

Characters from Leiji Matsumoto’s “Galaxy Express 999″ anime/manga adorn this train that used to run on the Furusato-Ginga line in Hokkaido. The train line closed down in 2006.

Galaxy Express 999 train, Furusato-Ginga line, Hokkaido [More photos]

* * * * *

Pink ninja train, Iga line, Mie prefecture [Photo]

Matsumoto also created a series of ninja train designs for the Iga line in Mie prefecture, the birthplace of ninjutsu.

Blue ninja train, Iga line, Mie prefecture [Photo]

Here’s some video of the ninja trains cruising the Mie countryside:

* * * * *

Spiderman train, JR Yumesaki line, Osaka [Photo]

* * * * *

Some trains on the Kakogawa line in Hyōgo prefecture feature designs by graphic artist Tadanori Yokoo. Yokoo was born in Hyōgo.

Yokoo’s eyeball train, Kakogawa line, Hyōgo prefecture [More]

Yokoo’s waterfall train, Kakogawa line, Hyōgo prefecture [More]

Yokoo’s galactic travel train, Kakogawa line, Hyōgo prefecture [Photo]

Yokoo’s Y-junction train, Kakogawa line, Hyōgo prefecture [More]

* * * * *

Doraemon train, Seikan Tunnel Tappi Shakō Line, Hokkaido [Photo]

This Doraemon train runs back and forth through the Seikan Tunnel, an undersea railway connecting Honshu and Hokkaido.

More Doraemon trains in Hokkaido

* * * * *

Wild boar decoration, Eizan line, Kyoto prefecture [Photo]

* * * * *

Kitarō train, Tottori line, Tottori prefecture [More]

Trains on the Tottori line in Tottori prefecture are decorated with characters from Shigeru Mizuki’s “GeGeGe no Kitarō” manga/anime series. Mizuki was born in Tottori prefecture.

Medama-oyaji on Kitarō train, Tottori line [More]

Kitarō train, Tottori line [Photo]

Ceiling inside Kitarō train, Tottori line [More]

Neko-musume train, Tottori line [Photo: Rie Nakaya]

Ceiling inside Neko-musume train, Tottori line [Photo: Rie Nakaya]

* * * * *

Chunichi Dragons subway, Nagoya [Photo]

* * * * *

Ninja Hattori-kun train, Himi line, Toyama prefecture [Photo]

* * * * *

Ultraman trains, Tokyu Toyoko line, Tokyo [More]

These trains on the Tokyu Toyoko line in Tokyo were decorated to commemorate Ultraman’s 40th anniversary and promote a movie.

Ultraman train, Tokyo Tokyo line, Tokyo. [Photo: sanchome]

* * * * *

Meiji Milk Chocolate ad (Enoshima) // Thomas train (Kyoto prefecture)

* * * * *

Ad for Tokimeki Memorial 3, Tokyo-Arakawa line, Tokyo [More]

* * * * *

Cyborg 009 train, Senseki line, Miyagi prefecture [Photo]

Miyagi prefecture is the birthplace of manga/anime artist Ishinomori Shōtarō, whose works include Cyborg 009 and the Kamen Rider Series. Some of his characters adorn trains on the Senseki line.

Himitsu Sentai Goranger train, Senseki line, Miyagi prefecture [More]

* * * * *

Gunma Safari Park ad train, Joshin line, Gunma prefecture [Photo]

* * * * *

Anpanman train, JR Shikoku, Shikoku [Photo, More]

Yanase Takashi, creator of the Anpanman anime series, is from Kochi prefecture in Shikoku. The JR Shikoku railway network operates some Anpanman-themed trains.

Anpanman train interior, JR Shikoku, Shikoku [More]

* * * * *

One-Piece ad train, Enoshima Electric Railway [More]

* * * * *

Pichon-kun on the Skytrain, Bangkok, Thailand [Photo]

Japanese characters can occasionally be found on trains in other countries. This photo shows Pichon-kun, the robot mascot of Japanese air-conditioning manufacturer Daikin, on the side of the Skytrain in Bangkok, Thailand.

* * * * *

YKK train ad, Yamanote line, Tokyo [Photo]

* * * * *

Pokemon on Tohoku Shinkansen [Photo]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月2日 13時52分

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The multi-talented Motoman SDA10, a dexterous dual-arm industrial robot manufactured by Yaskawa Electric, is demonstrating its ability to cook okonomiyaki at the International Next-Generation Robot Fair now underway in Osaka.

Designed to operate independently alongside humans in the workplace, the 135-centimeter (4.5 ft) tall, 220-kilogram (480 lb) industrial robot has 15 joints — 7 in each arm and one in the torso — allowing a wide range of motion for the job, whether it be on the factory floor or behind the kitchen counter.

For a peek at Motoman’s dexterity, check out this video (from Fuji TV’s “The Best House 1-2-3″) of the robot delicately assembling a disposable camera from two dozen parts. The robot completes the complicated series of tasks in two minutes.

This high degree of manual precision comes in handy when grilling up okonomiyaki.

As a chef, the Motoman relies on speech recognition technology to take verbal orders from customers. Using standard kitchen utensils, the robot mixes the okonomiyaki batter, pours it onto the iron grill, forms it into a round pancake-like disk, flips it, puts it on a plate when done, and applies condiments.

No word yet on the taste.

[Photos: AFP]

See also:
- MOTOMAN: Industrial-strength taiko drummer
- Worker bot sorts packages

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年11月27日 9時38分

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Japanese scientists have successfully cloned a prize beef cow more than 13 years after it died, it was announced on January 6. The legendary steer — named “Yasufuku” in his first life (1980-1993) — is regarded as the father of Hida beef, a high-quality meat from Gifu prefecture famous for its marbled texture and rich flavor.

During his 13-year life, the prize bull’s sperm was used to sire 40,000 calves, helping to establish Hida as a high-class brand of beef. It is believed that more than 30% of the nation’s Japanese black cattle can trace their roots back to Yasufuku.

To produce the clones, researchers from the Gifu Prefectural Livestock Research Institute and Kinki University (Osaka prefecture) employed a somatic cell nuclear transfer method using the nuclei of cells extracted from the bull’s testicles, which had spent 13 years in deep-freeze. The first clone of Yasufuku was created in 2007. In all, four clones of Yasufuku have been born, although one died from complications after birth.

The results — which were scheduled to be published in the US journal PLoS ONE on January 8 — suggest it is possible to “resurrect” animals valued for their high-quality meat, long after they have died. Some suggest the cloning method can also be used resurrect prize pigs and horses.

The rebirth of Yasufuku follows the recent success of another cloning experiment involving mammals held in long-term frozen storage. In November 2008, a RIKEN research team cloned a mouse from a carcass that spent 16 years in a freezer.

Teruhiko Wakayama, the RIKEN genetic engineer who led the effort to clone the frozen mouse last year, reacted to the news of the cloned frozen cow. “I was surprised to learn that the researchers found usable cells in the frozen tissue,” said Wakayama. “[Their findings suggest] it is now possible to clone cows from delicious beef found on the supermarket shelf.”

News of this latest cloning success comes as the Japanese government grapples with whether or not to allow cloned animal products into the food chain. The Cabinet Office’s Food Safety Commission is currently looking at scientific data from a variety of Japanese and foreign sources in an attempt to evaluate the safety of cloned animal products. The commission is scheduled to present its decision to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare later this year. Lawmakers will then have the final say on whether or not to approve the sale of cloned meat to Japanese consumers.

In 2008 (between January and September), researchers in Japan are known to have created 557 somatic cell cow clones. In response to consumer distrust of cloned meat, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) currently requests research institutions to take voluntary measures to prevent cloned cows from ending up in the food supply.

[Source: Mainichi]

作者:Edo

更新日:2009年1月8日 11時1分

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The clione, a.k.a. sea angel, is a cute, translucent swimming sea slug that glides gracefully through icy ocean waters by flapping a pair of appendages that resemble tiny angel wings. Don’t let the innocent, angelic look fool you, though — the clione is a vicious demon come feeding time.

+ A verdadeira face

The Clione limacina species preys on its shelled cousin, the sea butterfly (Limacina helicina). When the hungry sea angel spots a suitable target, it lunges forward and rapidly unfurls a halo of six hooked tentacles from its head, locking its prey in a death grip. Slowly, the clione sucks the victim’s body out of its shell, swallowing it whole.

作者:Edo

更新日:2009年1月6日 11時40分

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The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has teamed up with engineers from the private sector to develop a next-generation space toilet, which they hope to complete within the next five years.

Clean and easy to use, the envisioned space toilet is designed to be worn like a diaper around the astronaut’s waist at all times. Sensors detect when the user relieves him or herself, automatically activating a rear-mounted suction unit that draws the waste away from the body through tubes into a separate container. In addition to washing and drying the wearer after each use, the next-generation space toilet will incorporate features that eliminate unwanted sound and odor.

Established last month, JAXA’s space toilet research group includes engineers from the private sector. Participants reportedly come from an assortment of toilet and chemical manufacturers, as well as from the architectural and engineering firm Shimizu Corporation. Plans are to test working prototypes of the space toilet in Japan’s Kibo lab aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The developers indicate their next-generation space toilet may also prove useful in earthbound settings — particularly in hospitals with bedridden patients.

The current ISS toilet is a Russian-built, western-style commode that sucks waste away like a vacuum cleaner. Use of that toilet requires practice before heading to space, particularly because an improperly seated user has the potential to create a messy situation.

Chiaki Mukai, head of JAXA’s Space Biomedical Research Office, is looking forward to the development of the new toilet. “Long-term stays in space place significant stress on the mind and body,” Mukai says. “The toilet plays a crucial role in maintaining good health in space.”

[Source: Yomiuri]

作者:Edo

更新日:2009年1月5日 11時31分

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As the year draws to a close, it’s time to look back at Pink Tentacle’s most popular stories of 2008. Here are the top ten, in case you missed them the first time:

1. Scientists extract images directly from brain: New brain analysis technology allows scientists to read minds, perhaps paving the way for the development of a dream recorder.

2. Japanese custom scooters: Links to photo galleries of radical custom bikes.

3. Styrofoam dome homes: Cheap, sturdy igloo-shaped modular home kits made of expanded polystyrene foam.

4. IKEA decks out Kobe train: Photos of an IKEA ad campaign that transformed the Kobe Portliner Monorail into a moving showroom.

5. Edo-period monster paintings by Sawaki Suushi: Old-school horror.

6. Origami spaceplanes to launch from space station: Details of JAXA’s plan to throw paper airplanes toward Earth from the International Space Station (see photos). In December, the space agency canceled their plans over safety concerns.

7. Bento lunches decorated as album covers: Magnificent bento art.

8. Monster octopi with scores of extra tentacles: Extraordinary freaks of nature.

9. Decorated trains of Japan: Photos of anime and manga inspired trains.

10. Man charged with dumping silicone girlfriend: Breaking up is hard to do.

Thanks for reading! See you again in 2009.

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月30日 4時34分

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Here is some terrific video of a bioluminescent deep-sea siphonophore — an eerily fantastic creature that appears to be a single, large organism, but which is actually a colony of numerous individual jellyfish-like animals that behave and function together as a single entity. The individual units, called zooids, all share the same genetic material and each perform a specialized role within the colony. The best-known siphonophore is the poisonous Portuguese Man o’ War (Physalia physalis), which lives at the surface of the ocean, unlike the one shown in this video (filmed at a depth of 770 meters). Some siphonophore species can grow up to 40 meters (130 ft) in length.

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月22日 13時48分

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Takara Tomy’s Omnibot 17μ i-SOBOT, a miniature humanoid robot recognized by Guinness as the smallest mass-produced robot of its kind, has been named Japan’s 2008 Robot of the Year, it was announced on December 18.

The annual Robot of the Year Award was established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2006 to stimulate the development and commercial application of robots in a variety of industries.

Judges awarded this year’s Grand Prize to i-SOBOT due to its advanced technology, its high entertainment value, and its reasonable price of under 30,000 yen (around $300). Equipped with 17 miniature servo motors, the 350-gram (12 oz), 16.5-centimeter (6.5 in) programmable humanoid can walk, play air guitar, dance the hula, and perform 200 other moves. The tiny hobby robot is also equipped with a set of gyro sensors for balance, and it can be controlled via remote control or simple voice commands. The robot runs for about an hour on 4 AAA batteries.

In addition to the Grand Prize, this year’s Small to Medium-sized Venture Award was presented to “Book Time,” an automatic page-turning robot developed by Nishizawa Electronic Measuring Instruments.

Designed for use in hospitals by people with limited use of their hands and/or arms, Book Time turns the pages of books with either a simple press of a button, a breath-activated switch, or a large button activated by the user’s foot. The robot is compatible with a wide range of book sizes and is easy to set up and use.

This year’s Special Jury Prize was awarded to a rice-planting robot developed by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO).

This GPS-equipped machine is designed to assist farmers by working autonomously to plant rice within a set of programmed coordinates. It takes the robot about 50 minutes to seed 3,000 square meters (0.75 acre) of land.

[Source: Robot of the Year Award (PDF)]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月19日 5時18分

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Here is a collection of digital illustrations of mechs, droids and borgs discovered via the Pixiv image sharing site. Follow the link below each image to view the artist’s website.

POLIZEI ROBOTER [Hikaru Kanefusa]

COMBAT BALL [Hikaru Kanefusa]

Cyborg [Hikaru Kanefusa]

e9 [MAUVE]

L2C4 [MAUVE]

electric girl [Denki]

Armor Suit [Denki]

UE [VVV]

Hyaku Shiki Kai [Saburo]

Cyber Ninja [元村人]

Major Maintenance [元村人]

Urban War [yutori]

AC-style Original Mecha [yutori]

sekizui [Gia]

Gappoi [Gia]

Parent and child [Gia]

Work Vehicles [Higashi]

Karakuri Yasha Maru [CYBERFACTORY-H]

Karakuri Crow Tengu [CYBERFACTORY-H]

Architects [Dragons Heaven]

Divinity, The Descent [Yap Kun Rong]

Untitled [Gang]

Placing Dandelions on Raw Fish [Gang]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月18日 8時56分

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Researchers from Japan’s ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories have developed new brain analysis technology that can reconstruct the images inside a person’s mind and display them on a computer monitor, it was announced on December 11. According to the researchers, further development of the technology may soon make it possible to view other people’s dreams while they sleep.

The scientists were able to reconstruct various images viewed by a person by analyzing changes in their cerebral blood flow. Using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine, the researchers first mapped the blood flow changes that occurred in the cerebral visual cortex as subjects viewed various images held in front of their eyes. Subjects were shown 400 random 10 x 10 pixel black-and-white images for a period of 12 seconds each. While the fMRI machine monitored the changes in brain activity, a computer crunched the data and learned to associate the various changes in brain activity with the different image designs.

Then, when the test subjects were shown a completely new set of images, such as the letters N-E-U-R-O-N, the system was able to reconstruct and display what the test subjects were viewing based solely on their brain activity.

For now, the system is only able to reproduce simple black-and-white images. But Dr. Kang Cheng, a researcher from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, suggests that improving the measurement accuracy will make it possible to reproduce images in color.

“These results are a breakthrough in terms of understanding brain activity,” says Dr. Cheng. “In as little as 10 years, advances in this field of research may make it possible to read a person’s thoughts with some degree of accuracy.”

The researchers suggest a future version of this technology could be applied in the fields of art and design — particularly if it becomes possible to quickly and accurately access images existing inside an artist’s head. The technology might also lead to new treatments for conditions such as psychiatric disorders involving hallucinations, by providing doctors a direct window into the mind of the patient.

ATR chief researcher Yukiyasu Kamitani says, “This technology can also be applied to senses other than vision. In the future, it may also become possible to read feelings and complicated emotional states.”

The research results appear in the December 11 issue of US science journal Neuron.

[Source: Chunichi]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月11日 18時9分

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Maywa Denki, a Tokyo-based group of artists/musicians/engineers famous for inventing “nonsense machines,” has teamed up with Kamakura-based IT solutions provider Kayac to develop a device that lets users visualize, monitor and control how they shake their restless legs.

The sleek black diamond-shaped contraption — called “Yurex” (yure means “shake” in Japanese) — straps to the thigh. A pair of silver disco ball-shaped sensors measure the leg’s horizontal and vertical vibrations, and a 10-digit LCD counter displays the user’s accumulated leg-shake tally.

When Yurex is connected to a computer’s USB port, special software automatically downloads the data from the device and analyzes the user’s leg-shaking habits and rhythm patterns. The software can also generate a personalized “creative beat pattern” based on leg-shake data obtained while the user is in a state of deep concentration. Then, whenever a boost of creative energy is needed, users can simply jiggle their knees in concert with this beat data to achieve higher brain power.

Yurex is the result of the so-called BBU Project, a collaboration between Maywa Denki and Kayac aimed at developing a marketable product that harnesses the energy of binbo-yusuri, or the constant and rapid up-and-down movement of restless legs often done unconsciously and/or out of habit.

Restless legs are highly frowned upon in Japan — much more so than in other countries — and the Japanese word binbo-yusuri, which literally translates as “poverty shake,” has a very negative ring to it. Incidentally, there are several possible origins for the word. Some suggest it may derive from the fact that a person with a twitchy leg looks like a poor person shivering in the cold. Others link the word’s origins to the tendency of loan sharks to tap their feet impatiently when collecting debts from the poor. Also, in Edo-period Japan, it is said that twitchy legs were a telltale sign that one was being stalked by Binbogami, the god of poverty.

Regardless of the word’s origins, people tend to have a very negative view of binbo-yusuri, and it is often seen as a sign of poor intelligence and social grace.

The developers of Yurex, however, take a different view. They see binbo-yusuri as a sign of concentration and creativity — a reflection of the brain at work. Moreover, they believe this “creative beat” can work in reverse. Shaking your leg in the proper way can increase concentration and creativity, they believe. Yurex is thus designed to work as a barometer of mental activity and as a tool to enhance brain power.

Yurex users are also eligible to participate in a social networking community (yurex.jp), whose members are referred to as “yusletes” (binbo-yusuri athletes). Users can display their binbo-yusuri data on the site and update it automatically each time the Yurex is connected to the computer. In addition to seeing how their binbo-yusuri counts rank in comparison to others, members can find the locations of other active “yusletes” through the site.

Yurex can also be used as a standalone device. With a 10-digit display that can tally up to 10 billion shakes, Yurex is suitable for use as a lifetime leg-shake monitor. For reference, a heavy shaker (like Maywa Denki president Nobumichi Tosa) who jiggles his leg an average of 400 times per minute for 8 hours per day will tally up nearly 5 billion shakes over a 70-year period.

Kayac plans to begin accepting orders for Yurex in January. The initial shipment, scheduled to hit shelves next spring, will be limited to 3,000 units. The price has yet to be announced.

[Link: Yurex]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月11日 12時5分

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This delightfully deranged promo video for Maximum The Hormone’s “Bikini Sports Ponchin” was directed by Kōki Tange (Yellow Brain).

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月10日 10時35分

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In the early 1970s, artist Kazuaki Saito’s fantastic alien landscape illustrations graced the covers of SF Magazine, Japan’s first successful and longest running science fiction periodical.

[More: SF Magazine review]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月8日 10時36分

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Of the countless trains running on Japan’s 20,000-kilometer (12,000-mile) rail network, a few are decorated with images of anime and manga characters, colorful ads, and designs by notable artists. Here is a small sample.

Pikachu on Seto line, Aichi prefecture

* * * * *

Galaxy Express 999 train, Furusato-Ginga line, Hokkaido [Photo]

Characters from Leiji Matsumoto’s “Galaxy Express 999″ anime/manga adorn this train that used to run on the Furusato-Ginga line in Hokkaido. The train line closed down in 2006.

Galaxy Express 999 train, Furusato-Ginga line, Hokkaido [More photos]

* * * * *

Pink ninja train, Iga line, Mie prefecture [Photo]

Matsumoto also created a series of ninja train designs for the Iga line in Mie prefecture, the birthplace of ninjutsu.

Blue ninja train, Iga line, Mie prefecture [Photo]

Here’s some video of the ninja trains cruising the Mie countryside:

* * * * *

Spiderman train, JR Yumesaki line, Osaka [Photo]

* * * * *

Some trains on the Kakogawa line in Hyōgo prefecture feature designs by graphic artist Tadanori Yokoo. Yokoo was born in Hyōgo.

Yokoo’s eyeball train, Kakogawa line, Hyōgo prefecture [More]

Yokoo’s waterfall train, Kakogawa line, Hyōgo prefecture [More]

Yokoo’s galactic travel train, Kakogawa line, Hyōgo prefecture [Photo]

Yokoo’s Y-junction train, Kakogawa line, Hyōgo prefecture [More]

* * * * *

Doraemon train, Seikan Tunnel Tappi Shakō Line, Hokkaido [Photo]

This Doraemon train runs back and forth through the Seikan Tunnel, an undersea railway connecting Honshu and Hokkaido.

More Doraemon trains in Hokkaido

* * * * *

Wild boar decoration, Eizan line, Kyoto prefecture [Photo]

* * * * *

Kitarō train, Tottori line, Tottori prefecture [More]

Trains on the Tottori line in Tottori prefecture are decorated with characters from Shigeru Mizuki’s “GeGeGe no Kitarō” manga/anime series. Mizuki was born in Tottori prefecture.

Medama-oyaji on Kitarō train, Tottori line [More]

Kitarō train, Tottori line [Photo]

Ceiling inside Kitarō train, Tottori line [More]

Neko-musume train, Tottori line [Photo: Rie Nakaya]

Ceiling inside Neko-musume train, Tottori line [Photo: Rie Nakaya]

* * * * *

Chunichi Dragons subway, Nagoya [Photo]

* * * * *

Ninja Hattori-kun train, Himi line, Toyama prefecture [Photo]

* * * * *

Ultraman trains, Tokyu Toyoko line, Tokyo [More]

These trains on the Tokyu Toyoko line in Tokyo were decorated to commemorate Ultraman’s 40th anniversary and promote a movie.

Ultraman train, Tokyo Tokyo line, Tokyo. [Photo: sanchome]

* * * * *

Meiji Milk Chocolate ad (Enoshima) // Thomas train (Kyoto prefecture)

* * * * *

Ad for Tokimeki Memorial 3, Tokyo-Arakawa line, Tokyo [More]

* * * * *

Cyborg 009 train, Senseki line, Miyagi prefecture [Photo]

Miyagi prefecture is the birthplace of manga/anime artist Ishinomori Shōtarō, whose works include Cyborg 009 and the Kamen Rider Series. Some of his characters adorn trains on the Senseki line.

Himitsu Sentai Goranger train, Senseki line, Miyagi prefecture [More]

* * * * *

Gunma Safari Park ad train, Joshin line, Gunma prefecture [Photo]

* * * * *

Anpanman train, JR Shikoku, Shikoku [Photo, More]

Yanase Takashi, creator of the Anpanman anime series, is from Kochi prefecture in Shikoku. The JR Shikoku railway network operates some Anpanman-themed trains.

Anpanman train interior, JR Shikoku, Shikoku [More]

* * * * *

One-Piece ad train, Enoshima Electric Railway [More]

* * * * *

Pichon-kun on the Skytrain, Bangkok, Thailand [Photo]

Japanese characters can occasionally be found on trains in other countries. This photo shows Pichon-kun, the robot mascot of Japanese air-conditioning manufacturer Daikin, on the side of the Skytrain in Bangkok, Thailand.

* * * * *

YKK train ad, Yamanote line, Tokyo [Photo]

* * * * *

Pokemon on Tohoku Shinkansen [Photo]

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年12月2日 13時52分

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The multi-talented Motoman SDA10, a dexterous dual-arm industrial robot manufactured by Yaskawa Electric, is demonstrating its ability to cook okonomiyaki at the International Next-Generation Robot Fair now underway in Osaka.

Designed to operate independently alongside humans in the workplace, the 135-centimeter (4.5 ft) tall, 220-kilogram (480 lb) industrial robot has 15 joints — 7 in each arm and one in the torso — allowing a wide range of motion for the job, whether it be on the factory floor or behind the kitchen counter.

For a peek at Motoman’s dexterity, check out this video (from Fuji TV’s “The Best House 1-2-3″) of the robot delicately assembling a disposable camera from two dozen parts. The robot completes the complicated series of tasks in two minutes.

This high degree of manual precision comes in handy when grilling up okonomiyaki.

As a chef, the Motoman relies on speech recognition technology to take verbal orders from customers. Using standard kitchen utensils, the robot mixes the okonomiyaki batter, pours it onto the iron grill, forms it into a round pancake-like disk, flips it, puts it on a plate when done, and applies condiments.

No word yet on the taste.

[Photos: AFP]

See also:
- MOTOMAN: Industrial-strength taiko drummer
- Worker bot sorts packages

作者:Edo

更新日:2008年11月27日 9時38分

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