This and that | Ripple's Web

(CNN) — Thirteen-year-old Rose Matrie lives in a cracked house.

The light that streams through the narrow slit in the concrete wall is an ever-present reminder of the earthquake that struck her home in Haiti in 2010 and devastated the already impoverished country. Still, Rose Matrie has big dreams for her future.

“I want to go to a big school in order to develop my talents,” she says.

Her mother fastened a large chalkboard on the outside of their home to cover up the crack, and every day Rose Matrie does her homework there. Her teacher says she is very bright and excels in literature.

“When I let my imagination go, I think of extraordinary things,” Rose Matrie says.

Her father lost his job after the earthquake, and though her mother works as a seamstress, there is little demand for her skills. Like many families in Haiti, her parents are struggling to pay the school fees to keep her and her five siblings enrolled.

In Haiti, public schools only meet about 20% of the demand for basic education in rural areas, and education costs, particularly for private schools, remain very high in relation to family income, according to the nonprofit Plan International USA.

Plan is working with local governments and schools to provide more children in Haiti with access to a quality education. The organization is building classrooms and school facilities, training educators and providing school supplies, textbooks and uniforms for children in need.

“[This is] so those costs aren’t passed on to families as a barrier to attendance,” explains Ann Wang, a plan communications specialist.

When the relatively high cost of school is decreased or eliminated, more children like Rose Matrie can get an education and develop their talents.

Watch the video for a glimpse into Rose Matrie’s world. You can help her and other girls growing up in Haiti.

Give

Support the campaign behind the film “Girl Rising” and give to the 10×10 Fund for Girls’ Education. Donations will be distributed evenly among the 10×10 nonprofit partners and help fund girls’ education projects around the world.

You can also help advance Plan’s work by donating to its “Because I am a Girl” campaign, which supports projects that help girls and women in the developing world. Through the “Gifts of Hope” program, you can symbolically donate things like school uniforms, vaccinations, school supplies or even girl-friendly latrines.

Share

Plan international USA created resources for students and teachers. These online booklets are designed to help people of all ages understand the challenges that many girls and women face around the world.

Impact

For even more ways to make an impact for girls education around the world, check out CNN’s Impact Your World resources or take action with 10×10.

More about CNN Films’ “Girl Rising” project

More from CNN’s Impact Your World

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/23/world/iyw-rose-matrie-from-haiti/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/_q-ptscbe-k/i-want-a-big-school-to-develop-my-talent

Mia is a comic book whiz kid.

(Credit:
DaddyDadBlog)

You might think you’re a Marvel super-fan, but little 4-year-old Mia Grace will crush you. She shows no mercy as she deftly handles Marvel trivia questions from her parents, all while calmly riding in a car seat on the way to the store.

Mia’s dad posted a video of his daughter tossing off answers like “Loki” and “vibranium” as if they were answers to questions about her favorite color or what she likes to eat. The young comic book fan has managed to build up quite a store of superhero knowledge, no doubt thanks to some quality geek parenting.

On his blog, Mia’s dad introduces thevideo with, “This is my daughter. She is a little me. By that I mean she has what would appear to be an encyclopedic knowledge of things she loves.” One of those things she loves just happens to be comic books.

Mia may have the Marvel universe memorized, but her actual favorite comic book is “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” She also tends to prefer dressing up as a princess, but princesses can be successful geeks, too.

You can try your hand against Mia by watching the video, but good luck beating her to all the answers. Here’s a practice quiz to get you ready: “Name some of the stones in the Infinity Gauntlet” and “What is the Scarlet Witch’s real name?” If you don’t know the answers, Mia will fill you in.

(Via io9)

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/pRza/~3/JpgR0KUhaUg/

Tim Berners-Lee in 1994 at CERN.

(Credit:
CERN)

The first draft of the World Wide Web has gone missing, with perhaps one of the only copies of the very first Web site floating around the world’s drawers or attics on a floppy disk somewhere.

Tim Berners-Lee wrote the first version of the very first Web page back in 1990 as a way for scientists to share information at CERN — the European nuclear physics lab and particle accelerator site on the border of Switzerland and France. But it wasn’t until 1992 that he actually saved a copy of that early CERN page.

“I took a copy of the entire Web site in a floppy disk on my machine so that I could demonstrate it locally just to show people what it was like. And I ended up keeping a copy of that floppy disk,” Berners-Lee told NPR.

That copy from 1992 has been archived, and has been serving as the earliest official record we have of the Web’s birth.

But Dan Noyes, who runs the CERN Web site today, is searching for that very first draft of the page from 1990. It’s believed to be on an old optical disk drive that was lost at a conference in California all those years ago.

“It was such a beautiful object, that optical disk, that someone maybe has it on their coffee table or their bookshelf, and if we could find that, that’d be great,” Noyes says.

Ask, and ye shall receive…almost.

Following the original NPR story on the missing file from 1990, University of North Carolina Professor Paul Jones tweeted a link to his copy of a version of the page that dates to 1991, even older than the current “official” version, that was put together by CERN’s WWW team as a demonstration for the Hypertext ’91 conference in San Antonio, Texas.

And just like that, posterity’s digital exhibit of the history of the information age just expanded another year into the past.

Time to throw the crowdsourced search into high gear, Crave readers. Dig into your (or your parents’) old hard drives, zip disks, Jaz drives, floppies, and tape backups and see if you just might happen to have a copy of the beginning of the World Wide Web on your hands. We all would sure love to see it.

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/pRza/~3/yhbA0aGwCuQ/

(CNN) — Call it maternal instinct.

As the monster tornado approached, Terimy Miller put her three sons in a closet in their Moore, Oklahoma, house.

But something didn’t feel right.

“It was just that feeling,” Miller told CNN’s Brooke Baldwin on Wednesday. “I just got to get out of here. I’m not chancing this.”

An aerial view of the destruction caused by the massive tornado that struck areas south of Oklahoma City on Monday, May 20, shows the magnitude of damage left in its path. The storm’s winds topped 200 mph as it carved a 17-mile path of destruction through Oklahoma City suburbs. On Tuesday, May 21, CNN sent photographer David McNeese to capture the story from above:

The storm, which touched down near Newcastle, Oklahoma, spanned 1.3 miles. Some areas along the path were completely flattened.

Officials from the National Weather Service gave the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma, on May 20 a preliminary EF5 rating — the highest score on the scale that measures tornado intensities.

The tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburbs, hitting the town of Moore the hardest. It packed winds that topped 200 mph.

A search-and-rescue effort to find survivors shifted Tuesday to one of recovery, officials said.

The devastation in Moore was so complete that the mayor said city officials were racing to print new street signs to help guide rescuers and residents through a suddenly twisted and unfamiliar landscape.

A group of homes was reduced to rubble.

Debris from homes and structures was strewn for miles around.

In some areas, the homes of an entire street were destroyed.

Rescuers and first responders immediately began searching through the rubble of structures on May 20.

Large trees were uprooted and flattened.

Given its breadth and power, the tornado ranks among some of the strongest storms ever to strike the United States, CNN senior meteorologist Dave Hennen said.

Homes in some areas were relatively undamaged while others very nearby were destroyed.

Police, firefighters, volunteers and nearly 180 National Guard troops joined forces Tuesday in searching the rubble and securing areas hit by the storm.

In 1999 and then again in 2003, Moore took direct hits from tornadoes that took eerily similar paths to 2013′s twister. The 1999 storm packed the strongest wind speeds in history, Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb said.

A section of a bridge outside of Oklahoma City was blown off its foundation.

The path of the tornado is clearly visible with dirt and debris painting a wide path across the Oklahoma landscape.

The scene — block after block of flattened homes and businesses, the gutted remains of a hospital and hits on two elementary schools — left even seasoned veterans of Oklahoma’s infamous tornadoes reeling.

View more galleries: Deadly tornado hits Oklahoma City area and The devastating Oklahoma tornado of 1999.

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Photos: Destruction from above

Teachers from Fairview Elementary School help clean up former school counselor Kay Taylor’s home in south Oklahoma City, on Wednesday, May 22, two days after an extremely powerful tornado tore through Moore, Oklahoma. View more photos of the aftermath in the region and another gallery of aerial shots of the damage.

Jake English, 12, cleans up retired school counselor Kay Taylor’s home on May 22 in south Oklahoma City, just west of Moore. The storm was part of a tornado outbreak that began in the Midwest and Plains on Sunday, May 19.

A man talks on his cell phone in front of a destroyed house on May 22.

A man looks through a pile of clothing at a roadside relief camp on May 22 in Moore.

Volunteers form a chain to retrieve clothing and other household items on May 22.

Jon Booth moves a piece of debris from his mother’s destroyed home across the street from Plaza Towers Elementary School on May 22.

Matt Johnson salvages items from his grandparents’ home on Tuesday, May 21.

Two men fold an American flag found in the debris of a house on May 21 in Moore.

A young girl stands among the rubble outside Briarwood Elementary School on May 21.

A doll covered in dirt is among the rubble scattered throughout a neighborhood in Moore on May 21.

Bonnie Lolofie, left, and Ashley Do carry belongings from their apartment, which has no power, on May 21.

Residents salvage belongings from their demolished homes in Moore on May 21.

Kelli Kannady weeps after finding a box of photographs of her late husband in the rubble near where her home once stood in Moore on May 21.

Tufts of pink insulation hang from the rafters of a store in Moore on May 21 that was destroyed in the storm.

Natalie Johnson searches through her mother’s destroyed car outside Briarwood Elementary School in Moore on May 21.

Rescuers dig out a house in Moore on May 21.

June Simson embraces her cat Sammi after she found him standing among the rubble of her destroyed home in Moore on May 21.

A man stands on the roof of a destroyed home in Moore on May 21.

A man helps move a resident’s belongings from a destroyed home on May 21 in Moore.

Air Force Airman First Class Justin Acord sifts through the rubble of his father-in-law’s home in Moore on May 21.

People recover belongings from the rubble of a home in Moore.

People sort through a leveled home in Moore on May 21.

Debris lies among headstones in the Moore Cemetery on May 21.

Workers clean up the Warren movie theater in Moore on May 21.

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett surveys damage in Moore on May 21.

Piles of debris lie around the north side of Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore on May 21.

As dawn breaks, storm clouds roll in over a devastated neighborhood in Moore on May 21.

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard look for survivors in rubble in Moore on May 21.

A National Guardsman assists in the search for victims on May 21.

A rescue worker leads a horse from the wreckage of a day care center and barns on Monday, May 20, in Moore.

Men tie an American flag on debris in a neighborhood off Telephone Road in Moore on May 20.

Children wait for their parents to arrive at Briarwood Elementary School in south Oklahoma City on May 20.

Teachers carry children away from Briarwood Elementary School on May 20.

Teachers lead children away from Briarwood Elementary School on May 20. Read more about the photo.

A fire official drives through the rubble of Moore Medical Center on May 20.

Abby Madi, left, and Peterson Zatterlee comfort Zatterlee’s dog, Rippy, on Monday, May 20, in Moore.

A woman is treated for her injuries on May 20 at a triage area set up for the wounded.

Two girls stand in rubble in Moore.

Rescue workers help free one of more than a dozen people who were trapped at a medical center in Moore on May 20.

Oklahoma City firefighters check on Gene Tripp on May 20 as he sits in his rocking chair where his home once stood.

A nurse helps an older man who suffered a head injury on May 20 in Moore.

Cars marked with an orange X, meaning they have been checked for occupants, are piled up in front of the entrance to the damaged Moore Medical Center on May 20.

Jim Routon hugs his neighbor, 7-year-old Hezekiah, after the tornado strikes on May 20. An earlier version of this caption incorrectly stated that Routon was Hezekiah’s teacher. See an interview with the pair.

People look through the wreckage of their neighborhood after a tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, on May 20.

Dana Ulepich searches inside a room left standing at the back of her destroyed house in Moore on May 20.

Residents look through the debris in Moore on May 20.

A man looks through the remains of a home after the massive tornado struck Moore on May 20.

A woman is transported on a stretcher after she was rescued from the damaged medical center in Moore on May 20.

A woman walks through debris in Moore on May 20.

A man is taken away from the IMAX Theater in Moore that was used as a triage center on May 20.

A girl wraps herself in a blanket near the Moore Hospital on May 20.

A nurse walks by the destruction at a Moore hospital on May 20.

Destroyed cars scatter the landscape in Moore, Oklahoma, where hundreds of homes and buildings were put to ruin on May 20.

A woman with an arm injury is helped on May 20 in Moore.

Extensive damage from the tornado destroyed cars and demolished structures in Moore on May 20.

Onlookers stop to view a portion of the destruction left behind on May 20 in Moore.

Overturned cars are among the rubble from the tornado that hit Moore on May 20.

A woman is comforted after the May 20 tornado in Moore.

A shredded tree stands amid debris in the aftermath of the storm in Moore on May 20.

A shopping center parking lot is covered with debris and damaged cars on May 20.

Law enforcement officers block a roadway in Moore where there was extensive damage from the tornado.

A massive tornado approaches Moore on May 20. The storm first touched down to the west of the city near Newcastle, Oklahoma. Visit CNN.com/impact for ways to help the victims.

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Photos: Deadly tornado hits Oklahoma

So she put her three boys — ages 11, 7 and 6 — in the family car.

She was moving so fast that she couldn’t round up the two family dogs, which were somewhere outside.

As they prepared their escape, she and son Jules heard a local weatherman on television advise families in Moore that if they didn’t have a storm shelter, they should abandon the house.

“We got away from the storm,” said son Jules, 7.

Confirmation of the mother’s intuition came when she and her boys returned to the house.

Miller hyperventilated. She cried.

The tornado had annihilated the home.

“We walk up and it’s gone,” Miller said. “I’m like, no, this can’t be happening. Why?

“It’s a war zone,” she said.

Added her son: “The thunderstorm took away all my favorite stuff. It’s gone.”

Miller lost the sentimental photos, yearbooks, and mementos from her days in the Navy. Her memories will now have to suffice, she said.

As for the dogs, they survived, but one of them will lose his right eye, injured by the twister.

Despite the material losses, Miller counts her blessings.

“We’re lucky: I have my children and everything will be OK,” she said.

The family will rebuild the home, she added.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/22/us/oklahoma-tornado-mother-instinct/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/x18PrrgG0_0/mothers-instinct-saves-lives-of-3-sons

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Lockheed Martin’s HULC exoskeleton is designed to allow soldiers to carry superhuman loads.

Cyberdyne’s HAL-5 suit could take rescue workers into dangerous zones in the future. For now, it is allowing hundreds of Japanese patients suffering from muscle weakness to get around.

Kobalabs’ Muscle Suit aims to provide a smart solution for health workers needing to carry people and heavy loads.

The Argo ReWalk aims to give people suffering from paralysis the power to walk again. It has already propelled Claire Lomas (pictured) to the finish of the London Marathon.

Ekso Bionics is also developing exoskeletons for rehabilitation. Here, Architect Robert Woo takes his first steps since a construction accident paralyzed him from the waist down.

Nasa’s X-1 suit could be vital for astronauts venturing into deep space.

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(CNN) — If you’ve been dreaming of strapping on your own “Iron Man” armor, you might have to wait a while longer. But revolutionary “bionic exoskeletons,” like the metal suit worn by comic book hero Tony Stark, might be closer than you think — just don’t expect to fly away in one.

Exoskeleton developers working in rehabilitation are leading the way, creating wearable robotic suits that allow people with lower-body paralysis to walk upright again.

Other developers are hoping to enhance users’ existing strengths, with the DARPA Warrior Web project aiming to produce an undetectable under-suit exoskeleton for the U.S. Military.

Bionics expert Thomas Sugar says that medical and military exoskeletons are going to become a much more common sight — and that exoskeletons for the average person are not far behind.

“In the next five years we’re going to see more and more exoskeletons out there in practice,” says Sugar, associate professor at the Department of Engineering, Arizona State University.

In addition to personal systems being pioneered in Japan that aim to “give aging people a spring back in their step,” Sugar says devices for the active individual or “weekend hiker” are on the horizon: “If you live near where I do and want to go out and hike the Grand Canyon, exoskeleton devices 10-15 years from now could assist you to do that.”

Interactive: Explore the bionic body

But there are hurdles that need to be overcome. Finding batteries powerful enough to fuel an exoskeleton’s motorized joints remains a key stumbling block, explains Sugar. But he says that the real acid test for exoskeletons of the future is whether the device can interpret the user’s intent effectively into action.

“If you look at some of the devices out there, they’re actually quite hard to walk in,” says Sugar. “You’ve got to make sure they really enhance people’s abilities.”

Here are some of the most advanced exoskeletons aiming to supercharge our lives in the near future.

Lockheed Martin HULC

Defense technology developer Lockheed Martin leads the efforts to develop a exoskeleton fit for the battlefield with its Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC).

Exoskeleton helps paralyzed walk

Thoughts move bionic arm

The world’s most advanced bionic leg

Amputee rock climber heals with bionics

The system aims to divert up to 200 lbs in weight through powered titanium legs while allowing the user to move freely.

Lockheed claims that a fully laden soldier will retain the ability to march at 3mph and even break into 10mph sprint “bursts” while wearing the battery-powered HULC.

The system is designed to reduce the stress on the leg and back muscles — a common cause of injury among soldiers — and comes with a Lift Assist Device attachment that allows a soldier to safely lift heavy loads with the strength of two or more men.

Read this: Are bionic superhumans on the horizon?

Cyberdyne HAL-5

HAL made news at the time of the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011, when Japanese firm Cyberdyne ventured its robot suits as the disaster-fighting protection of the future.

While a radiation-resistant model is yet to see action, HAL-5 Type-B has become the first personal exoskeleton robot to receive a global safety certificate.

Cyberdyne says that so far, 330 of the full-body exoskeletons have been leased to hospitals across Japan, where they assist patients with muscle weakness or disabilities due to stroke and spinal cord injuries.

The company boasts that it is the world’s first “cyborg-type robot” as the system interprets faint electrical signals in the skin around damaged muscles and moves the motorized joints in response.

Muscle Suit by Kobalab

Scientists from Tokyo University are gambling that they can beat the competition to launch a superstrong exoskeleton by shunning complex computer systems.

Kobayashi Labs’ Muscle Suit replaces electronic actuator motors with a system of inflatable pneumatic “artificial muscles” to help nurses or care workers carry elderly or ill patients.

Volunteers have been invited to try on the suit, which currently allows users to support 50kg with ease, carrying it with fixed arms, like a walking forklift truck.

Argo ReWalk

Argo’s ReWalk has already propelled former chiropractor Claire Lomas into the record books. Five years after a horseriding accident left Lomas paralyzed from the chest down, she became the first person to complete a marathon in a bionic exoskeleton at the London Marathon in May 2012, while using the ReWalk.

Already on the market for $65,000, the ReWalk enables people with spinal cord injuries to walk again and can now claim 220 trained users around the world.

Competitor Ekso Bionics has seen similar success — claiming to have powered one million steps with its 50lb wearable robot — and will launch a personal version in 2014.

Read: Exoskeleton allows paraplegics to walk

Nasa X-1

What if an exoskeleton inhibited a person’s movement as well and helped it? It doesn’t seem like such a useful idea on Earth — but up in the resistance-free environment of space, Nasa astronauts could benefit from a little hindrance.

The 25kg X-1 has been designed to allow astronauts to exercise without the Earth’s gravitational pull and could be critical for future missions into deep space, NASA says.

The device could improve the health of crew aboard the International Space Station — and potentially during future long-duration missions to far away asteroids or Mars.

The legs have the added benefit of assisting movement, with four motorized joints, if used here on Earth — but there are currently no details on when the legs might see a wider release.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/22/tech/innovation/exoskeleton-robot-suit/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/YnfNilNDZ0I/superhuman-5-robot-suits

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Lockheed Martin’s HULC exoskeleton is designed to allow soldiers to carry superhuman loads.

Cyberdyne’s HAL-5 suit could take rescue workers into dangerous zones in the future. For now, it is allowing hundreds of Japanese patients suffering from muscle weakness to get around.

Kobalabs’ Muscle Suit aims to provide a smart solution for health workers needing to carry people and heavy loads.

The Argo ReWalk aims to give people suffering from paralysis the power to walk again. It has already propelled Claire Lomas (pictured) to the finish of the London Marathon.

Ekso Bionics is also developing exoskeletons for rehabilitation. Here, Architect Robert Woo takes his first steps since a construction accident paralyzed him from the waist down.

Nasa’s X-1 suit could be vital for astronauts venturing into deep space.

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(CNN) — If you’ve been dreaming of strapping on your own “Iron Man” armor, you might have to wait a while longer. But revolutionary “bionic exoskeletons,” like the metal suit worn by comic book hero Tony Stark, might be closer than you think — just don’t expect to fly away in one.

Exoskeleton developers working in rehabilitation are leading the way, creating wearable robotic suits that allow people with lower-body paralysis to walk upright again.

Other developers are hoping to enhance users’ existing strengths, with the DARPA Warrior Web project aiming to produce an undetectable under-suit exoskeleton for the U.S. Military.

Bionics expert Thomas Sugar says that medical and military exoskeletons are going to become a much more common sight — and that exoskeletons for the average person are not far behind.

“In the next five years we’re going to see more and more exoskeletons out there in practice,” says Sugar, associate professor at the Department of Engineering, Arizona State University.

In addition to personal systems being pioneered in Japan that aim to “give aging people a spring back in their step,” Sugar says devices for the active individual or “weekend hiker” are on the horizon: “If you live near where I do and want to go out and hike the Grand Canyon, exoskeleton devices 10-15 years from now could assist you to do that.”

Interactive: Explore the bionic body

But there are hurdles that need to be overcome. Finding batteries powerful enough to fuel an exoskeleton’s motorized joints remains a key stumbling block, explains Sugar. But he says that the real acid test for exoskeletons of the future is whether the device can interpret the user’s intent effectively into action.

“If you look at some of the devices out there, they’re actually quite hard to walk in,” says Sugar. “You’ve got to make sure they really enhance people’s abilities.”

Here are some of the most advanced exoskeletons aiming to supercharge our lives in the near future.

Lockheed Martin HULC

Defense technology developer Lockheed Martin leads the efforts to develop a exoskeleton fit for the battlefield with its Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC).

Exoskeleton helps paralyzed walk

Thoughts move bionic arm

The world’s most advanced bionic leg

Amputee rock climber heals with bionics

The system aims to divert up to 200 lbs in weight through powered titanium legs while allowing the user to move freely.

Lockheed claims that a fully laden soldier will retain the ability to march at 3mph and even break into 10mph sprint “bursts” while wearing the battery-powered HULC.

The system is designed to reduce the stress on the leg and back muscles — a common cause of injury among soldiers — and comes with a Lift Assist Device attachment that allows a soldier to safely lift heavy loads with the strength of two or more men.

Read this: Are bionic superhumans on the horizon?

Cyberdyne HAL-5

HAL made news at the time of the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011, when Japanese firm Cyberdyne ventured its robot suits as the disaster-fighting protection of the future.

While a radiation-resistant model is yet to see action, HAL-5 Type-B has become the first personal exoskeleton robot to receive a global safety certificate.

Cyberdyne says that so far, 330 of the full-body exoskeletons have been leased to hospitals across Japan, where they assist patients with muscle weakness or disabilities due to stroke and spinal cord injuries.

The company boasts that it is the world’s first “cyborg-type robot” as the system interprets faint electrical signals in the skin around damaged muscles and moves the motorized joints in response.

Muscle Suit by Kobalab

Scientists from Tokyo University are gambling that they can beat the competition to launch a superstrong exoskeleton by shunning complex computer systems.

Kobayashi Labs’ Muscle Suit replaces electronic actuator motors with a system of inflatable pneumatic “artificial muscles” to help nurses or care workers carry elderly or ill patients.

Volunteers have been invited to try on the suit, which currently allows users to support 50kg with ease, carrying it with fixed arms, like a walking forklift truck.

Argo ReWalk

Argo’s ReWalk has already propelled former chiropractor Claire Lomas into the record books. Five years after a horseriding accident left Lomas paralyzed from the chest down, she became the first person to complete a marathon in a bionic exoskeleton at the London Marathon in May 2012, while using the ReWalk.

Already on the market for $65,000, the ReWalk enables people with spinal cord injuries to walk again and can now claim 220 trained users around the world.

Competitor Ekso Bionics has seen similar success — claiming to have powered one million steps with its 50lb wearable robot — and will launch a personal version in 2014.

Read: Exoskeleton allows paraplegics to walk

Nasa X-1

What if an exoskeleton inhibited a person’s movement as well and helped it? It doesn’t seem like such a useful idea on Earth — but up in the resistance-free environment of space, Nasa astronauts could benefit from a little hindrance.

The 25kg X-1 has been designed to allow astronauts to exercise without the Earth’s gravitational pull and could be critical for future missions into deep space, NASA says.

The device could improve the health of crew aboard the International Space Station — and potentially during future long-duration missions to far away asteroids or Mars.

The legs have the added benefit of assisting movement, with four motorized joints, if used here on Earth — but there are currently no details on when the legs might see a wider release.

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/fhte6aOZsm8/robot-suits

(Credit:
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

People who write fan fiction could find a paying market for their work courtesy of Amazon.

Unveiled Wednesday, Kindle Worlds is a new publishing venture from Amazon that promises to reward both writers and the original rights holders for new fiction based on existing stories and characters.

Authors who create works of at least 10,000 words in length will receive 35 percent of the net revenue based on the actual sales price, with royalties paid each month. Those who write shorter pieces between 5,000 and 10,000 words will receive a digital royalty of 20 percent of the sales price.

As the program is just getting off the ground, Amazon has signed up one rights holder so far — Warner Bros. Television Group’s Alloy Entertainment division. This agreement paves the way for fan fiction based on the “Gossip Girl” series by Cecily von Ziegesar, “Pretty Little Liars” by Sara Shepard, and “Vampire Diaries” by L.J. Smith.

Amazon said it plans to announce more license agreements soon with an eye toward fan fiction based on books, TV shows, movies, music, and even games.

“Our goal with
Kindle Worlds is to create a home for authors to build on the Worlds we license, and give readers more stories from the Worlds they enjoy,” Philip Patrick, director of business development and publisher of Kindle Worlds, said in a statement. “We look forward to announcing additional World licensing deals in the coming weeks.”

The Kindle Worlds store is expected to open its doors in June with more than 50 stories, some from award-winning authors. The Kindle Worlds self-service submission platform will also launch at that time, allowing anyone to submit a piece of fan fiction.

Writers who want to learn more about the program can check out the Kindle Worlds Web site.

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Lockheed Martin’s HULC exoskeleton is designed to allow soldiers to carry superhuman loads.

Cyberdyne’s HAL-5 suit could take rescue workers into dangerous zones in the future. For now, it is allowing hundreds of Japanese patients suffering from muscle weakness to get around.

Kobalabs’ Muscle Suit aims to provide a smart solution for health workers needing to carry people and heavy loads.

The Argo ReWalk aims to give people suffering from paralysis the power to walk again. It has already propelled Claire Lomas (pictured) to the finish of the London Marathon.

Ekso Bionics is also developing exoskeletons for rehabilitation. Here, Architect Robert Woo takes his first steps since a construction accident paralyzed him from the waist down.

Nasa’s X-1 suit could be vital for astronauts venturing into deep space.

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(CNN) — If you’ve been dreaming of strapping on your own “Iron Man” armor, you might have to wait a while longer. But revolutionary “bionic exoskeletons,” like the metal suit worn by comic book hero Tony Stark, might be closer than you think — just don’t expect to fly away in one.

Exoskeleton developers working in rehabilitation are leading the way, creating wearable robotic suits that allow people with lower-body paralysis to walk upright again.

Other developers are hoping to enhance users’ existing strengths, with the DARPA Warrior Web project aiming to produce an undetectable under-suit exoskeleton for the U.S. Military.

Bionics expert Thomas Sugar says that medical and military exoskeletons are going to become a much more common sight — and that exoskeletons for the average person are not far behind.

“In the next five years we’re going to see more and more exoskeletons out there in practice,” says Sugar, associate professor at the Department of Engineering, Arizona State University.

In addition to personal systems being pioneered in Japan that aim to “give aging people a spring back in their step,” Sugar says devices for the active individual or “weekend hiker” are on the horizon: “If you live near where I do and want to go out and hike the Grand Canyon, exoskeleton devices 10-15 years from now could assist you to do that.”

Interactive: Explore the bionic body

But there are hurdles that need to be overcome. Finding batteries powerful enough to fuel an exoskeleton’s motorized joints remains a key stumbling block, explains Sugar. But he says that the real acid test for exoskeletons of the future is whether the device can interpret the user’s intent effectively into action.

“If you look at some of the devices out there, they’re actually quite hard to walk in,” says Sugar. “You’ve got to make sure they really enhance people’s abilities.”

Here are some of the most advanced exoskeletons aiming to supercharge our lives in the near future.

Lockhead Martin HULC

Defense technology developer Lockheed Martin leads the efforts to develop a exoskeleton fit for the battlefield with its Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC).

Exoskeleton helps paralyzed walk

Thoughts move bionic arm

The world’s most advanced bionic leg

Amputee rock climber heals with bionics

The system aims to divert up to 200 lbs in weight through powered titanium legs while allowing the user to move freely.

Lockheed claims that a fully laden soldier will retain the ability to march at 3mph and even break into 10mph sprint “bursts” while wearing the battery-powered HULC.

The system is designed to reduce the stress on the leg and back muscles — a common cause of injury among soldiers — and comes with a Lift Assist Device attachment that allows a soldier to safely lift heavy loads with the strength of two or more men.

Read this: Are bionic superhumans on the horizon?

Cyberdyne HAL-5

HAL made news at the time of the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011, when Japanese firm Cyberdyne ventured its robot suits as the disaster-fighting protection of the future.

While a radiation-resistant model is yet to see action, HAL-5 Type-B has become the first personal exoskeleton robot to receive a global safety certificate.

Cyberdyne says that so far, 330 of the full-body exoskeletons have been leased to hospitals across Japan, where they assist patients with muscle weakness or disabilities due to stroke and spinal cord injuries.

The company boasts that it is the world’s first “cyborg-type robot” as the system interprets faint electrical signals in the skin around damaged muscles and moves the motorized joints in response.

Muscle Suit by Kobalab

Scientists from Tokyo University are gambling that they can beat the competition to launch a superstrong exoskeleton by shunning complex computer systems.

Kobayashi Labs’ Muscle Suit replaces electronic actuator motors with a system of inflatable pneumatic “artificial muscles” to help nurses or care workers carry elderly or ill patients.

Volunteers have been invited to try on the suit, which currently allows users to support 50kg with ease, carrying it with fixed arms, like a walking forklift truck.

Argo ReWalk

Argo’s ReWalk has already propelled former chiropractor Claire Lomas into the record books. Five years after a horseriding accident left Lomas paralyzed from the chest down, she became the first person to complete a marathon in a bionic exoskeleton at the London Marathon in May 2012, while using the ReWalk.

Already on the market for $65,000, the ReWalk enables people with spinal cord injuries to walk again and can now claim 220 trained users around the world.

Competitor Ekso Bionics has seen similar success — claiming to have powered one million steps with its 50lb wearable robot — and will launch a personal version in 2014.

Read: Exoskeleton allows paraplegics to walk

Nasa X-1

What if an exoskeleton inhibited a person’s movement as well and helped it? It doesn’t seem like such a useful idea on Earth — but up in the resistance-free environment of space, Nasa astronauts could benefit from a little hindrance.

The 25kg X-1 has been designed to allow astronauts to exercise without the Earth’s gravitational pull and could be critical for future missions into deep space, NASA says.

The device could improve the health of crew aboard the International Space Station — and potentially during future long-duration missions to far away asteroids or Mars.

The legs have the added benefit of assisting movement, with four motorized joints, if used here on Earth — but there are currently no details on when the legs might see a wider release.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/22/tech/innovation/exoskeleton-robot-suit/index.html?eref=edition

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If Earth had rings, Congress would have even more glory to bask in, according to this Ron Miller illustration.

(Credit:
Ron Miller)

The sunsets would be impossibly beautiful. The evening sky would glitter with a thousand silver arcs. If Earth had rings like Saturn, you’d only have to look up to get a spectacular show.

Veteran astronomy artist Ron Miller has created some stunning views of what our skies would look like if Earth were a ringed planet, and they make me want to launch a Kickstarter campaign to make it happen.

In a recent article for sci-fi blog io9, Miller presented his wild visions of a ringed Earth and what the sky would look like from various places on our planet.

He notes that Earth did have a ring long ago. It was the result of a cataclysmic planetary crash that precipitated the formation of the moon.

Earth: If you like it, put a ring on it (pictures)

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Saturn’s existing rings did not form moons because the material lies within its Roche limit. That’s the radius within which orbiting bodies will generally disintegrate under gravitational stress. What if the material that went into our moon had been within Earth’s Roche limit? Miller’s visions are a possible answer.

Miller, a former art director at the National Air Space Museum’s Albert Einstein Planetarium, has produced illustrations that have graced nearly every publication with cool science ideas, from Scientific American to Starlog. He has also designed U.S. postage stamps, translated works by Jules Verne, and worked as a production illustrator on “Dune” and “Total Recall.”

He has authored numerous books, including “The Dream Machines,” a comprehensive history of manned spacecraft, and has illustrated dozens of covers for fantasy and science fiction books.

“I am an astronomical illustrator by profession and have always had a special fondness for Saturn,” Miller tells CNET.

“I was looking through some of my old space books and ran across an illustration of what Saturn’s rings might look like from London if the earth possessed the rings, which had been done in the late 1920s.

“It started me thinking that this might make an interesting series of pictures, showing what the rings would look like from different latitudes.”

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Sailing around the globe solo is one of the most grueling adventures on the planet. But it also offers a moving experience, unique insight into nature, and survival skills which stay with the sailor for the rest of their lives. What have these brave seafarers learned from their time on the waves?

In 2010, Australian sailor Jessica Watson became the youngest person to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe, at just 16-years-old. “Staying positive, not letting myself think negatively or sad was a huge asset. Very often it was only when I was upset about something else, that I would feel homesick. And you’d also be surprised what you get used to, after the first week being alone,” she told CNN.

“I think it was actually the years of work and the mental psyching myself up before the voyage that made me realize more about myself, than the voyage itself. I’d spent so long imagining myself on the voyage and questioning whether I’d really be able to do it, so by the time I was ready to leave I felt confident that I’d be able to. Then it was just a matter of getting on with it,” Watson added.

Briton Robin Knox-Johnston made history in 1969 as the first person to sail solo, nonstop around the world. “In my case, because I was sailing a boat, which requires full concentration, I never really had time to feel lonely for more than a few minutes as there was always something to do,” he told CNN.

In 2007 Knox-Johnston again smashed the record books, this time as the oldest person to circumnavigate the globe, at 68-years-old. Knighted in 1995, Knox-Johnston has also been named UK Yachtsman of the Year three times. “I doubt I had been alone for 24 hours before I set out, but once I was sailing, loneliness was not something that I dwelt upon,” he said.

Former schoolteacher Dee Caffari is the first woman to sail single-handedly nonstop around the world in both directions — westward in 2006 and eastward in 2009. “It is only when I had the opportunity to reflect or I spoke to someone at home that I felt those pangs of isolation. But with a great shore team and so many supporters behind me, I really didn’t feel that I was doing it on my own,” Caffari told CNN.

“I was very affected by news of other competitors capsizing or being seriously injured and I suppose hearing about other people having life or death experiences, when they were in exactly the same environment as me, did increase my anxiety. I love what I do and I think you have to focus on the positives in life, otherwise I don’t think you would ever leave the house,” she said.

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Editor’s note: MainSail is CNN’s monthly sailing show, exploring the sport of sailing, luxury travel and the latest in design and technology.

(CNN) — Coming face-to-face with 25-meter waves, spending months on end without human contact, and shrinking your world to the confines of a 10-meter boat.

Who are the superhumans who single-handedly sail around the world?

In many cases they are ordinary people forced to survive in the most extraordinary of circumstances.

Here, three of those record-breaking sailors reveal what they learned from their time on the waves — from coping with loneliness to confronting their own mortality and reaching deep within for inspiration to continue their remarkable journey.

Jessica Watson

At just 16-years-old, Australian schoolgirl Jessica Watson became the youngest person to single-handedly sail nonstop around the world.

She completed the epic seven month journey in 2010, in a 10-meter yacht called Ella’s Pink Spirit.

In 2011, Watson was named Young Australian of the Year and has since written a book on her experience called True Spirit.

CNN: How did you cope with loneliness?

Jessica Watson: From the moment I sailed out of Sydney I missed everyone back home. I wouldn’t just miss family and friends, but also simple things like going for a walk along the beach. But despite missing these things badly, I can honestly say I never felt lonely. Lonely is a Friday night on land when no one has asked you out! It’s somehow different when you’ve chosen to put yourself out there alone.

CNN: What did you discover about yourself?

JW: I learned that you really can achieve anything if you set your mind to it. Before dreaming of sailing around the world I was a scared, shy kid, but it was something I wanted to do enough that I overcame those fears. And these days, on dry land, I’m the biggest wuss again!

CNN: Did it affect your idea of mortality?

JW: I can’t say that voyage affected my idea of mortality. Although it was during one of the most terrifying moments out at sea that I realized how important the people close to me are — not so much being with them, but not wanting to put them through so much hardship.

CNN: What inspired you?

JW: It was the stories of other people who sailed around the world that first put the idea in my head. But it wasn’t so much the adrenalin pumping, adventurous side that appealed to me. As boring as it sounds, it was thinking about how the risks of such a voyage might be minimized and wondering if I really could do it, that had me hooked. Another big part of my motivation was wanting to make people question their perceptions of what a young person or girl is capable of.

Read: Return to waves for Richard Branson’s retro speedboat

CNN: How do you view nature?

JW: When you sit on a boat for 210 days straight with only the very rare glimpse of land, you start to take a lot of notice of nature. One experience I had with a dolphin was a standout. It was during the first storm of the trip, and throughout the worst hours a dolphin swam along next to Pink Lady — a pretty incredible, reassuring presence.

Robin Knox-Johnston

In 1969, Knox-Johnston became the first person to single-handedly sail nonstop around the world.

The yachting legend smashed the record books again in 2006, when at the age of 67 he became the oldest person to circumnavigate the globe solo.

Knighted in 1995, the 74-year-old Londoner is founder of the annual Clipper Round the World Yacht Race for amateur sailors.

Read: The people who quit their jobs to sail in Clipper Race

CNN: Did it affect your idea of mortality?

Robin Knox-Johnston: It certainly did. When you see a 25-meter wave stretching from horizon to horizon, with the top leaning forward and breaking as it rushes towards your boat, you don’t have much time to think. You have to react fast or be swept away. It is afterward, when the wave has swamped over the boat and you emerge wet, shaken and deafened by the roar, that you begin to think that you could have been killed.

CNN: How did you cope with loneliness?

RKJ: I think people can either cope with loneliness or they can’t. In my case, because I was sailing a boat which requires full concentration, I never really had time to feel lonely for more than a few minutes as there was always something to do. When I got back 312 days after starting, I really was totally happy with my own company and had to adjust to being with people again.

CNN: What inspired you?

RKJ: A combination of boredom — I was first officer on a passenger ship and beginning to wonder if I really wanted to do that for the rest of my life — and the fact that Francis Chichester had just sailed around the world with one stop, thus leaving the last thing to be done: to go around alone and without a stop. Once I had thought of the idea it would not let me go.

CNN: How do you view nature?

RKJ: From watching the sun glittering on the sea in the Trades to working through huge icebergs, seeing the birds moving with the seasons; the miracle of spring; the puzzlement as to what caused the Big Bang and what was there before. I view it all with curiosity, respect and awe.

Dee Caffari

In 2009, the former British schoolteacher Dee Caffari became the first woman to sail solo and nonstop around the world — in both east and west directions.

That same year, Caffari and an all-female crew smashed the mono-hull speed record around Britain and Ireland, completing the voyage in six days.

The 40-year-old Briton is also the only woman to have circumnavigated the globe three times.

CNN: How did you cope with loneliness?

Dee Caffari: Prior to my first solo voyage I had never spent any length of time on my own — in fact I had never even lived alone, so it was quite a culture shock for me being at sea with just myself for company for six months. I think being busy and preoccupied with an activity is probably quite a good antidote to loneliness and when you sail solo there is always something to be done on-board. The one thing I really did miss was non-verbal communication. Until it is taken away, you don’t quite realize how much you pick up on from facial expressions and just being present.

CNN: What did you discover about yourself?

DC: I realized that however strong you think you are, when faced with adverse conditions you can always dig that little bit deeper and surprise yourself. On my first voyage I wasted emotional energy at times by getting frustrated and upset, mainly if I was tired or hungry. I learned that looking after myself physically had a huge impact on my emotional stability and once you know what the triggers are, you can learn to manage yourself better.

Read: Life of daredevil sailing photographer

CNN: What inspired you?

DC:My father was a strong influence on me and his encouragement to get on and do things instead of talking about them is a bit of a mantra for me in life. Of course, sailing legends such as Sir Peter Blake and Sir Chay Blyth have also been key figures that have inspired me in my career. When I am out on the water, I find that the elements themselves are inspirational.

CNN: How do you view nature?

DC: I am privileged to have sailed in some of the most remote environments on the planet and I have seen nature at its rawest and most hostile. I have also seen the most beautiful things like stunning sunsets, amazing wildlife, and even humans look pretty good after being at sea for six months!

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/16/travel/wisdom-from-the-sea/index.html?eref=edition

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