Stern Pinball is one of a few companies that still make pinball machines, electro-mecanical systems that even the most skilled players never actually beat the game. Like any form of gaming, pinball machines have come a long way, from what was once mechanical systems only eventually added electricity, added computer systems, and even starting to use LCD monitors, blurring the line between mechanical games and computer games. Using over 30,000 parts taking hours to assemble its an impressive engineering project lead by just a handful of people.
When you think of robots, you think of large solid machines that can be heavy and difficult to move around, but researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a way to make robots that fold themselves together. Built flat like pieces of paper they use magnetic forces to bend and fold its plastic and metal structure to form it into more practical shapes, from simple boxes and wheels, to more complex shapes that allow it to push, carry or travel across the environment. While these are small and still require human operators, the researchers are looking at ways to incorporate artificial intelligence and allow these origami robots some self-control, potentially making they powerful tools in medical or reach and rescue type operations
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Mr. WelkerTechnology Teacher at Southeast Raleigh High School. Archives
October 2019
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