2008-09-05

Dolphin speedboat makes a splash-外形想海豚的潜水艇


A dolphin-inspired cross between a jetski and a submarine is the latest millionaire plaything making a big splash.

The Seabreacher can glide on top or below water at high speed - and it has enough power to soar out of the water and fly through the air and perform stunts.

The two-man £30,000 craft has been designed to mimic the shape of a dolphin and self-rights whenever it splashes down.

The mini-submarine has a top speed of 45mph over the surface of the water and half that when it dives under.

The 15ft fibre-glass machine can stay under for long periods as it has a snorkel that supplies air to its 1,500cc, 215hp marine engine.

Its Californian creators custom-build up to 20 of the crafts a year, mainly for the super-rich yachting market. Its see-through polycarbonate canopy is half-an-inch thick and is the same used on F-16 fighter jets.

Rob Innes, of design company Innespace, said: "You can drive it just like a boat with the canopy open at full speed of 45mph on the surface.

"It can do 20mph below the water. If you go below snorkel depth you run out of air for the engine and you stay under for 20 seconds before the craft will automatically surface. But with the snorkel system in use you can stay under for longer."

2008-09-02

世界最快环保快艇地球竞赛Earthrace号完成任务


"地球竞赛"号于今年4月27日从西班牙萨贡托市起航,开始环球航海旅行,除了使用绿色燃料外,"地球竞赛"号也具有其它生态友好型特征,例如无毒油 漆。"地球竞赛"号是在奥克兰历时14个月建造完成的,建造成本大约为350万美元。现在这个任务已经完成了,总共时间是60天23小时49分钟。 打破了由英国船只"有线和无线冒险家"(Cable and Wireless Adventurer)号保持的世界纪录。"有线和无线冒险家"号环球航行时间达74天23个小时53分钟。

Toshiba 展出让电视拥有手势、图片辨识操作等功能的外挂


Toshiba 位在英国剑桥(Cambridge)的研究实验室,这次在 IFA 上带给大家图片辨识与手势辨识与电视操作结合的技术。

手 势辨识主要是透过摄影机捕捉人手的动作,一旦握拳则进入操作模式,放松变为掌面则表示关闭操作,算是相当直觉。 在握拳的时候,拳头便可做为光标操作的指令输入端,而手掌除了可以解除指令之外,也可以拿来在作为三度空间影像的转动、移动,不过目前的效果并没有相当理 想就是。

图片辨识的部份,透过事先建立的图片数据,一旦将特定的图片经由摄影机、软件辨识后,电视即可进行所对应的操作。除了这两项操作方式之外,Toshiba 也在研发语音以及其它的电视操作方式。