Bill Christensen
Latest articles by Bill Christensen

Israel's 'Futuristic' Bionic Hornet is 70 Years Old
By Bill Christensen published
In his excellent 1936 short story The Scarab, science fiction writer Raymond Z. Gallun describes exactly what the Israelis seem to want - a remote-controlled robotic device no larger than an insect.

Antiviral Paint Kills Flu on Contact
By Bill Christensen published
The polymer seems to gouge holes in a microbe's cell wall and then spill out its contents.

U.S. Air Force Seeks Voice-Transformation Technology
By Bill Christensen published
Opinion Researchers are being solicited to help ordinary human airmen disguise their voices, even to sound like another person altogether.

Robot Swims Like a Squid
By Bill Christensen published
This kind of robot is called "bio-mimetic" because it imitates characteristics of living things.

Miniature Robot to Power Through the Spine
By Bill Christensen published
Researchers have created a novel propulsion system for a miniature robot to travel through the spinal canal, returning images to doctors like an endoscope.

Snake-Like Robot Handles Tight Spots
By Bill Christensen published
The flexible arm can deliver tools into spots where construction could not previously be automated.

Bionic Dolphin Cruises at 80 mph
By Bill Christensen published
The Bionic Dolphin is a remarkable submersible hydrofoil that can cruise underwater as fast as a real dolphin and zip across the surface even faster.

PaPeRo, the New Robot Nanny
By Bill Christensen published
PaPeRo robot nanny is the latest in a series of robots for the home.

Genetic Upper Class: Could the Human Race Split?
By Bill Christensen published
Could the human species split in two over time due to evolutionary pressures as predicted by science fiction writer H.G. Wells? While the idea is fascinating, the science is flimsy.

Bio-Shirt Monitors Athletes
By Bill Christensen published
The shirts are designed to monitor various physiological parameters so elite athletes don't push themselves too hard.

Robots Staff Automated Restaurants
By Bill Christensen published
In his 1912 story A Princess of Mars, early science fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs dreamed about automated restaurants. Now fiction is becoming fact.

Snail Mail with Real Snails
By Bill Christensen published
RealSnailMail is a performance art piece in which the artists create snail mail with real snails.

Robot Grabs and Solves Rubik's Cube
By Bill Christensen published
RuBot II is an amazing robot that can easily pick up and solve the Rubik's cube puzzle game in a completely interactive (and talkative!) way.

Web Site Allows Searching for Friends in Photos
By Bill Christensen published
Polar Rose is a new search engine now being tested that will allow you to find anyone in any photo on any site.
Space Yogurt Made With Astro-Bacteria
By Bill Christensen published
The bacteria were sent into space, and only the strong survived. They supposedly take the taste of this new yogurt to a new level.
Online Virtual World Mimics Sci-Fi
By Bill Christensen published
Second Life, the wildly popular 3-D virtual world website, is attracting corporations as well as people

New Software Tracks Swarms of Insects or Robots
By Bill Christensen published
Open-source SwisTrak system lets researchers track multiple, mobile, marker-less miniature objects.

Robots Get Soft, Human-Like Skin
By Bill Christensen published
Cosmetics manufacturer Kao Corporation and a Keio University research team led by robotics professor Takashi Maeno have developed artificial skin that feels just like yours. Or even softer.

Fish Explores Land with Robotic Device
By Bill Christensen published
First time on land? Terranaut, the robotic exploration vehicle art project by Seth Weiner, is definitely the way to go.

'Minority Report' Ads Are In Your Future
By Bill Christensen published
Like technology from the movie, BluScreen identifies passers-by using their Bluetooth-enabled cellphones

Sci-Fi Device Turns iPod into Private Theater
By Bill Christensen published
Icuity iWear turns a video iPod into a 44-inch virtual theater.

Death Disks: Urban Flying Saucers Designed for U.S. Military
By Bill Christensen published
The 3-D maneuverability of Frisbee-shaped robots could prove advantageously nimble and lethal in city settings.
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