Virtual reality umbrella shares vibe of guerrilla rain, frog falls and more

This week’s Digital Content Expo at Miraikan is one of the less corporate tech shows on the Tokyo calendar, so it’s no surprise to see some pretty kooky engineering like the Funbrella from a grad-student team at Osaka University.

Kansai’s finest came up with the concept of ‘tele-rain’ to allow anyone holding the Funbrella to experience what it might be like to get caught in a hailstorm on a sunny day, a shower of marbles, or even a downpour of snakes and hamburgers. Er, yeah.

If that makes no sense at all, then check out their vid for an explanation – skip to 1min 40secs in if you just want the hardcore science. Basically, they’ve connected a computer and a vibrating mechanism based on audio speaker technology to an ordinary umbrella and let their imaginations run riot.

I asked Associate Professor Yuichi Itoh what started it all: “The main theme of our laboratory is to develop novel user interfaces with virtual reality technology. So, our students decided to create something new with the technologies researched in our laboratory.”

But why the umbrella theme? “At that time, we had lots of so-called [sudden downpours of] guerrilla rain [in other parts of Japan]. The TV news spoke of its impact on our daily lives, but we had never experienced it, [so] we decided to develop the Funbrella to experience various kinds of rain, with the technology generating accurate vibrations.”

More romantically, the team suggests it could help folk separated by physical distance share the feeling of gutsing out the same storm together, perhaps while talking on the phone.

As for commercial applications, there aren’t really any yet, but Itoh and his crew are all ears if you have any suggestions for the Funbrella.

(Via Osaka University)

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Japanese Cigarette Machines Can Detect Age Of Buyers

Gadget Lab predicts that there will be new fashion amongst underaged Japanese smokers: stupid, wispy, half-grown bum-fluff mustaches. Why? Age-detecting cigarette machines. In order to combat illegal vending sales to the under 20s, Fujitaka Co has come up with a machine which uses a digital camera to study the faces of potential buyers and detect “wrinkles surrounding the eyes, bone structure and skin sags”.
The problem is that the device only achieves a 90% hit rate, meaning that “minors that look older, and baby-faced adults” could fool the machine. These unfortunates will be asked to insert their driving licenses.
The potential for insult here is high, although I know a few people who would be so happy to be thought younger than they are that the temporary lack of fags* would be trivial. We suggest that to be fully effective, though, the machine should detect sallow skin, sunken cheeks and yellowing teeth.

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Sega Toys Homestar Planetarium

For those of us who live in big cities, when we look up to the skies at night, all we see is an empty and opaque sky cover, tampered with pollution and the city lights. We forget the sky above us, is filled with stars, galaxies and other celestial bodies. We forget how contemplating starry skies heals, inspires and energizes our souls.

To change all that, Sega Toys from Japan and award winning inventor and genius, Takayuki Ohira created The Homestar Pro Portable Planetarium series. The 2nd edition of Sega Toys Homestar Pro features a high quality projection lens, resulting in brighter and more detailed stars. Capable of projecting 60.000 cintilating stars, constelations, the earth and the moon onto your ceiling, wall or any other surface. This new version also includes a Full Moon & Earth sidereal original plate and a horoscope projection to connect each distinctive horoscope signs. It's also an excellent tool to be used in schools or for other educational purposes.
 
 

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Super Slim Video Camera Pen

   

New pen camcorder brought by Japanese gadget maker Thanko. This is a super slim pen video & audio recorder, ideal to record hidden transactionsor or else. The camera is hidden just above the clip making it perfect for placing the pen in your top pocket and having a clear recording of everything that the wearer is seeing.

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Invader Alarm Clock

We know that you eat and sleep gaming... But do you wake up to it? That is exactly what you can do with the retro-looking Invader Alarm Clock. This bug-shaped harbinger of lucidity will allow you to be awakened by a tiny space invader, just in time for you to slip into another marathon of virtual reality. Just set your alarm and let the intergalactic assassins do the rest.

 

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