Gizmodo: vibration

NASA Proposes High-Tech Fix for Shaking Moon Rocket: Springs

Kit Eaton — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:55:00 EDT

Development of NASA's Ares Moon rockets continues apace, despite criticisms from an team designing an alternative. Now NASA engineers have announced how they're going to deal with a potentially serious vibration problem in the crew-launched Ares I: springs.

During the development and early testing of the smaller Ares I rocket, there've been fears that uneven fuel burning in the motor could lead to high-g shaking when in flight. If the shaking builds to a high enough intensity, it could be deadly to both the crew and vehicle.

So Ares Is will have an adaptive damping system built into the rocket base: essentially spring-mounted weights, with smart springs that can be adjusted so the system compensates for severe vibrations—a little like some anti-earthquake systems employed in modern buildings.

Apparently the design team has enough margin in the power-weight ratio of the rocket's current configuration to accommodate the extra safety equipment. "I'm comfortable that they'll be able to absorb the mass impact that these things imply, with no problem," said the Constellation program manager. Though whether or not this adds more delays to the development of the rockets remains to be seen. [New Scientist]

Vibrating Alarm Clock Jiggles Your Face Awake

Jason Chen — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:20:00 EDT

We've seen a couple vibrating alarm clocks before, but none as slick looking as this Karlsson version. By day it looks like a cordless phone sitting in a rounded base. By night it looks like a cordless phone slipped under your pillow in order to jostle your head awake in the morning. As great as this is, Joel of Boing Boing Gadgets notes that you can easily set your phone as a vibrating alarm as a more "free" solution. Though if you want to play it safe and not have cellphone radiation force its way through your skull for eight hours a night in order to get a signal—which may or may not be hazardous—this seems like the better way to go. [Lazy Bone UK via Technabob via Oh Gizmo via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Could I Have a Match? Try Vibrators and Nintendo Wiimotes

Jack Loftus — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Remember when it was cool to joke about how the vibrating Wii remote looked, felt and behaved pretty much like a vibrator? No? Well, too bad, because it turns out that the two were more similar than the light-hearted humor suggested. In fact, both tools of pleasure employ technology built from a patent from the same company, Immersion.

Sure, Immersion uses an alter ego, "Internet Services, LLC," as an alias for when it licenses the rights to its "teledildonic gaming devices" patent to pleasure seekers of the flesh variety, but it's still the same tech at heart. Next up: A DIY project that turns the Wii Fit balance board into a customized Tantric sit-and-spin BMI calculator. Who's with me? [Boing Boing Gadgets]

Sour Milk Detector Saves Your Olfactory Receptors

Haroon Malik — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:45:00 EDT

Boffins have developed a smart chip that indicates whether milk has turned sour at the checkout, saving you the potentially unpleasant task of deciphering the health of the white stuff when you get home. The device will be sensitive to the thickness of the container's contents, and when it passes by the cashier's scanner it will begin to vibrate. If the contents is too thick, the vibration will be slower than expected and visa versa. Any detection of irregular speed vibrations will lead to an alarm being set off at the checkout, saving you cash and hassle.

The detectors are to cost about a penny a carton, and they will have a wider implementation than just milk should initial tests work out well. Kelis was ever so confident her milkshake would bring all the boys to the yard and now we know why—she obviously had a beta sour milk detector device. Kudos, Kelis. [Daily Mail]

PS3 Vibration Return Confirmed?

Jason Chen — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 20:00:35 EDT

This could just be a case of a mistaken developer, but Cory Barlog, a guy working on the PS3 version of God of War 3, has said there will be SIXAXIS and vibration support in the upcoming game. Wait, vibration support? Through the "standard" SIXAXIS controller? Does this mean that Sony's recent settlement with Immersion is really going to bring vibration back to the PS3? We hope so. – Jason Chen

God of War 3 Confirmed, With Vibration! [gwn]

Sony Settles Vibrator Dispute, Rumble Coming Back?

Travis Hudson — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 13:45:14 EST

Sony and Immersion have settled their long-faught lawsuit regarding the rumble technology Sony uses in its controllers. The deal reached between Sony and Immersion would open a door allowing Sony to add this technology to the Sixaxis controllers for the PS3. Immersion's CEO has already stated that a technical proposal for rumble PS3 controllers will be made very soon.

Immersion originally sued Sony for $97.2 million for patent infringement, which Sony quickly appealed. To continue selling PS2 accessories, Sony paid Immersion $30.6 million, but left the vibrating feature out of the PS3 controller claiming that the rumble feature would not work with a motion sensing controller, which may or may not be true (but sounds like a lot of BS to me). So what happens if they do re-release the Sixaxis? Will the people who already purchased controllers be SOL? –Travis Hudson

Sony, vibration tech maker end patent dispute [News.com]

BeCell Motorless Vibrating Headphones

Gizloco — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:29:25 EDT

BeCell announced the VSG160G, a pair of headphones with a built-in, motorless vibration feature. The benefits of having violent jolts pressed against your ears are still suspect, but BeCell's bass vibration technology will see to it that you'll find out one way or another. The headphones are compatible with any device equipped with the proper inputs, so no need to worry about being pigeon-holed into some second rate BeCell Mega-Multimedia-Hub. One battery provides enough juice for 12 hours of playtime; no word on whether or not the battery explodes randomly.

Alas, no information regarding price or availability is known about the BeCell VSG160G, which isn't so big a deal once you consider that it's certainly not the only pair of headphones to offer vibration. – Nicholas Deleon

BeCell 160G Vibrating head phones for gaming [New Launches]

iTan ITN-VR10 Vibrating Headphones

Gizloco — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 13:32:01 EDT

There's nothing quite like the soothing and comforting sensations brought about by having vibrating objects on your person. Japanese manufacturer RWC takes this idea and runs with it with its iTan ITN-VR10, a pair of vibrating headphones that should be compatible with all electronic devices with a 3.5" headphone jack. Unless the Google translation is lying, there's a switch on the headphones that switches the vibration function on and off, which accompanies the more bass-heavy sounds.

RWC is suggesting that the vibration function will bring people "into" whatever they're listening to, be it video games or arena rock. You really can't argue with the price, though, which is only about $34. It's due out in Japan on June 26 in both black and white, so be prepared to hit the local importers. – Nicholas Deleon

Press Release (in Japanese) [RWC via OhGizmo!]

PS3 Controllers Don't Vibrate Because They're Cheap

johnb — Thu, 18 May 2006 12:32:01 EDT

The PS3 won't have vibrating controllers because the plastic they're made of is cheap and flimsy, says Immersion, maker of vibrating controllers. These sound like harsh words until you consider that they guy who said them, Immersion CEO Victor Viegas, has successfully sued Sony for infringing on their vibrating controller patent and now stands to lose quite a bit of licensing cash.

Sony, however, still blames the non-vibrating design on the gesture-based hardware inside the controller which allows you to move the controller around a bit in three dimensions. Sure, Sony. Sure.

Ready to Rumble? Immersion's Victor Viegas on PlayStation 3's Lack of Vibration [GamaSutra via TheInquirer]

A Vibrating Mouse For Those Lonely Nights

Gizloco — Tue, 02 May 2006 18:18:13 EDT

Here's a fine piece of technology sure to get every gal's attention. It's an everyday mouse, but with an added vibration feature. Such space age vibration technology means the mouse costs $22, which is actually not too bad if you take into account that the mouse apparently stinks. While in vibrating mode, the mouse simply cannot be used to move around and point to things, but only to click. Its two buttons and mouse wheel do little to alleviate the the fact that the vibration function, presumably tacked on to function as a stress reliever, seems to be little more than a gimmick. It's also only compatible with Windows, so Mac and Linux users will have to find another way to combine the dionysian pleasures of vibration and gadgets.

Product Page (in Japanese) [WebShopping via Everything USB]

Sony Vibration Goodness

Travis Hudson — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 15:07:16 EST

Yes, the day has finally arrived; Sony is getting into the vibrating dildonics market that we have been waiting forever for. LOLLERS I'm just joshing you. This is the "Touch Engine Module" being produced and released by Sony. It uses a piezoelectric vibrator that allows touch panel devices to vibrate when touched. It is also really small and low voltage so usage in portable devices could be easily done. They have begun shipping samples out currently and it is already being used in a Sony broadcasting controller board.

Does yours vibrate when touched? [We-make-money]

Vibrating Chairs In Japan - Sadly Quite Tame

gizguest — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 14:35:54 EDT

I haven't enjoyed the comfort of a vibrating bed since I went to a wedding in the throbbing metropolis of Freer, Texas a few years back, and stayed in the safari-themed room of the nicer of the town's two hotels. I say it was safari-themed because it had a zebra print shower curtain. I'm not sure there are too many vibrating beds in the middle of the Serengeti. If there aren't, adding some would instantly class up the joint, because nothing says class like a piece of coin-operated vibrating furniture.

Some Japanese movie theaters are hip to this, and have installed vibrating seats in their theaters. For an extra 200 yen, moviegoers are given a special token they feed into their chair that makes it shake in sync to the movie's soundtrack. They use "vibro-transducer devices", which surprisingly, given the context, don't appear to have any bizarre sexual applications. — CL

Vibrating seats add extra thrills at the movies [asahi.com]