Who doesn’t want a robot to clean the house, put the dishes back in the cupboard, feed the pets and clear a cluttered table? Those types of life sucking chores are the exact reason we always dream of having the little guys around in the first place.

The problem with robots is that we are always comparing them to us. Our brains calculate at such a blazing speed that robots just don’t have the time to catch up. The easy part is observing all of the visual and auditory data. The analysis is the part where our poor number crunching minions have their troubles.

Until now, robots needed to use preprogrammed three-dimensional objects. If it didn’t recognize an object it had trouble interacting with it. A perception system is the key. The STAIR (Stanford Artificial Intelligence Robot) by Andrew Ng and Aaron Edsinger aims to perceive the 3D world in real time.

They rigged a system together with fragmented technologies: machine learning, computer vision, speech recondition and grasping hardware. The real feat, however, is the algorithm for grasping. It identifies a midpoint of graspable edges on any object, such as a handle. This may not sound like rocket science, but it makes the difference between a smart robot and a preprogrammed machine.

It still is a long way off from performing tasks, such as making me bacon and eggs in the morning. But then again, we can’t all be perfect. That is, until we’re perfected.

[Technology Review]

In 2001 fourteen companies were bidding to make the first functional exoskeleton for the army. Now the hybrid man-machine has become a reality. I can hear it now, “We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better…stronger…faster.”

Salt Lake City based Sarcos is well known as the creators of the Bellagio fountains. Defense contractor Raytheon didn’t recently buy them because they were impressed with entertainment value. Sarcos was the one company that pulled ahead in the race to build a robotic exoskeleton.

The original intent of the project was to assist ground troops in lifting heavier objects and give them the ability to leap further and run faster. They’ve really hit their marks, as the video below clearly shows.

So what does it feel like to be strapped in as a cyborg? John Main, chief of the Pentagon’s exoskeleton research arm told New Scientist, “It makes you feel really, really strong. You get the sensation that you have a lot of strength. I sort of felt like The Hulk and I’m a skinny guy. I wore a 100-pound weight on my back and it felt I was carrying nothing like that amount.”

Although there are so many implications for this technology, you can’t help but think of what it’s actually going to be put to use for. You don’t exactly plan to integrate a bullet-proof shielded suit for heavy lifting back at the base.

Originally powered by an internal combustion engine, this model could very well use lightweight and compact rocket motors. Either way they still have a few kinks to work out before these go into the field. It’s exciting and a bit eerie all at the same time.

For the first time in history a company will be able to scan your DNA and tell you the history of your cells, where you’ve been for the past billion years and where your genetic future is going. 23andMe, a silicon valley startup with links to Google offers you the chance to shell out $999 for a personal map of your genomic profile.

Why would anyone beyond scientists and researchers want to do this? The company says because the information could be as fun as tracing family food preferences, sleeping habits and seeing which grandparent passed down your athletic ability. On a more serious note it will also give you insight as to what diseases and conditions you’re predisposed to – all the way from glaucoma to cancer.

The challenge isn’t behind uncovering the data. It’s finding a way to present it to both the layperson and a researcher. That’s really where this service aims to shine. The massive amount of information will be linked to current and future research. Right after you read about a new disease study you can go online and look to see if you are predisposed to that ailment in real time. While the novice will have very minimalistic reports, anyone can scan deeper. Possibly even to become a genetic hobbyist, where you’ll realize that access to your detailed information is already at your fingertips.

The founders of the company envision groups of people getting together that may share genotypes on a type of social-networking engine. They would have the potential to be involved in research work, which would help to exponentially advance the field of genetics.

Genetics changes the nature of medicine, it changes the predictions of medicine and how medicine works. For instance, what if you find that you have a personal genetic variation that makes you 50% more likely to get getting breast cancer? Armed with that information you can take preventative measures, find out what you need to avoid/do and even take drugs that are specifically trailered to your DNA.

We’re just beginning to learn what we came from and where we are. It’s exciting that in 2003 the map of our common genetic sequence was completed by the Human Genome Project. The costs associated were upward of $3 billion. Four years later we are able to take portions of our own DNA and have them genotyped, finding references to the past and future for a mere fraction of the cost.

For more information on the importance of genetics please take a look at this TED video by Juan Enriquez:

[Guardian]

The death of supersonic air travel baffled me. In a world with unlimited capabilities and exponential advances in technology, the Concorde still used 1960’s technology. Then one day in 2003 it was retired and since there have been no commercial flights over Mach 1.

Aerion, a private US based company plans to remedy that. Their supersonic business jet will be capable of 1.6 times the speed of sound (1,186 mph, 1,909 km/h). That’s a hop across the pond from NY to Paris in about four hours. It’s also capable of scaling down its speed to prevent sonic booms when flying across land.

They intend to use readily available engines and maintain that exotic structural material isn’t necessarily required. In most respects it would be similar to current business jets with a cruising ceiling of 51,000 feet. That eliminates the need for technical altitude certification.

They intend to bring supersonic back to the people by 2014. Well, by people I mean to say the super rich. But at a $80 million price tag it is affordable alongside other jets in the luxury class. A Sheikh in the UAE was the first to cough up the $250,000 deposit. Others in the Middle East and Europe are expected to follow.

It’s my hope that these jets become more efficient and cheaper to build. With time we might actually see a commuter supersonic jet enter into service that doesn’t cost $10k for a one way trip and have a limited flight path. But then, only time will tell.

Anyone would be weary to lend $50 to a stranger on the street, so why should you do it over the web? That’s because the numbers at Prosper.com, the first person-to-person lending marketplace in the US, have proven to be quite lucrative.

The website came to my attention after it was mentioned by commenter Drew Smith after I wrote an article on microfinance last month. The concept is sweet and simple. People seek loan amounts between $1,000 to $25,000. They then have a period of open bidding (like on eBay) where several lenders, like you, can bid in increments until their total loan need is met. Even if you have as little as $5,000 to invest, you can spread $50 increments between one hundred people with different risk levels to protect yourself from default, or not being paid back.

Borrowers post a story explaining what the money will be going towards, along with their credit score and debt to income ratio. Stories vary from paying off a house to preparing a large Thanksgiving meal for the family. Different levels of borrower risk dictate the APR, which is chosen by you as a lender.

An independent statistic website, LendingStats, gives you the skinny on how much to expect back. At the moment the true default rate is at 2.8%. That is very low, but you also have to take delinquencies, cancellations and repurchased loans into the equation, which would settle more along the lines of 12% in the red. Remember, if you spread out your money across the board one true default isn’t going to hurt you too much. Even though that $50 bill is gone, the other 99 $50 bills you sent out are coming back with interest rates as high as a consistent 20.6%.

So now that you’ve waited three years to cash in on your investment, how much are you going to make? Lets say the $5,000 initial investment was lent at 20.6% to C-credit borrowers over 36 months. The payment for them would be $187.35 x 36 = $6,744.60. Now take out your original investment, $6744.60 – $5,000 = You are walking away with $1,744.60.

Compare that to investing that money for 3 years at the average of the S&P 500 with a net profit of $978.52. One might even argue that as a long term strategy, lending money based on credit worthiness comes with less risk and more consistent returns than the stock market. Most money managers would have to agree. They have trouble even matching the S&P.

This innovative take on banking is new, as Prosper has only been operating for two years now. Bold initiatives like this humanize finance and allow us to find a way around dealing with banks for unsubsidized loans. I think it’s brilliant and will be keeping an eye on Prosper as well as other Web 2.0 startups that intend to change the face of B&M finance.