Robot Doctor

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, an avatar is an icon, graphic, or other image by which a person represents himself or herself on a communications network or in a virtual community. It’s common knowledge that people create avatars for use in role playing games, such as World of Warcraft.

Courtesy Google Images

iRobot, a Bedford, Massachusetts company, develops robots for mundane tasks such as vacuuming and the not-so-mundane, such as bomb disposal. They have partnered with InTouch Health and created a robot avatar, RP-Vita. The RP-Vita is about 5’ 4” tall and according to InTouch Health was designed “to transform the delivery of acute care by expanding the use of remote consults and increasing the workflow efficiency.”

Courtesy Google Images

Basically, a screen is mounted atop a mobile base. This screen allows a doctor to interact, remotely, with a patient. According to DVICE, medical professionals will be able to control the unit with iPads and monitor patients with two-way cameras. They’ll be able to perform exams and diagnose anything from a melanoma to dilated pupils. Seven hospitals in North America have started using the RP-Vita.

I don’t like it. If a patient’s condition required a consult from some expert who was half a world away or if patient’s were in quarantine, I could understand the need for the RP-Vita . But it seems like the vision is for medical professionals to conduct the bulk of their examinations remotely.

If I were lying in a hospital bed and a machination rolled in and started to examine me I think I’d find that disconcerting. What the hell, my doctor can’t even see me in person? It seems like this is a step toward removing personal contact between physician and patient. I don’t like it.

Is anyone concerned that the future of medicine could be getting too impersonal?

Cool Cars

I’m not a car guy; never have been, probably never will be. I know squat about cars other than where to put the gas, how to change a battery, a tire and various light bulbs, and how to refill the washer fluid. Thirty years ago, I used to change my own oil but it’s so much easier to have someone else do that.

1955 Chevy Courtesy Google Images

You can count on one hand the number of classic car shows I’ve been to and I couldn’t tell the difference between a ’55 or a ’57 Chevy. At the risk of having my man-card revoked, I’ll admit I find car shows … boring.

1957 Chevy Courtesy Google Images

However, as with many things in life, you do not have to be an enthusiast to appreciate something awesome.

And awesome describes the Terrafugia TF-X™ flying car and the Egoista from Lamborghini.

Terrafugia’s website says they intend to catalyze a revolution in personal mobility. According to Terrafugia the commercial aviation industry has an impressive safety record but flying can be a hassle. They state the average commuter spends nearly five hours a week stuck in traffic, and globally, more than one million people die in car crashes each year. It is their desire to combine the safety of flight with the convenience of the automobile.

Courtesy Google Images

Terrafugia’s website says they intend to catalyze a revolution in personal mobility. According to Terrafugia, the commercial aviation industry has an impressive safety record but flying can be a hassle. They state the average commuter spends nearly five hours a week stuck in traffic, and globally, more than one million people die in car crashes each year. It is their desire to combine the safety of flight with the convenience of the automobile.

Terrafugia envisions the TF-X™ as a street legal, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that will fit in a standard one-car garage and carry four people. EXTREMETECH reports that the TF-X™ is based on proven technology – the Marine Corps V-22 Osprey. It’s about a decade away from being available to the public and will probably cost close to $500,000.

Courtesy Google Images

Then there’s the Egoista. I like this car is it reminds me of the Batmobile. According to the Daily News, the Egoista has a single seat, boasts a 600 horsepower, V-10 engine (even I know that’s big) and has active aerodynamic aids that include a variety of flaps that open and close “depending on the driving conditions.”

Egoista is Italian for selfish and I think that is what Lamborghini is … selfish. The company does not plan to go into production with the Egoista. Not that it would matter to me … the estimated cost of the Egoista would be in the millions.

If I was a car enthusiast, and money were no object, I could be swayed to ooh and aah over these two driving machines. Anyone care to take a spin around the block in one of these concept cars?

Time to Clean Out

My mom passed on Feb 2^nd of this year. I can’t believe it’s been more than three months. She passed quietly but her passing did not go unnoticed. She had a boatload of friends and family who still mourn her passing.

After her passing there were a host of things we had to do, starting with the memorial service. (The burial will come later this year or next year. She donated her remains to the UMASS Medical School in Worcester,MA. Once the school is through with her remains, they will cremate her and return her ashes to us.)

Mom’s memorial service in February coincided with the big snow storm. As a result, the service was not as well attended as she deserved. We had people in from out of town so rescheduling wasn’t really an option. But we worked through it. Them we worked through all the financial and insurance paperwork/issues. Presently, we are in the cleanup/cleanout phase.

Since 2001, Mom lived with my family. She had a very large bedroom with her own full bathroom. One would not have thought she could have accumulated that much stuff … one would have thought wrong.

Courtesy Google Images

Mom was a big fan of carousels. When the merry-go-round at Heritage State Park in Holyoke, MA reopened in 1993, Mom was there to take a spin. Everyone knew that Mom would appreciate gifts relating to carousels … and she got a lot of them. By the mid 2000s, she cried “Uncle” and asked that folks stop giving her carousels as she had no more space.

So what do you get a woman in her late 80’s that doesn’t need anything? VCR tapes … CDs … DVDs … cloths … all that and more.

Thus far, we’ve worked our way through her bathroom and most of her bedroom. There are so many unopened items.

VCR packs – the 30^th anniversary edition of My Fair Lady, for example.  In case you are wondering, in 2014 we will be celebrating the 50^th anniversary of My Fair Lady. There were sweaters, sweatshirts, blouses and pants with the tags still on them, baubles still in the original packaging, colognes, body washes and lotions unopened.

Apparently, you can give the woman who has everything, something … you just cannot make her use it.

But you know what? That was Mom. She’d smile, say thank you and you went away happy.

Anyone else have a cleanup tale they’d like to share?

Home Fire Safety

Home fire safety, also known as fire prevention, is a topic that should get a lot of attention – no matter the time of year. It seems as if every morning the local news is detailing another house or apartment fire.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,389,500 fires in 2011. These fires resulted in 3,005 civilian fire fatalities, 17,500 civilian fire injuries and an estimated $11,659,000,000 in direct property loss.

A few “no-brainer” fire prevention tips are:

·         Don’t leave a stove unattended

·         Make certain your smoke detectors are in good working order

·         Don’t smoke in bed

·         Make certain that electrical appliances and cords are in good working order

·         Have an escape plan (in our house, we have a two-story fire escape ladder)

But I think the biggest tip is … vigilance. One misstep can lead to a disaster.

Many years ago, I was apartment sitting. The first time I entered the apartment, I noted an acrid smell. My friends had left a light on and their cat knocked the lamp onto a knit blanket. I arrived when the blanket was just beginning to smolder.

Whew! Close call!

A couple weeks ago my wife and I were visiting friends for an overnight. They set us up in their guest bedroom. We needed pillows so our friends informed us that there were a bunch in the bedroom closet. I reached for the topmost one but it wouldn’t budge. How does a pillow get stuck in a closet, I wondered.

Apparently, fairly easy … if the light is left on and the pillow rests against the light for any length of time. I have no idea how long that pillow had been in that position, but the pillow completely enveloped the bulb that burned through it.

I shudder to think about the “what ifs.”

• What if our friends had gone out and the light was left on?
• Would they have a place to come home to?
• What if the light had been left on overnight? That scenario is even scarier.

Thankfully, none of us became part of a statistic. I implore everyone to do an assessment to determine potential fire hazards in your living spaces. The benefits far outweigh the time taken.

Do you have a fire story to share? What do you do to prevent fires in your home?

Florida Is Not Just Disney

Since 2008, my wife and I have journeyed to Dade City, Florida at least twice each year, February and April, to visit the in-laws. During one or both of the trips we have attended a theme park – usually Disney World. This year we eschewed the theme parks and discovered there are other things to do in Florida.

During our April trip we trekked to The Pier in St. Petersburg and the Ringling Mansion and Museum in Sarasota.

The Pier is a promontory that protrudes into the Tampa Bay. At its farthest point sits a building that resembles an inverted five stories tall pyramid. The first floor hosts an olio of shops, the second houses an aquarium, the third contains an art exhibit, the fourth holds a restaurant, and the uppermost level comprises another restaurant and an observation deck.

We spent a couple hours at The Pier; did a little shopping, toured the aquarium and finished with the view from atop. It was a pleasant afternoon but I wouldn’t classify it as a “Must See.”

However, the Ringling Mansion and Museum is definitely a “Must See.” In 1926, the Ringling mansion was completed and according to The Ringling, the house is a splendid Venetian Gothic mansion on the waterfront that cost $1.5 million, a staggering sum for the times.

The place is majestic. It’s five stories and encompasses 36,000 square feet. I’m not an architect or interior designer, but I don’t need to be one to recognize opulence. The furnishings are grand; our guide informed us that most of the furniture the Ringling’s purchased for the house was used; acquired at high end auction houses in New York City.

John Ringling was a self-taught art expert. Once he completed his education he collected a vast quantity of art, including paintings and fine artifacts. He amassed so much artwork that he built a separate art museum to display it. We walked through the museum, but to be honest, I’m not into “fine” art and I thought it was boring. Now, if it had been comic book or movie poster art, it might have piqued my interest.

My favorite stop on the Ringling grounds is the Circus Museum. This place houses a variety of circus memorabilia, the Ringling’s restored private train car and the Howard Bros Circus Model.

The Howard Bros Circus Model was the highlight of the museum. Howard Tibbals created a ¾-inch-to-the-foot scale model, based on the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. It spreads out over 3,600 square feet. According to The Ringling, it’s complete with eight main tents, 152 wagons, 1,300 circus performers and workers, more than 800 animals and a 57-car train. The detail is amazing. Even at scale and separated by distance and Plexiglas, I could see the facial expressions of the models.

One of my big takeaways from this visit to Dade City is that there is so much more to do in Florida than Disney World Busch Gardens and Universal Studios theme park attractions. There is a whole state to explore.

Does anyone else think that skipping the theme parks in favor of other activities is worthwhile? What are your favorite places to visit in Florida? Any best kept secrets?

A Laser Update

A year ago, 4/23/12, I authored the blog, A New Old Use for Lasers, in which I discussed current and past uses for lasers. The focus of the piece was Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars Defense System and a laser system that could deflect meteors.

Courtesy Google Images

Consider this blog an update. On Monday, 4/8/13, the United States Navy tested a ship mounted laser; a laser so powerful that it can set a flying drone on fire.

According to USNews.nbcnews.com the laser system, Laser Weapons System (LaWS), will be deployed on the USS Ponce and operational by the summer of 2014. Initially, the LaWS will be used to combat small boats that pose a threat to larger U.S. Navy ships – much like the small Iranian fast boats that pester U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf.

Courtesy Google Images

The LaWS would fit into the military’s vision of a leaner, quicker and cheaper to deploy fighting force. It doesn’t need propellants, can keep firing as long as there is a power source and a shot of directed energy costs about $1. Gizmag.com reports that the Navy envisions the LaWS being used for precision and covert engagements.

The test firing on April 8th seems to have been a success. The LaWS was fired from a moving ship at a moving target drone causing the drone to catch fire. Granted, a drone is not a missile or jet plane but it’s still a moving target.

In my April 2012 post, I asked if you thought if lasers used to deflect space rocks could also deflect missiles. I think the Navy has answered my question in a fashion. I think that by downing a flying drone they’ve taken a step toward the destruction of missiles via a laser.

Wind Power

I don’t think it’s possible to go through a day without discussing the topic of energy. It might be the price of gas, or a proposed oil pipeline to carry crude oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast, or fracking for natural gas, or new light bulbs, but everyone I know has an opinion regarding some aspect of energy production and use.

Courtesy Google Images

I’m fascinated with the concept of wind power. I suppose it’s because it seems as if a windmill can be assembled almost anywhere. According to Windmill World, windmills were first used in Europe in the 12^th century. Phyllis McKenzie writes they were the engines of pre-industrial Europe, supplying clean energy for tasks such as pumping water and grinding grain.

McKenzie states that windmills played a major role in the settlement of the American West. Across the vast semiarid landscape, windmills pumped water to slake the thirst of livestock, railroads and incipient towns

.

According to The Washington Post the United States gets less than 4% of its energy from wind power but that could be changing. The Washington Post reports that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the United States first offshore wind farm should become reality before the end of 2013. Salazar’s optimistic that the Cape Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts will be built because the developers have agreements with utilities to purchase 75% of the electricity produced.

Courtesy Google Images

Denmark has made wind power a priority. DVICE reports that Denmark has completed an offshore wind farm that provides 25% of the country’s electricity needs and in eight years they plan to have 50% of their power needs supplied by wind turbines.

Bloomberg reports that by 2020 the United States will surpass Saudi Arabia’s oil output. I don’t think wind power is the answer to the United States’ energy deficiency, but I think it needs to be a part of the equation.

I think we should have an energy plan that includes solar, wind, natural gas, coal and oil.

What do you think … is wind power integral to the United States’ future energy needs?