Bizarre Tech: Hypercube, Moflin and Samsung Bot Handy

HyperCube

Rave cube. Nntisssnnntissssnntisssss

This box looks like it’s the set of the music video for ‘Rock Your Body’, the 2002 hit by Justin Timberlake. Seriously, check that out, then look at the video for HyperCube. Weird.

That song was released almost two decades ago. Good god, I’m old now.

Anyway, from Hyperspace Lighting Company, the Hypercube seems to be some sort of experience, whatever that is.

It can be the party (especially in these times, where home is where the festivities must be held) to peaceful, which I’m guessing is a nice, ambient glow of some sort.

The custom-written code animates LEDs with a variety of animations and colour palettes.

By pushing a button, three modes are available – kaleidoscopic, meditative, and sound-reactive – each with patterns that automatically cycle. The company says there are over 90 unique patterns, totalling over two hours of play time between all three modes.

Kaleidoscopic Mode has over 16 million colours, varying speeds, colour palettes and shifting symmetries.

Meditative Mode is ‘calm and classy’, with a ‘soothing’ pulse and glow, and the patterns are apparently ideal for nightlights, meditation, and professional gathering spaces. Imagine if it glitched out while your toddler was sleeping soundly. RAVE MODE ACTIVATED.

Its sound-reactive mode sounds like the most fun, where musical frequencies are converted to light, with specially designed patterns that respond to the beat. Best for parties and baby raves!

There’s also an accompanying app called Hyperspace, where you “select modes and patterns, choose custom colours, adjust brightness, speed, intensity and symmetry, all with the touch of a button”.

The LEDs can last for over 50,000 hours, the windows are made of lightweight, shatter-proof, optical-grade acrylic, and the frame is high-durability impact-resistant polymer. Does that mean I can throw this against the wall?

Apparently it’s not a good idea to scratch the acrylic faces. Lame. Fine. No throwing.

The HyperCube’s control box has an internal microphone and illuminated button for pattern and mode switching and toggling power. UNLEASH THE TOGGLING POWER. You can also connect it to your Wi-Fi.

But don’t leave it outside. Because you will break it.

HyperCube10 is 10in, HyperCube 15 is, you guessed it, 15in. Rocket science, am I right?

Moflin

Not mufflin. Or a muffin.

Well this is just a sweet little furry nugget. I do appreciate a good kawaii moment.

Then again, it does remind me of those fur hats you get in America, a Davy Crockett hat, the ones with tails hanging out the back.

Anywho, the Moflin is possessed. Possessed with emotional capabilities, that is! They evolve like living animals. Also, it’s warm, soft, furry and makes cute little sounds.

Created by Vanguard Industries, the team behind the fuzzy AI pet took “a nature-inspired approach and developed a unique algorithm that allows Moflin to learn and grow by constantly using its interactions to determine patterns and evaluate its surroundings from its sensors”.

Allegedly, the little fake floof chooses from an “infinite” number of mobile and sound pattern combinations to respond and express its feelings, like you’re interacting with the real deal.  

This could help with people in care homes, who don’t get the option of having pets. A lot of these cuddle buddy-type bots have been trialled in these scenarios and seem to go down a treat with residents.

The concept Moflin model doesn’t have features like updating software online, but as the Kickstarter campaign was successful, the team say further developments will be made so it can provide services and functions that help people in their everyday lives.

When it comes to the tech behind the fuzzball, Moflin has an ‘internal emotion map’ and the ability to analyse changes in environment via an algorithm.

The wee buddy’s personality development will depend on how you treat it, just like a normal pet. So no yeeting it at a wall, please, otherwise Moflin will have some intense trust issues.

Via the Kickstarter campaign, the Moflin team would like to use their “engineering capabilities to provide the best user experiences to our supporters”.

You pop Moflin in its own little birdhouse, which is a charging device, and when Moflin is charging/sleeping, it is said to make cute noises and small reactions, just like a wee sleeping animal. AWW MY HEART CANNAE TAKE IT.

The team believe Moflin feels love, and giving love to others “was an important factor towards the application of various ICT technologies and as a touch point to our everyday lives”. AWW EVEN MORE.

They aim to successfully deliver their first product in March 2021.

Samsung Bot Handy

“Beep beep boop, let me get you some more wine, you alcoholic.”

At this year’s CES, Samsung showcased some of its upcoming tech, focused around “creating more intimate and personalised user experiences”. Is Samsung developing... intimate toys?

No? Oh, OK. Anyway, one of the ideas is Samsung Bot Handy, which relies on advanced AI to recognise and pick up objects of different sizes, shapes and weights, “becoming an extension of you and helping you with work around the house”. So when I’m on the sofa and the remote is on the other side of the room, taunting me, I can just be like “HANDY! Go fetch me the controller you peasant!” and it would get it for me.

The Bot Handy will be able to tell the difference between material composition of objects, using the appropriate amount of force to grab stuff with its one claw on a single, pivoting arm.

One day, though, it may get sick of your endless list of chores and, while you sleep, it’ll roll up and slowly rest its claw around your vulnerable neck.