Latest news with #Dr.Frankenstein
SoraNews24
17-06-2025
- SoraNews24
Niigata man arrested for stealing over 40 bikes, wanted to build the perfect bike for himself
And you will know him by the trail of bike parts… People can often be very hard to please and tend to find fault with even the most well-made things. For some, this drives them to do great things, and for others, it drives them to do really weird things. As an example of one of the 'others,' we have the case of a 51-year-old man in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, who was arrested for stealing 42 bicycles. If you were thinking that's way more bicycles than one person needs, you'd be right because upon his arrest he admitted to police that, 'I wanted to collect the parts and make a bike to my own liking.' He was caught on 2 April, when he was stopped by a police officer on the street for routine questioning. The officer discovered the bicycle the man was riding was stolen and arrested him on the spot. Afterward, the police checked the man's home and found over 50 other bikes there worth well over 1,000,000 yen (US$7,000) in total. Despite the man's claim to want to make an ideal bike, news reports showed the stolen bicycles appearing still intact, suggesting he made no effort so far. Even though the man admitted to stealing all of them over the past four years, he is currently facing charges for the theft of 35 bicycles and a further 7 charges of misappropriating lost property, a crime that essentially means finders-keepers is not permitted by Japanese law and one must follow due process of turning lost items into police first. Initially, the man said he only took unlocked bikes, perhaps on the assumption they were abandoned, but it was later learned that he had indeed broken some locks to get what he wanted for his master plan. Although clearly in the wrong, there is a slightly endearing aspect to someone following their dream and trying to make the best bike they can. Some readers of the news seemed to express that in comments, while others just wanted to know what, if anything, he managed to make. 'He has a lot of passion.' 'He's just like Dr. Frankenstein.' 'I wonder what kind of bike he was making.' 'I need to see a picture of this bike.' 'I guess he's very particular about bikes.' 'He's not making a bicycle. He just likes stealing and made an excuse.' 'My bike was stolen a while ago. Maybe he's got it.' 'I'm just jealous he has enough space for 50 bikes.' 'Was he planning on making a 100-wheeler?' 'But all the bicycles look in their original condition. Wouldn't they be in pieces if he was making a bike?' That last comment brings up a good point, but these aren't really the actions of a person I would describe as especially methodical so maybe we shouldn't read too much into how the bikes look. Unfortunately, we'll never know what he was trying to make. Even if he does manage to get through all this with a suspended sentence for his rather sizable theft, he'd be wise to stay far away from any bicycle while on parole. Hopefully, he can find himself a hobby that doesn't require depriving others of their hard-earned property, maybe something like working out and volunteering, so instead of a bike he can make himself the best him he can be. Source: Niigata News NST, Itai News Featured image: Pakutaso ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
CNET
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
I Never Saw Animatronics Like This: Epic Universe Team Reveals Challenges of Theme Park Tech
I can't take my eyes off Dr. Victoria Frankenstein. I've seen plenty of theme park animatronics before, but as this robot moves fluidly in front of me, there's something otherworldly about how she was designed: her digitally animated face is projected on a physically animating head, and it looks like a video game character has come to life. But just as I try to figure out what makes her tick, I'm distracted by the reveal of another jaw-dropping animatronic: her 800-pound, 9-foot-tall green monster walking toward the audience. Now Playing: How Universal's Robots Push Boundaries of Animatronics 08:55 It's only fitting that some of the most advanced animatronics created reside in Dark Universe, a spooky world where mad scientists push the limits of technology. This is one of five immersive lands inside Universal's Epic Universe, a new theme park in Orlando, Florida -- and the first major theme park to open in the US in 20 years. At the grand opening this month, I spoke with some of the creative minds who brought the tech to life, which you can watch in the video embedded above. For several years, I've been reporting on how technology is enhancing theme park experiences, but I've never quite seen something at the scale that Universal has pulled off. Not only did the team patent new technology for characters like Dr. Frankenstein, but it was impressive to see the sheer number of robotics scattered all over these themed worlds. At Isle of Berk, a land themed to the viking world from the How to Train Your Dragon movies, there are 30 animated figures just lounging about -- some sleeping dragons, some blasting icy air, others just swinging near stores -- all exposed to Florida's harsh summer temperatures. The dragons of Berk take on multiple robotic forms. Some are untethered, as cute baby dragons perform stunts and walk around guests. These young dragons move in a way that's reminiscent of other quadruped dog-style bots. If you visit Toothless, dragon trainers make sure you know the rules to not touch the eyes or teeth. CNET The star of the land is a life-size, interactive and emotive Toothless that you can touch (and even feel him breathing). Another animatronic version of Toothless flies over your head in a stage show. But Berk is full of dragons, and there are plans to include drones (er, flying dragons) to soar above the land throughout the day. Some guests have spotted one being tested in the park already. But when you have more moving parts, it means more can go wrong. With robots woven into almost every aspect of entertainment here, Universal certainly faces more risk in keeping the experience smooth for guests with high expectations. Universal's creative teams told me during my visit that it was a risk the company wanted to take to try something new. I hope they can keep the effects running as intended. As someone who follows emerging tech, it's delightful to see it used to bring fantastical worlds to life. Sometimes, tech really does feel like magic.
