Hong Kong Dentist Crafts Robotic Tools To Explore Egyptian Pyramids

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Hong Kong Dentist Crafts Robotic Tools To Explore Egyptian Pyramids

Posted by timothy on Friday March 9, 2012 @02:46PM from the ya-gotta-have-a-hobby dept.

asavin writes "Ng Tze-chuen, a 59-year-old dentist, is teaming up with Egypt's former antiquities minister to explore the Pyramids of Giza. To do this, he's invented a tiny insect-sized robot with dental forcep-inspired grips on the top. This will be used to travel between the cracks on two mysterious doors blocking a tomb."

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I saw Hong Kong Dentist Crafts... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 14:54 · Score: 1

and I thought for sure the story would be about creating dental implants or crowns with a 3D printer.
1. Re:I saw Hong Kong Dentist Crafts... by camperdave · 2012-03-10 02:21 · Score: 1
  
  Yawn. That's run of the mill dentistry these days. Well, not so much with a 3D printer, but with a CAD/CAM controlled milling machine. I have a couple of crowns done that way.
  
  --
  When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
fp by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 14:55 · Score: 0, Offtopic

mofooga
Zahi Hawass by martin-boundary · 2012-03-09 15:09 · Score: 3, Informative

Why not name the "former antiquities minister"? Zahi Hawass has been on practically every TV show about the pyramids for as long as some slashdotters have lived. He was a consultant on the Indiana Jones set. I think he deserves more than being some anonymous Egyptian former minister.
1. Re:Zahi Hawass by Kalidor · 2012-03-09 15:20 · Score: 1
  
  Agreed, but then this is as ibtimes article, so I'm a bit surprised they even mentioned his name in the article, much less the blurb.
  
  --
  Code softly but carry a big magnet.
2. Re:Zahi Hawass by n3r0.m4dski11z · 2012-03-09 16:57 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  That guy is a complete xenophobe. I wouldn't trust a word he said. He goes on "crusades" liberating Egyptian relics from museums in other parts of the world. He personally dictated if you got to see off limits spaces, off limits relics in "his" sites in the country.
  He got kicked when the fascists were overthrown.
  That said, this is very interesting because that is the one mystery left (unless there is another door :P). Is there alien shit in there? is it just a pile of poop? If you watch any recent documentary about the pyramids, its always leaves you with a mysterious allure of the It is like finding jimmy hoffa or something.
  http://news.discovery.com/history/great-pyramid-secret-door-mystery-111209.html
  
  --
  -
3. Re:Zahi Hawass by hot+soldering+iron · 2012-03-09 17:01 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  There're rumors that he's been stealing other groups discoveries for years. He would closely monitor their progress, then kick the team out of the country just as they're about to make a big discovery. Come back a couple years later to their dig, and "discover" whatever the other team had found. Since EVERY team had to go through him and his office, it was very easy (and lucrative) for him to do.
  Like I said, rumors. It just sounds like the truth. Is it? Don't know. But a lot of archaeologists are glad he's "former antiquities minister" now.
  
  --
  When you want something built, come see me. If you want correct grammar and spelling, get a F*ing liberal arts student.
4. Re:Zahi Hawass by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 17:10 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  It was Zahi Hawass that had made sure it took 9 years for Gatenbrink to be able to go back inside the pyramid to attempt to get past the 'door'. I also think he had found something under the sphinx, they mentioned it on one of the crappy Fox shows that he did, but then the show ended without actually showing anything. I always pegged Hawass as a criminal of some sort.
5. Re:Zahi Hawass by UnknownSoldier · 2012-03-09 20:00 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  > That guy is a complete xenophobe.
  That's putting it rather nicely. He's an Egyptian bigot with an ego the size of the pyramid. His arrogance is completely unable to accept the fact that the progress of civilization is cyclic NOT linear.
  He is also completely unable to accept the fact that the Sphinx had _water_ erosion. Geologists don't give a shit about the "status quo" of history / archeology. Rocks don't lie. Now the interpretation may be faulty, but when you have 200+ geologists accepting the conclusion, that's pretty damning evidence that Zahi is not interested in facts that burst his little bubble.
  Some geologists dated it be around 12,000 BC, others not so old. Fore more details, see the conflicting theories.
  http://www.robertschoch.com/sphinxcontent.html
  and
  http://www.grahamhancock.com/forum/TempleR1.php
6. Re:Zahi Hawass by FreakyGreenLeaky · 2012-03-09 20:17 · Score: 2
  
  amen to that.
  he's wielded far too much personal power (bestowed upon him by a dictator) and blocked/interfered with important research over the years.
  fuck him.
7. Re:Zahi Hawass by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 20:29 · Score: 1
  
  Why not name the "former antiquities minister"? Zahi Hawass has been
  on practically every TV show about the pyramids for as long as some
  slashdotters have lived. He was a consultant on the Indiana Jones
  set. I think he deserves more than being some anonymous Egyptian former
  minister.
  Referring to him as 'former antiquities minister' is exactly the treatment this pandering corrupt media-whore deserves.
  As for being a consultant on the Indiana Jones movies, yes, Hawass claims he gave advice to George Lucas, along with all his other outrageous claims, but it isn't true. Find me a credible reference with Lucas confirming Hawass worked with him on the project, I'll bet you can't (Hawass was 30 years old, did not have a PhD and was not well known when work on Indiana Jones began).
  Heck, he probably claims he is Indiana Jones. There's no limit to the ego on this guy.
8. Re:Zahi Hawass by hey! · 2012-03-10 02:07 · Score: 1
  
  That's putting it rather nicely. He's an Egyptian bigot with an ego the size of the pyramid. His arrogance is completely unable to accept the fact that the progress of civilization is cyclic NOT linear.
  In other words he's a major historical figure in Egyptology.
  
  --
  Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
9. Re:Zahi Hawass by nurb432 · 2012-03-10 02:34 · Score: 1
  
  He is one of the reasons i lost interest in following ancient Egypt. Tho i didn't know it since i stopped paying attention, I'm glad hes gone. Perhaps actual science can start back up.
  
  --
  ---- Booth was a patriot ----
Frugal Innovation by Taco+Cowboy · 2012-03-09 15:45 · Score: 2

TFA is another example of what is known as Frugal Innovation - that is, to tap into devices that have already been invented and find new usage for them
Bravo to the Hong Kong dentist and to all the inventors out there !

--
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
1. Re:Frugal Innovation by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2012-03-09 21:40 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Bravo to the Hong Kong dentist and to all the inventors out there !
  Well, I think he's a little bit too long in the tooth to be cutting his teeth on doing archeology, but hey, you never know.
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
Upuaut but not as tiny by future+assassin · 2012-03-09 16:16 · Score: 3, Interesting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Upuaut_Project
There was a very cool show about it several years ago.

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HONG KONG DENTIST ?? OPIUM DEN LORD !! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 16:31 · Score: 0

If you have ever been, you know that that is one in the same !!
Warner by ChrisMaple · 2012-03-09 16:54 · Score: 1

Didn't Pinky and The Brain do this already?

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endoscope? by Osgeld · 2012-03-09 17:37 · Score: 1

has anyone tried just to see whats on the other side using a simple video camera, lens and a bit of fiber?
1. Re:endoscope? by BattleApple · 2012-03-09 17:47 · Score: 1
  
  I was thinking the same thing. They should have gotten a proctologist to design something.
2. Re:endoscope? by bruce_the_loon · 2012-03-09 19:39 · Score: 1
  
  I remember someone doing that a few years back, but given the doors are several yards up a 8x8 inch opening, they could see through the first doors, only to see the second set inside. They had a robot to go up the small tunnel, but was too big to get through the doors without breaking them. This robot is designed to get through the doors and navigate beyond if possible.
  
  --
  Trying to become famous by taking photos. Visit my homepage please.
3. Re:endoscope? by ArsenneLupin · 2012-03-09 20:57 · Score: 1
  
  They should have gotten a proctologist to design something.
  The pyramid looks like a giant tooth, and is in Egypt (...not on the Christmas Islands)
4. Re:endoscope? by nurb432 · 2012-03-10 03:03 · Score: 2
  
  I say break them if need be. The pyramid wont last forever, and i think its worth a little bit of damage in the name of science. its not like we are talking looting or anything.
  All they will find is a chamber, most likely with some figurines representing the king and his wife on their journey to become gods, but it will still be cool to get to see it.
  
  --
  ---- Booth was a patriot ----
5. Re:endoscope? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-10 08:18 · Score: 0
  
  I was thinking the same thing. They should have gotten a proctologist to design something.
  A clean flute?
Not saying it's aliens by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 18:32 · Score: 0

...But it's aliens
Giza, 1928 by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 20:41 · Score: 0

At long last, they're digging up the Abidos cartouche.
forcep-based? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 21:18 · Score: 1

Repeat after me:
One biceps, two biceps (or two bicipites). One homo sapiens, two homo sapiens (or two homines sapientes).
One forceps, two forceps (or two forcipes).
If you want to sound like a doctor, make sure you can handle the Latin.
Tutankhamun curse by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 22:19 · Score: 0

freemasons will kill them
Kinda Sad by Bensam123 · 2012-03-10 01:04 · Score: 1

In this day and age with all our micro devices they still haven't figured out what's behind a door up easy to navigate shaft. After a bit of searching around the net all of the photos are really blurry too. How hard is it to put a 1080p webcam on a robot and drive it up a ramp?

http://www.crystalinks.com/gantenbrink.html
Bosnian pyramids by anonieuweling · 2012-03-10 01:49 · Score: 1

The Bosnian Pyramids are next?
1. Re:Bosnian pyramids by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-10 06:09 · Score: 0
  
  Same sort of Ministerial scam, that's true.
This is olds, not news by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-10 04:00 · Score: 0

The story itself is at least four-and-a-half years old.
From http://hk.asia-city.com/city-living/article/dentist-ng-tze-chuen
"I contacted Dr. Zahi Hawass, the Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and the guy who always shows up on the National Geographic Channel, about sending a robot to explore the hidden chambers in the Great Pyramid of Giza.
I flew to Egypt six times in the hopes of meeting him in person. As usual, they slammed the door in my face. I was made to wait for hours at the canteen before securing an appointment with him."