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Researchers build optical transistor out of silicon, provide path to all-optical computing

Michael Gorman — Tue, 01 May 2012 03:34:00 EST

The speed of light is the universal speed limit, so naturally, optical technologies appeal when trying to construct speedy computational devices. Fiber optics let us shoot data to and fro at top speed, but for the time being our CPUs still make their calculations using electronic transistors. Good news is, researchers from Purdue University have built an optical transistor out of silicon that can propagate logic signals -- meaning it can serve as an optical switch and push enough photons to drive two other transistors. It's constructed of a microring resonator situated next to one optical line that transmits the signal, and a second that heats the microring to change its resonant frequency. The microring then resonates at a specific frequency to interact with the light in the signal line in such a way that its output is drastically reduced and essentially shut off. Presto, an optical transistor is born. Before dreams of superfast photonic computers start dancing in your head, however, just know they won't be showing up anytime soon -- the power consumption of such transistors is far beyond their electronic counterparts due to the energy inefficient lasers that power them.

Researchers build optical transistor out of silicon, provide path to all-optical computing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 03:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ghost Pedal: the virtual wah pedal that Rock Band wishes it had (video)

Darren Murph — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:44:00 EST

Jimi would be proud. Eight Purdue University students have concocted what's being dubbed a Ghost Pedal; for all intents and purposes, it's a sensor-based processor that's worn around the ankle of the player, and it enables wah-like effects to be commanded from anywhere on stage. Specifically: "The variable resistor sensor records what the user is doing with their ankle, and a sustain sensor either accepts the transmission feed or ignores / sustains it." We're also told that once it's turned on, the user enters a 10-second mode during which the variable resistor calibrates the ability to flex the foot from the floor in a normal pedal motion; after calibration mode, the guitarist enters freeplay mode. As of now, it's available for licensing, and there's a video just past the break to help you make up your mind.

Continue reading Ghost Pedal: the virtual wah pedal that Rock Band wishes it had (video)

Ghost Pedal: the virtual wah pedal that Rock Band wishes it had (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue University creates 'bass' powered medical implant, knows where it hertz

James Trew — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:43:00 EST

We've seen all kinds of medical implants over the years, but none that had a musical preference -- until now. Researchers at Purdue University have created a pressure sensitive microelectromechanical system (MEMS) that uses sound waves as an energy source. The proof-of-concept has a vibrating cantilever that's receptive to sound -- or music -- in the 200 - 500Hz frequency spectrum, which is towards the bottom end of the audible range. The subcutaneous implant converts the low-frequency vibrations into energy, and then stores it in a capacitor. Once the cantilever stops vibrating, it sends an electrical charge to a sensor and takes a pressure reading, the result is then transmitted out via radio waves for monitoring purposes. The immediate real world applications include diagnosing and treating incontinence, but we're already wondering if that self-powering mp3 player implant could finally become a reality?

Purdue University creates 'bass' powered medical implant, knows where it hertz originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This electric wire is four atoms thick, and you thought speaker cable was fiddly (video)

Sharif Sakr — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:53:00 EST

This should come as a great relief to anyone planning a quantum computer self-build: wires still conduct electricity and obey key laws of classical physics even when they're built at the nanoscale. Researchers at Purdue and Melbourne universities used chains of phosphorus atoms inside a silicon crystal to create a wire that's just four atoms wide and a single atom high -- 20 times smaller than the previous record-holder and infinitely narrower than anything you'd find at Newegg. The video after the break almost explains how they did it.

Continue reading This electric wire is four atoms thick, and you thought speaker cable was fiddly (video)

This electric wire is four atoms thick, and you thought speaker cable was fiddly (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferroelectric transistor memory could run on 99 percent less power than flash

Sharif Sakr — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:28:00 EST

We've been keeping an optimistic eye on the progress of Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM) for a few years now, not least because it offers the tantalizing promise of 1.6GB/s read and write speeds and crazy data densities. But researchers at Purdue University reckon we've been looking in the wrong place this whole time: the real action is with their development of FeTRAM, which adds an all-important 'T' for 'Transistor'. Made by combining silicon nanowires with a ferroelectric polymer, Purdue's material holds onto its 0 or 1 polarity even after being read, whereas readouts from capacitor-based FeRAM are destructive. Although still at the experimental stage, this new type of memory could boost speeds while also reducing power consumption by 99 percent. Quick, somebody file a patent. Oh, they already did.

Ferroelectric transistor memory could run on 99 percent less power than flash originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ultra-pure material lets electrons discover each other on the quantum dance floor

Sharif Sakr — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:31:00 EST

These guys aren't Purdue University professors, they're DJs. That thing on the left? It isn't a high-mobility gallium-arsenide molecular beam epitaxy system, it's their decks. It creates an ultra-pure material so perfectly latticed that it traps electrons between its layers and stops them bouncing around like drunken fools at the high school prom. By squeezing them ever so tightly, it lulls the particles into an "exotic" slow dance, at which point they become "aware" of each other and start performing correlated motions that are essential for quantum computing. That's a still a long way off, but if one day we find ourselves affixing gallium arsenide swabs to our quantum motherboards, we'll raise our lighters in the air. Informative PR after the break.

Continue reading Ultra-pure material lets electrons discover each other on the quantum dance floor

Ultra-pure material lets electrons discover each other on the quantum dance floor originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue's Celeritas car scores 2,200MPG from the sun, wins Shell Eco-marathon

Zach Honig — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:47:00 EST

With gas prices topping $4.50 per gallon in some parts of the country, a car that costs a fraction of a penny per mile to drive (and looks like it belongs on the road) is sure to get our attention. The 275-pound, 2,200MPG Celeritas appears to be the closest we've come to having a solar-powered car that could one day take to the streets, however, which explains why the vehicle scored first prize in the Urban Concept category in this year's Shell Eco-marathon. While it can only transport a single person (the driver), the car includes headlights, taillights, a trunk and even backup cameras. Notably absent from this version are air conditioning and a license plate -- the latter of which would (naturally) be required before the car becomes street legal. The Purdue University design team chose "Celeritas" (Latin for "swiftness") as the name for this soon-to-be-street-legal roadster, though in a category that's notorious for slower vehicles, we wouldn't expect the prototype to fly past us in the fast lane. Perhaps we can get Celeritas and IVy together for some alone time before we're dropping Hamiltons for a gallon of regular?

Purdue's Celeritas car scores 2,200MPG from the sun, wins Shell Eco-marathon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rube Goldberg Machine to set new world record, bring forth apocalypse

Sean Buckley — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:12:00 EST

If you've never seen the rise and fall of humanity as told by a series of pulleys, levers, and CO2 rockets, now's your chance -- a team of Purdue engineers have built a contraption that not only tells the history of the world through the end of days, but is also a contender for the world's largest Rube Goldberg machine. The Purdue team's "Time Machine" catalogs a history of dinosaurs, war, and rock 'n roll before finally culminating in a cataclysmic inferno and efflorescent renewal in 232 steps -- narrowly beating out the previous record of 230 set by Ferris State University in 2010. Impressive, but not officially the "world's largest" just yet-- the team is submitting a video of a flawless run to Guinness World Records to certify the historic thingamajig, hopefully eking out a victory with its two step lead.

Rube Goldberg Machine to set new world record, bring forth apocalypse originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue researchers make solar cell manufacturing cheaper, more efficient with lasers

Michael Gorman — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 07:17:00 EST

Is there anything lasers can't do? We only ask because they seem to be improving everything from microphones to railroads, and now researchers from Purdue University have leveraged the power of light to better manufacture solar cells. Using an ultrashort (as in quadrillionths of a second) pulse laser to more precisely scribe the microchannels connecting thin-film solar cells -- as compared to current mechanical stylus methods -- the Boilermakers were able to improve energy transfer efficiency between cells and significantly reduce manufacturing time. Having demonstrated the process works, research continues to better understand and prepare it for use by manufacturers -- sooner rather than later, we hope.

Purdue researchers make solar cell manufacturing cheaper, more efficient with lasers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 07:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Team at Purdue University working on high-temp generators to suck power from car exhaust

Tim Stevens — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:18:00 EST

You know all that gas spitting out the exhaust of your car? Not only is it full of carbon monoxide and other things you shouldn't breathe, it's also full of heat. Heat is wasted energy, and students at Purdue University, led by mechanical engineering professor Xianfan Xu, are working to capture it. With some funding from General Motors the team is working to create better thermoelectric generators, or TEGs, that work at much higher temperatures than those we've seen before. A current Purdue prototype works at 700C, or 1,300F, which could be found behind a car's catalytic converter and generate enough electricity to reduce fuel consumption by around five percent. Future versions would work at higher temperatures and offer better results. Last year BMW indicated it is working on similar tech with deployments coming as early as 2014, and so now the race begins, though the culmination of their efforts will surely look something like this.

Team at Purdue University working on high-temp generators to suck power from car exhaust originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue's 'self-calibrating' MEMS could produce the most accurate sensors yet

Darren Murph — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:02:00 EST

Micro electromechanical systems, or MEMS, aren't anything new. But Purdue University's Jason Vaughn Clark has ideas that are far grander than those we've seen already. Mr. Clark has purportedly developed a new take on an old spin, with electro micro metrology (EMM) enabling engineers to "account for process variations by determining the precise movement and force that's being applied to, or sensed by, a MEMS device." These self-calibrating machines are the first to do so without any external references, which would allow nanotechnologists, crime forensics researchers and a whole host of others to determine what actually happens at a microscopic level. In theory, the gurus working on this stuff long to improve the accuracy of atomic force microscopes and to eventually create a diminutive AFM-on-a-chip, which -- according to Clark -- could "open the door to the nanoworld to a much larger number of groups or individuals." We're waiting.

Purdue's 'self-calibrating' MEMS could produce the most accurate sensors yet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires

Vlad Savov — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:05:00 EST

You've probably seen sketches like the one above promising you complete cable independence since what, 1996? We're not about to tell you this is the one technology that finally delivers on that utopian dream, but it's surely one of the zanier attempts at it. By converting "ultra fast laser pulses" into radio frequency waves, the researchers claim they've overcome a significant hurdle to making wireless communications ubiquitous -- signal interference. The rapid (each laser burst lasts a mere 100 femtoseconds), pulsing nature of their approach purportedly makes their signal extremely robust, while intended operation at around 60GHz means their microring transmitters (diagram after the break) will be able to operate within spectrum space that does not require a license -- neither from the FCC nor internationally. Applications for the microrings would include things like HDTV broadcasts and piping data into vehicles, although we won't be seeing anything happening on the commercial front for at least another five years. Typical. If you just can't wait that long, a few Japanese companies you may have heard of are preparing their own 60GHz wireless devices for the second half of this year.

Continue reading Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires

Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue researchers concoct new invisibility cloak, plan Walmart debut

Darren Murph — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:21:00 EST

Hate to say it, but we're beyond the point of hope here. We just won't ever, ever see a real-deal invisibility cloak during our relatively brief stint on Earth. That said, researchers at Purdue University are doing their best to prove us wrong, recently developing a new approach to cloaking that is supposedly "simple to manufacture." Unlike traditional invisibility cloaks, which rely on exotic metamaterials that demand complex nanofabrication, this version utilizes a far simpler design based on a tapered optical waveguide. A report from the institution asserts that the team was able to "cloak an area 100 times larger than the wavelengths of light shined by a laser into the device," but for obvious reasons, it's impossible to actually show us it happened. Regardless, for the sake of the kiddos above, we're hoping this stuff gets commercialized, and soon.

[Via Digg, Image courtesy of Thomas Ricker (yes, that Thomas Ricker)]

Continue reading Purdue researchers concoct new invisibility cloak, plan Walmart debut

Filed under: Science

Purdue researchers concoct new invisibility cloak, plan Walmart debut originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue researchers want tiny refrigerators cooling your PC

Darren Murph — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:02:00 EST

You think your liquid-cooled rig is pretty snazzy, don't you? After Purdue researchers get their technology on the streets, that stuff will seriously look like old hat. The team is working on a "miniature refrigeration system small enough to fit inside laptops and personal computers," which would hopefully boost cooling performance while enabling computers to be smaller. According to Suresh Garimella, they have "a very good handle on the technology," but it's still a ways from being implemented in end products. Don't worry though, we're sure the likes of Alienware and Voodoo PC will have it up as optional equipment just as soon as it clears the quality assurance lab.

[Via TheFutureOfThings, thanks Iddo]

Filed under: Desktops, Peripherals

Purdue researchers want tiny refrigerators cooling your PC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miniscule device gets injected into tumors, tracks radiation dosage

Darren Murph — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:02:00 EST

Gurus at Purdue University have conjured up a prototype device which, when injected into a tumor, can actually track the "precise dose of radiation received and locate the exact position [of the tumor] during treatment." Currently, the needle-sized device is held within a hermetically sealed glass capillary, contains a miniature radiation dosimeter, operates without batteries and instead relies on "electrical coils placed next to the patient" for activation. As small as the RFID-enabled unit is, engineers are still hoping to create a version that is around the size of a grain of rice, and hopes are to have it in clinical trials in 2010.

[Via Physorg]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Miniscule device gets injected into tumors, tracks radiation dosage originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue tire design can sense damage, warn driver

Evan Blass — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:38:00 EST

Usually you can't tell that there's a problem with one of your tires until you've already swerved off the road and crashed into something stationary, but thanks to a group of scientists from Purdue University, the next generation of wheel wraps may be able to detect problems before you're face-to-face with the base of a telephone pole. Led by Gary Krutz of the school's Electrohydraulic Center, the team was able to produce a multi-layer design that can sense damage or defects anywhere on the tire, and which immediately alerts the driver to danger via an embedded chip. First up to adopt the new tech will likely be race car sponsors, who have a high incentive to protect their expensive investments against flats; unfortunately, this safety improvement for drivers will come at the expense of the nation's rabid NASCAR fans, as the likely decline in crashes will only serve to direct their blood-lust at fellow spectators.

[Image courtesy of Purdue University]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Transportation

Purdue tire design can sense damage, warn driver originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue's carbon nanotubes could trump heat sinks

Darren Murph — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:19:00 EST

For the second time in the past few months, Purdue University is hitting us up with a newfangled idea to keep future rigs cooler. This go 'round, engineers have purportedly figured out how to "grow forests of carbon nanotubes onto the surfaces of computer chips to enhance the flow of heat at a critical point where the chips connect to heat sinks." The nanotubes have outperformed "conventional thermal interface materials" in testing, and being that they don't require "elaborate clean-room environments" to produce, manufacturing them should prove much cheaper to boot. Regrettably, there's no word as to when this development could go commercial, but with users demanding more power and less noise, we're sure there's a market waiting.

[Via Physorg]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Purdue's carbon nanotubes could trump heat sinks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue researchers "perfecting" new hydrogen-generating technology

Donald Melanson — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:50:00 EST

Those mad scientists at Purdue University seem to think they have something big on their hands, with them now claiming that they're "perfecting" a new hydrogen-generating technology that they first announced earlier this year. According to the researchers, the technology could represent a "pollution-free energy source" for a whole range of applications, with it effectively generating "hydrogen on demand." To do that, the researchers added water to an alloy of aluminum and gallium, which attracts oxygen from the water, letting hydrogen loose in the process. This latest development centers on a new and improved form of the alloy that boasts a higher concentration of aluminum, which apparently allows it to react more rapidly with water to form hydrogen. While the technology is still under " intense investigation," the researchers are planning to detail their findings at the 2nd Energy Nanotechnology International Conference that goes down in Santa Clara, California on September 7th.

[Via TG Daily]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Purdue researchers "perfecting" new hydrogen-generating technology originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers use "ionic wind" to cool computer chips

Donald Melanson — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 12:47:00 EST

A team of researchers at Purdue University look to be doing their best to put conventional computer cooling techniques to shame, to that end developing a prototype system that uses an "ionic wind" to keep chips cool, something they say could eventually allow for much more powerful computers. According to the BBC, the system employs an ionic engine that produces positively charged particles when a voltage is applied to it. Those particles are then naturally drawn to a negatively charged wire, resulting in a constant air movement over the chips. That, the researchers say, increases the cooling rate from a conventional fan by up to 250%. They're apparently far from satisfied with the system just yet though, and they're now working to make it a hundred times smaller than its current size -- a feat all the more daunting considering that it already measures just a few millimeters.

[Thanks, Xander and Del Monte]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Researchers use "ionic wind" to cool computer chips originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2007 12:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guessbots navigate by making informed predictions

Nilay Patel — Mon, 14 May 2007 17:34:00 EST

A new system of robotic navigation being developed at Purdue University enhances a bot's ability to get around unfamiliar environments by allowing it to "guess" what unknown areas look like. Unlike the traditional method of "simulataneous localization and mapping" (hilariously nicknamed SLAM), in which bots take detailed measurements of an area to generate maps, the guessbots divide an area into cells and make predictions about "frontier cells," or areas adjacent to cells which have already been mapped. Each frontier cell is then assigned a "confidence score" -- cells with low scores need further investigation, while those with high scores can be added to the map. Initial computer simulations of the system resulted in virtual guessbots needing to map less than 33% of a building to navigate successfully, and while real-life prototyping already underway doesn't seem to have gotten quite as good, it's produced higher-quality maps in shorter amounts of time than SLAM, according to the developers. The guessbots do have limitations, however: they system only works well in highly-structured environments like buildings -- outdoors is probably out -- and like all robotic navigation systems, small measurement errors add up fast. Even still, let's hope this filters down to the consumer level fast -- a navigation system that's able to predict what's coming up next instead of blindly following a map just might keep us from wrecking all those cars.

Filed under: Robots

Guessbots navigate by making informed predictions originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2007 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue researchers craft handheld chemical analyzer, likens Tricorder

Darren Murph — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:43:00 EST

Hot on the heels of being crowned the most prolific pirating university in the land, Purdue is donning its halo once again by kicking out yet another invention that will surely make the world a better place to reside. The Mini 10 prototype is a handheld chemical analyzer that its creators have likened to Star Trek's "Tricorder," and while the internal abilities should genuinely impress, we're handing out a round of golf claps for the uber-glitzy motif it's got going on. The sophisticated sensing system measures just 13.5- x 8.5- x 7.5-inches and weighs in at 22-pounds, which is around 30 times less than conventional mass spectrometers, and aside from its ability to be completely portable via battery power, it still sports the same sniffing capabilities as its mammoth-sized siblings. In order to cram such potent chemical sensing abilities into such a small package, a miniature mass spectrometer is "combined with a technique called desorption electrospray ionization (DESI)," and can display the chemical composition of materials in a "matter of minutes without harming the samples." Interestingly enough, the prototype has already analyzed garb, food, and actual cocaine, and while we're not quite sure when you'll be able to snatch one of these up to "check in" on your mischievous teen, a couple of Indiana-based firms are apparently already looking into commercialization options.

Slashdot]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Purdue researchers craft handheld chemical analyzer, likens Tricorder originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIAA lists top 25 universities handing out piracy notices

Darren Murph — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 21:56:00 EST

The "good guys" have tried to tempt college kids with free legal music for far too long to no avail, and after continuous failed attempts at gaining traction here in the US, it's no surprise that the RIAA would devote precious man-hours to concocting a most-wanted list of pirating schools. It should be noted that the top 25 is based on the amount of warnings sent out from the university to its students, and some schools may be omitted simply due to a lack of response on the administration's end. Nevertheless, it's reported that over three times as many infringement notices have been sent out during the 2006 - 2007 school year versus the year prior, but the RIAA did attribute some of that boost to its heightened awareness and tracking capabilities. Interestingly enough, the top spot holder doesn't seem to be overly concerned about its position, as Purdue feels the "service provider" shouldn't be the one lashing out at "criminals," essentially brushing that RIAA grief right off its shoulder. Still, we all know what you're here for, and that's to see if your alma mater made the dubious cut (full list after the jump), and while some here at Engadget can ~~proudly~~ proclaim to be in the top ten (ahem), drop us a comment and let us know where you stand.

[Via TWW]

Continue reading RIAA lists top 25 universities handing out piracy notices

Filed under: Portable Audio

RIAA lists top 25 universities handing out piracy notices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Feb 2007 21:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Portable generator converts waste into energy

Darren Murph — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 02:22:00 EST

Although developing alternate fuel sources is most certainly a worthwhile effort, a group of Purdue scientists are looking to demolish two birds with a single, um, bag of refuse, as its portable generator not only creates useful electricity, but it disposes of worthless garbage while it's at it. The aptly-named "tactical biorefinery" processes several kinds of wastes at once, which it then converts into fuel via two parallel processes before burning the results in a diesel engine to power a generator. The device, which comes in just a hair smaller than a "small moving man," can crunch through multiple kinds of garbage at once, creating energy completely without discrimination towards certain kinds of gunk, and is already being eyed by the US Army for future battlefield usage. Interestingly, initial prototypes are showing that it can produce "approximately 90 percent more energy than it consumes," and considering that it pulverizes everything inserted into it, soldiers won't have to worry about leaving behind remnants of their stay. Ideally, the backers would love to see the unit available in commercial settings as well as in the military, but we think this thing will be a real winner when it can compress gobs of garbage into vicious (smelling) pellets and launch grotesque projectiles while keeping our planet green.

[Via CNET]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Portable generator converts waste into energy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Feb 2007 02:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New system warns of potential bone fractures

Darren Murph — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 15:41:00 EST

While ultrasonic stimulation may now be an FDA approved method of healing bone injuries, a team of researchers at Purdue University and the University of Toledo have developed a prototype system that will hopefully keep you from requiring such treatment. The group is designing a wearable device that alerts a person engaged in rigorous activities (read: Dance Dance Revolution contests) when a stress fracture is immanent so they can cool their jets before it's too late. The system records "acoustic emission data" (sound waves creates by tiny bone fissures) the same way a machine monitors the integrity of bridges to detect harmful amounts of pressure before disaster strikes, and the data can be quickly analyzed via PDA software to determine if you're pushing things beyond recommended limits. The same techniques used in measuring earthquakes will potentially be used on athletes, runners, dancers, soldiers, and even horses in order to mitigate those oh-so-troublesome hairline cracks. While we don't intend for this to discourage you from remaining faithful to that newly-devised exercise plan, at least you would ~~have an excuse to quit~~ know when enough's enough, as you definitely don't want to end up hospitalized under this RN's care.

[Via MedGadget]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wearables

New system warns of potential bone fractures originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Sep 2006 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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