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MIT researchers weave "flexible camera" out of fiber web

by Donald Melanson, posted Jul 10th 2009 at 1:03PM

We've seen liquid camera lenses and cameras shaped like an eye, but a group of researchers from MIT's Department of Materials Science and Engineering are now taking things in yet another shape-shifting direction with a so-called "flexible camera" that uses a special fiber web instead of traditional lenses. Those fibers are each less than one millimeter in diameter, and are comprised of eight nested layers of light-detecting materials, which the researchers are able to form using an extrusion process like that used to make optical fiber for telecommunication applications. Once woven into a fabric, the researchers say the "camera" could be anything from a foldable telescope to a soldier's uniform that gives them greater situational awareness. Of course, they aren't saying when that might happen, although they have apparently already been able to use the fiber web to take "a rudimentary picture of a smiley face."

MIT scientists reverse engineer the ear for ultra-broadband, low power RF chip

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Jun 18th 2009 at 4:09PM

Researchers at MIT have developed an ultra-broadband radio chip that's faster than any existing RF spectrum analyzer, while consuming 100 times less power. The RF Cochlea mimics the neural signal processing of the human cochlea, which uses fluid mechanics, piezoelectrics and neural signal processing to convert sound waves into electrical signals which travel to the brain. "The more I started to look at the ear," said Rahul Sarpeshkar, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, "the more I realized it's like a super radio with 3,500 parallel channels." The team has recently filed for a patent to incorporate the chip in a universal or software radio architecture that will process a broad spectrum of signals including cellular phone, wireless Internet, FM, and other signals. Ultimately, this tech could be used to build a universal radio that could receive a broad range of frequencies. Meet Professor Sarpeshkar in the video after the break.

[Via Daily Tech]

Continue reading MIT scientists reverse engineer the ear for ultra-broadband, low power RF chip

Video: CTD's MID concept fits comfortably in freakishly large pockets

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Jun 10th 2009 at 2:20PM

Sure, this isn't the sexiest MID render we've ever seen, but it does make for a fun little video. Cambridge Technology Development, known around MIT and environs for fluidic device design, CFD analysis, and a number of other things we know less than nothing about, have designed a collapsible, pocketable PC that they call the Dragonfly. This bad boy can take the form of a flip phone, a straight-up netbook, or it can lay flat, in "table mode," ideal for pen and touch input. Of course, this isn't a real device -- and there's no telling when or if it'll become available. But when it does, how about floating us a review unit? Check 'er out yourself after the break.

Continue reading Video: CTD's MID concept fits comfortably in freakishly large pockets

Ionic cooling system adapted for laptop use, scalded legs cautiously rejoice

by Darren Murph, posted May 21st 2009 at 7:41AM

To be totally candid, we can't even utter the word "ionic" without thinking of Sharper Image, but the concept here actually seems like one that just might benefit the public at large... or at least those of us forced to cook our upper legs on a daily basis. San Jose-based Tessera, in cooperation with the University of Washington, has adapted an ionic cooling system for use in everyday laptops. The magic elixir consists of two electrodes, one of which is used to ionize air molecules such as nitrogen, while the other acts as a receiver for those molecules. According to reports, this method can extract around 30 percent more heat from a lap burner than the traditional "fan and more fans" approach. Still, a major obstacle remains in terms of ensuring that the electrodes remain reliable throughout the life of a laptop, but if Tessera has its druthers, some form of the system will be commercialized next year.

New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy

by Tim Stevens, posted May 15th 2009 at 9:29AM

Cuttlefish are one of the most intelligent creatures in the sea, able to change their shape and color to escape predators -- but, they aren't smart enough to escape us, and they taste good, so they also go great with risotto. Scientists at MIT, however, decided not to eat their cuttlefish, instead using them to inspire the tech inside a new type of highly-efficient display. The screen is just one micron thick and contains a layer of poly-2 vinyl. Left alone it's clear but, when exposed to an electrical charge, its thickness and reflectivity can be controlled to create color. Just a few volts are required to form an image but, like e-ink, its design means backlighting is not an option. Viewing angles are also quite poor at this point, so this is one display tech that may take a long time to belly up at retail. Master of disguise video after the break.

Continue reading New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy

CMU researchers control microbots with mini magnets

by Darren Murph, posted May 7th 2009 at 6:52PM

Pardon the alliteration, but we're excited about the proposition here. For years -- millenniums, even -- scientists have been trying to figure out how to manipulate minuscule devices with magnets, and at long last, we've got a breakthrough in the field. Metin Sitti, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, is credited with creating a new control technique that could allow microscopic machines to "one day deliver drugs directly to a sickly cell or a tumor." Essentially, the diminutive bots glide across a glass surface covered with a grid of metal electrodes, and you're just a click away (it's the Read link, just so you know) from seeing a live demonstration on how they can be used to "anchor one or more microbots while allowing others to continue to move freely around the surface." Good times.

Video: robotic marimba player grooves autonomously with jazz pianist

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 26th 2009 at 5:09PM

We've seen an orchestra's worth of robotic musicians, but we've yet to see one that integrates this perfectly into a piece without any human intervention. Shimon -- a robotic marimba player created by Georgia Tech's Guy Hoffman (formerly of MIT), Gil Weinberg (the director of the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology) and Roberto Aimi of Alium Labs -- recently made its stage debut by sensing the music from a piano and reacting accordingly in order to provide complementary percussion. Unlike many alternatives, there's absolutely no delay here. Instead, it analyzes the classification of chords, estimates the human's tempo and attempts to extract features from the human's melodic phrases and styles. What you're left with a robot musician that goes beyond call-and-response and actually meshes with the Earthling's playing throughout. The full performance is posted after the break, and make sure to leave a donation as you exit through the doors on the left.

[Thanks, Guy!]

Gallery: Video: robotic marimba player grooves autonomously with jazz pianist

Continue reading Video: robotic marimba player grooves autonomously with jazz pianist

Wearable blood pressure monitor: portable and fashionable

by Laura June, posted Apr 10th 2009 at 2:43PM

We've seen some wild ideas when it comes to blood pressure -- including, yes, underpants -- but this newest device, a small monitor attached to the hand, which can be worn 24 hours a day for continuous monitoring, strikes us as having the potential for extreme usefulness. The monitor works differently than regular old blood pressure cuff, using a method called pulse wave velocity, which measures the pulse at two points along an artery. Built by a team of engineers at MIT, this prototype could boast a lot of advantages over monitors, including its portability, its ability to see long-term patterns of rises and falls in pressure, and of course -- you wouldn't have to be at the doctor's office to use it -- which is bound to take a little stress out of the equation. The device is moving toward commercial production and Harry Asada, leader of the MIT team, sees the possibility for monitoring conditions such as sleep apnea in the future as well.

Graphene chip could hit 1,000GHz, make your Core i7 feel totally inadequate

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 26th 2009 at 8:03AM

8GHz (with the help of liquid nitrogen) not quick enough? Leave it to the folks at MIT to make sure your zaniest desires are well taken care of. As research forges ahead on graphene, carbon nanotubes and buckyballs (remember those?), gurus at the university have discovered a breakthrough that could eventually lead to microchips that make existing silicon-based CPUs weep. In fact, the research could lead to practical systems in the 500 to 1,000 gigahertz range. The magic all ties back to advancements on a graphene chip known as a frequency multiplier, and while the nitty-gritty of all this is far too complicated for the layperson to grasp, all you really need to know is this: finally, you can rest assured that you'll one day own a chip capable of handling Duke Nukem Forever.

[Via InformationWeek]

MIT dreams of fully autonomous greenhouse, will definitely make it happen

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 22nd 2009 at 4:53PM

You know what's hard to find these days? Consistency and reliability -- in anything, really. But we've learned that when MIT touches something, it not only gets done, but it gets done right. Thus, we're absolutely elated to hear that a few of its students have dreamed up a fully autonomous greenhouse, utilizing real plants, sensors and gardening robots to ensure the greenest, most healthy crop possible. In fairness, we've already seen oodles of robotic plant tending apparatuses, but this is just something special. Thus far, gurus have used "re-imagined versions of iRobot's Roomba" in order to tell what a plant needs and then respond accordingly, and apparently, things have been going quite well early on. Check out a demonstration vid just past the break.

[Via MAKE]

Continue reading MIT dreams of fully autonomous greenhouse, will definitely make it happen

MIT's quick charging batteries could revolutionize the world, maybe

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 9:36AM

Okay, so maybe the headline is a tad on the sensational side, but seriously, this has sensational written all over it. A team of brilliant MIT engineers have conjured up a beltway of sorts that allows for "rapid transit of electrical energy through a well-known battery material," something that could usher in smaller and lighter cells that could recharge in moments versus hours. There's even talk that this technology could be adapted for use in automobiles, and honestly, it doesn't take an electrical engineer to understand how rapid charge / discharge batteries could "induce lifestyle changes." Hey, laptop battery makers -- could you guys look into getting these ready to go in machines by CES 2010? That'd be swell, thanks.

[Via BBC, thanks Simon]

MIT team develops solar car, boldly calls it Eleanor

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 1st 2009 at 12:23AM

When you name a custom built vehicle Eleanor, it better be good. It better be really good. But in fairness, the machine concocted by MIT's Solar Electric Vehicle Team is actually one of the more stellar creations we've seen on wheels. The newest iteration is a touch taller than prior versions and should be more comfortable to operate. Additionally, designers managed to increase the frontal area by 30 percent, all while keeping the drag area exactly the same. The juice comes from six square meters of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, and reportedly, the car can run all day long (providing the sun shines brightly the entire time) at a steady speed of 55 miles per hour. Eleanor will be competing later this year in the World Solar Challenge in Australia, and in preparation, the team is hoping to drive it across America this summer. So yeah, if you've ever wanted a summer to try hitchhiking, this would be it.

[Via Wired]

GreenWheel converts any Huffy 10-speed into an electric bicycle

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 26th 2009 at 7:13PM

It's a struggle we all face. There's the urge to bike to work each day, and then there's the realization that you're too huge / lazy / tired to make it on your own. Brilliant minds at MIT understand your frustration, and rather than asking you to drop a few grand on a bona fide electric bike, they're developing an apparatus that can convert any standard bicycle into one that's juiced. The GreenWheel contains an electric generator, batteries and an electric motor, all of which only need a wheel to be respoked in order to fit in. Under its current configuration, a single GreenWheel (yes, one can be added to each wheel) can propel a bike and your faineant derriere for around 25 miles; start peddling and that range doubles. There's no clear indication of when these things will splash down at your local bike shop, but word has it that Copenhagen and South Africa are already looking to add it to their public transportation systems by 2010.

[Via DVICE, thanks Scott]

Continue reading GreenWheel converts any Huffy 10-speed into an electric bicycle

Researchers use nano-origami to build tiny 3D devices

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Feb 26th 2009 at 4:13PM

MIT researchers are developing a new technique to create simple 3D structures out of nanoscale materials. Called "nano-origami," the kids are essentially using traditional micro- and nano-fabrication techniques to make 2D objects, at which point they are folded into pre-determined shapes. The folds can be induced by a number of means, including metal deposits (usually chromium), helium ions, and by running electricity through gold wires embedded in the material. While the process is still in its infancy (and all these options only work to a point) a simple 3D nanoscale capacitor has already been built. The current model has only one fold, but the researchers are hoping to increase the number of folds -- the more folds, they point out, the better the storage potential. Video after the break.

Continue reading Researchers use nano-origami to build tiny 3D devices

Intelligent Siftables blocks get even more face time

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 26th 2009 at 12:02PM

We were captivated when we first came across David Merrill's brilliantly simple Siftables idea last year, and though some time has passed us by, we're no less amazed this go 'round. The MIT graduate student has hosted up a few more videos and images of his pet project, which aims to utilize computerized tiles to initiate learning and allow Earthlings to "interact with information and media in physical, natural ways that approach interactions with physical objects in our everyday lives." Call us crazy, but we're betting Art Lebedev would totally take these commercial. Check out a music sequencer vid just past the break, and catch the rest of the media in the read link.

[Via TED, thanks Kaptix]

Continue reading Intelligent Siftables blocks get even more face time