Dr. Honghai Liu, one of the two researchers heading up a project to craft an exceptionally deft robotic hand, has called such a device "one of the holy grails of science," and honestly, we can't say we disagree. He, along with Professor Xiangyang Zhu, was recently award a Royal Society grant to further research the possibility of using artificial intelligence to create software that could "learn and copy human hand movements." A sensor-laden cyberglove has been used to capture data about how the human hand moves, and the duo hopes to eventually use the findings to produce the "perfect artificial limb." Of course, there's no telling how long it'll take for such technology to actually be perfected, but we can already see the line forming with folks eager to swap out their own hand for one a bit more adept.

[Via The Raw Feed]

Air-conditioned vests have certainly graced the bodies of armed men and women before, but an elusive new breed is being tested in the multi-million dollar Spinnaker Building at the University of Portsmouth to ensure that it'll keep soldiers cool from the brutal conditions in Iraq. Scientists at the school weren't at will to disclose all the nitty gritty details about the classified gear, but we do know that these bad boys utilize "a combination of air, liquid, and new applications of old technologies such as converting paraffin wax into liquid in chambers within the vests to absorb heat from the body." The gist of the testing is to create a suit that actually improves one's ability to make sound judgments while in the field and under extreme conditions, and it was also mentioned that a mysterious US defense contractor is hoping to tweak these and have 'em out "within one to two years." Now, if only these things were available en masse for our poor laps, we'd really be in business.

[Via Gizmag]

While there's always the off chance that your next surgery will be completed by a robotic doctor, we'd wager that most of us would opt for a well-trained, well-rested, and naturally conceived expert to handle the tools. The University of Portsmouth is upping the ante on its training facilities for those making the rounds in med school, and doctors-to-be now have access to £135,000 ($266,706) dummies that "bleed, speak, and potentially die" depending on the level of care received. Providing a more realistic practice environment, these lifelike mannequins can also "breathe oxygen, drool, secrete fluids, blink, and even react to drugs injected into their bodies." Aside from being used by students of medicine, social work, and dentistry, police and firefighters will also be able to get their hands dirty, but they'll be forced to treat the creature as a real human, taking notice of their names, biographies, and medical history before picking up that needle. Additionally, users will be able to access the built-in cameras and microphones to "critically appraise performances in real time." So if you're looking for a second opinion, tracking down a recent Portsmouth graduate that trained on these blokes might not be such a bad idea.

[Via Smart Mobs]