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Squid is a shirt that keeps an exercise journal so you don't have to
Wearable fitness trackers are everywhere these days. Everyone has a GPS watch, companies like Jawbone have turned to slightly stranger form factors, while AT&T and Under Armour are putting sensors inside clothing. Students at Northeastern University think the latter have the right idea, and have put an array of electrodes inside a compression shirt. The apparel is part of system being called Squid, which also includes a smartphone app and an exercise tracking site. Unlike other tech that ends with monitoring hear rate and tracking GPS coordinates Squid can actually gauge muscle activity and count reps so you don't have to. The shirt probably can't tell the difference between a bench press and push up, but at least its one less task to worry about while whipping yourself into fighting shape. No word on if or when the system might become available to the general public, so you'll have to make do with the video after the break to see it in action.
Robot dragon teaches kids language skills, battles impulse to terrorize city
Did you have trouble learning language skills at a young age? It's probably because you didn't have the right teacher. And by "the right teacher," we mean the right robotic dragon, naturally. This cuddly little mythical beast is the joint creation of researchers at Northeastern University, MIT and Harvard -- some of whom were behind the decidedly creepier Nexi bot. It's part of a National Science Foundation-funded program to help young children learn language skills, suggesting that forming a bond with a teacher plays an important role in the educational process. The dragon will be brought to preschool classes to help test out this hypothesis. Hopefully a robotic knight will also be on-hand, just in case.
iPhone reads blood glucose level with nanosensor tattoo (Updated)
For diabetics, checking blood glucose levels is literally a pain. Current blood glucose meters require a prick of the finger to get a small blood sample that is then put onto a small paper strip, inserted into the meter, and analyzed. The strips are a recurring cost to diabetics, and the constant finger pricks can be a route for infection. Now a research team at Northeastern University has developed a method of reading blood glucose levels with an iPhone and a nanosensor tattoo. The team's method works this way: they inject a patient with subdermal nanoparticles containing "fluorescent dye, specialized sensor molecules...and a charge-neutralizing molecule." The molecules attach to glucose, release ions, and alter the glow of the nanosensor tattoo based on the relative amount of glucose. While the initial device for reading the tattoo's glow was a big ugly box, one of the team members apparently outfitted an iPhone case with LEDs and filters to do the job. According to our sister site Engadget, the team is also looking at a way to measure blood sodium (associated with dehydration) and oxygen levels with iPhones and apps. You never thought that your iPhone would be an early-generation medical tricorder, did you? Update: Since a few commenters asked, this is an experimental device and has not (to our knowledge) been submitted to the FDA for their lengthy approval process.
Fluorescent nanosensor tattoo monitors glucose under the iPhone's glare
Unless you're a True Blood diehard, the idea of bleeding yourself intentionally shouldn't really seem all that appealing. So imagine how most diabetics feel when they're forced to prick their fingers seven times a day in the name of health. Well, soon they might not have to thanks to a nanosensor tattoo and... an iPhone? Developed by Prof. Heather Clark and her Northeastern University team, this injection of subdermal nanoparticles combines "fluorescent dye, specialized sensor molecules...and a charge-neutralizing molecule" that attach to glucose, releasing ions and altering the tat's glow in the process. The researchers had originally designed a "large boxlike" tattoo-reading device, but an apparent Apple fanboy on the team modded an iPhone case with LEDs and a filter lens to make the whole affair a bit more stylish. Next up for the team is, you guessed it, an app for that -- although this one'll focus on sodium.
Northeastern University students build web-syncing, home-automating DPAC alarm clock
It may not actually be available for sale, but it looks like some students from Northeastern University are giving devices like the Chumby and Sony Dash a run for their money. They've built this so-called Dynamically Programmable Alarm Clock, or DPAC, which can sync up with your Google Calendar to automatically set alarms, get traffic, weather and other information, and even integrate with a home automation system to turn on the lights, open the blinds, and start your coffee maker as part of a wake-up cycle. What's more, the whole thing can also be configured using a web interface, and it of course packs a built-in FM radio and an iPod dock for good measure. Hit up the source link below for a look at the months-long build process, and head on past the break to check it out in action.
Students build 3D computer interface using copper, felt, and lots of moxie
Always on the lookout for bigger and better ways to faux-scratch a record with your PC, these students at Northeastern University have developed a human-computer interface that utilizes copper pads and our beloved theory of electrostatics. This little devil is able to track the position of a user's hand in three dimensions, without attaching markers to the body or requiring the user to hold some sort of controller. We can think of a couple theremin players that would love to get their hands on one of these things (Mike Love, we're looking at you). But don't take out word for it -- peep the video below to groove along with these dudes as they literally rock the (virtual) bells, play some organ, and even do a little fingerpainting.
Physicists develop microlens with earth-shatteringly short focal length
It's hard to say when we, the consumers, will actually see any real benefit from the latest noteworthy discovery from Northeastern University, but we can only imagine that Srinivas Sridhar and team aren't wasting any time moving things forward. Said crew has recently created a "new microlens that focuses infrared light at telecommunication frequencies," and if you're looking for specifics, it can focus an infrared beam to a spot just 12-micrometers away from the surface. The science behind the discovery is probably only digestible by those that understand rocket science, but the long of short of it is this: the "research shows that it is possible to create smaller, ultra-compact infrared optical components that can be integrated into existing semiconductor technologies while not sacrificing image quality." Now that's something even the layman can appreciate. [Via Physorg]
