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ICYMI: Spinning synthetic veins and emotion-sensing smartwatch apps
Today on In Case You Missed It: Researchers from Vanderbilt University are using commercial cotton candy machines to spin synthetic capillaries. Instead of sugar, the machines spin polymer fibers which are then coated in hydrogel and backed. The heat malts the polymer and hardens the hydrogel which then acts as scaffolding for human cell cultures. We also take a look at an emotion-sensing smartwatch app from MIT. It pairs an iPhone 5S with Samsung's Simband wearable to record and analyze conversational speech, then guess as to the emotion being expressed. And finally, it's TLDR day, where we read you the top headlines of the week that you might have missed while watching American democracy slowly crumble before your eyes. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @engadget or @mskerryd.
Samsung launches a flexible platform of sensors for wearables
At Samsung's "Voice of the Body" event today, the company announced SIMBAND, a modular reference platform for wearable health sensors that it hopes will inspire a new generation of fitness products. The prototype device you see above has a multitude of sensors built right into it, including an optical light sensor that can detect the variation of light absorption through the skin in order to come up with your pulse and other data. There's even an ECG sensor integrated into the watchband so that when you touch the clasp, an electrical route is completed.
