invention
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Paper Four initiative developing talking paper
Interactive billboards and advertisements have been (trying) to catch our eyes for some time now, but a team of Swedes are apparently hoping that adding speech abilities might convince you to take an even closer look. The Paper Four project has reportedly developed a prototype digital paper that uses embedded sensors to detect touch, and when you graze over a certain spot, it actually talks back to you via "printed speakers." Now in the fourth generation of development, the device combines paper with "printed graphic codes and electronically conductive ink that is sensitive to pressure," and it is already being showcased as a way to invite tourists or other customers to get up close and personal with ads in order to hear auditory information. Best of all, the team has hosted up a video showing exactly how this stuff works, so do yourself a favor and hit the read link to catch a peek.[Via BBC]
WPI students create wireless 3D ring mouse
No doubt we've seen some snazzy takes on mousing instruments, but when Popular Science dubs your twist on the critter we couldn't do without an Invention of the Year, you've accomplished something. A team of WPI undergraduate students were able to win such an honor by crafting the MagicMouse, a "three-dimensional computer mouse" that allows users to "control and manipulate items on a computer screen just by pointing at the monitor." While we've seen similar ideas for helping disabled individuals interface with a computer, this wee iteration actually fits around one's finger and "uses an array of receivers to track the motion of a tiny ultrasonic transmitter." The cursor is moved by waving one's hand back and forth, while moving closer and backing away enables zooming functions to be utilized, which should make handling those CAD drawings a good bit easier. Perhaps most notable, however, is the relatively low cost of assembly, as the entire contraption (rechargeable Li-ion and all) cost just $155, and we're sure you know how far that could fall if a bulk buying manufacturer brought it to commercialization. A few more pictures after the jump.[Via Popular Science and Gizmag]
Homegrown USB-powered calculator synth doubles as pillow
As if the Cushion Control pillows weren't cute enough, here we find a USB-powered, felt-covered calculator synth to ooh and aww over. Artists Kelli Cain and Brian Crabtree were able to conjure up this nifty device at a Felt Circuits workshop held in Los Angeles, and while details are relatively scarce, the creation is essentially a homemade eight- x six-inch calculator constructed from dyed wool that was hand-rubbed into felt. The two also "designed, etched, and populated noise-making circuit boards" which were then put into the contraption, and when connected to a USB port, touching the metal contacts that are sewn on "makes a bunch of noise," which we can causally refer to as abstract music. Unfortunately, there's no sign of these things going on sale, but if you beg the duo hard enough, you might find out if another workshop is in the pipeline.
Inventor takes aim at velcro with his "Slidingly Engaging Fastener"
While it may not be as quick to roll off your tongue, 66-year old inventor Leonard Duffy thinks that his "Slidingly Engaging Fastener" has what it takes to replace the tried and true velcro for most binding needs, and he's now taken home a Popular Science invention award for it. According to PopSci, the mouthful of an invention uses a series of interlocking grids consisting of tiny hexagonal or triangular "islands," which apparently form an uncommonly strong bond when they're joined together (able to support eight times the weight of velcro). The invention also bests velcro in one other key area: it's completely silent. While it doesn't look like it'll be commercially available anytime soon, the invention has apparently drawn the interest of some 150 product designers, as well as a company interested in using it to attach artificial limbs. And while others would likely suggest otherwise, Duffy doesn't seem willing to budge on the name, insisting that "it's slidingly engaging... it's the slidingly engaging fastener."[Via Gadget Lab]
Head-mounted display helps disabled walk
Although we've seen gait monitors and even prosthetic feet that assist individuals in regaining a more natural stride, scientists at Technion Institute of Technology in Israel have resorted to a head-mounted display for its rendition. This virtual reality device combines "auditory and visual feedback to improve walking speed and stride length in patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease," and provides the wearer with a "tiled-floor image" that apparently assists them in navigating nearly any terrain. The device is meant to take the place of normal muscle feedback mechanisms, and to provide said feedback to these disabled individuals so they can make adjustments and improve the efficiency of their walk. The HMD has already made its way to several medical centers and has purportedly yielded positive results, but there was no word on when this device would be commercially available.[Via MedGadget]
Mondo Spider robot walks, consternates onlookers
Joining the Land Walker, Robotic Giraffe, and the Anchorage Mecha as some of the most exotic, over-the-top ways to get from point A to point B is the Mondo Spider, which required a team of skilled engineers and "thousands of hours" in order to assemble. The creators seemingly spared no cost on the mechanical arachnid, as it boasts an impressive array of gears, linkages, and sheer quantities of metal to bring it all together. The man-driven beast cranks up like your average vehicle, but slipping it into first gear gets the spidey's legs a-crankin', and before long, it actually gets up to a respectable pace and commands respects from anyone close to its path. It may not shoot rubber balls or pass a state inspection, but we can't imagine too many vehicles standing up to this intimidating monster. Catch the videotaped demonstration in the links below.[Via Wired]
Disabled inventor crafts DinnerUp pet feeder
After a solid four-mile run on the Doggy Treadmill, it's not too tough to understand why Fido is famished, but for folks who are disabled in ways that make bending down or moving around in general difficult, getting the pet food from the pantry to the bowl has been a serious chore. Thanks to a retired engineer (who was stricken by cerebral palsy) that figured he better solve his own problem rather than wait for someone else, the DinnerUp apparatus was concocted, and now it's on the brink of commercialization. The device mounts onto a kitchen counter or door and relies on a hand crank / clutching system in order to lift the attached bowls to a level that's easy to reach, after which it's lowered back down to the anxious pets below. Currently, Ray Dinham is assembling the units himself and offloading them to "satisfied customers" for £70 ($140) apiece, but it shouldn't be long before the manufacturing is "outsourced to a UK-based firm" and these gain some serious worldwide traction.[Via BBC]
Wi-Aquarium: the WiFi-enabled fish tank
We've seen everything from WiFi-enabled PMPs, robots, and even gardens, but a recent creation showcased at the Embedded Systems Conference in California took remote access abilities underwater. While not as profound as a bay-patrolling nuke detector, Lantronix's Wi-Aquarium was able to grab the bronze for its snazzy internet-enabled fish tank, which reportedly "allows users to remotely control and monitor their aquarium anytime from anywhere in the world." Moreover, users can login and keep an eye on the situation via webcam, and they can even dictate the water temperature, lights, and filter from afar. The standout feature, however, is the ingrained ability of the tank to send the owner emails containing status reports of several key metrics, which should certainly keep you connected to your sea-dwelling pets no matter your location. Now this is what Tamagotchi should have been from the start, eh?[Via The Raw Feed]
Magnetic clothes hangers rearrange your closet
As with most things that have remained fairly constant over the years, it was just a matter of time before someone with a tick of free time and a bright idea gave a new face to the clothes hanger. Daniel To's simply-named magnetic clothes hangers maintain the same forked design to gingerly hold your favorite threads, but rather than sporting a rotating hook, a magnetic cube was attached in order to give design-conscience homeowners a new way to assemble their closets. Of course, you'll need a metallic rack / roof to take advantage of the attractive (ahem) design, but we sure hope these end up coming in a heavy duty flavor for the more weighted aspects of our wardrobe.[Via Freshome]
Georgia Tech researchers develop environmentally-powered nanogenerators
While the school of the Ramblin' Wreck may be best known for its barrage of engineering graduates, the university has been on quite the medical trip of late, as researchers have reportedly developed a nanometer-scale generator after already cranking out nanowires that monitor your blood pressure. The aptly-named nanogenerators can produce "continuous direct-current electricity by harvesting mechanical energy from such environmental sources as ultrasonic waves, mechanical vibration or blood flow," which translates into easy energy for implanted and worn medical gadgetry of the future. Interestingly, the project was funded by the likes of the National Science Foundation and our pals at DARPA, and while this invention may not quite match up with wireless charging (hey, we're scared of hospitals), the concept is novel nonetheless. So if you were hoping that dreams of implanted analysis of your vitals would suddenly cease, things aren't looking up for you.[Via MedGadget]
NASA's PILOT project could autonomously extract oxygen from lunar soil
We've got means to extract oxygen from water, a portable bar, and even ways to deprive entire server farms of the sustenance, but a new project being tackled by Lockheed Martin is hoping to create O2 on the moon. A critical part of NASA's PILOT (Precursor In-situ Lunar Oxygen Testbed) initiative, this digger bot will work hand-in-hand with a "processing plant that will add hydrogen to moon soil, heat it to 1,652-degrees Fahrenheit, condense the steam, and finally extract the oxygen." Additionally, the blue LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) box atop the three-foot-long machine can assist it in locating "oxygen-rich lunar soil and autonomously carry it to a processing plant." The overriding goal is to use the newly extracted O2 for air, or moreover, to combine it with hydrogen and produce water for the four astronauts that the lunar base could support. Unfortunately, there's no timetable as to when we'll actually see the PILOT roll into action, but we're most interested in porting this bad boy over to Mars along with half the traffic in LA.[Via The Raw Feed]
Morpho Towers: ferrofluid sculptures that groove to the music
There's just something irresistible about random objects that get down to surrounding beats, and the Morpho Towers: Two Standing Spirals installation is quite the eye-catcher indeed. The pair of ferrofluid sculptures were deigned to stand in a platter of ferrofluid and move "synthetically to music," which translates into a magnetic field being generated by sound and creating autonomous art. Subsequently, the towers react by attracting "spikes of ferrofluid" from the bottom-up, which can mold itself and transform into a variety of stunning shapes. The spikes themselves are designed to "rotate around the edge of the spiral cone, becoming large or small depending on the strength of the magnetic field," and by utilizing time series metadata ingrained in the music, the designers can create (and control) more dramatic scenes on the towers' sides. So if you're interested in what a magnetic Christmas tree might look like, be sure to take a peek after the jump for the artwork in motion.[Via SciFiTech]
InsideOutside garb alerts you of uncomfortable areas
Sensor-laden clothing isn't exactly atypical this day in age, but the InsideOutside project takes wearable alerting to a new (albeit uncomfortable) platform. The garments are supposed to be rocked underneath of your corporately-approved suit and tie, and can purportedly assist you when coming in range of areas or situations that you don't spot right off, but you know would make you antsy if you did. Essentially, the garb "heats up or cools down uncomfortably" when the wearer gets near user-selected situations that they don't appreciate, meaning that you can program the clothing to tip you off when nearing CCTV farms, pop concerts, and rival fans of your alma mater. Sadly, we've no clue whether or not these sophisticated threads will ever make it to the retail scene, but if this thing (eventually) allows you to add spots to your discomfort list on-the-fly via your mobile, we're sensing a real winner. [Via MAKE]
MIT gurus developing bionic feet / ankles
Leave it to the brilliant minds at MIT's Biomechatronics Lab to crank out yet another bionic limb, as a newfangled mechanical foot / ankle combo is apparently on the minds of more than a few of its researchers. In a recent patent application, the team describes an "artificial foot and ankle joint" consisting of a "leaf spring foot member," flexible elastic ankle, and an actuator motor that applies force to the ankle. Aside from sporting a fairly intelligent system to improving one's gait, it also boasts a built-in safety feature that prevents foot rotation beyond a specified angle, and the internal sensors can also activate the motors at different intervals depending on the surface in which one is walking. The prosthetic feet join a horde of other bionic limbs and appendages meant to make life as an amputee a fair bit easier, and as terrific as this here invention sounds, we're betting the Olympic committee dashes your hopes of illegally obliterating a few running records by barring these from basic competitions.[Via NewScientistTech]
Powercast looking to bring wireless power to reality
We know, energy without wires has always seemed like one of those novel concepts that sounds terrific in theory, but remains a tad difficult to imagine hitting the commercial scene for some time to come. Apparently, all that is about to become nonsense, as a Pennsylvania-based startup is set to capture the wireless-loving hearts of, um, everyone when it tackles contactless power products. Powercast has already "signed nondisclosure agreements to develop products with more than 100 companies (Philips, for instance), including major manufacturers of cellphones, MP3 players, automotive parts, temperature sensors, hearing aids, and medical implants." The firm's radio-wave-receiving miracle device trumps existing attempts by "adjusting to variations in load and field strength while maintaining a constant DC voltage," essentially ensuring that only low wattages (read: the stuff that garners FCC admiration) are flung around. The system basically consists of two parts -- a wall-plug transmitter and a "dime-sized receiver" that handles the real magic -- and energy is instantly transmitted whenever that disc comes within a yard or so of its tag-team partner. Incredibly, the receiver only costs "about $5" to produce, yet the outfit has already secured upwards of $10 million in private funding, which translates into one less American that desperately needs to win the lottery. Get ready folks, if all goes well, Powercast will be shipping "many millions of units" by the end of 2008 -- and maybe even sooner.[Via TWW]
Shoulder-mounted camera could extend human abilities
No question about it, strapping a webcam to your dome or rocking a set of unsightly head-mounted displays can kill a substantial amount of time, but researchers from the University of Bristol are looking at more practical uses of wearable cameras. A shoulder-mounted camera system that "automatically tracks head movements and can recognize hand gestures" has been developed in the UK, and eventually, they hope for it to recognize what the user is doing and make his / her life easier by communicating with other devices based on their actions. The cam is controlled wirelessly by a host computer, which "uses the camera's output to keep track of objects, map its position and recognize different hand gestures made by the user." Interestingly, the perched device even includes a trio of motors for muti-directional assistance, and built-in inertia sensors keep it level with the dips and dodges of life. Of course, we can't promise you that everyone (like mall security) will take kindly to a Big Brother-type device flanked on your shoulder, but at least you won't have to hire a bodyguard to watch your back, right?
Jacket cuff lights create illumination on demand
Flashlights have certainly found their way into unusual locales, but a recent invention places light in a place that could prove handy to nearly anyone out on the town. The aptly-named jacket cuff lights add bright beams of white light to both of your sleeves, and since they're wired up in a series, you aren't apt to activate your high beams without intending to do so. Relying on ten white LEDs, a pair of small PC mounting boards, four small pushbuttons, a couple of 10-ohm resistors, a bit of cabling, rechargeable battery pack, and the usual handyman skills with a soldering iron, this project doesn't look too intense for the amateur to handle. Still, the creator has certainly made things easy on those of you who'd rather pay someone else to get things going, as you can pick up the kit of necessary items for a smooth $20 if you so choose. Alright, you know the drill, hit the read link for a detailed video demonstration.[Via MAKE]
Bionic hand touts can-crushing abilities
Joining the arm, eye, ear, and dolphin (saywha?), the latest bionic creation to come from the doors of the Tokyo Institute of Technology boasts some 33-pounds of crushing power, which could make the Power Glove look a bit weak in comparison. Touted as the "world's first electromechanical prosthetic hand with a grip strong enough to crush an empty beverage can," the creation reportedly weighs a hair over 300-grams and features about half the strength found in the average male hand, but it can extend and flex its fingers in around one second, making sure that the wearer is still a formidible opponent in thumb wars. Unlike similar iterations, however, this rendition utilizes a system of pulleyed cables that run through the fingers, and if all goes as planned, eventual wearers will be able to control the machine by flexing other muscles via "myoelectric control technology." Click on through for a video demonstration.[Via Pink Tentacle]
Philips envisions electronic garb to hasten fitting room adventures
It looks like the zany engineers at Philips are at it again, cranking out yet another patent application for an outlandish method of revamping the modern day fitting room. Rather than taking five or so sizes of the same shirt into a room, only to eventually forget which iteration actually worked, Philips envisions demo clothing with "alloy fibers" interwoven, which will essentially allow electricity to extend, mold, and shape the threads to fit one's body. Basically, Philips is hoping its auto-conforming system will allow shoppers to figure out the precise size they need without all the subsequent guesswork, but one could argue that it also removes the thrill of wardrobe shopping altogether. Still, we have to wonder if this usage is really the only motive for dreaming up such a device, as we're confident there would be one heck of a market for electronically adjustable dress pants.[Via NewScientistTech]
Beauty-rating software could spell trouble for Hot or Not
Facial recognition software has been used in a smorgasbord of positive applications, aiding our soldiers in detecting baddies, keeping weirdos out of clubs, barring maniacs from entering football arenas, and even helping parents know when their infant is truly in a bad way, but the latest usage of the technology could indeed hurt the feelings of the less-than-attractive. A pair of controversy-lovin' Australian scientists have devised a software program that actually rates one's face "from one to ten" in terms of most ugly to most beautiful, and uses a sophisticated database of facial proportions borrowed from some 200 stunning women across the globe in order to give you a very honest answer when questioning your attractivity. Of course, we all know that real beauty lies within (right?), and if your idea of sexy doesn't match up with the generally accepted supermodel "look," the results could indeed conflict with your own beliefs. Currently, the program is designed to work solely with women, but adopting a male iteration could definitely be in the cards, and while we doubt this stuff would be particularly beneficial for your image-obsessed teen, it's primarily intended for use in the cosmetic surgery realm to judge just how effective that ridiculously expensive nose job really was.[Via Digg]
