nanotech
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Underwater robot has sense of touch, class and style
At the Fraunhofer Institute in Bremen, Germany, a group of researchers, in conjunction with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence DFKI, is developing an underwater robot with a sense of touch. The octopus-esque robot is equipped with a strain gauge which triggers electrical resistance changes when an obstacle is encountered. The strain gauges -- which are printed onto the robot -- which are ten micrometers wide (about half the width of a human hair), are made up of atomized nanoparticles, and are extremely sensitive. The researchers intend for the robot to be able to distinguish between actual obstacles and water currents. The robot's first stop will be a public trade show at the end of May in Nuremberg, after which it will presumably make it's way to the dark depths of the sea to meet up with Captain Nemo and the giant squid.
New material could make robot muscles better, faster, stronger
There's already been countless advances in the always exciting field of robot muscles, but a team of researchers from the University of Texas have now made what appears to be a considerable leap forward, which they say could allow for "performance characteristics that have not previously been obtained." The key to that is an entirely new material comprised of ribbons of tangled nanotubes, which can expand its width by 220% when a voltage is applied and return to its original shape in just milliseconds when the voltage is removed. What's more, the material is not only "stronger than steel and stiffer than diamond," but it's able to withstand an extreme range of temperatures from -196 °C to 1538 °C, which could allow robots equipped with the muscles to operate with ease in a wide variety of off-world colonies, er, "harsh environments." Head on past the break for a demonstration of the material in its non-robot form.[Image courtesy NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]
Nanotech research could fit 10 trillion bits of data onto disk the size of a quarter
Two researchers, Ting Xu and Thomas Russell, are in the midst of developing some potentially sweet nanotech that could allow storage of around 10.5 terabits (or 10 trillion bits) of data on a space the size of a quarter. They're currently working on the technique, which starts with a sliced crystal (sapphire or silicon) sliced at a jagged angle, which is then heated to 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit which causes the crystal to reorganize itself into a sawtooth pattern at three nanometer angles. The crystal is then sprayed with a custom polymer, dried, and treated again with a different solvent, after which the polymer then settles into a hexagonal pattern on the surface of the crystal. Sound complicated? Well, it is, and all the kinks aren't quite work out, but the technique essentially provides a path to creating a self-assembling disk with far more storage capacity than anything currently available. The current state of the research will be detailed in the upcoming issue of Science magazine. We'll believe it when we see it, but keep up the good work, guys!
Tattoo-like nanosensor could monitor glucose levels, enhance your cool factor
Make no mistake, there are quite a few sophisticated ways to monitor one's glucose levels, but we're pretty certain we've never seen an approach as simple and as bodacious as this. Massachusetts-based Draper Laboratories has stumbled upon a new embeddable nanosensor that could, at least in theory, eliminate those painful pricks endured today by so many diabetics. The so-called "injectable nanotech ink" could be inserted under the skin much like a tattoo, though Draper's Heather Clark notes that it "doesn't have to be a large, over-the-shoulder kind of tattoo." In fact, it can be as small as a few millimeters in size, though if it were us, we'd use it as the perfect excuse in order to plaster our backs with Ice Climbers. Testing of the new approach is expected to begin very soon, though that usually means it won't be ready for humans until at least a few years later. Ah well, plenty of time to dream up the perfect design, right?[Via medGadget]
Probabilistic logic makes microchip more energy efficient
We'll be straight up with you -- there's a lot of fancy work going on with this one that laypeople will have a tough time grasping, but the long and short of it is this: a team from Rice University (Krishna Palem pictured) and Nanyang Technological University have created a microchip that "uses 30 times less electricity while running seven times faster than today's best technology." Already crying snake oil? Not so fast. By trashing the traditional set of mathematical rules (that'd be Boolean logic) and instead applying probabilistic logic, researchers have figured out how to deliver similar results with a fraction of the energy. The tech is being dubbed PCMOS (probabilistic CMOS), and could eventually end up in embedded systems and even cellphones. In the case of the latter, this type of chip will be able to display streaming video on a minuscule display with more artifacts than usual, but due to the small screen size and the human brain's ability to piece together nearly-perfect images, the errors involved would be all but forgotten. Meanwhile, your battery bar would still be nearly full. We always heard there was beauty in imperfections -- now, at long last, we finally get it.
Rice University rolls out new and improved "nanocar"
Nano-sized letters are one thing, but nothing impresses the nanotechnology community like creepy crawly nanotech, and some researchers from Rice University look to have fully delivered on that point with their latest so-called "nanocar." At about two nanometers in length, the new nanocar apparently doesn't represent a drastic reduction in size over the previous incarnation, but it does have the notable advantage of being able to "travel" across surfaces at room temperature (a temperature of 200° Celsius was required before). Interestingly, that breakthrough was actually discovered by accident, and was later able to be confirmed using a mix of time-lapse photography and a new tracking algorithm. As you might have guessed, however, they're still quite a ways away from being able to actually control the car, although the researchers say using six wheels instead of four could help with that, as could tracks to keep 'em going in one direction.[Via DailyTech]
Demron garments resist radiation without overlooking style
Sure, radiation's not high on our personal list of threats, but that doesn't mean it's not on someone's, right? Well, to that end, Radiation Shield Technologies has developed a full line of radiation-defeating garments (the thyroid collar being our favorite). In fact, the company has just been awarded a patent for the nanotechnology which they say is the "world's first protective material designed for all types of chemical, biological, radiological and even nuclear incidents." The material, called Demron, is a nanopolymeric compound (which they call "liquid metal") fused between layers of fabric and concocted into gear which is lead-, toxin-, and PVC-free, and is capable of blocking gamma rays, X-rays and other nuclear emissions. The garments are currently used by NASA and various governments across this planet of ours, but they also seem to be commercially available for prices ranging from about $700 up to $6,500 for the nuclear blanket. Citizens of Megaton: rejoice![Via TG Daily]Read - Radiation Shied TechnologiesRead - U.S. Patent #7,476,889
Researchers tapping into nanotechnology for sharper images
A team of scientists at the University of Glasgow just came into all sorts of cash, and they'll be using it to advance imaging. If you're looking for specifics (and we're assuming you are), a £489,234 grant from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council will be used to study a certain phenomenon called surface plasmon resonance, "which is an effect exhibited by certain metals when light waves fall onto their surfaces." In short, the gurus behind the research are hoping to discover a method of "creating patterns or small nanostructures in the metal film on the CMOS, which should increase the sensitivity of the sensor and result in higher quality images." The bad news? The project is expected to last until 2012, which is like, forever from now.[Image courtesy of Photo]
Canon cleared to resume work on SED TV (now that the world doesn't care)
We're hard pressed to think of a display-related story that has lingered on longer than SED (well over four years at last count), and believe it or not, this still isn't apt to be the last you hear of it. If you'll recall, Canon recently declared victory after winning a lawsuit against Applied Nanotech that was previously holding it back from making progress, and now Applied Nanotech has waved the final white flag by giving up its right to appeal. Comically enough, it may actually be too late for Canon to even salvage the win, with president Tsuneji Uchida noting that "at times like this, new display products are not introduced much because people would laugh at them." Shh... nobody tell him the world's been laughing at SED for years.[Via OLED-Display]
Researchers create a nanobot-controlling "brain"
Our inevitable incorporation into the gray goo inches ever closer today, as researchers in Japan have developed a chemical brain that can control up to eight nanomachines -- and one day could control thousands. The "brain" is actually a ring of 17 duroquinone molecules, which together measure just two nanometers across. Each molecule can be rotated to four different positions, controlled by the state of the center molecule. In tests, researchers were able to simultaneously control eight nanomachines using the brain, compelling them to dock and undock from the brain. The structure of the brain also means up to 4 billion possible configurations can be switched simply by manipulating one molecule, which may eventually give rise to computing applications -- but those are limited for now, since issuing instructions involves the use of scanning tunnel microscopy. That's a relief -- gray was never really our color anyway.
Nokia's nanotech Morph goes on display, signals melting devices in our future
Why is Nokia always trying to outdo everyone with its fancy-schmancy concepts and designs? Why can't they just get in line and keep it simple? We may never know the answer to those questions, but what we do know is that the company is presenting a new concept device called the Morph that would be right at home... in the year 3000. The unit is included in the MoMA's "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition catalog, and boasts the ability to stretch and flex to almost any shape a user could think of. The nanotechnology-based device would deliver transparent electronics, self-cleaning surfaces, and the malleability to transform into any number of configurations. Of course, the actual technology required to put this together is years or even decades away, though Nokia expects to see some of these innovations making their way into high-end products within seven years. See the device doing its thing in some photos after the break.Update: Tipster Pdexter pointed us to a video of the Morph in "action" -- check it out after the break.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Wiperless windshields in your future? Thanks, nanotech.
It's really too bad nanotechnology is so gosh darn morally unacceptable, it could do so much good for humanity! Take this new wiperless windshield, for instance. Designed by Leonardo Fioravanti of Pininfarina, the Hidra features an aerodynamic design, and a bit of a nanotech sandwich (mmm, sandwich) to keep the front glass clear of water and debris. The first layer protects from sun and repels water, the second layer features "nano-dust" to push dirt to the edges of the windshield and is activated by the third layer which senses the dirt, while the whole kit is powered by the fourth layer which conducts electricity to keep it going. The tech could be ready for mass production within 5 years, but there's already a working prototype in the Hidra concept car.[Via Sparking Tech, thanks Nicole]
Two-thirds of Americans think nanotechnology is morally unacceptable -- wait, what?
Given the fact that most of the nanotech developments we've seen have to do with making smaller transistors or generating electricity, we're not exactly sure why a recent study conducted by the researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that two-thirds of American think nanotechnology is "morally unacceptable" -- perhaps they didn't hear about that team that used nanotech to inscribe the Bible on the head of a pin? Overall, Americans were far less accepting of pint-size technology than other countries -- 72 percent of French respondents thought nanotech was morally okay, as did 54 percent of the UK residents polled and 62 percent of the Germans. Still, we're left wondering why anyone would find a reason to object to nanotechnology -- unlike biotech, we just don't see a lot of moral dilemmas posed by the research. Well, apart from that whole gray goo thing -- but if that's the risk we have to take to finally score a pair of electric pants, you can sign us right up.
Stanford's nanowire battery leapfrogs Li-ion
Stanford claims its latest advances in silicon nanowires have it building batteries with 10 times the capacity of existing Li-ion cells. Apparently people have been trying to stuff silicon -- which has a much higher capacity than existing materials -- into a battery for decades, but since it swells when charged with positively charged lithium and shrinks during use, the silicon has a tendency to "pulverize." Who knew batteries could be so dramatic? Oh, right. The advancement at Stanford, led by Yi Cui, builds the battery in the form of silicon nanowires, giving the silicon room to grow and shrink without damage. A patent is being filed, and Yi Cui is already considering forming a company or licensing the tech to a manufacturer.
Nanotube batteries could power printed electronics
We've seen some interesting nanotech power concepts in the past, but researchers at UCLA have gone back to basics and developed a printable nanotech version of a traditional battery they say could power other printed, flexible nanotech devices. The batteries, which are less than a millimeter thin, feature the same zinc-carbon makeup as traditional rechargeables, but are made by depositing thin layers of zinc and manganese oxide over a layer of nanotubes. Sadly, tech isn't producing usable amounts of power yet, but lead scientist George Gruner says the simplicity of the underlying tech should make it easy to solve that problem. Damn straight -- we're not giving up till we get a pair of electric underpants to call our own.[Image courtesy of CNano]
Terabyte nanotech thumb drives around the corner?
Wired has a write-up of a new storage technology developed at Arizona State University that could produce flash thumb drives capable of storing terabytes of data in the near future, that also happens to be cheaper and more energy efficient than flash memory. The new technology has been branded programmable metallization cell, and differs from present storage technologies in that it "creates nanowires from copper atoms the size of a virus to record binary ones and zeros." It all sounds very interesting -- if slightly too optimistic -- to us, and we'll get to find out relatively soon just how effective the new chips are: Arizona State's business arm has licensed the technology to three companies, which may be ready to sell a product containing the chips within 18 months. Watch this space.
Researchers using viruses to build nano-electronics
MIT researchers have begun using bio-engineered viruses to build nanomaterials with wide-ranging applications, like thin battery fibers that may one day be woven directly into clothing. The process, which is being developed by Professor Angela Belcher and her team, has gained the interest of the US military for its potential in creating new types of sensors, solar cells, and batteries, as part of future combat gear. There's still a way to go, however -- right now all the virus-built fibers really do is glow red under ultraviolet, but Belcher is confident her "directed evolution" development technique will allow her viral construction crew to build more sophisticated fibers soon. Here's hoping -- we'd kill to recharge our devices with some stylin' battery-pants.
IBM researchers get closer to nanotech hard drives
We're not going to front like we understand exactly how it works, but two IBM researchers in California have announced that they've gotten closer to controlling the orientation and magnetic spin of individual iron atoms on a copper surface, which would have huge implications for nanotech storage -- imagine the basic tech in your hard drive shrunk down the molecular level. At the same time, a different set of IBM researchers in Switzerland have discovered a way to make individual molecules act like "switches" without altering the framework of the molecule, which could lead to molecular logic circuits. IBM is reluctant to even hypothesize ways these discoveries could be applied -- Andreas Heinrich, one of the California scientists, compared such speculation to asking the same question to "people in the '70s, where they had a roomful of computing equipment that could basically do what you can do nowadays on your cell phone" -- but we're not so shy: this obviously means we're closer to a 1TB flash iPhone. You heard it here first.[Via Yahoo!]
Nanogenerator powers-up inside your veins
Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology are in the process of developing a nanogenerator, a tiny device which produces energy from flowing blood, constricting blood vessels, or beating hearts. Researchers say that the devices could be used to power implantable biomedical electronics, or might be employed in biosensing, environmental monitoring, and personal electronics. The nanodevices generate power while warm-chillin' in bodily fluids or "other liquids," using ultrasonic waves as their energy source. Now if we can just combine this with the bloodstream bot, our self-powered swarm of robotic terror will be complete.[Via Physorg]
Nanoparticle coated bamboo handset gets patent, gives slivers
We're thinking the patent given to an enviro-friendly bamboo handset takes the cake -- if, that is, you are hunting for a biodegradable handset that may give you splinters. The patent also allows for a nanotech self-cleaning coating that will be useful for "sterilizing, deodorizing, antifouling and self-cleaning." Throw in 3G internet access, a 0.3 to 8 megapixel cam, and we have a well rounded device -- though we aren't too clear on what exactly is being antifouled. While a practical application may not be just around the corner, we are digging that green alternatives (even rather strange ones) are being considered. Hit the read link for the full patent.[Via textually.org]
