Titanoboa is 50 feet of slithering electromechanical art

Some of Team Titanoboa, from left to right: Charlie Brinson, Markus Hager, Michelle La Haye, Jordan Cowan, Mark Eijsermans, Hugh Patterson, James Simard, Kelly Metzger, Polly Tan, Julian Fong, and Jonathan Faille (Photo: Michael J.P. Hall)

Robotic snakes are - perhaps surprisingly - nothing all that new. In the past several years, we've seen ones designed to swim through debris, help out at construction sites, perform surveillance, and inspect the inside of pipes. People seem to be captivated by the little guys, which begs the question: has an artist ever made one? If they did, it would have to stand out from its more utilitarian counterparts, perhaps by being enormous and incorporating colored lights. Evoking prehistory wouldn't hurt, either. Well, it turns out that there is a creation that ticks all those boxes. It's time to meet Titanoboa.
The original Titanoboa was a species of snake that lived 60 million years ago, reaching a length of 50 feet (15 meters) and an estimated weight of one ton (907 kg). When artist Charlie Brinson first heard about the creature's discovery in 2009, he decided that he wanted to build a life-size electromechanical replica of the monster. A co-founder of Vancouver's eatART collective, he put a team of members together, and work began this summer.
"As our society continued to exhume past fossil life to burn to fuel modern progress, we would bring a fossil back to life to raise awareness. Great irony," he told us. "So lately, we've been calling it things like 'A fossil fueling change'."

He went on to list other sources of inspiration, that included the technical challenge, the chance to collaborate with a passionate group of volunteer artists, and "the desire to show people the improbable and unbelievable in the final product, and to inspire them and refresh their ideas of what is possible."
Although Titanoboa is not yet complete, it has definitely reached the "wow" stage, to the point that it made an appearance at the most recent Burning Man festival. Its basic skeleton, "muscles," and control system for two-thirds of its body are finished, as are 20 of its planned total of 30 vertebrae. As you can see in the video below, it's already pretty impressive.
"Now it's time to look at test results from our initial runs, and work on the upgrades and key parts that will make this machine live up to its potential," said Brinson.
Besides building the last ten vertebrae, these upgrades and parts will consist of an outer rib structure and scales (allowing for off-road operation), dynamic lighting that changes with the snake's movements, and possibly even the ability to breath fire. Charlie also plans on refining the control system, to make movements such as side-winding and head- and tail-rearing possible, and to change its motions on the fly in order to optimize efficiency and performance.

The plans for Titanoboa get even better, however.
"The final goal will be to make the beast neutrally buoyant and waterproof for amphibious operation. That's right. A fully functional 50 foot sea monster," he said. "But that's a ways off."

Verbatim updates portable Bluetooth Wireless Mobile Keyboard

Verbatim's second generation of its Bluetooth Wireless Mobile Keyboard

Typing long documents or emails on a tiny smartphone screen or iPad keyboard can be quite a maddening experience. As well as wasting time because of typing errors you can end up with neck strain and a strong desire to hurl the said device clean across the room. A more workable solution is to use a portable Bluetooth keyboard and Verbatim has just announced the second generation of its offering. The new Verbatim Bluetooth Wireless Mobile Keyboard can be paired with up to six devices at one time and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPad 2, and other Bluetooth-enabled tablets such as Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Motorola Xoom.
The size of a standard QWERTY keyboard, Verbatim's Bluetooth device folds in half for easy portability and storage. It's larger than an iPhone so it won't fit in your pocket, but it won't take up much room in a briefcase or bag.
Once open, by way of a hinge, little rubber nodules underneath the keyboard are designed to stabilize the device on a flat surface. Or if you're typing on your knee or some other awkward position a sliding lock mechanism secures the keyboard so it won't fold up on you.
The only real concession to the hinge mechanism is a small split in the spacebar and there's also playback buttons located on the left hand side of the keyboard allow you to play, pause, skip tracks and adjust the volume.
The new model also has dedicated function keys including cut, copy, paste and undo, as well as brightness control.
Built into the keyboard is a retractable and removable smartphone stand (it's too small to dock a tablet) designed for the phone to lie in landscape orientation, which makes sense if you're typing documents, and allowing you position the screen where it's convenient for you.
Verbatim Bluetooth Wireless Mobile Keyboard is available in black or white, uses two AAA batteries and comes with its own carry case. It's priced at US$79.99.

Logitech unveils its Mini Boombox Bluetooth speaker

Logitech has announced its Mini Boombox portable Bluetooth speaker, with microphone and HFP hands-free profile support

Logitech has announced the latest offering in its portable speaker lineup in the form of the Mini Boombox. The new arrival not only pairs with smartphones, tablets, and laptops for wireless sound streaming, but also doubles as a speakerphone suitable for hands-free calls or video chats.
                    

For wireless sound streaming, the Mini Boombox supports A2DP Bluetooth profile and according to Logitech, it pairs with any compatible device including iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. HFP 1.5 Bluetooth profile support is required for hands-free calls. For non-Bluetooth devices, a wired connection via a 3.5 mm jack is also possible.
The Mini Boombox features a backlit touch panel located on the top of the housing, offering volume, calls, or track control while also indicating the active Bluetooth connection. It delivers bass-enhanced sound, via "a specially designed acoustic chamber." Charged through a USB port, the Mini Boombox is equipped with a battery that is reportedly good for up to 10 hours of playback.
The portable speaker is available for pre-order at Logitech's website and is priced at US$99, which actually makes it way cheaper than its likely rival, the mic-equipped Bluetooth Jawbone Jambox. The Logitech Mini Boombox is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe this November.

Pursuit motorcycle runs on compressed air

Benstead worked with project partners including Engineair and Yamaha Australia as well as Simon Curlis and Automotive designer Marcus Hotblack at RMIT to create the 02 Pursuit

A vehicle that runs on air. It sounds like a fantastic idea, but energy is still needed to compress the air and the losses that go hand-in-hand with converting energy still have to be taken into account, just as in fossil fuel-based propulsion systems. Pros and cons aside, we still haven't seen air powered transport make an impact in the race to find economic, environmentally-friendly ways to get from A to B. Industrial Design student Dean Benstead thinks that compressed air does have a role to play in the future transport mix, and he's designed a working air-powered motorcycle prototype with a view to exploring the viability of the platform.
Benstead's "02 Pursuit" motorcycle is based on the geometry of a current-spec 250 cc motocross bike and uses running gear from a WR250F and Engineair's DiPietro air engine as its power plant. In its current form it can hit speeds in excess of 62 mph (100 km/h) and, given that the first prototype was developed with a focus on design rather than engineering, Benstead believes that performance can be improved with further development.
"The concept evolved from research to sketches to computer modeling before the chassis and bodywork was built and fabrication at local manufacturer, Rinlatech Engineering, began," says Benstead.
"I wanted to explore the viability of compressed air as an alternative fuel, and my childhood experiences riding dirt bikes led me to design the motocross bike based around the Engineair engine."

Benstead also sees the possibility of a marketable model based on the prototype emerging down the track.
"The next prototype would involve a total re-style, different material choices over the current steel tube chassis, such as aluminum or even a futuristic printed titanium, reducing the weight comparable to a heavy-duty mountain bike."

The 02 Pursuit will be revealed in a working demo at the Sydney Motorcycle & Scooter Show in Australia on Friday November 25.

Virtually noise-free Eco Whisper Turbine unveiled

Renewable Energy Solutions Australia recently unveiled the first working installation of what is claimed to be the world's quietest wind turbine - the Eco Whisper Turbine

Brisbane's Renewable Energy Solutions Australia (RESA) recently unveiled the first working installation of what is claimed to be the world's quietest wind turbine. The Eco Whisper Turbine is capable of producing 20kW of electricity despite being about half the height and having half the blade diameter of more familiar three-bladed solutions, and is able to automatically adjust the position of the blades to maximize wind capture.

                       Much of the noise produced by small wind turbines occurs when air spills off the tip of the blades but thanks to a unique cowl/ring design, the Eco Whisper Turbine is said to benefit from near-silent operation. RESA says that its design can produce more than 30 percent more energy than other turbine solutions over a wide range of wind conditions - that translates to up to 45,000 kWh per year in optimum conditions.
The company expects its grid or off-grid green energy solution to meet the medium to high power needs in urban and rural applications like airports, business parks, commercial sites and universities. The company's Michael Le Messurier reports that interest from the industry has been overwhelming since the first installation was recently unveiled at Austeng Engineering in Geelong, Victoria.
Standing 21.1 meters (69.225 feet) tall from tip to toe, a 6.5 meter (21.325 foot) diameter blade sits at the top of a hinged steel pole that can be lowered for maintenance or during extreme weather conditions - although the structure is designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 220 km/h (136.7 mph). The central hub and the 30 blades that fan out from it are made from aluminum, and the solution incorporates dynamic slew drive technology that negates the need for a tail.
Other noteworthy benefits of this turbine development include a low start up speed and high visibility that should help the local bird population avoid injury.

The following video shows the Eco Whisper Turbine in action:

Wall-climbing, tank-like robot inspired by geckos

The TBCP-II can transfer from horizontal to vertical surfaces over inside corners (as seen here) and outside corners

Researchers have used a variety of technologies to give robots the ability to climb walls, such as magnets, rolling seals and electro-adhesive properties. But when it comes to wall-climbing robots its hard to go past the humble gecko for inspiration. The gecko's specialized toe pads containing hair-like structures that allow it to scale smooth vertical surfaces have already provided inspiration for the four-legged Stickybot and now researchers at Canada's Simon Fraser University Burnaby (SFU) claim to be the first to apply the gecko's wall-climbing technique to a robot that operates like a tank.
The researchers created adhesives that mimic the dry, but sticky toe pads of the gecko, also known as dry fibrillar adhesives, by using a material called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that was manufactured to contain very small mushroom cap shapes that were 17 micrometers wide and 10 micrometers high.
"The thin, flexible overhang provided by the mushroom cap ensures that the area of contact between the robot and the surface is maximized," says Jeff Krahn. "The adhesive pads on geckos follow this same principle by utilizing a large number of fibers, each with a very small tip. The more fibers a gecko has in contact, the greater attachment force it has on a surface."

The researchers say applying the adhesive to tank-like robots driven by belts instead of legs offers several advantages. Tank-like robots have a simplified mechanical design and control architecture and also boast increased mobility and can be easily expanded if there is the need to increase the load a robot is carrying.
The 240 g (8.46 oz) robot developed by the SFU researchers, which has been given the catchy name of the Timeless Belt Climbing Platform (TBCP-II) has been fitted with a multitude of sensors that allow it to detect its surroundings and change its course accordingly. It is also able to transfer from a flat horizontal surface to a flat vertical surface over both inside and outside corners at speeds of up to 3.4 cm/s (1.34 in/s).

The SFU researchers say the wall-climbing technology employed in TBCP-II has wide-ranging potential applications, including inspecting pipes, buildings, aircraft and nuclear power plants, and in search and rescue operations.
The team's study A tailless timing belt climbing platform utilizing dry adhesives with mushroom caps was published today in the journal Smart Materials and Structures.
The video below shows the TBCP-II climbing a whiteboard and transitioning from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface around an outside corner.

Walking robot uses its own weight for propulsion

A curious observer watches the biped walk on a treadmill (Photo: Diginfo.tv)

Creating systems that are energy autonomous is a key goal in the development of robotics, and this new walking prototype from Japan's Nagoya Institute of Technology (NIT) is a big step in the right direction. To some, calling this device a robot may be a bit of a stretch, especially since it lacks electricity, motors or computers of any kind, but its entry into the Guinness Book of Records last year shows it can certainly go the distance with its weight as the only motive force.
            "This robot is walking down a slope, and its only source of power is potential energy," said NIT's Kazuki Iwatsuki. "It doesn't use any kind of motor or control, so we think it's very environmentally friendly." Indeed, the device adeptly mimics the human gait, which is essentially a "controlled fall."
NIT's topless biped entered the record books after logging 100,000 steps on a gently-sloping treadmill in a test session. Over a 13-hour period, the device traveled the equivalent distance of 9.3 miles (15 km).

"The robot has three main parts: thighs, lower legs, and ankles," Iwatsuki explained. "It's made of aluminum, and it contains only mechanical components, which have been adjusted so that the robot has the same thigh and leg lengths as a person, and weighs the same."

Plans are in the works to commercially develop the prototype for a number of possible uses in 1-2 years. While no price point is yet available, some of the biped's possible uses might include a prosthetic walking aid for the partially disabled and as a training assist for various athletes. No doubt the military has a wary eye on the development, as well. That's one small step for a robot, one giant leap for robotics.
Check out the videos below to see the biped in action. The second shows a foam-clad female (Blue-Biped) version walking along with just a gentle assist from behind.
Sources: Diginfo.tv/ NIT

How to increase the data storage density of HDDs - just add salt

A new process using table salt increases the data storage density of HDDs by six times

While Solid State Drives (SSDs) are seen as the way of the future for computer data storage and their prices have started to come down as their capacities increase, they still can't compete with traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) in terms of bang for your buck. Now a team of researchers from Singapore has moved the goalposts yet again and shown traditional HDDs still have some life in them by developing a process that can increase the data recording density of HDDs to six times that of current models.
The researchers from the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), who worked in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Data Storage Institute (DSI), liken the new process to packing a suitcase - the neater you pack, the more you can carry.
Conventional HDDs store data using randomly distributed nanoscopic magnetic grains, with a few tens of grains used to form one bit. This allows the latest model HDDs to hold up to 0.5 Terabit/in2 of information. Using nanopatterning to create uniform arrays of magnetic bits, the team was able to increase the data storage density to up to 3.3 Terabit/in2.
The secret of the new technology lies in the use of an extremely high-resolution e-beam lithography process that produces super fine nano-sized structures. Dr Joel Yang, the IMRE scientist who heads the project, found that adding sodium chloride - or table salt - to a developer solution used in existing lithography processes produced highly defined nanostructures down to 4.5 nm half pitch, without the need for expensive equipment upgrades.
"In addition to making the bits, we demonstrated that they can be used to store data," said Dr Yang.
This "salty developer solution" method, which was invented by Dr Yang when he was a graduate student at the MIT, means a HDD that currently holds 1 TB of data could, in the future, hold 6 TB of data in the same size unit.
Source: Agency for Science, Technology and Research

The Duqu virus explored

News and analysis started coming out earlier this week about the Duqu Trojan and the threat which it represents. The two primary sources of information have been McAfee and Symantec, but Venafi has also highlighted some of the potential implications.

SYMANTEC
Symantec stated that on October 14, 2011, a research lab with strong international connections alerted the company to a sample that appeared to be very similar to Stuxnet. They named the threat ‘Duqu’ because it creates files with the file name prefix ‘~DQ’. The research lab provided Symantec with samples recovered from computer systems located in Europe, as well as a detailed report with their initial findings, including analysis comparing the threat to Stuxnet. Symantec has been able to confirm that ‘parts of Duqu are nearly identical to Stuxnet, but with a completely different purpose’.
Symantec says that Duqu is ‘essentially the precursor to a future Stuxnet-like attack. The threat was written by the same authors (or those that have access to the Stuxnet source code) and appears to have been created since the last Stuxnet file was recovered. Duqu's purpose is to gather intelligence data and assets from entities, such as industrial control system manufacturers, in order to more easily conduct a future attack against another third party. The attackers are looking for information such as design documents that could help them mount a future attack on an industrial control facility.’
Duqu does not contain any code related to industrial control systems and is primarily a remote access Trojan (RAT). The threat does not self-replicate and is highly targeted toward a limited number of organizations for their specific assets. However, says Symantec, ‘it’s possible that other attacks are being conducted against other organizations in a similar manner with currently undetected variants’.


MCAFEE
McAfee says that Duqu is based on Stuxnet and is very similar. ‘Only a few sites so far are known to have been attacked by the code, and it does not have PLC functionality like Stuxnet. Instead, the code, delivered via exploitation, installs drivers and encrypted DLLs that function very similarly to the original Stuxnet code. In fact, the new driver’s code used for the injection attack is very similar to Stuxnet, as are several encryption keys and techniques that were used in Stuxnet.’
Duqu is very time sensitive says McAfee and ‘is controlled by an extended, encrypted configuration file. It communicates with a command server in India. This IP address has since been blacklisted at the ISP and no longer functions. Yet it was specially crafted to execute sophisticated attacks against key targets and has remote control functionality to install new code on the target. These include keyloggers, which can monitor all actions on systems: running processes, window messages, and so on. Furthermore, the keylogger component also contains functionality to hide files with a user-mode rootkit.’
McAfee also says the following: ‘It is highly likely that this key, just like the previous two known cases, was not really stolen from the actual companies, but instead directly generated in the name of such companies at a CA as part of a direct attack.’

VENAFI
Venafi has been exploring whether Duqu is a private key or a certificate authority compromise. The company warns that since the certificate used in Duqu is used for authentication — much like SSL server - and client-side certificates — either cause should warrant that organizations look closely at their security and operations management processes and response plans. Certificates are used for authentication, in addition to encryption.
Venafi highlights the following:
CA compromise
If the Duqu creator compromised a CA to get their certificate, they could have also fraudulently issued other certificates. The security of that CA could be called into question, as well as all the certificates it issued.
If a CA was compromised, companies with certificates from that CA must replace them and all organizations must ensure they’re not trusting that CA. Going beyond this incident, if Duqu is targeting CAs, that reinforces the importance of preparing for a CA compromise, especially coming on the heels of the DigiNotar CA breach this summer.
Private key compromise
If the Duqu creator stole the private key of C-Media Electronics (the Taiwanese company whose certificate is associated with Duqu), that points to another risk that organizations need to address: providing better protection of private keys.

Guitar and iPad join forces as the iTar

Starr Labs is developing a new iPad dock that uses the power and versatility of Apple's tablet, combined with its patented, button-based electronic guitar fingerboard to create a new digital instrument called the iTar

The phenomenal success of music-related mobile apps has forced many of us old timers to have a good rethink about the way we make music in the 21st Century. For many musicians - including The Gorillaz and Bjork - Apple's iPad is taking center stage in the production of modern music. Digital instrument innovator Harvey Starr is also looking at the iconic tablet as a way of giving more people the chance to experience the power of Starr Labs' custom-built electronic guitars at a fraction of the cost. Pairing the iPad with his company's button-based electronic guitar fingerboard, Starr is developing a new hybrid monster called the iTar.
                       Starr Labs has been making the acclaimed Ztar electronic guitars for nearly 20 years, attracting the attention of such luminaries as Stanley Jordan and Living Colour's Vernon Reid along the way. The arrival of the iPad has offered the company the chance to pair its patented, 6-string, 24-fret fingerboard technology with the powerful processor inside the popular tablet to create a versatile, creative and powerful new digital instrument.

The iTar won't come supplied with an iPad, of course, but the Bo-Diddley-like square body will be home to a dock for securing the tablet in place while performing. Starr Labs is currently working on an application that will provide virtual strings across the touchscreen display of the docked device, but users will also be able to create and store custom playing surfaces.
"If you want strumming bars (strings), an X/Y control pad, 2 joysticks and 5 knobs, you can have it," Starr Labs' Jason Begin told Gizmag. "If you want to trigger the fingerboard without strumming six strings, you can do that as well with a giant tapping surface on the iPad screen. The pairing of our fingerboard also allows users to have tactile control over other third party applications like synthesizers and samplers. It can also be used a simple button matrix for use with other music applications."
The coming together of iTar and iPad will offer much more than just a touchscreen digital guitar. Inventive use of apps could see users creating a full complement of backing musicians to support each performance, capturing great musical moments via a mobile recording studio and mixing desk, learning to play via onscreen video tuition and demos, or even running some video imagery in the background while belting out some tunes. There may even be interactive, Guitar Hero-like gaming possibilities to explore.
"Technically speaking, the iTar will be made of a high impact plastic that will withstand the bumps and bangs of its portable nature and due to its modular design, will break down easily for travel and storage," says Begin. "The fingerboard will be USB 2.0 bus powered via the iPad itself so there will be no need for batteries or clumsy wall warts. The docks will also feature professional quality I/O that you would find on our flagship Ztar models (MIDI/Audio)."

Planned options include an external MIDI connector, an extended-life battery module, and high quality external speakers. Starr Labs has also developed an interactive full RGB LED fingerboard as a deluxe option that can be custom configured by the user to create personalized graphics along the fingerboard, or tied in with gaming or learning apps. A stand-alone iTar fingerboard option will also be offered to iPad owners, which should appeal to non-guitar players that might like to use the surface as an array of mappable MIDI buttons.
There's also talk of extending the modular design beyond the iPad and into smartphone territory, and also branching out into other operating environments like Android.
"We're in the thick of development now," Harvey Starr told us. "The hardware is coming together nicely and I'm just making changes now for better functionality and ease of production. We should have working software in a few weeks."
The first production iTar system is scheduled to ship two months after the closing of its current Kickstarter crowd-sourcing appeal - around February 2012 - although Starr is also looking into other ways to fund the project. The planned list price will be US$199.
Starr told us that more information on the iTar will be available on the company's website in the next couple of weeks.

Nest Learning Thermostat learns user habits and programs itself

The Nest Learning Thermostat is capable of self-programming itself via its user's habits, activity sensors and Internet-gathered weather information

While programmable thermostats are nothing uncommon these days, many users adjust the temperature manually utilizing the thermostat's basic feature only. On the other hand, it's certainly difficult to develop an appropriate program corresponding to the volatility of daily life. Designed by a team led by ex-Apple engineer Tony Fadell, the Nest Learning Thermostat offers a new take on automatic temperature adjustment. Featuring a simple knob-based design, the unit is capable of self-programming itself via a combination of its user's habits, activity sensors and Internet-gathered weather information, thus increasing energy savings without much effort on the user's part.

Heating costs are usually 50 percent of an average household's energy bill. A properly programmed thermostat, however, can cut energy costs by 20 percent, Silicon Valley-based startup Nest indicates. Still, according to a 2011 study by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, 90 percent of thermostat users do not program their thermostats at all, sticking to the manual operation only.
It reportedly takes seven days for the Nest Learning Thermostat to come up with an initial personalized schedule for the user and bring noticeable energy savings. After installing the unit on the wall, users are required to answer a few questions about their household. The only thing that needs to be done in terms of operation, is setting the temperature reasonably by turning the brushed steel ring. A timer indicates how long it will take to reach the desired temperature.
Utilizing 150-degree activity sensors, the Auto-Away feature adjusts the temperature depending on whether someone is at home or not, while a WiFi connection takes the current weather and forecasts into account. A "Nest leaf" icon on the display indicates when the energy is being saved and after some time, the energy spending history becomes available.
The Nest is optimized for ease of use - operation is done via the knob, with the unit's front surface acting as a button. A proximity sensor automatically brightens the screen when the user approaches. Provided the device is connected to WiFi, settings can also be managed online, or via the Nest Mobile smartphone app for iOS and Android.
The Nest Learning Thermostat comes with three separate temperature sensors, AES-128, SSL/TLS, WEP and WPA/WPA2 encryption support for security, and the capability to pair multiple Nest thermostats, for simultaneously managing the temperature in multiple locations. Powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the unit displays its data via a 320 x 320-pixel 1.75-inch display with 24 bit color.
The Nest Learning Thermostat will be available by mid-November, priced at US$249.
Take a look at the following video explaining the self-programming feature:

Stretchy pressure-sensitive material could serve as robot skin

Stanford's stretchable pressure-sensitive material incorporates coatings of tiny 'nano-springs'

Robots, prosthetic limbs and touchscreen displays could all end up utilizing technology recently developed at California's Stanford University. A team led by Zhenan Bao, an associate professor of chemical engineering, has created a very stretchy skin-like pressure-sensitive material that can detect everything from a finger-pinch to over twice the pressure that would be exerted by an elephant standing on one foot. The sensitivity of the material is attained through two layers of carbon nanotubes, that act like a series of tiny springs.
The sensor material is made by first spraying nanotubes in a liquid suspension onto a thin layer of transparent silicone. Although the nanotubes are initially deposited in random clumps, some of them align with one another when the silicone is stretched for the first time, in one direction. Even after the material is allowed to rebound back to its original size, the clumps remain aligned, and will do so indefinitely.
When the silicone is then first stretched in a direction perpendicular to the previous one, some more of the clumps align with one another, facing in that direction. The result is a sheet of silicone coated with "nano-springs" that can be stretched in any direction, that will retain their orientation through repeated stretchings.
Two of these sheets are joined together face-to-face, with the nanotube clusters on the inside. Between them, however, is a third layer of silicone, which is more malleable. This layer stores an electrical charge, like a battery.
When the three-layered material is subjected to external pressure, the middle layer compresses, altering its electrical charge. The conductive nanotube coatings on either side of it, acting like the positive and negative terminals on a battery, detect this change. In this way, the material is able to register not only the fact that it is being pressed, but it can quantify the amount of pressure that it is being subjected to.
Complicating things is the fact that the middle layer will become thinner when the material is being compressed and when it's being stretched. The pattern of the pressure, however, should make it possible to deduce what's going on - compression tends to take the form of a spot of pressure, whereas stretching results in a line of pressure between two points.
Another transparent, stretchable pressure-sensitive material was recently demonstrated by scientists from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute of Silicate Research. It also incorporates electrodes that detect changes in electrical capacitance.
A paper on the Stanford research was published this week in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

WikiSensor app turns an iPhone into a peripheral-free radiation detector

The WikiSense app and some black tape turns an iPhone 4 into a radiation detector

Earlier this month, we reported on the Scosche RDTX-Pro that connects via a dock connector to turn an iPhone or iPod touch into a radiation detector. That device is set to go on sale in Japan from next month but if you're not in Japan or just don't want to shell out extra cash on any peripheral hardware, then the WikiSensor app might be worth a look - it won't be as accurate, but the only extra bit of kit you'll need is some opaque black tape.
                                To convert your iPhone into a radiation detector all you need to do is install the WikiSense app and stick some opaque black tape - electrician's tape should do the trick - over the iPhone's front-facing camera. Since the CMOS sensors used in smartphone cameras like the iPhone's don't just pick up visible light but also high frequency waves from radioactive sources, such as gamma and X-rays, covering the lens means only those waves make it through to the sensor. Once activated, the application then counts the number of impacts the sensor receives and translates that into a value in microsieverts per hour.
The makers of the app admit it won't give a precise reading, but rather an approximate one that should be validated by more professional tools if a reading above five microsieverts per hour is detected.
The team behind the app plans to develop a tool that uses data gathered from various users to generate a map showing radiation levels in different locations - hence the wiki prefix. With the ultimate vision of developing a platform that uses a network of devices - particularly smartphones - as a sensor network to measure various aspects of environmental quality, the company also has plans to develop apps to measure Wi-Fi waves, relay antenna waves, magnetic fields, earthquakes, greenhouse gases, UVA/UVB light, oxygen and temperature.
The WikiSensor app has only been calibrated for use with the iPhone 4 and is available now for US$0.99 from the iTunes App Store.

Microsoft HoloDesk lets users handle virtual 3D objects

The Sensors and Devices group at Microsoft Research has developed a new system called HoloDesk that allows users to pick up, move and even shoot virtual 3D objects
Does anyone remember the animated version of Star Trek from the 1970s? The Emmy-Award-winning series was the very first outing for the now familiar Holodeck, although it was called the recreation room back then. Despite some landmark advances in holographic technology in the years since - such as the University of Tokyo's Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display - nothing has come close to offering the kind of physical interactivity with virtual objects in a 3D environment promised by the collective imaginations of sci-fi writers of the past. While we're not at the Holodeck level just yet, members of the Sensors and Devices group at Microsoft Research have developed a new system called HoloDesk that allows users to pick up, move and even shoot virtual 3D objects, plus the system recognizes and responds to the presence of inanimate real-world objects like a sheet of paper or an upturned cup.
Unfortunately, the research team hasn't revealed too much about how its new natural user interface system works, but here's what we do know. It's about the size of a filing cabinet and is made up of an overhead screen that projects a 2D image through a half-silvered beam splitter into a viewing area beneath. A Kinect camera keeps tabs on a user's hand position within the 3D virtual environment, a webcam tracks the user's face to help with placement accuracy, and custom algorithms bring everything together in (something very close to) real time.
The user looks down through a transparent display into the viewing area where holographic objects can be picked up and stacked on top of real-world ones, and real hands can juggle virtual balls or shoot them at targets, or play with a non-existent smartphone. The researchers also seem to have included the ability to remotely collaborate on shared multi-user virtual projects. Interestingly, objects in the virtual world still appear to obey the laws of real-world physics, but that doesn't mean that they have to - the beauty of a virtual world is surely that anything is possible.
As you can see from the following proof-of-concept Microsoft Research video, the development does suffer from some jerkiness and image dilution when real-world objects enter the viewing area, and there are also a few placement and tracking issues, but it's a major step forward and in its current stage of development might find immediate use in gaming, education and design.

Rotundus GroundBot spherical surveillance robot broadcasts live in 3D

The Rotundus GroundBot spherically-shaped surveillance robot is equipped with a pair of cameras providing its remote operator with a live video feed in 3D
Remote-controlled unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) have proven exceptionally useful in military applications, but according to Swedish company Rotundus, they can be equally well applied to civil security. Rolling through mud, sand, snow, or even floating in the water, the Rotundus GroundBot spherically-shaped robot is equipped with a pair of cameras, providing its remote operator with a live video feed in 3D.
   
Controlled remotely or via a programmed autonomous GPS-based system, Groundbot can be equipped with wide-angled cameras (for 360-degree vision), night vision (IR) cameras, microphone and loudspeakers, as well as sensors for radioactivity, gas, humidity, fire, heat, smoke, biological material, explosives, or narcotics. GroundBot has all its sensors and cameras well-protected inside the hermetically sealed sphere, which means no sand, mud, water, or even gas can get inside. This makes it well-suited for uses such as investigating suspected gas leaks. It also withstands overturns, drops and knocks.
Able to move and turn in multiple directions with smooth acceleration and deceleration, GroundBot is driven via a patented pendulum-based mechanism. In order to start rolling, a built-in motor raises the pendulum located inside the sphere, thus changing the center of gravity. This causes Groundbot to roll in the desired direction.

With a top speed of 10 km/h (6 mph), GroundBot is reportedly virtually inaudible and comes with knobby tire treads for all-terrain operation, or without them for use on paved surfaces. It operates for 8-16 hours depending on mission profile, while it takes 3-4 hours to recharge its battery. Featuring a polycarbonate housing with high friction coating, Groundbot's size is comparable to an automobile tire, measuring 60 cm (23.6 in) in diameter, while weighing in at 25 kg (55 lbs).
According to Rotundus, Groundbot is suitable for security at places such as airports, train stations, power plants, borders and warehouses, and for applications such as perimeter protection and stadium/event surveillance. American Unmanned Systems has acquired an exclusive license for production, marketing and sales of the unit in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The following video presents Groundbot operating at an airport.

Waterproof fabric anntena could save people lost at sea

A life vest incorporating one of the fabric antennas, being tested in Finland
A patch about the size of the leather name tab on a pair of jeans could save your life one day - should you be stranded at sea, that is. In a project overseen by the European Space Agency (ESA), researchers from Finnish company Patria and the Tampere University of Technology have created a flexible fabric antenna, that can be sewn into life vests. Once activated, that antenna transmits its coordinates to earth-orbiting satellites, that can immediately relay the location to rescue personnel.
The device utilizes the Cospas-Sarsat worldwide search and rescue satellite system, an international project that has been in use since the Cold War. Cospas-Sarsat incorporates satellite-based receivers, that are continuously listening for emergency radio beacons from transmitters on ships, aircraft or people. When a signal is received, it is relayed to a ground receiving station, followed by a mission control center, and then a rescue coordination center.
When sea trials of the antenna were conducted, its location was attained within a matter of minutes.

Not only is the device flexible, lightweight, and wear- and waterproof, but it is also surprisingly small for an antenna that transmits at such low frequencies. Larger antennas are typically required for these frequencies, which are what Cospas-Sarsat is set up to receive.
Along with the life vest-mounted antenna, the ESA project is also developing one that could be attached to a diving vest. The device could perhaps find its way into the high-tech fisherman's gear being developed through the European Safe@Sea project, which is designed to stop a boat's engine when the fisherman falls overboard, and to inflate upon contact with the water.
Previously, wearable antenna technology has been focused more on military applications