Prototype

Future cars: Auto bodywork composite doubles as a battery

By Tannith Cattermole

18:41 February 7, 2010 PST

The problem is clear. Hybrid cars and EVs rely on batteries for power, but batteries are bulky and heavy, causing the car to use up more energy. But what if a car's bodywork was made of a strong, lightweight material that could store and discharge electrical energy just as a conventional battery does? In pursuing this goal, researchers at the Imperial College London are developing a key building block for the hybrid car of the future, and the implications go way beyond automobiles - think wafer thin mobile phones and laptops that don't need a separate battery because they draw power from their casing. Read More

iSOCO electronic invoicing exchange could save 30 percent of processing costs

By Tannith Cattermole

17:25 February 7, 2010 PST

It's a universal problem - one you may be surprised to hear we still face in today's technological age: you send me an invoice with your software, my software can't read it so I waste time and money interpreting it. iSOCO promises to change all that with its new prototype i20nt. This system aspires to become the first to exchange electronic invoices between companies transparently and regardless of their originating format and system, saving up to 30% of the total invoice processing costs. Read More

Solar Decathlon hits the road to catch some Spanish sun

By Paul Ridden

17:05 February 4, 2010 PST

Madrid will host the first European version of the Solar Decathlon competition this summer which sees teams from universities throughout the world designing, building and displaying efficient and sustainable solar homes. The overall competition winner being decided after the completion of ten trials aimed at gauging each entry's energy efficiency and sustainability credentials. Read More

Russia announces test-flight of fifth generation fighter aircraft

By Mick Webb

16:11 February 3, 2010 PST

Russia has reportedly successfully test-flown its first fifth generation fighter jet prototype. Formally known as the Prospective Aircraft Complex of Frontline Aviation (PAK-FA), the craft made its 47 minute maiden voyage on 29th January. Manufactured by the Russian state owned Sukhoi Aircraft Corporation, the development of this tactical frontline stealth fighter jet is being seen as a significant milestone in the efforts of the country to modernize its post Soviet–era military technology. Read More

Has the human gekko's time finally come?

By Darren Quick

22:33 February 2, 2010 PST

Researchers at Cornell University have created a palm-sized device that uses water tension as a switchable adhesive bond and can support many times its own weight. The device could usher in a whole new generation of superheroes by allowing shoes or gloves that stick and unstick to walls on command, or see the creation of Post-It notes that can bear loads. Read More

The board game V2.0

By Ben Coxworth

13:58 January 28, 2010 PST

Board games aren’t necessarily bound to become obsolete - at least, not if researchers at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada have anything to say about it. They will change, however. Queen’s Human Media Lab (HML) recently unveiled a prototype board game that uses traditional flat cardboard tiles (i.e: cards), but the images on those tiles are projected onto them by an overlooking digital projector. The images stay on the tiles as they’re moved around by the players, courtesy of an overlooking camera that tracks their movements. This means that the tiles could display moving video, that their display could change entirely depending on what’s happening in the game, or that it could be customized by the players. Monopoly night may never be the same. Read More

LG shows off 19-inch flexible e-paper display

By Ben Coxworth

21:36 January 26, 2010 PST

Hot on the heels of the 11.5-inch flexible-screened Skiff e-reader is news of Korean tech giant LG's floppy-screened e-paper. The prototype device measures in at a whopping 19 inches (the same as an A3-format newspaper), making it the world’s largest. Read More

Synaptics debuts Fuse next-generation mobile phone concept

By Ben Coxworth

23:22 January 24, 2010 PST

Last December, the world was introduced to the Synaptics Fuse, a new concept in mobile communications. The prototype smartphone is the result of a collaboration between Synaptics, Texas Instruments, Immersion, TheAlloy and The Astonishing Tribe (TAT). What makes this phone so special is its user/phone interface. It takes Synaptics’ pioneering touchscreen technology to a whole new level, allowing people to use the phone one-handed, and without having to even see the screen. Read More

The age of the Misa Digital Guitar has dawned

By Paul Ridden

12:29 January 22, 2010 PST

A software engineer based in Sydney, Australia has created a digital guitar controlled by open source software which he hopes will see musicians play electronic music in a live environment. Players control the pitch, speed and volume of notes produced by the Misa Digital Guitar via a 24 'fret' neck and touchscreen interface. Read More

The SEED Project - from unused shipping container to sustainable emergency housing

By Mick Webb

02:20 January 19, 2010 PST

Aside from tragic loss of life and incomprehensible destruction, events like last week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti create a myriad of problems in their wake, not least of which is homelessness. With over 30 million shipping containers the world over currently lying dormant, a team of researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina are working to help solve the issue of accommodation in disaster affected areas by developing a method to convert the unused containers into sustainable emergency housing. Read More

Vuzix display Wrap 920AR augmented reality glasses

By Mick Webb

18:59 January 12, 2010 PST

Forget looking at the world through rose colored glasses – try these on for size. Video eyewear manufacturer Vuzix has unveiled its Wrap 920AR glasses prototype that features cameras mounted to the lenses that project real world images onto LCD’s inside the glasses, seamlessly mixing real-world and computer generated imagery.

With the LCD’s offering the view of a 67” display from ten feet away and the cameras able to capture video at a resolution of 752x480 at 60fps, the application promises a myriad of uses from gaming to education and social networking. Read More

US$15k uPrint personal 3-D printer brings rapid prototyping to the desktop

By Loz Blain

21:23 January 6, 2010 PST

3-D printing technology is maturing to the point where rapid prototyping machines are becoming affordable to small business owners - and even for high-end home use. Dimension's uPrint 3D printer has just been released at a retail price of US$14,900, giving anyone with CAD skills the ability to prototype and even manufacture pretty much any small shape they want in hard ABSplus plastic - including pre-assembled objects with moving parts. What would you create if you could have any plastic shape you wanted? Read More

Hot topics - the most read stories of 2009

By Gizmag Team

14:34 December 30, 2009 PST

It's been almost 525,600 minutes since we raised a glass to welcome the arrival of 2009 and in that time we've witnessed a daily avalanche of innovation which precipitated thousands of stories on Gizmag. Though popularity is rarely an accurate measure of quality (take Governments f'rinstance), we peered into the database to create the following list of the most read stories on Gizmag during the last 12 months, and ... the medal winners are, a gun that kills hidden people, a washing machine that doesn't use water, and cure for multiple sclerosis. May 2010 be a good one for you and yours! Read More

MIT debuts the Copenhagen Wheel

By Paul Ridden

13:58 December 17, 2009 PST

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology's SENSEable City team have chosen the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change to show off a new bicycle wheel prototype which not only provides electric rider assist, but also contains "a veritable Swiss army knife's worth of electronic gadgets and novel functions", including sensors to monitor air quality and noise pollution, GPRS and Bluetooth connectivity. Read More

Ubiquitous Drum Pants puts a drum kit in your jeans

By Darren Quick

21:12 December 15, 2009 PST

Everyone at one time or another has cranked out a beat by slapping their hands on their thighs. One person who obviously feels the rhythm deep in his soul is software designer Boris Smus, who has taken thigh slapping high-tech with his Ubiquitous Drum Pant DIY project that turns an ordinary pair of jeans into a drum kit. Read More

scoreLight musical instrument turns drawings into sound

By Dario Borghino

17:37 December 9, 2009 PST

Scientists at the University of Tokyo have found a curious way to translate drawings and three-dimensional shapes into music. The prototype laser-based musical instrument known as scoreLight uses 3D tracking technology to generate real-time sounds based on the shapes and colors it encounters along the way, transforming doodling into a truly synthesized experience. Read More

Sound, light, water all merge in Spica loudspeaker

By Paul Ridden

15:29 December 1, 2009 PST

Spica is the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo and also the inspiration for this visual loudspeaker lamp system where sound vibrations force illuminated liquid within a transparent tube to dance to the music and makes the spectrum analyzer on my hi-fi appear somewhat dull by comparison. Read More

Audi testing autonomous TTS Coupe quattro

By Gizmag Team

15:57 November 30, 2009 PST

The age-old battle of man versus machine will move to a new arena in 2010 when Audi will begin pitting an autonomous TTS Coupe quattro against record times of some of the great driving challenges, including a likely attempt at the infamous 12.42-mile Pikes Peak Hill Climb in Colorado, USA. The driverless Audi is from the same team that built the VW Touareg which won the first race for autonomous vehicles, the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. The inevitable incorporation of advanced robotic technologies into our automobiles will ultimately yield a safer vehicle and it’s the thin end of the wedge – one day soon your car will not only be smarter than you are, it will also be faster and maybe even better looking. Read More

New plasma device disinfects human skin in seconds

By Darren Quick

18:10 November 27, 2009 PST

Low temperature plasma is currently used for the sterilization of surgical instruments. This is because plasma works at the atomic level and is able to reach all surfaces, even the interior of hollow needle ends. Its ability to disinfect is due to the generation of biologically active bactericidal agents, such as free radicals and UV light, which can be delivered to specific locations. Research into how and why these biologically active agents are generated has led to the construction of two prototype devices: one for the efficient disinfection of healthy skin in hospitals and public spaces where bacteria can pose a lethal threat; and another to treat infested chronic wounds. Read More

The world's first osmotic power plant from Statkraft

By Paul Ridden

15:06 November 26, 2009 PST

The principle of harnessing osmosis has the potential to produce enormous amounts of energy anywhere that salt water and fresh water meet. We looked at some of the approaches to turning this theory into reality earlier this year, including Statkraft's plans to build a prototype power plant. The company's plans are now coming to fruition with Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway officially opening the world's first osmotic power plant prototype on November 24. Read More

Rihanna kitchen scales with in-built iPod dock

By Paul Ridden

14:45 November 16, 2009 PST

Kitchen scales are essential for making sure your culinary delights turn out as expected. ADE-Germany has included another ingredient in the soon-to-be-released Rihanna model which is squarely aimed at those who like to listen to music while they rattle about in the kitchen. Currently in the prototype phase, the Rihanna kitchen scale is claimed to be the world's first to feature an iPod docking station. A recipe for success or iPod overkill? Read More

Epson’s new ultra-HD 2160p resolution LCD projector panel

By Darren Quick

20:31 November 11, 2009 PST

If you think that full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution TV or projector is looking a little too low-res for your liking, then Epson has developed a new LCD projector panel that should satisfy your desire for higher detail. The company's new high-temperature polysilicon (HTPS) TFT LCD panel for its 3LCD projectors is the world’s first 4K-compatible panel supporting resolutions up to 4096 x 2160 pixels. Read More

The award-winning PUYL for cyclists combines a light with a pump

By Paul Lester

15:19 November 5, 2009 PST

Most cyclists would agree that the two most likely things to forget after heading out on a journey are a light and a tire pump. It would make perfect sense, then, to combine the two into one handy accessory, which is exactly what designer Kai Malte Roever has done with the “PUYL”. The bonus is that when you pump up your tires, you're also charging the LED light. Read More

More robotic fish spawned to monitor water quality

By Darren Quick

23:32 November 4, 2009 PST

Although fish numbers are in decline in oceans all around the globe, the same can’t be said for their robotic brethren. Like the “Robotuna” from MIT and the robots developed by a team at the University of Essex, the latest robotic fish from Michigan State University also take inspiration from nature. The aim is to give researchers more precise data on aquatic conditions and provide a deeper understanding of critical water supplies and habitats... and hopefully help improve the outlook for fish of the biological variety. Read More

Take a stroll through virtual reality on the CyberWalk omni-directional treadmill

By Darren Quick

19:02 November 4, 2009 PST

Jogging on the spot has gone high tech thanks to an omni-directional treadmill that allows you to walk in any direction while staying centered on the treadmill. When coupled with virtual reality (VR) technology it offers the potential for truly natural walking and immersion in virtual environments. Read More