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Research

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RESEARCH WATCH

Light resonators used to move nano-sized objects

By Dario Borghino

22:55 November 19, 2009 PST

The nanoscale resonators developed at Cornell can exert relatively strong forces on tiny p...

Scientists at Cornell University report they can now use a light beam carrying a single milliwatt of power to move objects and even change the optical properties of silicon from opaque to transparent at the nanometric scale. Such an advancement could prove very useful for the future of micro-electromechanical (MEMS) and micro-optomechanical (MOMS) systems. Read More

ECOGIZMO

Harnessing waste heat to produce electricity

By Darren Quick

21:13 November 19, 2009 PST

A laptop generating a little too much waste heat (Photo: secumem via Wikipedia Commons)

That heat emanating from your computer as you sit reading this article amounts to nothing more than wasted energy. And your computer is not alone. More than half of the energy consumed worldwide is wasted, most of it in the form of excess heat. But new research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) indicates it might be possible to harvest much of the wasted heat produced by everything from computer processors to car engines and electric powerplants, and convert it into usable electricity. This kind of waste-energy harvesting might lead to mobile phones with double the talk time, laptop computers that can operate twice as long before needing to be plugged in to mains power, or energy plants that produce more electricity for a given amount of fuel. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

Researchers push miniaturization even further with finFET transistors

By Dario Borghino

19:29 November 17, 2009 PST

The finline structure in finFETs allows for greater electrical insulation and processing s...

Researchers at Purdue University have reported important progress in developing finFETs, a type of transistor that some say will eventually substitute the silicon-based kind because it allows engineers to push miniaturization even further in the perpetual effort to validate the predictions of Moore's Law. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

Eureka! NASA strikes water on lunar surface

By Darren Quick

19:16 November 17, 2009 PST

The ejecta plume about 20 seconds after the LCROSS impact (Images: NASA)

Scientists have long speculated about the source of significant quantities of hydrogen that have been observed at the moon's lunar poles, and just a few months ago NASA announced that water molecules were indeed present, but in relatively small amounts. Now the Lunar CRater Observing and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) that was employed to shed some more light on the presence of water on the moon, looks like it has done just that with preliminary data indicating the mission successfully uncovered water in a permanently-shadowed crater. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

Teflon mark II to weather the storm in space

By Darren Quick

22:34 November 12, 2009 PST

Samples of novel nanocomposite materials tha will be mounted to the hull of the space stat...

If you think the weather at your place is bad there’s no way it can compare with “space weather.” The International Space Station (ISS), which travels at about 27,700 kph (17,212 mph), is exposed to extreme levels of ultraviolet radiation and temperatures ranging from -40 to 60 degrees Celsius (-40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit). These extreme conditions might not make for great holiday weather, but it does provide a good way to test the performance of new nanomaterials. That’s why samples of new nanocomposites - including an improved form of Teflon - will be mounted onto the ISS’s outer hull in a Passive Experiment Carrier (PEC), and exposed to the rigors of outer space. Read More

WEARABLE ELECTRONICS

Implantable Silicon-Silk electronics could mean LED tattoos

By Darren Quick

22:52 November 11, 2009 PST

A clear silk film, about one centimeter squared, with six silicon transistors on its surfa...

Tattooing dates back to at least Neolithic times and has experienced a resurgence in popularity in many parts of the world in recent years. Advancements in tattoo pigments and the refinement of tattooing equipment has seen an improvement in the quality of tattoos being produced. Today it’s possible to get ink that glows under UV light, but a new technology could see tattoos that emit their own light. Researchers have been able to build thin, flexible silicon electronics on silk substrates that almost completely dissolve inside the body, paving the way for embedded LED tattoos that offer much more than just aesthetic appeal. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

Spider webs hold the key to stronger bioadhesives

By Dario Borghino

15:45 November 6, 2009 PST

A study on the glue that holds spider webs together brings us closed to producing bioadhes...

Spiders are remarkable animals: with over 40,000 classified species, they are among the most diverse known to man and can adapt to the most radical climatic conditions. The silky substance they produce to spin webs has been extensively studied and is known to rival steel in strength: a less-known fact, however, is that the "glue" that holds it all together is just as remarkable, and could soon become the key to producing stronger bioadhesives to replace petroleum-based products. Read More

ROBOTICS

I am what I am, I’m Popeye the audio-visual robot

By Darren Quick

22:12 November 3, 2009 PST

The Popeye audio visual robotic head developed by the POP team

The ease with which human beings make sense of their environment through a range of sensory signals belies the complex processing involved. Approaches to give robots the same purposeful perception we take for granted have typically involved studying visual and auditory processes independently. By combining data from both sound and vision European researchers have developed technology that could facilitate robotic understanding and responses to human behavior and even conversations, bringing us closer to a future where humanoid robots can act as guides, mix with people, or use perception to infer appropriate actions. Read More

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Nanosized drug delivery systems take a leap forward

By Dario Borghino

19:03 November 3, 2009 PST

After 24 hours, the cancer cells have taken up chimeric polypeptide-chemo combination (sho...

Blood vessels that supply tumors are more porous than normal vessels, makes nanoscale drug delivery systems a particularly attractive prospect. If properly engineered, nanoparticles can in fact get inside a tumor, targeting it precisely and allowing much higher drug dosages as they reduce side effects to a minimum. Two recent studies featured in the latest issue of the journal Nature Materials specifically address these issues and give us promising leads in the fight against cancer. Read More

ECOGIZMO

Stealth wind turbines developed to avoid radar confusion

By Paul Ridden

17:50 November 3, 2009 PST

A prototype of the 'stealth' blade developed by QinetiQ and Vestas is fitted onto a Vestas...

Plans for the installation of wind farms the world over are being delayed or abandoned due to objections from the aviation community or air defense interests. The problem is that when it comes to low flying aircraft or wind turbines, conventional radar has a bit of an identity crisis - not being able to tell the difference. Recent tests in the UK of "stealth" turbine technology could provide a solution. Read More

ECOGIZMO

3-D photovoltaic systems go where the sun don’t shine

By Darren Quick

23:31 November 2, 2009 PST

Zhong Lin Wang holds a prototype three-dimensional solar cell that could allow PV systems ...

The photovoltaic (PV) panels adorning the rooftops of buildings around the world have become a visible sign of the shift towards environmentally friendly solar power. Now researchers have developed a new type of three-dimensional PV system using optical fiber that promises solar generators that are foldable, concealed and mobile, meaning they could be hidden from view and leave rooftops panel-free. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

New spintronics breakthrough paves the way to faster computing

By Dario Borghino

19:30 October 29, 2009 PDT

Researchers have achieved all-electric control of the spin of electrons in a major breakth...

A team of researchers from the University of Cincinnati have achieved control of the spin of electrons traveling on a wire by simply regulating an electrical voltage. This is a major milestone in the brief history of spintronics, the emerging technology that uses the spin of electrons to store and manipulate digital information with much higher speeds and efficiency. Read More

ECOGIZMO

Sharp sets highest solar cell efficiency

By Paul Ridden

05:39 October 27, 2009 PDT

Sharp's 35.8% efficiency triple-junction compound solar cell

The Sharp Corporation has developed a compound solar cell that has achieved a conversion efficiency of 35.8 percent. Developing a new base layer for its triple-junction compound solar cell has improved on Sharp's previous conversion efficiency by almost four percent. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

Newly developed nanomaterial could boost data storage density and cars' fuel efficiency

By Dario Borghino

18:00 October 25, 2009 PDT

Lead researcher of the new material, Dr. Jagdish Narayan

By manipulating matter at the nanoscale level, engineers from North Carolina State University led by Dr. Jagdish Narayan have developed a new material that could make it possible to manufacture terabyte memory chips the size of a fingernail, boost vehicles' fuel economy significantly and reduce heat dissipated by semiconductors, with applications ranging from spintronics to solar panel technology. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

Plasmonics breakthrough promises faster computers and communications

By Dario Borghino

17:14 October 21, 2009 PDT

Plasmonics devices could soon make dreams of light-speed data processing come true

Plasmonics is a promising emerging technology that attempts to put together the best of two worlds — optics and electronics — to achieve faster computation and communication by making optical devices significantly smaller. In recent research, a team of European scientists has solved a long-standing problem in this field by sending signals over a long distance in a breakthrough that brings this technology much closer to mass production. Read More

SCIENCE AND EDUCATION

The interactive 3D Virtual Autopsy Table

By Paul Ridden

16:17 October 20, 2009 PDT

The Virtual Autopsy Table is demonstrated by Prof Anders Persson, CMIV, at the Health mini...

Swedish researchers have developed an interactive touchscreen 3D autopsy table that allows pathologists to examine virtual representations of real bodies in minute detail and from numerous viewing angles. Using data provided by scans of an actual body, the table allows the user to remove layers such as skin and muscle, add or remove tissue and circulatory systems, zoom in and out and cut through sections with a virtual knife. The video below is a "must watch". Read More

AUTOMOTIVE

Putting the brakes on running red lights - Mercedes Benz 'Smart Stop' technology

By Mick Webb

02:16 October 16, 2009 PDT

The Mercedes Benz Smart Stop technology allows intersections and vehicles to communicate
 ...

Taking driver-assist technology to the next level is the “Smart Stop” system currently in development by Mercedes Benz. The wireless safety system, which allows intersections to communicate with vehicles, would automatically cause a car to stop at a red light should a driver fail to heed it. Read More

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Diagnosing depression in less than an hour using an ‘ECG for the mind’

By Darren Quick

01:00 October 16, 2009 PDT

Biomedical engineer Brian Lithgow and a model showing the 'tilt chair' and electrode techn...

Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) cost upwards of US$2 trillion globally every year and affect one in four people in their lifetime. At present, diagnosing these conditions relies on an often unreliable process of questions and interviews, which means it can take many years for sufferers to be correctly diagnosed. A new diagnostic technique that measures the patterns of electrical activity in the brain’s vestibular (or balance) system could dramatically fast-track the detection of mental and neurological illnesses. Read More

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Bioengineered scaffold could restore sense of touch to prosthetic limbs

By Darren Quick

00:15 October 15, 2009 PDT

Thankfully prosthetic technology has come a long way since 1944 -  the latest developments...

Existing robotic prostheses have limited motor control, provide no sensory feedback and can be uncomfortable to wear. In an effort to make a prosthesis that moves like a normal hand, researchers at the University of Michigan have bioengineered a scaffold that is placed over severed nerve endings like a sleeve and could improve the function of prosthetic hands and possibly restore the sense of touch for injured patients. Read More

ROBOTICS

ChemBot: the shape-shifting robot that is the stuff of nightmares

By Darren Quick

23:22 October 14, 2009 PDT

The ChemBot in semi-deflated and inflated modes

We’ve looked at robots that use a variety of ways to get around, from caterpillar treads, to wheels, legs, wings and even combustion-driven pistons. But the title of weirdest (not to mention unsettling) method of robot propulsion we’ve come across has to go to the shape-shifting ChemBot from iRobot. The ChemBot, which looks more like the Blob than most people’s preconceived ideas of what a robot should be, moves around by changing its shape in a process its creators call, “jamming skin enabled locomotion.” Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

MIT's one-way road for microwave light makes efficient lightwave circuits closer

By Dario Borghino

19:13 October 13, 2009 PDT

MIT researchers have found a way to make light travel  one-way without reflections in a lo...

Light normally bounces off obstacles in its way, and the part of the beam that is reflected back and captured by our eyes contributes to our perception of the world around us. However, every reflection dissipates a small part of the beam's energy, and can eventually weaken it significantly. A team of MIT researchers have developed an innovative waveguide that allows microwave light to travel one way only and without reflections, paving the way to much more efficient lightwave circuits and connections. Read More

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Scientists grow patch to heal a broken heart

By Darren Quick

00:48 October 13, 2009 PDT

The mold used to create the heart patch (Photo: Brian Liau)

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in many parts of the world, including the U.S., England and Canada, so it's not surprising that bioengineers at Duke University are excited by what they believe could be an important first step toward growing a living “heart patch” to repair damaged heart tissue. In a series of experiments using mouse embryonic stem cells, the bioengineers used a novel mold of their own design to fashion a three-dimensional "patch" made up of heart muscle cells, known as cardiomyocytes. The new tissue exhibited the two most important attributes of heart muscle cells - the ability to contract and to conduct electrical impulses. Read More

AUTOMOTIVE

Like a fish out of water - Nissan unveil EPORO robot car concept

By Mick Webb

21:13 October 7, 2009 PDT

The Nissan EPORO concept robots are programmed to move like a school of fish

Taking its cue from under the sea, Nissan has revealed the latest offering in its ongoing Safety Shield line of research and development, aimed at making our roads and vehicles safer and smarter. Programmed to think and move like a school of fish, Nissan’s EPORO robot car prototypes move in unison as a group while communicating to avoid collision. Read More

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Breathing easier could be as simple as crossing the street

By Darren Quick

20:01 October 7, 2009 PDT

Researchers have found that traffic pollution levels change dramatically within small geog...

Low emission vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius, promise to dramatically cut levels of noxious fumes on city streets. But, until such vehicles start to dominate the roads, people still have to cope with what spews forth from the tailpipes of their fossil fuel-powered cousins. However, researchers have recently found that pedestrians may be able to reduce the amount of traffic pollution they breathe in simply by crossing the street. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

Speedy communication takes a quantum leap towards reality

By Dario Borghino

18:15 October 7, 2009 PDT

An entangled state of six photons can form a quantum bit that is highly resistant to noise...

Quantum computing is expected to revolutionize electronics over the course of the next few decades, but a number of outstanding issues still remain. One such problem is that "qubits," the basic building blocks of quantum information, are very fragile and can be easily destroyed when sent on a fiber optics cable, due to the surrounding noise. Working on this issue, a team from Stockholm's KHT University, led by Magnus Rådmark, has developed a new method for combining six photons to obtain a robust qubit that is resistant to noise and is, therefore, able to travel long distances without interference. Read More

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