50438179
submission
kkleiner writes:
As companies like Google seek to improve user security, a company called NFC Ring has developed a ring that could phase out the need for passwords or keys to houses. The simple looking ring stores two near-field communication (NFC) transmitters inside (which don't require a battery) and is read when passed near an appropriate reader. The company raised $380,000 in a crowdfunded campaign that even offered backers the transmitters alone so they could 3D print their own rings.
50197439
submission
kkleiner writes:
Boston-based Harvest Automation has made good on its mission to bring robots into the world of agriculture by introducing Harvey, a bot tasked with the rather modest job of moving plants around in nurseries and greenhouses because people aren't keen on doing the laborious work. At a price point of $30k each, two bots would cost the same as three unskilled human laborers who earn about $20k annually not to mention medical bills due to injury. Harvey's job may not be flashy, but considering the potted plant industry is valued at $50 billion, the bot's little impact could translate into significant money.
49982455
submission
kkleiner writes:
Chinese researchers have successfully demonstrated that somatic cells found in human urine can be transformed into stem cells and grown into tooth-like structures in mice. While the tooth buds lacked the hardness of teeth, they reportedly still consisted of pulp, dentin, and enamel forming cells. This isn't the first time stem cells from urine have been used to grow tissue, but it's certainly the most unpalatable, which is likely to be a significant barrier to widespread adoption of pee teeth.
49334325
submission
kkleiner writes:
Researchers at Georgia Tech have reproduced the Mona Lisa at 100,000 times smaller than Da Vinci's original painting. Using an atomic force microscopy technique called thermochemical nanolithography, the individual pixels that make up the grayscale image are made from chemical reactions and spaced 125 nanometers apart. It's an elaborate way to demonstrate a new technique, but one that also shows the kind of mastery that nanoapplications will demand.
49305697
submission
kkleiner writes:
A large hexapod robot named Crabster has been designed by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology to navigate the ocean floors. Attached via power cable to a vessel on the surface, a four-person team of operators will use the bot to scout the seafloor and search for shipwrecks in hopes of returning some valuable booty.
49056833
submission
kkleiner writes:
An artistic robotic system named e-David has been developed that produces paintings that appear to be created by humans. Using an iterative process of brush strokes and image comparison, e-David's assembly line welder arm can paint in up to 24 colors and add shading where needed. The robot even cleans its five brushes along the way, according to University of Konstanz researchers who developed the system as an exercise in machine learning.
48967663
submission
kkleiner writes:
DARPA’s Reliable Neural-Interface Technology (RE-NET) program aims to return to amputees not just an arm or leg, but control and sensation of the limb that they lost. Toward this end, promising progress has been made in targeted muscle re-innervation that rewires the nerves to control prosthetics and flat interface nerve electrodes, which provide crude sensation for the amputee. These efforts are laying the groundwork for not only sophisticated prostheses, but future cybernetics.
48666387
submission
kkleiner writes:
EyeWire is a game developed by MIT researchers in which users map the connectome, which is the massively complex connections between the billions of neurons in the brain. Since its launch last year, EyeWire has already had over 70,000 citizen scientists play the game. Users are not only contributing directly while they play the game, but they're also advancing brain science by helping researchers improve AI algorithms so that someday computers can study the connectome accurately and independently.
48443067
submission
kkleiner writes:
A Star Trek-like medical 'tricorder' device has already raised $1.3M through crowdfunding with nearly two weeks left in the campaign. The device, called the Scout from startup Scanadu, measures key respiratory and cardiac vital signs, including an electrocardiogram, by simply holding the sensor to a person's forehead for 10 seconds and data are tracked and analyzed via a smartphone. The startup has also revealed plans to expand the integrated app to be able to perform urine analysis using a disposable paddle that connects to the phone.
48190893
submission
kkleiner writes:
China recently completed building its latest supercomputer, Tianhe-2, two years earlier than planned. With 3.1 million cores, Tianhe-2 is now the fastest computer on Earth at 33.86 petaflop/s (with a potential peak performance of 54.9 petaflop/s), double the speed of its American rival, Titan. The US has plans to build another supercomputer in 2015, providing China an opportunity to sit at the top of the charts for a few years.
48131029
submission
kkleiner writes:
A dramatic YouTube video demonstrates how tremors from Parkinson's Disease can be nullified by an implanted brain pacemaker. The video by 39-year-old Cyber-AJ (Andrew Johnson) shows the dramatic difference in his movements when the remote-controlled deep brain stimulation device is on and off. The technique may not be appropriate for all PD sufferers, but it's a clear sign that brain stimulation can have dramatic effects.
47935203
submission
kkleiner writes:
Google recently revealed plans to build a new Bay View office park at Moffett Field in Silicon Valley. Unlike other Google offices that have been acquired in the Googleplex, the new complex will be built from teh ground up and feature natural lighting, solar power, outdoor rooms, a university-esque quad, and of course, Google's staple of food, cafes, and rec areas. The campus is home to NASA's AMES Research Center along with four university branches, including the main location for Singularity University.
47795851
submission
kkleiner writes:
Thanks to the miniaturization of electronics, small CubeSat satellites have quickly become the standard for orbital Earth monitoring. Their modular design and lower cost makes them accessible to many, from university researchers to backers of crowdfunding campaigns. This year, the number of CubeSats launched will at least double the number in orbit to date.
47511487
submission
kkleiner writes:
A self-described think tank of engineers and inventors called Two Bit Circus have completed a successful crowdfunding campaign to launch a high tech reinvention of carnivals form yesteryear. The campaign raised over $100k to launch the STEAM Carnival (as in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) to take place in Los Angeles and San Francisco next year. Showcasing robots, fire, and lasers, the goal of the carnival is to inspire young people into science and technology through these entertaining and educational events.
47350107
submission
kkleiner writes:
A new startup called Anki has debuted its "real world" robotic car video game at Apple's premier event of the 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). During his opening remarks, CEO Tim Cook gave up the stage for Anki to show off their creation: Matchbox-sized cars that drive around a track autonomously. The co-founder explains that the cars use AI running on iOS to solve similar kinds of problems that Google's self-driving cars face, except at fast speeds as seen in the accompanying video.
