Conclusions & Future Implications: Osuji Lab

As my four weeks came dwindling down, my mentor and I were able to conclude our studies and determine what states provided the most optimal results of ZnO nanorod growth. Through the variation of acetone concentration, revolutions per minutes of spin coating, and the growth temperature, we somewhat optimized conditions for unseeded brass substrates. The conditions necessary for the optimal growth on brass would be a 15% acetone concentration and an RPM of 2000 revolutions. We ultimately decided, however, that unseeded substrates do not provide adequate control of array morphology as was shown by the uncorrelated molecular weight nanorod diameter data. During the last week, we seeded brass substrates with the hydrolyzed zinc solution expecting that the layer would fill the scratches on the brass substrates. This method worked, and we achieved more uniform growth. Although this process does not eliminate the time-consuming seeding step, it does provide an alternative set of substrates that are cheaper than silicon.

Two future implications I’ve found are necessary for further optimization of our studies are:

1. A Decrease in Substrate Roughness 
2. ZnO Nanotube Array Formation Through Ethanol Reconstruction

A decrease in substrate roughness (including the absence of micro-scratches) will produce a better quality of arrays. Creating a forest of ZnO nanotubes would be an important expansion for the development in photovoltaic devices. Nanotubes exhibit nearly twice as much surface area as opposed to rod-like structures that are within similar dimensions.

Results: Osuji Lab

We tested the following variables for array optimization: Acetone Concentration in Growth Solution (%), Spin-Coat RPM (1750-2500), Growth Temperature (60-80), & Molecular Weight of Ps-b-P4VP block copolymer. My mentor and I had initial expectations before conducting each variable. We expected that an increase in acetone concentration would give us a larger areal density of rods. This is because the acetone swells the PS coronas, which allows more reactants to come into contact with the cores. We also understood that the micelle cores were made of P4VP polymer chains. The size of the P4VP cores is directly related to the nanorod diameter, meaning that as the molecular weight of the P4VP increases, the diameter will as well.

We attained the following results.

From our investigation, we were able to determine that 15% acetone concentration provided the best uniform growth of the four shown.

We also determined that 2000 RPM was a soundly speed at which the nanorods could be most uniform.

As you can see, there is no adequate growth pattern that is dependent on the molecular weight of the polymer.

As you increase the temperature, the aerial density increases and the rod diameter decreases.

Things Learned & Motivation: Osuji Lab

As with the completion of many tests and trial runs come results. These results helped distinguish which state certain variables should have been set at for optimal results. But, what are these results for? Why should we have an optimal array of nanorod arrays on brass nonetheless?

Inside: Photovoltaic Cell

Over the course of my first two weeks at my internship, I slowly began to understand the worth of our results. By finding stable variants, we could take these optimized arrays and apply them to important devices. One specific device I learned about was “Hybrid Nanocomposite Photovoltaics”. Photovoltaics are devices used to convert sunlight directly into electricity. We want to make these devices more efficient with our research. Photovoltaic efficiency is directly related to the amount of interface contact between the polymer and the semiconductor. When you excite the polymer layer, the first particles from the layer become dipole-induced and expand to about ten nanometers. This length is known as an exciton diffusion length. The semiconductor collects these excitons. By nano-forming these electrodes we can increase the surface area of interface contact. We want to optimize the surface area, keeping in mind that the space between the nanorods cannot be too small. Otherwise, the polymer will not be able to fit in between the rods. For these reasons, I realized that it is important to systematically control the diameter and spacing between the ZnO nanorods for this specific application.

Challenges & Frustrations: Osuji Lab

When you pose a research question and conduct an experiment, you always want to find some sort of result that is in favor of your hypothesis. You’re not always going to find the results you want when you conduct your experiments due to a variety of reasons, however. Human error, substrate wear-and-tear, and chemical inconsistencies are just a few reasons.

The internship I experienced was founded on top of a single research topic, “Optimal Growth of ZnO Nanorods on Brass”. We were given a single procedure that was tailored for silicon substrates, a couple research papers, and the liberty of testing any variable we deemed fit for optimal array growth. With this liberty, however, came good and bad consequences. Valeria and I were able to learn from these consequences—nonetheless being disappointed by bad results. Changing the acetone percentage in the growth solution bore great results! We were able to determine that 15% acetone concentration was the best level for nanorod growth.

Changing the molecular weight of the PS-b-P4VP block copolymer didn’t produce the quality results we assumed would occur. Theoretically, the micelle cores are comprised on P4VP polymer chains. This means that the size of the P4VP cores is directly related to the nanorod diameter. This relation would mean that as the molecular weight of the P4VP increases, the diameter would increase as well. When we characterized our nanorods for each molecular weight state (235K/23, 41K/24K, 15K/7K), we saw no adequate growth pattern that was dependent on the molecular weight of the polymer. Another important frustration was the difference in uniformity between brass and silicon substrates. No matter how optimized we could make unseeded ZnO nanorod arrays on brass look, the arrays were never going to be as uniform as the silicon substrates.

Procedures: Osuji Lab

During the course of my four weeks, we tested the following variables for array optimization: Acetone Concentration in Growth Solution (%), Spin-Coat Rotations Per Minute (1750-2500 RPM), Growth Temperature (60-80 Degrees Celsius), & Molecular Weight of Ps-b-P4VP block copolymer.

© Candice Pelligra, Osuji Lab

In order to prepare for the experimental process, brass substrates were sonicated in a water-soap, ethanol, and acetone solution-each state for 15 minutes. Afterwards, the substrates were UV irradiated for further elimination of organic contaminants.

About 4 mL of micelle solution are coated above the brass substrate by spin coater revolving from ranges 1750 RPM to 2500 RPM. By adjusting the solution concentration and spin speed, we achieve a block copolymer monolayer. The machine used to spin-coat our substrates is called the “WS-650-23 Spin Coater”.

The spin-casted substrate was then placed in a growth solution containing hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and zinc acetate dihydrate dissolved in deionized water and acetone. The vial was sealed and then placed in a water bath that was variably heated at 60, 70, 75, and 80 degrees Celsius between 15, 20, and 30-minute increments. The final step before rod characterization was a water and ethanol cleansing, each done for 45 seconds. In order to later characterize our nanorod at high resolutions, we took our substrate samples to the Hitachi SU-70 SEM machine.

Research Summary: Osuji Internship

The current approaches to controlling the geometry of nano-arrays are nanoimprint lithography and unconstrained hydrothermal growth. Nanoimprint lithography is when a polymer imprint is used to form nanoscale patterns that are later cured by UV radiation. This procedure is not suitable for scaling, because it is expensive. Unconstrained hydrothermal growth is another method. Despite many developments in ZnO seed-layer thicknesses, precursor concentrations, and chemical etching treatments, this specific growth does not provide adequate control over the morphology of nanorod arrays.

The approach that we’ve been using to systematically customize ZnO nanorod arrays is the self-assembly of block copolymer chains. When two incompatible monomers are chemically linked, a block copolymer forms. Due to the homopolymers in the chains and their separation response, the block copolymers phase-separate into nanoscale microdomains. The following microdomains covered are spherical (s), cylindrical (c), gyroidal (g), and lamellar (l). For this particular method, the BCP PS-b-P4VP is used at ratios that form spherical microdomains. The solution used creates P4VP micelles that are surrounded by a corona of PS chains. The block copolymer is dissolved in toluene, which is a strongly selective solvent for polystyrene (PS).

The polymer polystyrene-b-poly-4-vinylpyridine (PS-b-P4VP) is amphiphilic (partially hydrophobic, partially hydrophilic), allowing for the selective permeation (penetration through a solid) of aqueous reactants in the growth solution. As shown in the image, aqueous reactants permeate through P4VP micellar bodies to react with the substrate and form rods. The addition of acetone to the hydrothermal growth solution swells PS chains that surround the P4VP cores enough to allow the aqueous reactions to reach the depth at which the micelles are located.

A procedure that controls nanorod synthesis through block copolymer self-assembly has already been created for silicon-seeded substrates. Rather than using silicon, my research involved ZnO rod growth on top of brass substrates. Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper. This means that the growth procedure for these substrates would not require Zinc seeding, which would speed up the process. Brass substrates are also cheaper, making the procedure more scalable.

First Impressions: Osuji Internship

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Sofia Azmal, and I’m a rising high schooler who was given the opportunity to work inside the Osuji Lab. didn’t have any high expectations coming into my internship, because I wanted a fresh template to work off of. If my expectations were too high, I would just disappointment myself. Rather than visualizing my future, I focused on the “now” and found myself in a wonderful intern position. Past experiences from EVO goers were misleading. I’d heard some were scrubbing mud off of fossils, while others categorized and filed papers. I never assumed that my work would just be “cleaning up the office space”, but I also didn’t have expectations that would put me into a critical position in the lab. When I first arrived, other in the lab greeted me with questionable expressions—nonetheless with “Hellos”. The days following that first meet were simple, my mentor and I were given a research question to investigate for us. The Osuji lab was our oyster to cultivate this project, and we began testing different variables that would lead to the most optimal zinc-oxide nanorod arrays on brass. On paper, the project seemed like a difficult synthesis that focused on the development of block-copolymer self assembly. I realized during my first week that this wasn’t the case. The concepts were simple to understand with a little explanation. Rather than a jumbled mess of chemical phrases, I understood my mission in the lab for the next month.

My mission was to control the geometry of ZnO nanorods on brass substrates with the use of block copolymer self-assembly.

Overseas in the Phillipines

A team of aspiring green engineers from UPD (University of Philippines Diliman) have developed a low-cost dam that will primarily prevent flooding, generate electricity, and aid food/water shortages.

The Gaia dam was designed to have the ability to prevent flooding from torrential rains on farms and to reroute river flows in coastal areas for sea concentration leveling. The dam’s constructural frame is composed of gabion structures, which are wire mesh baskets stabilized by recycled concrete-rock columns. This stabilization is necessary to combat hydrostatic forces pushing upwards through the dam.

Internally, the dam has additional cleansing systems. Proprietary enzymes and proteins are located inside the dam’s recycled concrete-rock columns. The benefit of having proteins located in the columns’ specialized core is for farm irrigation. The water flowing through the Gaia dam will later flow to crops; due to the additional proteins located in the water, nutrients and minerals are absorbed fluidly. Additional enzymes located in the water help dissolve insect exoskeletons and other pests that are detrimental to crop growth.

Cost-wise, the Gaia dam is a valuable structure. Similar to the likes of a hydroelectric power plant, the Gaia has the ability to divert water into a turbine powerhouse. The difference is that the dam can do so at a significantly lower cost than standard concrete dams.

What are your thoughts on the Gaia dam? Should the Philippines incorporate more of these structural dams throughout their nation?

For more information, visit: http://tiny.cc/vr8uzx

Chameleon Clothes

Just recently, nanoscientist Debashis Chanda developed a new technique that is the world’s first full-color, flexible thin-film reflective display. Furthermore, these etched displays can be embedded onto a variety of surfaces including fabrics.

As with many brilliant inventions, Chanda’s research utilized biomimicry techniques. Specially, his peculiar questions were often inspired by local nature. Animals such as chameleons, octopuses, and squids are born with simplistic structures that allow flexibility and color-adaptivity. What exactly powers these animal aesthetics, however? External aesthetics such as color adaptivity for chameleons and squids aren’t powered by any light source. It is their skin that controls this alternating behaviour. Alternative skin displays on animals such as the octopus are what has inspired Chanda’s research on creating a skin-like display.

Chanda’s new technique is able to change different colors on an ultrathin nanostructured surface through light refraction. Rather than needing a light source, the nanostructured surface reflects the ambient light around it. The nanostructured surface is composed of a fine liquid crystal layer placed over a metallic nanosubstrate. The physical shape can actually be compared to a microscopic egg carton. The following surface can absorb and reflect different light wavelengths depending on the frequency and the period. In order to generate the color adaptive display, liquid crystal molecules and metallic plasmon waves must interact. This interaction converts the adaptive surface from a polarization-dependent state to a polarization-independent state.

The application of this technique can potentially make a big impact on a variety of categories that won’t solely be focused on fabric implementation. The potential for this technique can be placed on a wide spectrum that can and will entertain many people across the globe.

Read more at: http://tiny.cc/lx5uzx

Oculus, Enhancing the VR Experience for the Gamers of the World

If you do not already know, Oculus VR is a company that is responsible for the spectacle called “Oculus Rift.” The “VR” stands for virtual reality and what the Oculus Rift does is provide what gamers have gleamingly awaited for, the feeling of being “a part of the game.” The device is described as a headset for the eyes and the built-in “low-latency constellation tracking system,” detects movements made in reality and applies the moves into the digital dimension. Essentially what that means is, if you turn your head “X” degrees to the right, the game will mimic the movements and give you the scenery “X” degrees to the right.

Oculus VR has recently teamed up with microsoft for their to-be-released product, the Oculus virtual reality headset. Prior to this partnership, Oculus employees were responsible for executing tedious tasks of re-coding and changing settings of computers for their products to barely work properly. The partnership birthed new capabilities for the up and coming Microsoft 10. Microsoft 10 is programmed to better process what Oculus Rift has to offer.

Developers of the softwares and products have high hopes for their devices and what the future may hold. What gamers get to look forward to is the experience of a new type of gaming. Along with continuous revisioning and adjustments as well as additions to the products, it seems that Oculus Rift will, in fact, have a bright future. What do you think?

Learn more about Oculus Rift here: https://www.oculus.com/ja/rift/

Read more on the Oculus RIft Virtual Reality Headset: http://www.cnet.com/news/why-oculus-partnered-with-microsoft-for-its-rift-virtual-reality-headset/

Check out another one of Oculus VRs new products, the Oculus Touch: http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/11/oculus-touch/#.itk8kf:u6YS

Changing the Texture of a Surface on Command

A team funded by MIT and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology utilized a material with two different types of malleability printed by a 3D-printer. By combining this material and  complex computer simulations,the team was able to create a surface that has the ability to change its rigidity/sleekness by using both of the variables.

How this works is that a base layer (a matrix) of the more flexible polymer has embedded particles that are much more rigid than the base. When the matrix as a whole is squeezed, the surface changes in accordance with the patterns and placements of the rigid polymers. This ability permits surfaces to reversibly change because when the squeezing action ceases, the matrix returns to its initial form.

This process can be executed to adjust how surfaces reflects light and how other surfaces have the ability to change their aerodynamics. One of the primary uses that the team has for this process is to create a surface that can guide fluids across an area by the use of specific paths generated by the computer simulations.

MIT graduate students and a member of the team, Mark Guttag, mentions how the principles of adjusting the materials ability to change its texture can be the avant garde in branching out ideas in material sciences. This is due to the fact that the same principles can be applied to different cases and different stimuli to see how specified materials react to varying conditions.

Read more about this topic at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150611114415.htm 

MINI- Augmented Reality Glasses

Although it is currently just a prototype, MINI has released what they call the "augmented reality" glasses or AR at the Shanghai 2015 Auto Show. This is essentially a hybrid between Google Glass and the electronic devices built within cars such as the GPS and the standard back-up camera guide. The structure is similar to that of aviator sunglasses. The prototype is worn like a hat and is commonly identified as something that Elvis would have worn.

The functions of AR according to its creators, the BMW Group Research and Technology, is to eliminate the need for the driver to look away from the roads, which reduces the possibility of crashing into a car. The glasses display information such as current speed, distance between the car in front, and even side cameras to help you park and take caution of any pedestrians. By having the glasses sense them with exterior cameras and enabling the driver to literally look through the car as if it were transparent. The glasses correspond to the features of your environment rather than the movements you make and this adds to its ability to navigate through areas not only while driving, but while walking as well.

The AR is just at its beginning stages and the producers have already put in word that if there is to be a second prototype and if the project were to move on then they would touch up on the structure of the glasses, finding ways to make the entire product slimmer.

Check out this video on MINI Augmented Reality Glasses:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/b1ae1f64fdac4019a9165e9c351029dc.htm

Also take a look at the website:
http://www.dezeen.com/2014/02/03/dezeen-and-mini-frontiers/

iLower Heart Risks

Health-related smartphones applications have been identified as a significant factor in cardiovascular illness reduction. By using programs such as text-messages reminders, a substantial reduction is achieved in patients’ risk scores. A significant 1.24% reduction in Framingham scores foretold a positive outcome in 10-year risk estimations for first heart attacks.

A Mayo Clinic research team located in Rochester, Minnesota conducted a lengthy observational study. The team reviewed 51 separate studies that were conducted in Asia, Europe, and North America from 2003 to 2013 (10 years). The study had approximately 24,000 patients, each assigned to digital health interventions. Among 24,000 people, 10,333 individuals were controls (Placed into traditional care without digital intervention). The breakdown of the primary-prevention trials is as follows: No significant reduction in stroke/attack numbers, despite Framingham risk score reductions. Some possible questions to improve the experiment are: Were there long-term follow-ups? Were patients relatively healthy? Are lurking variables (Smoking, Air toxicity levels in neighborhood) posing any bias on our experimental patients?

Interesting enough, the study concluded that Web portals, telemedicine opportunities, and text-message applications were among the most effective technologies in improving/reducing heart risks.

Read more at: http://tiny.cc/c9gqxx

Repairing Damaged Nerves via 3D Printing

In cases with traumatic injuries casualties are susceptible to damaged nerves. What that means is that the 3 types of nerves you have in you body, the autonomic, the motor , and the sensory nerves are unable to function as they were created. Damage to the nerves causes dysfunctions such as unable to control muscles and even losing sensation in the body part rendering you unable to feel pain in that area.

There are currently methods of repairing nerve endings which require suturing the nerve endings in surgery but results prove to be rather inefficient in producing desirable results for not only the patients but the doctors as well. What’s needed is a way to repair the nerves to restore function as close to the way the patient was prior to the injury. This is where the 3D printers come in.

Using their Nerve Guidance Conduit(NGC) on mouses, the Scientists at the University of Sheffield have successfully restored nerve function on a mouse. The scientists utilized a form of 3D printing called Computer Aided Design(CAD) in order to create unique nerves personalized to the patient being treated.The benefits of 3D printing are quite obvious, the modern technology permits clinicians to print exact models that encourages the self-repairing of nerves over time. Their experiments with the mouse concluded with the repair of a 3mm injury gab over the course of 21 days. All that is left is to conduct trials on a larger scale to see if the NGC works. This brings great potential in restoring nerve function to patients who no longer have them at the moment.

Learn more about nerve damage here: http://www.webmd.com/brain/nerve-pain-and-nerve-damage-symptoms-and-causes 

Click on the link below to read more on NGCs:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150223104159.htm 

Google Artificial Intelligence

Google's artificial intelligence, DeepMind, has figured out how to play and master a handful of Atari video games. Partnered with Oxford University, Google developed an AI unit capable of learning and bettering itself over time. ”with its algorithm can not only learn how to play computer games from scratch - but go on to ace them after a few hours of practice.” This self taught AI not is not only capable of learning from past mistakes, it also has the capability to develop new tactics based on them.  At first, the algorithm struggles to return the ball but, after a few hundred plays, it eventually learns the best strategy to beat the game: break a tunnel into the side of the brick wall and then aim the ball behind the wall.” This is one step forward for science as it shows that we can create more delicate robots implemented with artificial intelligence, capable of distinguishing right from wrong and that are able to perform more delicate tasks.

http://www.usatoday.com/videos/tech/2015/02/26/24079545/

http://www.zdnet.com/article/googles-deepmind-artificial-intelligence-aces-atari-gaming-challenge/

A Minute’s Charge

A tedious task most young adults face nowadays is having to charge their phones on the dial. In certain cases, this repeated charging session can happen more than once a day depending on the user. There is a plethora of different smart phone devices that have varying uses. Some of these uses can list from job-related tasks/quotas to daunting social media platforms (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat). While many devices have a battery interfaces that can last through the day, there are plenty of other devices that do not. Battery interfaces have become a hot issue for all smartphone makers alike. As communal productivity increases, the need for technology increases too. These smartphone makers are amidst the different options they can go into in terms of steady performance and task endurance. It wasn’t until later last year where a unique Israeli company showed potential in finding the solution to smartphone battery interfaces once and for all.

The StoreDot is a by-product of presumably unrelated research made by the nanotechnology department at the Tel Aviv University. While looking into the Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers discovered a peculiar peptide molecule that has high capacitance (ability to hold an electric charge). Batteries utilizing the peptide molecule absorb electric charges faster than previous smartphone batteries. Another aspect to look into is the battery’s capacity. Interestingly enough, the overall capacity for these peptide batteries are smaller. The current state of the StoreDot cannot be used in existing smartphones and tablets due to its low capacity. However, that doesn’t stop the StoreDot's company leaders from further developing their much-needed battery. The need for modification of these battery interfaces has been identified as well. The company had already discussed the future of utilizing the StoreDot in future smartphone contenders with more than fifteen different smartphone makers. Of these makers, one of two companies hopes to use of this technology in future device by the Christmas of year 2016.

With the addition of the battery alone, the company needs to create a special charger and handset component that can easily sync into the fast-charging feature the peptide battery StoreDot has. The addition of these select pieces can cause the phone’s cost to increase. This increase would be approximately $50 USD. It was suggested, by the company, that many buyers would not mind paying the additional fees necessary for a strong battery charge. This poses a question: Who would not be willing to switch?

Read more at: http://tiny.cc/p35mux

Car and Vehicle Safety Programming

The partial control or autonomy of vehicles is pretty prevalent today and we know these features as co-piloting in planes or cruising in cars. Google, one of the leading search engines, is working on a prototype of a car that does not require a steering wheel. Their aim is to create a driverless car in which technology is in control. Safety programming is involved when we do hand over our control to technology. The company has to take into consideration the factors that apply such as human interaction. This is what the Professor Zilberstein from University of Massachusetts Amherst tries to do. He obtains the elements of human behavior and encodes them into computer programs that the technology can read. An experiment Professor Zilberstein conducted involved semi-autonomous cars with drivers with varying levels of fatigue. In this scenario he utilized an algorithm that he created which favored roads that let the vehicle drive autonomously when the control is transferred from the man to the car. His algorithm gave drivers a better sense of safety because the vehicle would avoid roads like highways as they were fatigued. Acting with the support of The National Science Foundation, Zilberstein along with several AI researchers hope to further advance the studies of smart technology as they already integrate themselves into our societies. Studies such as this put to use decades worth of efforts and labor making changes in the world more prominent.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150204111952.htm

3D Printed Concept Cars

3D printing is the seemingly magical process of making physical objects from three-dimensional computer models. You can design and produce almost anything through 3D printing and students at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have even built urban solar electric cars. They have designed a car with an innovative body shell consisting of 150 parts using a 3D printer called the NV(8) which will race in the Urban Concept category at this year’s Shell Eco-marathon Asia which focuses on creating a prototype that is both fuel-efficient and road-worthy. The competition challenges students to build a vehicle that can travel the furthest distance while using the least amount of energy. The students at NTU have also built the NV(9), a three-wheeled racer that can execute sharp turns with little speed loss due to its motorcycle racing inspired tilting ability.

These two cars were built over the span of a year with the goal of highest fuel efficiency. The students built these cars from scratch and faced a couple of difficulties. One of which was the assembly of the cars. The shell of the car was produced in different pieces by a number of 3D printers at the university and other sponsor companies. Creations like this really put into perspective just how revolutionary 3D printing will be.

Link to original article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150203094149.htm

Gimball: Is it SUPPOSED to crash?

There has been astounding, technological progress in terms of vehicles and drones sensing, avoiding, and navigating around sects of obstacles. A new innovation has recently sprung up, which does the exact opposite: This mechanism intentionally collides with obstacles. Swiss company called ‘Flyability’ has recently proposed a novel-like product: The Gimball. The Gimball is a drone consisting of two rotors placed dead-center of a meshed, soft globe. The meshed, outer fractal interchanges in independent motions when compared to the nucleic drone in the center. Due to this independent rotation, the drone is able to bounce off a platitude of different obstacles, while maintaining it’s altitude. This independent rotation is quite unique, because the Gimball actually uses the collision between different materials as a navigating push. When the drone is given a specific endpoint location, it will roll along and steer way off of ceilings and walls in order to find a manageable path towards the endpoint.

In the words of Adrien Briod ( Flyability’s co-founder and CTO), “The goal of this flying robot is to reproduce the amazing capabilities of insects”. Utilizing the term of biomimicry (The design/production of materials modeled after the movements of biological entities), the company hopes to utilize the internal structure of insects that is able to collide into things naturally and continue to fly undamaged when descending.

The company envisions the drone “Gimball” for dangerous indoor situations that need third-party assistance. Some of these situations could be fire, chemical leaks, or nuclear meltdowns. In case of high-danger emergencies, a “Gimball” mechanism can be deployed in order to search and locate any potential survivors, or to determine whether or not going into a particular environment is too dangerous for a human to intervene. I have to say, this little drone can end up making a huge difference for safety precautions in the near future.

Read More At: http://tiny.cc/a1m4tx

The Blind's Insight on the Brain

Can the blind see? From years before the 21st Century it would've been a ridiculous statement to even ponder upon. However, the technology today permits the unbelievable to happen. Just as the bionic eye allows a man to see through the conversion of images into electrical pulses, the Sensory Substitution Device (SSD), used in the Amedi Lab in the Hebrew University, does the same by converting other senses, such as the sense of feelings and hearings into images that the blind can view.

With practice, the blind would have the opportunity to read words. The discovery led to a question of whether the sudden implementation of sight via a foreign source such as the SSD, would stimulate the same areas in the brain reserved for reading texts for a blind as it does for a normal person. Scientists immediately got to uncovering the problem by using fMRIs to study the brains of the blind people as they utilize the SSD to identify objects through other means like hearing. Scientists discovered that instead of vision identifying the letters, it is actually the responsibility of specialized compartments in the brain that interprets  the recognition of letters.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150123081713.htm

The Apple Watch

The multi-billion dollars company, Apple, managed to surprise us once more. The creators of the IPhone introduced their latest technology, said to be released sometimes this year, the Apple Watch. They worked on keeping the retro usage of a watch, with the crown which in old watches were meant to set the time and date,  while focusing on making the device as technologically advanced as possible. “Every new product we’ve introduced has been defined by a unique input device. With Apple Watch, it’s the Digital Crown.”  They worked on keeping a mechanical use for retro lovers, while implementing new usage for it. Instead of the Crown adjusting the date and time, the Crown now scroll up and down to select different functions with the watch itself, zooming in and out, or going straight to the home screen.

Next, because it is connected to your IPhone, the Apple Watch can be used to keep up with schedule, Emails, messages, notifications, and more. It makes the need for checking your phone every 5 seconds futile. It also has a very convenient and updated  new and improved Siri on the go, Siri is now closer than ever. Simply raise your hand and greet Siri or press and hold the Digital Crown and you can get step by step directions. The Apple watch is set to keep the company’s legacy; better technology in a smaller device.

 

http://www.apple.com/watch/technology/

Measuring How Birds Take Flight

Measuring How Birds Take Flight

Understanding exactly how birds lift off has proven to be difficult for scientists. However, engineers at Stanford have created a device that can precisely and humanely measure the forces generated by a bird’s wings during flight. The work can provide the answer to the many mysteries of how birds take flight. These answers can even aid in the design of innovative and more efficient unmanned aerial vehicles, such as drones. The measurements of the lift forces of birds in free flight has been attempted many times before, with every technique producing uncertain results. Many of the techniques considered are inhumane to the birds being tested, including one technique where a laser is required for measurement. However, this new device allows the birds to fly freely in a nice environment and still provide clean and precise data. It features highly sensitive force sensors located on the bottom of a box the shape and size of a large birdcage with two perches inside. When the bird flies from each perch, the beat of its wings pushes against the air, which then pushes against the bottom of the box and sucks down the ceiling slightly.These forces are recorded and provide a precise measurement for each stroke of the bird’s wings, with the sensors taking a measurement every 1 millisecond. The system is so sensitive that the air conditioning in the lab has to be turned off to avoid the vibrations from the ventilation system being recorded. They have tested the device with two parrots and have already gotten interesting results. They have discovered that, during their downwards stroke, birds produce life equal to two times their body weight, while producing virtually no lift on their upwards stroke. This new device has made it possible to effectively understand how animals fly which can improve designs for drones and get instant and certain feedback.

Link to original article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150116110349.htm

Cool Pocket Synths

What can $59 put into your snug pocket? A cool, miniature pocket synthesizer! Among the years, synthesizers have been used an a captivating musical instrument in many popular songs. The expense of this machine to the music and technology industry is immense. There have been synthesizers created by Roland, Mood, Korg and other, but nothing seems to come close to the more affordable gadget designed by the company: Teenage Engineering. Teenage Engineering, proclaimed makers of the expensive OP-1 synthesizer, have engineered three nifty mechanisms at a measly price of $59 USD (Compared to the OP-1 which is $850 USD). This simplistic machine is powered by two AAA batteries, while the board itself is stripped back to give a rustic appeal. Each synthesizer has it’s own retro casing in the colors: cyan blue, neon green, and tangerine orange. The PO-12 (“Rhythm”) dry machine comes in green, the PO-14 (“Sub”) bass synth in blue and the PO-16 (“Factory”) melody synth in orange. Each designed comes with a sleek checkerboard design of different press-and-play knobs and two 3.5mm ports to interconnect and chain all three devices together for a superior beat making experience; all "bells-and-whistles" included. The main differences between this device and previously made synthesizers are simplicity and size. Usual synthesizers are as large as two checkerboards combines, while these three pocket synthesizers are the sizer of basic calculators. Size can also be a downside to the synthesizer trio. While the small size may prove useful in smaller settings, lack of a larger plethora of sounds and mixes might place a limit on the artist's creativity. How might YOU use the synthesizer? 

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/21/teenage-engineering-pocket-operator-synths/

Teixobactin Fights Resisting Bacteria

The new antibiotic teixobactin brings in new promises and hopes to scientists who are searching for a way to treat chronic bacterial infections such as MRSA and tuberculosis. Its discovery began with NovioBiotic and the iChip, which is a modernistic method that enables uncultured bacteria to grow in their natural environment. Over the course of its lifetime, the NovioBiotic iChip has discovered 25 new antibiotics. The researchers at Northeastern University that discovered the antibiotic discovered the teixobactin compound while doing a routine screening using the NovioBiotic iChip to gain access to MRSA and testing the compound to find that MRSA did not portray any mutated versions of it. Teixobactin works by binding lipids utilized in the construction of the bacterium cell wall. It prevents the cell well from building up, making the bacteria weaker. With this innovation, the team aims to develop teixobactin into a drug and ultimately  put a stop to chronic bacterial infections.

"This chal­lenges the dogma that we've oper­ated under that bac­teria will always develop resis­tance. Well, maybe not in this case." - Professor Kim Lewis


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150108124854.htm

Biomimetic Ocean Robots

Engineering researchers at the University of Singapore are working on biomimetic ocea robots that not only act like the real aquatic animals, but also have a brain of their own. Biomimetics is the study and development of synthetic systems that mimic the functions of structures of biologically produced substances and materials and biologic processes or mechanisms. These new robots will be able to perform tasks too hazardous for humans to perform. For example, the team could create a group of tiny robotic fish and sea turtles to detect nuclear wastes underwater which would be much too dangerous for a human to do. Researchers at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University of Singapore are looking towards nature to solve technical challenges. They have created a robotic sea turtle that is smaller and lighter than other underwater robots due to its lack of a ballast system for its diving and sinking functions. However, since it is smaller and lighter it is able to carry bigger payloads, allowing it to perform more complex tasks such as surveillance and water quality monitoring. Being smaller and lighter also increases its energy efficiency. The NUS turtle is also agile and able to turn sharp corners without a loss in speed. It is able to self-charge, eliminating the need for it to return to base for charging. To be able to create this and other life-like biomimetic robots, researchers had to study the functions of real ocean animals such as the energy efficient and maneuverable movements of fish. One of the professors working on the project says he expects to invent robots that are able to perform collaborative missions in three to five years. They also hope to develop robotic fish that are able to respond to external stimuli and make critical decisions to complete a mission.  

Link to original article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141223084136.htm

Walkman NW-ZX2: What's the fuss?

In a massive cellular age consistent of MP3 audio, what happens to the old, clunky has-been mechanisms of the Walkman? Apparently, it’s been brought back from the dead by Sony Corporations. The Walkman NW-ZX2, coexisting as an amped version of the NW-ZX1, has given consumers light to high quality sound in their audio books, music, and pod casts. The catch to this yesteryear memory, however is the price. At a whopping 1200 USD, one can obtain the refined music player styled with a black-and-gold aluminum body and eccentric circuitry. The pride of the Walkman has been brought forth to compete against Apple’s iPod market. The impressive sound quality of the NW-ZX1 is recognized as high-resolution audio; a proud declaration made by the ever insistent Tokyo-based company. High resolution audio isn’t something that’s particularly new nor anything captivating to the American consumer. Consistent on embracing their own technological format to refute the iPods third-party format, the decline of Walkman users has since caused been on the rise due to the inconvenience of purchasing Sony formatted music. Scarce visibility in US retail has caused a controversial question for the company’s progress: Are Walkmen going to debut once more?

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/01/09/sony-pins-hopes-on-high-quality-sound/

CES: Visions of cas on Auto pilot

CES: Visions of cas on Auto pilot

The driverless car was introduced in the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) by  Dieter Zetsche, the head of Mercedes-Benz cars and chairman of of Daimler AG, in Las Vegas. It allows the consumer to simply connect his smartphone and sit back for, and I quote, a “Luxurious ride.”

“Just like our phones, cars are getting much smarter,” Mr. Ahn, chief technology officer of LG Electronics, said As technology continue to develop , we continue to try and find new ways of improving, and in a way, bettering our ways of life; which in a way is exactly what engineers do.  Mr. Scott Ahn said “We’re seeing an increasing need to connect our smart devices to cars." This driver-less car would rely strictly on GPS and would be able connect with our smart phones, this concept would prevent lots of deaths caused by car crashes. An estimated 30 000 lives is claimed every year by fatal highway crashes. Crashes caused mostly by texting and driving. If we implement this idea of a driverless car, allowing the passenger to just connect his or her device to it, this would reduce a great quantity of car crashes related to texting while driving.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/06/ces-visions-of-cars-on-autopilot/?ref=personaltech