Yet another example of how to enter the bigtime with your electrical ideas. Learn form example:
MIT Media Lab researchers Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum have designed an Arduino input device that lets you use any electricity-conducting material as a touchpad. Called ‘Makey Makey’, the device works by completing an electrical circuit with any conductive material such as vegitables, pencil lead or one's self to interact with the internet or programs on your computer. For example; you could play games Super Mario Bros by connecting the alligator clips to Play Doh buttons or play a piano program using bananas as the keys.
The research team designed Makey Makey around an Atmel ATMega32u4 8-bit AVR RISC-based microcontroller that runs Arduino Leonardo boot-loader and uses a USB 2.0 port to interface with a computer running an up to date OS (Windows XP, Vista, 7 and Mac OSX). The touchpad device requires no software to run as the PC recognizes it as a regular input device such as a keyboard or mouse and ,therefore, can run anything that uses those peripheral input devices. The team used Kickstarter to fund the Makey Makey project and was successful in reaching over $190,000 US with a target goal of $25,000. The device sells for $35 US (through Kickstarter) and comes with the board, USB cable, a set of alligator clips and your imagination.
Today's processor industry is largely controlled by two companies, Intel and ARM Holdings. Intel produces processors running in most of today’s laptops, desktops, and servers. On the other hand, ARM largely dominates the quickly growing mobile industry. Both are looking to invade each others markets soon by developing processors with high performance and low power consumption, or a strong performance per watt ratio.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) may have just made ARM Holdings future in the CPU market a bit more promising. At TSMC, they have recently ran a 28nm dual-core ARM Cortex A-9 processor at a max speed of 3.1GHz. The clock speed is 55% higher than present and is about twice as fast as its 40nm counterpart at TSMC. Additionally, the ARM chips also have the advantage of very little heat dissipation, giving them the ability to be densely packed together with one another.
Two of ARM's many partners include Nvidia and Calxeda, are both looking to produce ARM based processors to compete with Intel. Calxeda is working on producing chips for servers that work more efficiently. Such as implementing overlapping operations during each clock cycle to allow better speed handling. The method gives them an efficiency boost and may work to an advantage for large data retrieving applications such as web hosting.
TSMC also produces mobile chips for Nvidia. The successful high speed processing test can also mean good things for Nvidia. Nvidia is working on a custom ARM based processor to use in desktops and laptops to compete with Intel. The CPU project dubbed Project Denver has already been in development for some time, but TSMC's latest breakthrough could give the project a large boost.
The coming products produced from this “competition” should give us some interesting products in the future. Both companies will not easily be letting other companies invade their markets. The server market is worth $50 billion due to the rise of cloud computing and use of social networking. In addition, everyone can see the rise in the uses of tablets and smart phones. The competition will lead us into the future of processor technology, which will be developed with these two companies paving the way.
A cerebrally controlled robotic system is being developed by a team of researchers from Brown University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and a host of others could give paralyzed people the ability to use robotic limbs to manipulate objects for themselves. Called ‘BrainGate’, the brain-controlled system allows the user to control a robotic limb through thought. To do this, the team implants a wireless microelectrode array (Neural Interface System) at 4 X 4mm directly on the motor cortex portion of the brain that controls motor function. The series of electrodes (100 in all) on the chip pick up the brain's activity associated with arm movement and sends the signals to a series of computers that use software (unknown at this time) to decode the brains activity. The computers then translate those signals into a series of instructions that tell a robotic arm to move and grasp an object based on the user’s desired intentions. The researchers are presently using two types of robotic arms, which are being continuously developed by DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics and DEKA Research and Development Corporation.
DLR robotic hand/arm concept
The bigger of the two robotic arms being used by the researchers is DLR’s Hand Arm System, which is an external robotic arm made for more robust applications where impacts with heavy objects are nonconsequential (factory and warehouse work?). The arm consists of a series of mechatronic compliance actuators with 52 drives and over 100 position sensors. The units hand alone features 38 individual tendons with each connected to an individual motor to provide tension and stiffness. The fingers use a similar configuration that uses two separate motors for individual grasping and tension based on the object being manipulated. The arm is so robust that you can actually beat it with a baseball bat without damaging any of the electronics.
Deka arm system
The second arm that the team is working with is DEKA Research and Development’s ‘Luke’ Arm (named after Luke Skywalker's mechanical hand). The arm is actually a robotic prosthesis that was designed for amputee patients and was developed as a DARPA tetraplegia project. The titanium Arm was designed to be roughly the same size as a typical human appendage and houses all of its electronics, motors and actuators inside (exactly how and what technology was used is currently unknown). The prosthesis features 18 degrees of movement which was accomplished by using rigid-to-flex circuit boards that were folded into ‘origami’ shapes placed inside the titanium housing. A vibrational motor at the top of the arm lets the user know how much pressure is needed to grasp an object through varying degrees vibration depending if the wearer is holding an egg or a brick.
(Left) Erin Treacy Solovey wearing the Brainput device (Right) Artistic concept (via MIT & Erin Solovey)
When it comes to multitasking we as humans try the best we can. While we all have a modicum of ability, some are better than others. It suffices to say, we could all use a boost to become more efficient in our multitude of multitasking efforts, which is why a team of researchers has developed an unconventional solution to the problem. Led by Erin Solovey from MIT’s Humans and Automation Lab, the team has designed a system called ‘Brainput’ that can off-load some of our brains multitasking skills to a computer which is way more efficient at doing multiple things than we could ever hope to be. They system uses a portable low-cost version of a functional magnetic resonance imager called ‘fNIRS’ (functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) to measure the activity going on in the brain. The measurements are monitored and processed (using two probes) in real-time using Boxy software (from ISS). The information is then analyzed by a software engine (created using both Matlab and Weka tools) to look for specific patterns associated when the individual is multitasking. When the system has learned these patterns the software kicks in and is able to help the user with the task at hand.
A maze was created to test Brainputs effectiveness where a subject had to navigate through using two robots simultaneously. The operator using the fNIRS system was constantly switching back and forth between them and once the software learned the patterns it was able to engage sensors in the robots to help the user with their guidance. While the robots were autonomous, the test subject’s performance did indeed improve. While Brainput is still in its early development stages, it could be implemented into many applications in the future like helping you drive while you’re momentarily distracted or used during surgery with robotic assistance. What if the system could be used wirelessly? If you have an automated laundry machine, you could be slaving at work and washing your laundry at home at the same time! The possibilities are endless.
Capacitive touch-sensing technology won’t be limited to smart devices (phones/tablets) and monitors as a group of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Disney Research plan to bring it to everyday objects and surfaces. To do this, the team designed what they call ‘Touché,’ which brings interactive capacitive-touch sensing to everything from tables and doorknobs. Where typical touch-capacitive screens use a single frequency to sense a predefined touch event, Touché uses multiple frequencies, known as Swept Frequency Capacitive Sensing, which can enable objects to sense complex combinations of touches or even gestures.
For example; a door would unlock itself based on how you grabbed the doorknob, or a table could sense and advise you on your posture based on how you’re leaning against it. The team states that this could be done by using just one sensing-electrode and can even be implemented on the human body making ‘you’ an input device. Another test showed that SFCS could detect a person’s body gestures using electrodes which could be used to interact with smartphones or other devices. An example could be silencing your phones ringer by simply placing a finger on your lips or starting your car just by grabbing the door handle. The possibilities are endless , and the researchers state that Touché could be immediately implemented in creating new ways of interaction with our environment.
Concept and image of the junction (via The Imperial College London)
The common touch panel interfaces have a delay in response time, and it doesn't get better over time as the system gets burdened with software. The Imperial College London (ILC) and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) are teaming up to solve this issue. They have come up with a new organic composite material made of a blend of two organic semiconductors to make up organic thin film transistors (OTFTs).
These scientists, along with the Center For Plastic Electronics, have combined the distinct useful qualities of polymer semiconductors with soluble small-molecule semiconductors to create a thin film. Small-molecule semiconductors are very effective, but they are difficult to manufacture into a thin film. Contrary, polymer semiconductors make thin films easily, but they do not have high charge carrier capabilities. The team found that creating a composite material with both materials resulted in a thin film with a charge carrier mobility that exceeds 5 cm2/V*s, which similar to the high mobility of a single crystal made of small-molecules semiconductors.
This film has a crystalline texture due to the small-molecule component and a remarkable flatness and smoothness atop the polycrystalline film. Both of these factors improve the performance of the materials response time and are crucial in top-gate, bottom-contact configuration devices.
Using methods like x-ray scattering, cross-sectional energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy in topographic and phase modes, researchers may be able to obtain OTFTs with higher mobilities. Speaking about the future of OTFTs, Dr. Anthopoulos from the Imperial team said, "In principle, this simple blend approach could lead to the development of organic transistors with performing characteristics well beyond the current state-of-the-art."
(Left) Captain Paul Stewart with an Asending Technologies Pelican quadrotor and "lucas" a mobile social robot (Right) the LASR facility building (via U.S. Naval Research Laboratory)
After two years of construction, the US Navy has opened its doors to their new Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research (LASR) center. The facility will serve as the Navy’s primary laboratory for intelligent autonomous systems (robots), sensor systems, UAV’s and a host of other studies in multiple fields for future defense technology. The $17 million dollar building located in Washington DC contains multiple spaces for some of the more interesting labs that include a prototyping high-bay designed for testing both air and ground unmanned vehicles and features the world’s largest motion-capture system that allows scientists to collect accurate detailed data concerning said vehicles. There’s a littoral high-bay lab which contains a 45ft X 25ft pool that’s 5.5ft deep that features a wave-generator for water-borne unmanned vehicle testing in both calm and choppy simulated sea conditions. Another area contains a desert high-bay that has 18ft-high rock walls with a 40ft X 14ft area of sand that’s 2.5ft deep to test robots and sensors in an arid environment. Other environmental labs include the tropical high-bay which allows for testing systems in a greenhouse setting akin to southeast Asia, as well as an outdoor test range simulating a highland forest complete with waterfalls, streams and increasingly difficult terrain. There really is no area found on earth (besides the arctic regions) that the LASR hasn’t simulated for testing of all these systems.
(Left) Desert High-Bay with an 18-foot rock wall (Right) Tropical High-Bay simulating southeast asian rain forests (via U.S. Naval Research Laboratory)
The facility also contains various machine and electrical shops for all the labs as well as conference spaces for get-togethers to discuss wind-falls or complete disasters. Testing autonomous systems is nothing new to the Navy as the NRL (Naval Research Laboratory) has been testing these platforms since 1923 with the development of an electric dog that was controlled by a system of relays and a flight-control stick found in airplanes at the time. Other notable research done by the NRL includes remote-controlled battle ships in the 1930’s which were operated through selector switches based on teletype systems that used Baudot code. There were even anti-aircraft target drones that could be remote-controlled by people on other aircraft at distances of up to 25 miles away designed for a more realistic target for AA training. These testing platforms and developments created over the first half of the twentieth century eventually led to the development of guidance systems for missiles, like the sub-launched Polaris ballistic nuclear missile. With the Navy’s new LASR facility finally open it will be interesting to see what new developments come out of the first half of the current century. Can anyone say ‘Skynet’?
(Left) Breakdownn of the printed substrate (Right) Tunneling microscope view of silicene (via PAtrick Vogt)
Graphene has been widely touted as the future replacement of silicon in electrical applications. In a turn of tables, element 14 (silicon) returns as a two dimensional allotrope known as "silicene." A collaborative effort between Berlin's Technical University and Aix-Marseille University led by Patrick Vogt were successful in creating a hexagonal sheet of silicon which is only 1 atom thick.
While graphene is an excellent superconductor in itself, it does not get along with silicon all that well due to integration/band-gap problems concerning the two materials. Whereas silicon (Si) based silicene has a honeycomb-lattice structure that allows electrons to ‘jump’ with relative ease back and forth which makes for a novel transistor on the small scale. To synthesize the silicene sheet, the scientists condensed silicon vapor onto a silver substrate. Then it was verified using a scanning tunneling microscope with an angular-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), which is a scientific term for observing the distribution of electrons on a very, very small scale. The results showed silicene followed suit with predicted characteristics. Keep in mind, this does not mean an atom sized silicon transistor can be made. Silicon components are somewhat unpredictable smaller than 10 nano-meters.
Four other groups have claimed to accomplish the same feat using the same methods, but this team was the first to back it up with clear (albeit tiny) proof. The next step the team wants to pursue is to grow silicene on insulated substrates to measure its electrical properties which would give them better ideas as to how it could be incorporated into future electronics.
The Fluid Interfaces group from MIT’s Media Lab has unveiled their interesting 6-sided display cube at MIT’s open house this year for the general public. The cube (known as Display Blocks) features six 1.25 inch 128 X 128 OLED screens that are all in sync with each other much like multiple monitor set-ups for the PC. Each screen uses its own microcontroller and memory card with a single battery pack powering all screens collectively. Display Blocks also makes use of a Zigbee radio which lets the user sync pics and apps wirelessly from a computer. The applications for the cube seem almost unlimited with examples such as an orthographic visualization and exploration device which gives the viewer a 3D representation of an object giving the ability to see each side respectively. It could also be used for multiple perspectives on data. For instance translations of the same word in different languages. Another would be multi-dimensional visualization where you can see a movie being played on one side of the cube while approaching frames are shown on the lateral displays. As it currently stands, the Fluid Interfaces group has only a couple of prototypes and is yet unknown whether they will release a commercial version for manufacturing anytime soon.
Energy harvesting shock absorber with mechanical motion rectifier concept (via Lei Zuo)
Potholes and bumps in the road usually decrease the life of our vehicles shock absorbers over time, so we tend not to think of horrible road conditions as beneficial. Now we can.
A team of engineers from the State University of New York have designed a new type of shock absorber that actually harnesses the energy created by those rotten roads and turns it into electricity. The team, led by Professor Lei Zuo, recently designed the regenerative shock absorber (Mechanical Motion Rectifier) using a hydraulic system that turns a set of rotational gears through the cars vibration. The gears in-turn takes the irregular vibrational energy and transfers it to an electrical generator that converts it to electricity, which leads back to the vehicles alternator. The electricity is then used to recharge the vehicles battery as well as its electronics, which provides between 2 to 8 percent fuel efficiency over vehicles with standard shocks.
This translates into a fuel savings of 4% for vehicles that use an internal combustion engine and 8% in savings for hybrid vehicles. As an added benefit, the MMR shocks provide a smoother ride as they absorb more vibration over normal shocks. Professor Zuo says that the MMR’s could also be applied to train tracks which would power electrical devices such as lights and crossing gates as the trains vibrational energy is transferred. It stands to reason that only ‘good vibes’ can come from the MMR system being implemented into vehicles. Zuo states that if 5% of the 256,000,000 vehicles on the road today used the shocks we could reclaim more power than Niagara Falls produces per year. Every little bit adds up.
Professor Zuo's research was reported on back in July of 2010. In less than a year, Zuo and his team doubled the efficiencies from 1% to 8%. The boost was made by adoption a gear train generation over a
magnetic induction.
With the change, the shock absorber has an investor. The company Harvest Energy has licensed the tech. We may see the absorbers on buses and trucks in the near future. Progress is slow.
(Right) Professor Michael Weinert (Left) Graduate student Haihui Pu holding up a sculpture of the graphene monoxide (GMO) atomic structure
Graphene has been applied for a myriad of applications that include generators, solid state memory, and RF mixers to name a few. However, scientists from the University of Wisconsin have been successful at transforming graphene into a new substance which makes it ideal for use as a semiconductor.
The team of scientists and engineers were conducting experiments involving graphene-oxide heated inside a vacuum in order to reduce the oxygen content mixed throughout the on-atom thick material. Instead of eliminating the oxygen the team found that they created a new substance they call ‘graphene-monoxide’ (GMO). Actually, they succeeded in creating 4 new materials by varying the temperature inside the vacuum but all are collectively known as GMO. Graphene is extremely efficient when it comes to conducting electricity over gold and copper wiring, but until now the substance has only been applied as conductors and insulators.
GMO (graphene-monoxide), the team found, exhibits all three characteristics for electrical conductivity (conducting, insulating and semiconducting), which would be beneficial in making future electronics faster as we are reaching the end of how small we can go with silicon-based conductivity. The team is still exploring the exact details as to how they created this new substance and what the ideal conditions will be for its creation and destruction. Don’t expect GMO to be used as a semiconductor or implemented in near-future designs like new batteries anytime soon.
Google has created for itself a fantasy lab called Google X, it has been very secretive since its opening and its location is a mystery. Very few people will ever get to see what goes on there, and we are left with our imaginations to fill the empty picture. I personally think they have robots working alongside them and little space ships cruising around. Whatever the case may be, they will be researching and producing some of the most advanced technology on the planet. The latest innovations to come out of the lab have been the fleet of self-driving cars and now an augmented reality display prototype.
Google has called the design, Project Glass, and has began distributing the prototype to employees to test out in the public. Their wearable technology is not bulky and surprisingly does not look too awkward. Google is also working on making it compatible with people who wear prescription glasses. It rests upon the right side of your head, and the display is a small glass rectangle piece.
Despite the projector's small size, the display appears big and clear. It comes equipped with a small camera capable of taking pictures and recording video. It will most likely be using Google's android operating system and will be keeping it very simple. However, it will be capable of handling almost all the tasks as a smart phone including receiving and sending messages, a GPS with real time map display, and playing music. In addition, video chatting is supported that will allow first person view for your friends, putting them right in your shoes. The new technology looks to let you share your experiences and adventures with the world.
The system can be controlled through the same voice recognition systems as those currently used by smart phones. Therefore, the whole system mimics a smart phone and may eliminate the people walking around with their eyes glued to their cell phones. There are many skeptics who think the device may be distracting. However, it looks to keep your eyes off a phone and in front of your head with transparent glass only displaying images when needed. Google has not announced when we could expect to see these devices on the market or an estimated price. The only thing for sure is that it possess the potential to replace phones and media devices. That is, if people openly accept wearing their electronics. (We all know how taboo the Bluetooth headset is these days.)
With the discovery of new substances comes the development of great products. In 2004, the unique characteristics of graphene were first discovered. Graphene is a substance that is only one layer of carbon atoms thick and possesses extraordinary characteristics. For example, it is stronger than diamonds, conducts electricity better than copper, and is impenetrable to gases and liquids. Researchers are only now starting to develop products and applications where this substance can be put to work.
Kasichainula recently authored a paper that demonstrates how to dissipate heat 25% faster than conventionally used copper heatsinks. He created heat spreaders from a copper-graphene composite connected to microchips by an indium-graphene interface film. Graphene could be deposited at thicknesses as thin as 200 microns. The high thermal conductivity of both substances allow for unparallelled cooling within electronics. Additionally, due to escalating prices of copper, using a graphene composite mixture can lower costs to create devices.
Manufacturing graphene can be a delicate and expensive process in itself. Many methods exist that are green, made from natural sources, or done quickly. The old adage "cheap, fast, or good, pick two" applies to graphene. In Kasichainula's paper he also discusses manufacturing techniques using an electrochemical deposition process to synthesize a graphene composite. The efficiency of his method is still up in the air.
Sure it sounds creepy, but think of the education that can be had with pocket-sized living models of human organs. In order to get a different perspective on the way human intestines work, Dr. Donald Ingber and a team of researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have designed a micro-sized living model based off of the human digestive tract.
Donald and his team created the ‘gut-on-a-chip’ by lining a series of tracts with living human intestinal cells that function the same as if they were inside the human body. The cells, which also grow digestive microbes as they would inside the human body, are placed on a flexible membrane which is housed inside a block of silicon about the size of a stick of computer ram. The membrane, which moves with the help of a vacuum system, acts as a recreation of the intestinal barrier which regulates the movement of antigens against bad burritos or other potentially toxic entities, as well as moving food along the digestive system.
The micro-design also replicates the movement of fluid, as well as blood through micro-capillaries, between the intestinal cell layers by pumping red and blue dye through separate channels that lead into the main channel which aids in giving a "more complete" view of how the intestinal system works. The team hopes that the ‘gut-on-a-chip’ will aid in diagnosing digestive disorders among other applications. It is better to test on a chip as opposed to a complete human being. Good job, Dr. Ingber.
Car technology has advanced so much within the last decade most people probably do not recognize automobiles are edging close to autonomous. Cars have subtly took over more driving tasks starting with simple cruise control to automatic parallel parking and braking systems that can detect objects that the driver may not see. It is only a matter of time before cars that are fully capable of driving themselves are commonplace.
A perfect example of these new cars is Google's self-driving fleet. The cars use an array of sensors and complex algorithms to navigate the road safely. The heart of the system is Velodyne's HDL-64 LiDAR sensor. The sensor currently sits on top of the hood and spins at 10 revolutions per second constantly collecting data from the environment. It generates 1.3 million data points (750 Mbytes per second through an ethernet interface) that allows software to analyze and map obstacles and potential hazards. The laser sensors can create a 3D view of the environment up to 40 meters, and it collects centimeter resolution data from 80 to 100 meters away.
The biggest obstacle facing the robot-car is liability. There can be major discrepancies over who is at fault when an accident occurs, or if a user is to be ticketed for some reason. However, the cars promise improved safety and fuel-efficiency and many politicians are working to help legalize the cars. For example, Nevada allows driverless cars. However, the owners must pay a $1-$3 million insurance bond per vehicle. If you are ever out in the desert state, look for cars with a red license plate... those are autonomous.
Currently, many states and other countries are working on systems that will allow these cars to freely roam the roads. Many people may fear leaving total control of their cars up to computers; what if the computer makes a mistake? Google's autonomous fleet had one accident in 160,000 miles driven. For the record, it was when a human took the wheel. (Most people have had more accidents in less miles, also for the record.)
Steve Mahan is legally blind (95%), but thanks to Google's autonomous cars he was able to take a trip to a local fast food restaurant. Mahan explained, "There are some places you cannot go, some things that you really cannot do... Where this would change my life, is to give me the independence and the flexibility to go to the places I both want to go and need to go when I need to do those things." Google has labeled Mahan the first user of the technology; "Self-Driving Car User #0000000001."
Although there is more testing a work to be done on the autonomous car before wide-spread adoption, they are on the road now. Who doesn't want smooth moving computer-controlled traffic?
