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.

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Digital language translators are used every day. However, there is one dialect that still eludes the automation.

Engineering students, Ranjay Krishna, Seonwoo Lee and Si Ping Wang, from Cornell University are attempting to develop a very different type of translator, one that helps those who cannot make use of auditory signals. The students have created a sign language translator that converts hand gestures to their corresponding letter symbol and sound.

This translator is in the form of a glove for the hand and circuitry that fasten to the forearm. The glove itself contains nine flex sensors, four contact sensors, one x-y axis accelerometers and one z-axis accelerometer. The flex sensors are positioned around the upper/lower knuckles and the contact sensors at the tips of the fingers to distinguish between gestures. The accelerometers are needed because some letters vary only on movements of the hands and other letters vary only on the orientation of the hand.

An ATMega644 Microcontroller is used to analyze the signal from the electromechanical sensors and send transmission requests to the transmitter. The device is made wireless using a Radiotronix transceiver. All of this makes up what they call the Detection Unit, and it is simply strapped to the forearm.  The signal is then received by the base station with outputs the results to an LCD screen as well as transmits the signal to a computer via USB where it can also be outputted as sound through the computer speakers. The students used Matlab, Java and C for all their coding.

As far as can be seen, this device only converts gestures to letters so more development is needed for those gestures that represent nouns or actions but no doubt this is a start towards a world where we can all communicate a little easier.

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(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.

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Augmented reality give a new way to interact with technology, and ambitious companies are clamoring to be firsts in the field. One of those concepts being developed by the software giant is called MirageTable. The system lets the user interact with objects in both the real and virtual worlds on a table top.

For instance; a person could set up a series of virtual bowling pins that could then be knocked over with a virtual ball with only using one pin as a real model to clone the others. The researchers developed MirageTable with the idea that two people could interact with each other in the same space without actually being with one another (think of it as being like Star Trek’s Holodeck). To do this, the researchers used an Acer H5360 3D stereoscopic projector (1280 X 720) to display objects, as well as the other person, onto a curved screen. A Kinect is positioned on top of the screen and captures the objects that are being projected and also tracks the eye movements of each corresponding user. This is to give the corresponding user the correct perspective of what’s in front of them. To view the objects in an augmented reality 3D environment each user wears a pair of Nvidia 3D shutter glasses which makes them appear spatially registered in conjunction with the real world. Any object can be scanned and then cloned for interaction by either of the two parties in both the real and virtual space.

Virtual Bowling (via Microsoft)

Free-hand interaction (because no trackers, gloves or other hardware was implemented) with virtual objects in MirageTable was done by using software that takes all real-world objects and represents them as proxy particles, which are constantly updated and used for collision geometry in the virtual world. To process all of the dynamic physics constantly being updated the team relied on Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 580 along with their PhysX game software. This gives each person the ability to interact with both environments at the same time. The researchers admit that there are still limitations to overcome as the Kinect (at present) can only capture the front of an object and not all sides which leaves ‘gaps’ that make for bad texturing. Another problem the team faces is users can only scoop or catch objects from below instead of grasping or picking them up but hope to improve on these limitations with further development. I for one am very impressed at what they have already accomplished with MirageTable. What will its full capabilities be in the future if only as a gaming platform?

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A new emergency alert system is set to go into effect in April geared towards mobile devices. Called the ‘Wireless Emergency Alerts’, the system was developed by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and most major wireless carriers to bring free emergency text alerts to mobile devices. The system is initiated by local, state or national officials who in-turn alerts a Federal aggregator (central hub) which translates the alert message into a specified software format that is able to be used by mobile carriers.

The translated alert is then sent to cell towers (if they haven’t been destroyed) in that particular area of disaster. CMAS-enabled (Commercial Mobile Alert System) mobile devices will then receive a special ring-tone and vibration in the geo-targeted area notifying the user of the emergency. As of now the WEA system will use three kinds of alert messages; Presidential: for national emergencies issues by the president or designee (terrorist, financial melt-downs and alien invasions?). Imminent Threat Alerts: NOAA severe weather alerts and other man-made or natural disasters. And finally Amber Alerts: for missing or exploited children. All messages are limited to 90 characters.

Unlike traditional text messages that aren’t point-aware, the WEA system is a point-to-multipoint generator meaning only those affected in that area (regardless of phone origin or area code) will receive that message. So, if you’re from Chicago but visiting Denver when an emergency occurs, you will be notified if you’re in the path of eminent doom. However, people will be able to opt-out of the imminent threat and amber alerts. Presidential alerts are mandatory.

According to the CTIA (International Wireless Association) the bulk of alerts will be weather related with advisements for tornados, earthquakes and floods and will give the user important information (such as seeking shelter) based on the specific alert. The system sounds like it will be very useful, but what happens if you’re riding out an earthquake while in the middle of a violent storm that produces a tornado?

Most mobile carriers will display the image below if the device is capable with the alert system.

Eavesdropper

Image of the bacteria in question (via University of Leeds)

Everybody knows that getting a computer virus is an absolute nightmare, analogous to their real-life counterparts. How about the other way around, using real life in the computer world? That’s precisely what a team of researchers from the University of Leeds has in mind. What if you could harness real-life bacteria to make the data-storage devices bigger and faster? The team, led by Dr. Sarah Staniland, has found that when a certain protein is used with the bacterium Magnetospirillium Magneticum it eats iron leaving behind a surface of magnates similar to those found in hard-drives. The team succeeded in creating a magnetic array using a process, not unlike potato-printing (potato art used like an ink stamp). Using the stamping process, the team deposited the bacterium onto half of a checker-patterned surface of gold. Which was then placed in a specialized solution with iron at a temperature of 80^o C. They found that the portion of the gold surface that had the bacterium stamped onto it formed nano-sized crystals of magnetite. While this process is an interesting feat in its own right, the team wants to reduce the size and pattern of the magnetite crystals into one single array which would allow for each nano-magnet to hold 1-bit of information for use in future hard-drives.

On a similar note, Dr. Masayoshi Tanaka from the University of Agriculture and Technology has used bacteria to create a type of nano bio-wiring that might be used to create a biocomputer. To create the tiny wires Dr. Tanaka used a different protein from that of Dr. Staniland’s, combined with copper indium sulphide and zinc sulphide that make magnetic ‘quantum-dots’ that conduct electricity. The nano-wires are encased in a shroud of fat molecules known as lipids (I’m not kidding). Dr. Tanaka states that it’s possible to tune the nano-wires to have specific electrical resistances and could be used in the future to ‘grow’ computer components from scratch!

Eavesdropper

Not sure about you, but change and singles are non-existent in my plastic laden wallet. This proves to be a problem when I want to purchase a drink or snack from a vending machine. The company ShelfX is proposing applying new RFID technology to allow for quick and easy purchasing at the vending machine electronically.

A customer purchasing from a "Vending Fridge" can do so by scanning a QR code using the ShelfX Mobile App which links to their bank account. Another option is to use an RFID-enabled XCard, which active users can receive through the mail.

Once the Vending Fridge recognizes a registered user is attempting to buy something, it simply unlocks the door and the customer is allowed to take whatever they want. Once the purchase is made, the ShelfX technology recognizes what the person took and automatically charges their account. The payment is processed through ShelfX, who takes a small percentage of each purchase. It does not account for items taken out during the decision process, but there is no word as to whether there are weight sensors to make sure the item is not returned empty.

ShelfX is also releasing the Vending Fridge Kit which allows do-it-yourself retrofitting of your own fridge. As with the Vending Fridge, this kit allows you to keep track of all the different items in the fridge and alerts you when any needs to be restocked. Office mico-managers are rejoicing.

The Vending Fridge is available for $600 and the do-it-yourself kit can be yours for $300 and can be purchased from ShelfX.

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Digital connectivity is becoming as important as utilities like water. For example, travel to a foriegn country, and suddenly you are cut off in public spaces. The only option is to break out the paper map and travel books, like living in a pre-internet age.

Newly founded company iPavement is set to change all this with their wireless connectivity sidewalk. Replacing sections of a public sidewalk in Madrid, Spain. Sections of pavement 15.75" x 15.75" x 2.76" (inches) will be replaced with iPavement's 24kg tiles. Inside will house a microcontroller dishing out 801.11s WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1. Each tile will consume 1000W and dish out up to 5GB at any one time. The onboard Viacities OS (2.0, Linux based) will be able to shell out the data to all popular operating systems and their respected browsers.

How open and free this connectivity will end up is still in debate. What is clear is cloud based services from the manufacturer is included within the OS (ViaMaps, ViaCoupons, etc). Languages, for apps, only support English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Two versions of the tiles bring a standard, always on, connection or one that senses vibration to increase bandwidth (and advertisement stream). The tiles can withstand -10 to 45 degrees Celsius while operating, -20 degrees when off. connectivity can be maintained up to 20 meters from each tile. With a radius like that, it wouldn't take many iPavement tiles to cover a city block (about 16 per block).

Useful and unobtrusive technology like iPavement's tiles is a perfect example of the future of digital connectivity. Travelling will be almost stress free when we know where to go.

iPavement tiles (via iPavement)

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