Future of Engineering
Friday, September 26, 2008
Remote Control Not Needed - Control Your TV With Hands
Consumers will soon be able to control their TV screens or home entertainment systems simply by waving their hand, thanks to technology developed by Toshiba's Cambridge Research Laboratory in collaboration with the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering.
People tend to get nostalgic about those happy yesterdays. But if I were to ask - would you like to travel back to the stone age(that is life without AC and remote controlled TV), most of you would decline. Because life in the 21st century is all about existing in a remote controlled atmosphere.
Wiki says that the first remote intended to control a television was developed by Zenith Radio Corporation in 1950. The remote — officially called "Lazy Bones" was connected to the television set by a wire.
That's so clumsy!
The engineers of yesterday knew that too. That's why they invented the wireless remote controlled gadgets. Engineers of today have taken it one step further by creating the hand controlled TV.
"Using the Toshiba experimental TV viewers are able to interact with the display system simply by gesturing with their hand. Once the viewer is in front of the display screen, the system will ‘see’ them and invite them to take control of the display simply by raising their hand. As the system can robustly track their hand even under different lighting conditions, the visitor can enjoy controlling the on-screen cursor."
The gesture interface signals the arrival of a new era in the age of wireless communication. The remote control hasn't gone out of fashion yet. But the day isn't far when I'd be using my hands just like a choirmaster to keep things going according to my way.
Surely, we've come a long way from the good old days.
Yesterday,
I just needed a remote
to switch and play
Now I need
just my hand to
surf away.
Oh! I believe in Today.
Source - Cambridge Network
Image - Cambridge Network
People tend to get nostalgic about those happy yesterdays. But if I were to ask - would you like to travel back to the stone age(that is life without AC and remote controlled TV), most of you would decline. Because life in the 21st century is all about existing in a remote controlled atmosphere.Wiki says that the first remote intended to control a television was developed by Zenith Radio Corporation in 1950. The remote — officially called "Lazy Bones" was connected to the television set by a wire.
That's so clumsy!
The engineers of yesterday knew that too. That's why they invented the wireless remote controlled gadgets. Engineers of today have taken it one step further by creating the hand controlled TV.
"Using the Toshiba experimental TV viewers are able to interact with the display system simply by gesturing with their hand. Once the viewer is in front of the display screen, the system will ‘see’ them and invite them to take control of the display simply by raising their hand. As the system can robustly track their hand even under different lighting conditions, the visitor can enjoy controlling the on-screen cursor."
The gesture interface signals the arrival of a new era in the age of wireless communication. The remote control hasn't gone out of fashion yet. But the day isn't far when I'd be using my hands just like a choirmaster to keep things going according to my way.
Surely, we've come a long way from the good old days.
Yesterday,
I just needed a remote
to switch and play
Now I need
just my hand to
surf away.
Oh! I believe in Today.
Source - Cambridge Network
Image - Cambridge Network
Labels: Automation, Electronics-Communications-Engineering
PermaLink - Remote Control Not Needed - Control Your TV With Hands posted by Vanessa : 3:45 AM
2 Comments
Monday, September 22, 2008
Eat Silk: 'Edible Optics' Can Save Your Life
Researchers at Tufts University and elsewhere are using silk to create sophisticated optics that may eventually warn that the spinach you were about to eat is contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
Warning
Danger: Do not eat!
In the near future, a similar kind of warning would appear when you try to open a packet of infected food.
The delicious food on the plate tempts the eye to take the plunge. But it does not see the hidden world of microbes that can lead to a tummy ache. Statistics show that food poisoning kills about 5,000 Americans every year. Though you take extra care while preparing food, food poisoning might strike when you least expect it. But don't lose heart. Help is on the way in the form of silk.
Silk?!
Yes. That's right. Silk has undergone an amazing makeover that surprises its own scientific creator.
"It was serendipitous," said Fiorenzo Omenetto, associate professor of biomedical engineering and physics at Tufts. "We didn't really set out with this in mind, to make optics out of silk."
Ok. What exactly does it do?
In the Tuft's lab, a silkworm's cocoon is boiled in water to produce liquified silk. Instead of weaving it into fabric, protein is extracted from it. After the removal of toxic materials in the protein the purified material is poured into molds that create unique nano-scaled surfaces.
These nano sensors can detect the presence of various substances, like E. coli. Light passing through the sensor will appear as a specific color, depending on which substance is detected.
These nano films made from silk are biocompatible, biodegradable, nontoxic and bio edible. When the nano film is put on a bag of spinach, it would detect the presence of various substances like E. coli.Light passing through the sensor will appear as a specific color, depending on which substance is detected.
Now you can gladly go ahead and eat the spinach. There's no need to search for the film and throw it away. Being edible the nano film can be eaten too. You won't see nor taste it. That's nano technology for you.
Thanks to nano, I can have my cake and eat it too.
Warning
Danger: Do not eat!
In the near future, a similar kind of warning would appear when you try to open a packet of infected food.
The delicious food on the plate tempts the eye to take the plunge. But it does not see the hidden world of microbes that can lead to a tummy ache. Statistics show that food poisoning kills about 5,000 Americans every year. Though you take extra care while preparing food, food poisoning might strike when you least expect it. But don't lose heart. Help is on the way in the form of silk.
Silk?!
Yes. That's right. Silk has undergone an amazing makeover that surprises its own scientific creator.
"It was serendipitous," said Fiorenzo Omenetto, associate professor of biomedical engineering and physics at Tufts. "We didn't really set out with this in mind, to make optics out of silk."
Ok. What exactly does it do?
In the Tuft's lab, a silkworm's cocoon is boiled in water to produce liquified silk. Instead of weaving it into fabric, protein is extracted from it. After the removal of toxic materials in the protein the purified material is poured into molds that create unique nano-scaled surfaces.
These nano sensors can detect the presence of various substances, like E. coli. Light passing through the sensor will appear as a specific color, depending on which substance is detected.
These nano films made from silk are biocompatible, biodegradable, nontoxic and bio edible. When the nano film is put on a bag of spinach, it would detect the presence of various substances like E. coli.Light passing through the sensor will appear as a specific color, depending on which substance is detected.
Now you can gladly go ahead and eat the spinach. There's no need to search for the film and throw it away. Being edible the nano film can be eaten too. You won't see nor taste it. That's nano technology for you.
Thanks to nano, I can have my cake and eat it too.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Detect Virus in 60 Seconds to Find a Cure
Virus detection can't get simpler than this. A powerful technique invented by University of Georgia scientists detects the disease caused by a virus within 60 seconds.
We have found a cure for a lot of diseases. Yet panic strikes when a viral outbreak occurs. People panic because time plays a major role in curing a disease. Traditional testing takes time. One has to wait for atleast a day or two before the report arrives. Within that time the damage would have been done.
The new rapid detection system takes care of it in a superfast manner. It uses surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy to measure the frequency of near-infrared laser light as it scatters off viral DNA and RNA. After a swab of a person's nasal passage, the technique can detect individual virus particles quickly and identify many types.
Each virus has a unique molecular fingerprint. The fingerprint is determined based on the nucleic acid sequence. The laser light highlights this unique fingerprint which clearly identifies the virus and the disease. Once the disease is identified, treatment can begin.
Nothing can escape the eye of the laser beam. Even a single virus can be detected. This technique is sure to be helpful in a terror-struck world. When love diminishes in the earth all kinds of terrorism would spread. Bioterrorism would be one of the methods employed by hate filled people to wreck the peace of others.
When that happens, this laser technique would save the day in an Incredibly Supermanish kind of way.
Source - Aip.org
We have found a cure for a lot of diseases. Yet panic strikes when a viral outbreak occurs. People panic because time plays a major role in curing a disease. Traditional testing takes time. One has to wait for atleast a day or two before the report arrives. Within that time the damage would have been done.
The new rapid detection system takes care of it in a superfast manner. It uses surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy to measure the frequency of near-infrared laser light as it scatters off viral DNA and RNA. After a swab of a person's nasal passage, the technique can detect individual virus particles quickly and identify many types.
Each virus has a unique molecular fingerprint. The fingerprint is determined based on the nucleic acid sequence. The laser light highlights this unique fingerprint which clearly identifies the virus and the disease. Once the disease is identified, treatment can begin.
Nothing can escape the eye of the laser beam. Even a single virus can be detected. This technique is sure to be helpful in a terror-struck world. When love diminishes in the earth all kinds of terrorism would spread. Bioterrorism would be one of the methods employed by hate filled people to wreck the peace of others.
When that happens, this laser technique would save the day in an Incredibly Supermanish kind of way.
Source - Aip.org
Labels: Bio-engineering