Remote operated rats!!

Home automation, robotics and all kind of devices that can be controlled by means of a remote is now under the shelves of consideration because now it’s the age of controlling living things by a remote. Scientists have implanted rats with electrodes in brain with battery backpacks. These electrodes transmit pulses generated by a computer into the brain, thus they can be remotely controlled. These pulses are provided to specific locations in brain and are rewarded by stimulating a pleasure center in the brain, so that the rat moves as being commanded. The thing more off concern including the ethical issues is that what if it spreads to human beings?

Thumb robotics.

A set of students in Singapore have developed an aluminum gadget. It acts as a substitute for a missing thumb without any batteries. Mimic, is a small, lightweight device that traps on back of the hand and wraps around index finger to hold a movable metal thumb. It moves whenever the forefinger moves. With 2 small pulleys and a fine steel cable the movements of the metal thumb were synchronized forefinger. It allows a person to write and to pick up small objects. But each piece needs to be custom made to fit the wearer’s hand.

Robotics simplified

When it comes to robots Mark Tilden of Los Alamos strongly deny that there should be a computer within each robot that is built. He who is in the verge of delivering robotic vacuum cleaner has created bugs which are tiny and controlled by combination of transistors. The specialty is that they can be trained by adapting a technique called biomorphic robotics, also making them interact and learn with the environment they are in. These bugs also got spread into markets with additional features that enable the kids to change its behavior by just changing its combination.

Blu ray technology.

As said necessity is the mother of invention, the need for huge storage as unveiled a new product which was developed by a group of organizations. A 30 GB single layer disc called Blu-ray. It incorporates an s\w 405 nm blue violet laser to record, rewrite and playback the data. A cartridge protects the disc’s surface from dust and fingerprints. Also using this technology Toshiba has unveiled a next generation storage disc with 110 GB capacity. It is basically twin sided double layer construction for more data packaging. Plans are there to create large storage discs by making use of multiple layers and both sides of the discs. Also Nano-technology could come to the rescue. Either way there is a need to create devices that could effectively use these disks.

Current from heat.

We know it is possible to produce electricity from various sources like water current, Coal, lignite, solar light and by mechanical energy. Now there is one more element to add to this list. Scientists of MIT have developed a microchip which can transform heat into electricity. So it is possible to generate electric current from heat also. A compound called Indium antimonide based semiconductor is induced to a chain reaction that turns heat into current. Currently, their chip operates at 200 degree centigrade. If it is fully proved to have best results then it will be possible to tap heat from car’s engine to provide current to other electronic gadgets and recycle heat of a laptop processor to charge its batteries. Thereby heat generated in your PC can be used to power a CD-ROM drive or to the speakers.

Cubic memory

Imagine when the flat RAMs are turned into cubes sounds like some fiction clip right! Well, A California-based Matrix has obtained strategic support from Sony, Kodak and Microsoft to release memory chips that contain many layers of circuitry. Rather than 2D lanes, they resemble a 3D circuitry chip. It also incorporates some techniques and concept from digital flat panels industry which has perfect mass producing layered silicon films. These chips will resemble microscopic cubes instead of the existing flatter chips. They will be substantially smaller and Matrix also claims that this technique will produce flash memory cards at reduced price

Plastic memory

While magnetic revolution on storage devices was still on stage, research was switched on to find the alternatives. One such alternative is found to be plastic. The memory was built using silicon and plastic foil. Data storage will be done by applying current to a polymer fuse, thereby blowing and changing its conductivity state. Data retrieval will be done using lower voltage levels, to determine blown fuses, representing zeros and ones. In this technique data is permanently stored. Also many such inventions in search for faster and huge alternatives were being performed by the digital tycoons like AMD.

Self-balancing scooter

Ever heard of a scooter that needs no strapping on our feet. A revolutionary, self-balancing personal transportation device with an electric engine to travel at 12 mph was recently unveiled. The inventor used a technology called ‘Dynamic Stabilization’ to simulate the way the human body moves. It is achieved by using gyroscopes and sensors that monitors the center of gravity at 100 times per second. It moves when you lean forward and backs up when you lean back. This device also uses a microprocessor to detect minute shifts in balance. This keeps the scooter upright on two wheels.

RACAS

Railway Collision Avoidance System (RACAS) was developed by Indranil Majumdar, who was working as a CEO of Kolkata-based Fox Radio. It is to mention that this inventor was working on this system for about 16 years. It becomes evident that it is a unique and creative work when it won the Analog Design Challenge of Texas instruments. RACAS incorporates a variety of products including high performance power management, interface, RF logic and microcontroller products while similar kind of products implemented in some countries such as Germany and Japan involve a routing system along with an efficient network management system.