The artificial finger will deduce prosthetics on new level

Tactile sense — one of a modest set granted to us the nature of five feelings with which loss the considerable part not only cognitive, but also emotional making our judgments about world around is lost. Unfortunately, diseases or the accidents occurring because of our congenital desire as it is possible to learn more deeply the world or it is simple on imprudence, can forever take away from us this important feeling. But recently two groups of the European scientists working in parallel over the NanoBioTact and NanoBioTouch projects, reported about successes in creation of the first in the history of an artificial sensitive finger.
The main scientific objective of work is in radical improvement of understanding of human mekhanopreobrazuyushchy system that would allow to create nanobiosensors simulating these system. For the solution of this difficult task the team from researchers of the different specialties representing 13 European scientific research institutes, universities and the companies was created. By the present moment they managed to construct a functional prototype of the first in the history of a sensitive artificial finger.
Its work is based on interaction of a set of sensors of the pressure simulating sensitivity, dynamics and spatial resolution of tactile neural receptors of the person. The prototype can be directly connected to the central nervous system. Also interesting supervision is made: after device vestments in an imitation leather and drawings of tactile drawing sensitivity of the device to vibrations considerably increased.
The Biomimetichesky finger vibrates absolutely differently — depending on quality of a structure of a surface on which it slides at present that leads to generation of signals of different type, characteristic for each of structures. After the patient will get used to these signals, he can quite distinguish, whether the surface is smooth or rough. Thus scientists argue that the sensors created by them very precisely copy a principle of work of natural receptors.
Generally, there are no doubts that use of similar artificial fingers together with usual artificial limbs of hands is capable to deduce prosthetics on absolutely other level, having returned unfortunate at least a part of former sensitivity. In this case even the plastic hand can seem not such the stranger. 

In Tokyo, created a robot swimmer Swumanoid

Researchers from the Tokyo institute of technology (Japan) developed the Swumanoid robot, capable to simulate movement of the person when swimming by various styles. In the Swumanoid sizes twice less average swimmer. It is given in movement by two tens  vlagozashchishchyonny electromotors, being supervised the computer. The design provides use of the special strengthened connections in humeral "joints".
Adjusted for dimensions the robot can "float" with speed of 0,64 m/s that approximately it is three times less in comparison with a world record on 100 meters freestyle. Swumanoid is capable to simulate movements of the person when swimming on a back and butterfly stroke. Researchers also intend to "train" the pet in a breast stroke for what it is required to develop special bottom extremities.

It is supposed that Swumanoid is useful in the analysis of movements of professional swimmers and measurement of efforts enclosed thus. Finally, as expected, saved-up information will allow to create the new swimming suits increasing speed of movement in water.

The color press reached a diffraction limit

Engineers created technology of the color press which permission reaches theoretically possible diffraction limit - 100 thousand points on inch. The technology developed by authors is based on the resonance phenomenon плазмонов in thin metal films. At the first stage on a silicon plate by means of electron beam lithograph create microscopic vertical cylinders. Then on them напыляют a layer of precious metals - silver and gold, creating at top of silicon cylinders metal nanodisks. If nanodisks on a surface of silicon have different diameter and periodicity of an arrangement, they differently cooperate with light falling on them.
Changing diameter and periodicity of nanodisks, it is possible to give to separate parts of a plate different color, without using thus some any paints. To calculate compliance between the sizes of microscopic cylinders and a range of reflected light, researchers created special mathematical model which allowed to calculate necessary parameters of lithograph on the basis of the demanded image.
Authors managed to increase ten times almost permission of the color press in comparison with the best industrial samples using paint. According to them, such technology can be applied to manufacturing of nanodimensional optical filters, storage or the hidden information transfer, and also as additional extent of protection of securities.
Earlier other group of engineers showed somewhat return technology - manufacturing of nanostructures by means of the equipment which has been initially intended for the press by paints. Scientists used an inkjet printing for creation of microscopic vertical structures from quickly stiffening polymer.

Clever electric sockets will save energy

August 6th, 2012

Experts from Fraungofer's (Germany) Institute developed a platform, allowing to supervise operation of the devices connected to the home power supply network far off by means of the smartphone or the computer with Internet connection. The structure of system of household automation of HexaBus created on the mySmartGrid project, includes "clever" electric sockets with the built-in chip of a wireless communication and the special USB module which is connecting to a router. The platform is based on the Contiki operating system for built-in devices and the IPv6 protocol.
The user enters teams via the ordinary web browser or the special annex for Android-devices then they it is sent through a router to the socket on a wireless communication. The data link is bilateral: the system can send to the owner of the dwelling statistics about power consumption of each separate household appliance. Transferred information is ciphered according to the AES-128 protocol.
It is supposed that the HexaBus platform will allow to optimize an expense of an electricity and finally to lower costs of utilities. For example, being out of door, the user can start the washing machine when tariffs for the electric power are minimum in connection with small load of power supply networks. Or it is possible to activate the dishwashing combine in the maximum return established on a roof of the house of solar batteries.
The HexaBus system will allow forgetful users to switch off light left in the apartment far off. Approaching on the house, it will be possible to activate heating installation or the conditioner in advance.
Researchers say that "clever" sockets are already ready for commercial application. How many can cost HexaBus system introduction, it is not specified.

The first completely bent electronic device

The Korean engineers created flexible batteries and on their basis assembled the first completely bent electronic device. The device represents lithium - the ion battery with the inorganic electrodes put on a flexible substrate. At its manufacturing electrodes at first form on mica, and then transfer on plastic - полидиметилсульфоксан. Thus, the method of transfer is undemanding to a material of which electrodes are made.
The battery created by the Korean scientists is capable to be bent with radius about 3 millimeters, without changing tension of a developed electricity. In the course of test of the device it was bent by more than 20 thousand times, but it practically in any way didn't change indications of the voltmeter connected to the battery.
As experiment researchers connected the flexible light-emitting diode display to the battery and assembled, thus, the first completely bent electronic device in the world.
Lithium - ion batteries are considered long ago by engineers as good candidates for manufacturing of flexible supply equipments. Difficulties which arise at their manufacturing, are connected first of all with electrodes which should keep good contact to electrolit at bends. For this purpose scientists try to use or flexible organic conductors, or tonkosloyny inorganic conductors. Shortcomings of the first are connected with the low stability, the second - with difficulty of transfer on a flexible substrate.

In the USA allowed application of the digital microtablet IEM

Management on quality control of products and drugs of the USA (Food and Drug Administration, FDA) approved application in medical practice in the territory of the country of a so-called digital microtablet - the tiny touch sensor which after hit to the gastroenteric highway of the person can hand over information on a state of his health on various digital devices.
Ingestion Event Marker (IEM) in August, 2010 was resolved to use in the territory of the European Union and is the first similar development which has obtained permit of FDA.
The having size of a grain of sand of IEM doesn't contain a battery and represents a silicon chip with the provodnikovy materials fixed on both parties, placed in a soluble cover. Getting after a proglatyvaniye to a stomach, the sensor on a small interval of time is activated under the influence of sour gastric juice and starts to transmit a signal on the microchip of the bigger size attached to skin by means of a plaster.
This microchip, in turn, fixes time of receiving a signal from IEM and relays it or on the computer or the mobile phone of the attending physician or the trustee of the patient, or on the electronic device belonging to the patient. After IEM, having passed through ZhKT, will execute the function, it is deduced from an organism in the regular way.
As the company developer of the device which is based in California by Proteus Digital Health declares, IEM can be applied to remote control of timely and correct reception by patients of the appointed drugs that is especially important during clinical tests of various preparations. It is supposed that the patient should swallow such sensor at the same time with medicine then the doctor or the trustee of the patient receives information on time of reception and quantity of the accepted preparation. Producers of IEM hope that in the future the pharmaceutical companies will include it in structure of drugs directly in the course of their production.
Besides information on drug intake, note in Proteus Digital Health, by means of IEM it is possible to receive far off also data on work of different systems of an organism of the patient that allows the doctor to have a constant and a full picture of the events.

The American engineers created the robot worm

The American engineers developed the new robot which simulates movements of a worm and is capable to move through narrow openings, is told in video presentation of the Massachusetts technological university. Financing of the project is conducted at the expense of Management of perspective development (DARPA) of the Pentagon. The new robot which has received the name Meshworm, is capable to endure explosion or strong blow on the case. Allegedly, it will be used in investigation.
Specialists of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Harward university and South Korean National university in Seoul are engaged in development of the robot worm. The created version of the robot is based on the technical practices reached by engineers before by the project DARPA became interested. According to experts, the form of a worm is chosen not casually - she allows to reduce considerably the noise level, made Meshworm.
Initially engineers planned to use systems of the mobile metal elements actuated by a pneumatic. However such technology considerably increased the sizes and a shumnost of a worm. After DARPA was engaged in financing of the project, pneumatic systems was decided to replace with "artificial muscles", consisting of thin nickel and titanic a provolok. Such design is capable to change the form when heating under the influence of an electricity.
As a result the robot represents a tube from a grid of elastic polymeric threads with an elastic filler. The nickel and titanic wire is wound with small spaces between rounds round the Meshworm case. The winding is conditionally divided into segments which at supply of electricity are capable to be reduced or extend, simulating thereby movements of a worm. On the case of the robot "artificial muscles", movements responsible for the direction are also placed longitudinal.
Engineers developed algorithm thanks to which tension moves on different segments of "body" of the robot serially for management of all system. While researchers managed to achieve the movement Meshworm with a speed in five millimeters a second. The main advantage of the presented design researchers call stability to external influences - the robot completely keeps the functionality after blow a hammer and can potentially endure explosion.
It is necessary to note that DARPA gives particular attention to the robots simulating various animals. In particular, in interests of management development of the robot cheetah (while about 29 kilometers per hour are capable to be dispersed), the prospecting robot humming-bird, and also the AlphaDog robot dog intended for carrying of equipment of soldiers in long transitions is conducted.