Project DEXMART sensitive robotic hand

By Damir Beciri
14 April 2012

dexmart-robot-hand-1Researchers at Saarland University together with associates in Bologna and Naples have developed a robotic hand that employs small electric motors to twist strings which mimic muscles in human body. Aside being powerful, the robotic hand is also delicate – making it useful to perform different tasks such as aid in your home or adding… »

NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight enables reading in the dark

By Damir Beciri
3 Comments12 April 2012

nook-simple-touch-with-glowlight-1A while ago I was out for a drink with some friends,  and among other conversation we had a debate about e-readers and tablets where we concluded that there should be a version of an e-reader with a controllable backlight. The folks from Barnes and Noble had the same idea and came up with NOOK… »

Cola-Cola Hug Machine and Recycle Happiness Machine

By Damir Beciri
10 April 2012

coke-hug-me-machineA while back, we wrote about world’s first smile-activated ice cream vending machine which employs augmented reality in order to grab the attention. As a part of “Open Happiness” regional initiative in Singapore, Coca-Cola Company and Ogilvy & Mather came up with the ‘Cola-Cola Hug Machine’ to bring doses of happiness into the lives of… »

Less power consuming and faster plastic electronics

By Damir Beciri
9 April 2012

plastic-electronics-1Researchers at the University of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory made a breakthrough for plastic electronic circuits by adding new qualities aside low cost, transparency, flexibility and ease of production – they managed to make them less power consuming and faster. The technology could be used in various applications, ranging from radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on… »

Using sunlight and zinc oxide in hydrogen production

By Damir Beciri
8 April 2012

koepf-erik-solar-reactor-1Current traditional methods used to produce hydrogen rely on natural gas which releases carbon dioxide during conversion. There are alternative ways that are yet to be improved, such as MIT’s Artificial Leaf and other artificial photosynthesis systems, and researchers from University of Delaware (UD) came up with a different approach by designing a reactor that… »

Children’s social interactions with a humanoid robot

By Damir Beciri
4 Comments6 April 2012

uw-robovie-social-study-1Although development of robots meant to help us in our everyday lives has been hindered by the economy, there are efforts to develop social robots for children that could be used to monitor them and guard them from harm. A group of researchers from University of Washington used a Robovie robot to explore how children… »

ENE-FARM Type S – most efficient residential-use Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

By Damir Beciri
3 Comments3 April 2012

ene-farm-type-sOsaka Gas, Aisin Seiki, Kyocera Corporation, Chofu Seisakusho and Toyota Motor Corporation announced that they have completed co-development of a residential-use solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) co-generation system named ENE-FARM Type S. The system achieves power generation efficiency of 46.5% – currently highest level in the world when it comes to fuel cells for residential… »

Green architecture – Mill Valley Cabins

By Damir Beciri
2 April 2012

mill-valley-cabins-1Green roofs date back to the ancient times where they were used to provide additional insulation or to amaze visitors and provide more tranquil surroundings. We already wrote a fair share of articles about architectural solutions that are partially or fully covered with green roofs, however, the Mill Valley Cabins deserved their spot among these… »