Researchers at the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin showed that the vocal training of older rats led to the reduction of some of the voice problems associated with aging, such as the loss of vocal intensity that accompanies changes in the muscles of the larynx. The results hold promise that voice therapy… »
Although Festo primarily represents a supplier of automation technology, our loyal readers have been introduced to them with various interesting biomimetic projects we covered through the years. On a recent Hanover Trade Fair 2012, Festo exhibited a couple of their new concepts, and in this article we’re going to write about human-machine interaction, music being… »
In their effort to study the effectiveness of haptic technology – technology that takes provides feedback to user’s sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations or motions – researchers from the Vanderbilt University designed an application that could assist visually impaired students to master algebra, geometry, graphing and other subjects that are particularly hard to… »
A group of researchers, led by a Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) researcher, developed a technology which recognizes determines the difference in sound when you tap of a fingertip, the pad of the finger, a fingernail or a knuckle on a touchscreen. This technology, called TapSense, enables richer touchscreen interactions by employing the anatomy and dexterity… »
Stanford researchers have developed a highly sensitive underwater microphone which is modeled after the extraordinarily acute hearing of orcas. The microphone can capture a wide range of ocean sounds in a range of approximately 160 decibels, significantly more than existing underwater microphones (hydrophones) which have limited ranges of sensitivity and do not perform well at… »
Sound absorbing surfaces in rooms where people work, talk to each other or are trying to relax are gaining more importance in modern societies. So far, lightweight and transparent curtains are acoustically almost useless, but the cooperation between researchers at Empa, textile designer Annette Douglas and silk weavers Weisbrod-Zürrer AG, resulted with a lightweight, translucent… »
With the increased use of underwater robotics, underwater navigation becomes more and more important. A research team from Naval Research Laboratory, the University of Washington, and Naval Surface Warfare Center has developed and tested an underwater navigation system that uses a spiral shaped acoustic wave to determine aspect. The single stationary beacon can provide a… »
Most of the today’s popular music artists use technology to add effects or adjust their singing in order to make it more interesting to new generations of listeners. A program called Vocaloid can synthesize singing of male or female voices which have been used for choruses and it has been around since 2004. One of… »
