Automated helpers in industry today are usually enclosed by protective barriers. Industrial safety regulations permit contact between people and robots only under certain conditions, since the risk of injury to humans is too great. In order to allow safer collaboration, researchers at Fraunhofer-Gesellschaf are developing a projection and camera-based system able to prevent potential collisions… »
Although termites represent one of the peskiest household pests, they could prove to be beneficial for biofuel production. Enzymes in termite guts are instrumental in the insect’s ability to break down the wood they eat, and a group of researchers from Purdue University have applied their knowledge of termites to develop a cocktail of enzymes… »
Researchers at Technical University of Munich (TUM) are developing an artificial skin for robots to help them navigate in their environments. It will provide important tactile information to the robot and thus supplement its perception formed by camera eyes, infrared scanners and gripping hands. They have built a single robotic arm equipped with sensors to… »
A while ago we wrote about Cornucopia – a printer for food, which works by storing, precisely mixing, depositing and cooking layers of ingredients. A group of researchers came up with their twist on food printing technology and made a 3D chocolate printer. In the long term, the technology could be used by customers to… »
Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide, with over 48% of world blindness caused by age related cataracts. Existing diagnostic methods require Slit-lamps, which require a trained physician to interpret the results and aren’t affordable. Researchers from MIT have developed a simple device that can clip onto an ordinary smartphone or a tablet and… »
Unlike other researchers who are developing self-repairing materials, civil engineers at MIT cooperated with physicists at the University of Potsdam, Germany, went in a different direction and developed a flexible skin-like fabric with electrical properties which could be applied to areas of structures where cracks are likely to appear and be used to detect cracks… »
After a while, we’re publishing an article in our art and technology series, where we write about usage of technology to preserve or create art. Industrial designer Markus Kayser used the solar power and sand as raw energy and material to produce glass objects using a 3D printing process, that combines natural energy and material… »
Lytro, Inc. is developing a light field camera that can capture all of the light rays in a scene in a way that offers new photographic capabilities, such as focusing a picture after it is taken. Lytro cameras will also create interactive, living pictures that can be endlessly focused and refocused by both the photographer… »
