Valentinaaa's Blog: February 2015

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have created a solar-powered arm band that sounds an alarm if the wearer's body temperature gets too high.
The device consists of a flexible amorphous silicon solar panel, a piezoelectric speaker, a temperature sensor, and a power supply circuit.
All of these are created using organic components, such as ink jet-printed onto a polymer film.
It can be worn either over clothing or directly against the skin.
When the temperature sensor detects that the patient's body temperature has risen above a given range, the speaker provides an audible alarm.
This is the first time that an organic circuit has been used to create sound, and also the first instance of one featuring an organic power supply circuit.
The arm band requires no external power supply.
It's flexible enough that it doesn't cause discomfort to the patient, and it's cheap enough to dispose of after each use, in order to maintain hygiene.

This device is small enough to fly indoors, yet still powerful enough to fly outside.

It weighs just over an ounce

The Micro-Drone is compact, but it is a well-equipped little helicopter.

On board it has a camera with a swiveling lens, letting you record images and video to any SD card you have.

The drone itself is good for beginners, with automatic stabilization that can cope with outdoor flying and the mishaps of a learner pilot.

For more experienced flyers, the Micro-Drone can also pull 360º flips, once again putting the stabilization technology to good use.

The charging occurs via USB, and the remote control range is 400 feet.

In 2005, Boston Dynamics unveiled its robot "mule," Big Dog. Now it has a smaller, and it is called Spot. It weights 160 lb. It is electrically-powered, hydraulically-actuated, four-legged robot.
Boston Dynamics isn't releasing many details about Spot beyond saying that it's designed for indoor and outdoor operation.
Spot is the smallest of Boston Dynamics' quadruped robots, other then the lab-bound Little Dog. It shows the cleanest engineering.
It's nimbler than Big Dog and is much quieter than the internal combustion engines used by the larger robots.
Another improvement is the configuration of the legs. Where Big Dog and its derivatives use a forward-angled leg design, Spot's is angled backwards like the legs of a goat, and it hops like one.
The company's robots are well known for keeping their balance, but Spot holds its feet with only a quick, remarkably lifelike stagger.
Previous Boston Dynamics quadrupeds were developed as part of a contract to create robotic pack mules to assist soldiers with their gear in rough country. However, more information will need to be released.

The M6 GT3 is powered by a race-modified 4.4-liter V8 M TwinPower Turbo production engine that produces in excess of 500 hp.
The car weighs less than 1,300 kg and features a transaxle drive concept, a six-speed sequential racing transmission and wind tunnel-optimized chassis aerodynamics.
It is based on the M6 Coupé production model.
BMW says the development of the BMW M6 GT3 is progressing according to plan.
It is expected to compete in national series, international series and endurance races from 2016.
The BMW M6 GT3 has taken to the track for the first time in Germany.