Pentagon Studies Human Microchip Implants

The Defense Department's plans to study implanting microchips in soldiers is already sparking concerns about privacy issues (and is likely to send the stock price of tinfoil to new highs).

Read More

Autonomous Flying Ambulances Could Save Troops

When there’s no safe escape, call in the Mules: These unmanned aerial vehicles could save lives on the battlefield—and off.

U.S. troops are pinned down in a crowded city center. Several are wounded and need immediate evacuation. There are miles of labyrinthine roads and thousands of enemy gunmen between them and the nearest base. The threat from rocket-propelled grenades has grounded the big helicopters.

Read More

DARPA's Stick-On Body Sensors

DARPA is now accepting applications for a new "smart tape" sensor patch to monitor the health of soldiers on and off of the battlefield.
Have smart shirts lost their luster already?

Read More

Auditory Nerve Implant Promises Better Hearing

Tiny array placed in auditory nerve may one day offer superior alternative to cochlear implants, U-M animal study suggests.

More than three decades ago, scientists pursued the then-radical idea of implanting tiny electronic hearing devices in the inner ear to help profoundly deaf people. An even bolder alternative that promised superior results — implanting a device directly in the auditory nerve — was set aside as too difficult, given the technology of the day.

Read More

'Field Sense' May Be Teachable

The likes of Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, and Diego Maradona, besides their athletic ability, have an incredible sense of the players around them, which allowed them to display incredible plays in their respective sports.

Peter Vint is a researcher at the US Olympic Committee, and showed Wired his research on how great players quickly adapt to their environments and how this can be taught to others.

Read More

Airline Sensor Could Pinpoint Germs

A new system that uses a computer program and sensors could identify passengers responsible for the release of chemical agents in a terrorist attack or the unintentional release of germs or a virus, such as the tuberculosis-infected man who recently flew on international flights.

"We can identify the location plus or minus one seat," said Qingyan Chen, principal director of the Air Transportation Center of Excellence for airliner cabin environment research at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

Read More

Researchers use gene therapy to restore sight in mice

University of Florida researchers used gene therapy to restore sight in mice with a form of hereditary blindness, a finding that has bearing on many of the most common blinding diseases.

Writing in Nature Medicine, scientists describe how they used a harmless virus to deliver corrective genes to mice with a genetic impairment that robs them of vision.

The discovery shows that it is possible to target and rescue cone cells - the most important cells for visual sharpness and color vision in people.

Read More

Top 10 Forecasts from Outlook 2007

Each year since 1985, the editors of THE FUTURIST have selected the most thought-provoking ideas and forecasts appearing in the magazine. Over the years, Outlook has spotlighted the emergence of such epochal developments as the Internet, virtual reality, and the end of the Cold War.

Here are the editors' top 10 forecasts from Outlook 2007:

1. Generation Y will migrate heavily overseas.
2. Dwindling supplies of water in China will impact the global economy.
3. Workers will increasingly choose more time over more money.
4. Outlook for Asia: China for the short term, India for the long term.
5. Children's "nature deficit disorder" will grow as a health threat.
6. We’ll incorporate wireless technology into our thought processing by 2030.
7. The robotic workforce will change how bosses value employees.
8. The costs of global-warming-related disasters will reach $150 billion per year.
9. Companies will see the age range of their workers span four generations.
10. A rise of disabled Americans will strain public transportation systems.

Read More

Backlash against RFID is growing

Civil rights and privacy rights groups have opposed radio frequency identification, or RFID, for years. But now, researchers in the field and some lawmakers are beginning to voice concerns about the security of the technology.

In the past year, twenty-two states have introduced legislation regarding RFID technology, which uses tiny radio transmitter chips, or "tags," that can be inserted in a pallet full of goods, a pair of jeans, or a passport.

Read More

A swimming robot — inside your body

The Boston Globe describes the efforts of a Japanese-born scientist to develop new technologies for use in surgery. His last project is to build a swimming robot designed to explore the human gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) from esophagus to colon.

This 2-centimeter long robot will have a swimming tail to deliver the energy picked from the outside and use it to steer it in the GI tract. It will also be able to send back images to the physicians and to deliver therapy. Coincidentally, the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting about another medical robot helper able to crawl like an inchworm into your heart.

Read More

A Robot Is Built To Rescue Soldiers

U.S. researchers are developing a remote-controlled robot designed to rescue injured or abducted soldiers without putting their comrades at risk. The prototype of the nearly 6-foot-tall Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot, called Bear, can lift nearly 300 pounds with one arm, and its developer, Vecna Technologies of College Park, Md., is focusing on improving its two-legged lower body.

Read More

Agent Protects Cells From Lethal Effects Of Radiation Even If Given After Exposure

No drugs exist to protect the public from the high levels of radiation that could be released by a "dirty" bomb or nuclear explosion. Such excessive exposure typically causes death within weeks as the radiation kills blood cells vital to clotting and fighting infection, along with the stem cells needed to replenish their supply.

But now researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report they have developed an agent that protects cells from the lethal effects of radiation, regardless of whether it is given before or after exposure.

Using this agent in mice, the investigators found that the treatment helped shield rapidly dividing cells that are most vulnerable to radiation-induced death, providing proof in principle that it is possible to fend off radiation damage, according to a study published in the April issue of Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.

Read More

UK publishes report on environmental benefits of nanotechnology

(Nanowerk News) The "Environmentally Beneficial Nanotechnologies: Barriers and Opportunities" (pdf download, 748 KB), a new report by the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), was published today.

Under this study, five nanotechnological applications were subject to detailed investigation: fuel additives, photovoltaics (solar cells), the hydrogen economy, electricity storage and insulation. In these areas nanotechnology could contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 2 % in the near term and up to 20 % by 2050 with similar reductions in air pollution being realised.

Overview of the report’s investigations into the nanotechnology focus areas:

Fuel additives: Nanoparticle additives have been shown to increase the fuel efficiency of diesel engines by approximately 5% which could result in a saving of 2-3 million tonnes of CO2 in the UK. This could be implemented immediately across the UK diesel powered fleet. However, this must be tempered by concerns about the health impact of free nanoparticles in diesel exhaust gases. Recommendations include: Comprehensive toxicological testing and subsidised independent performance tests to validate environmental benefit.

Solar cells: The high prices of solar cells are inhibiting their installation into distributed power generation, reducing energy generation from renewables. Nanotechnology may deliver more benefits in significantly decreasing the cost of production of solar cells. Conservatively, if a distributed solar generation grid met 1% of our electricity demand, approximately 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 per annum could be saved. The major barrier to this technology is the incorporation of the nanotechnology into the solar cell, not the nanotechnology itself. The UK is one of the world leaders in understanding the fundamental physics of solar cells, but we lack the skills that allow us to transfer our science base into workable prototypes. Recommendations include: Develop programs and facilities for taking fundamental research through to early stage prototypes where established mechanisms can be employed to commercialise new technologies. Set up a centre of excellence in photovoltaics which allows cross fertilisation of ideas from different scientific disciplines.

The hydrogen economy: Hydrogen powered vehicles could eliminate all noxious emissions from road transport, which would improve public health. If the hydrogen is generated via renewable means or using carbon capture and storage, all CO2 emissions from transport could be eliminated (132 million tonnes). Using current methods of hydrogen generation, significant savings in carbon dioxide (79 Mte) can be made. The technology is estimated to be 40 years away from universal deployment. The UK is becoming one of the front runners in this area. Although we do not have a substantial automotive R&D base, the international nature of these companies will allow ready integration of UK innovation into transport. Recommendations include: The use of public procurement to fund hydrogen powered buses in major cities to create a market and infrastructure for hydrogen powered transport. Continue to fund large demonstration projects and continue R&D support.

Batteries and supercapacitors: Recent advances in battery technology have made the range and power of electric vehicles more practical. Issues still surround the charge time. Nanotechnology may provide a remedy to this problem allowing electric vehicles to be recharged in less than ten minutes, which is comparable to the refuelling time of current cars. If low carbon electricity generation techniques are used, CO2 from private transport could be eliminated (64 Mte) or, using the current energy mix, savings of 42 Mte of carbon dioxide could be made. Without nanotechnology, electric vehicles are likely to remain niche due to the issues of charge time. Significant infrastructural investment will be required to develop recharging stations throughout the UK. Recommendations include: Fast track schemes for commercialisation and cultivate links with automotive multinationals.

Insulation: Cavity and loft insulation are cheap and effective, however, there are no easy methods for insulating solid walled buildings, which currently make up approximately one third of the UK’s housing stock. Nanotechnology may provide a solution which, if an effective insulation could be found with similar properties to standard cavity insulation, could result in emission reductions equivalent to 3 Mte per year. Ultra thin films on windows to reduce heat loss already exist on the market. Recommendations include: Fund a DTI technology program call on novel insulation material for solid walled buildings and retrofit government offices with highly insulating nanotechnology based windows.

An appendix to the report can be downloaded here (pdf, 638 KB).
Source: Defra

Propellers for Microrobots

Researchers have developed a novel form of propulsion for microrobots that mimics the way bacteria zip about using corkscrew-like appendages called flagella.

Tests show that the tiny rotating nanocoils--just 27 nanometers thick and 40 micrometers long--are capable of spinning at 60 revolutions per minute and that it is possible to propel an object at nearly 5 micrometers per second.

Such propulsion could be used as part of smart drug delivery systems, which are steered through the bloodstream directly to their target, says Bradley Nelson, a professor of robotics and intelligent systems at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, in Zurich, who led the research. And in the long term, the nanopropellers could be used to propel autonomous biomedical microrobots, he suggests.

Read More

Researchers see nanotechnology treatment for spinal cord injuries

Nanotechnology is showing promise in treating spinal cord injuries and could conceivably reverse paralysis, according to a report on the future of the emerging technology in medicine.

The report, released at a Washington forum this week, said nanotechnology -- or the use of materials on the scale of atoms and molecules -- may also help cure other ailments believed to be intractable by repairing damaged organs or tissue.

Read More

Nanotechnology used to treat spinal cord injuries

Paralyzed lab mice with spinal cord injuries have regained the ability to walk after being injected with a nanomaterial, a scientific conference heard Monday.

The research raises hope that nanotechnology might be used in treating degenerative illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, according to Samuel Stupp, a Northwestern University professor who presented his findings at a session hosted by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies in Washington.

Read More

Research opens way for bionic eye

US scientists have opened the way for the development of a "bionic eye".

They used electrodes to stimulate an area of the brain that processes visual information, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported.

The results in monkeys increase the chance that people with conditions such as glaucoma will one day have their vision restored with a prosthetic eye.

Read More

Nano-nose sniffs out sickness

A set of gold nanoparticles with various coatings can identify proteins by mimicking the way the human nose distinguishes scents. US researchers are using them to detect signs of illness in bodily fluids.

"In your nose there are a variety of receptors that all react in slightly different ways to compounds," says Vince Rotello from the University of Massachusetts, US. Instead of having a specific sensor for each smell, the nose responds to the pattern of responses produced by multiple, generalised receptors.

Read More

Neuroarm: Navigating The Future Of Surgery

by Staff WritersCalgary, Canada (SPX) Apr 19, 2007

Surgery is about to change with the introduction of a new surgical robotic system at the University of Calgary/Calgary Health Region. NeuroArm aims to revolutionize neurosurgery and other branches of operative medicine by liberating them from the constraints of the human hand.

The world's first MRI-compatible surgical robot, unveiled today, is the creation of neurosurgeon Dr. Garnette Sutherland and his team. Dr. Sutherland has spent the last six years leading a team of Canadian scientists, in cooperation with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA), to design a machine "that represents a milestone in medical technology."

Read More

Robotic Surgeon To Team Up With Doctors And Astronauts On NASA Mission

This week Raven, the mobile surgical robot developed by the University of Washington, leaves for the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. The UW will participate in NASA's mission to submerge a surgeon and robotic gear in a simulated spaceship.

Lightweight, mobile robots could travel to wounded soldiers on the battlefield to treat combat injuries. Surgical robotic systems also could be used in disaster areas so doctors worldwide could perform emergency procedures.

Read More